2024 Northmont Roll of Recognition inductees, from left, Pete Chakiris, Debbie Ritter Stahl, and Douglas P. Doherty.
Submitted photo
CLAYTON — In 1990 the mission to identify and recognize individuals who contributed time, effort, and commitment in exemplary ways directly to or in benefit of the Northmont School system and community was created and is known today as Northmont’s Roll of Recognition.
The three following recipients for 2024 will be joining the elite committed individuals who have been honored and recognized with their plaques proudly displayed in the Northmont Auditorium.
Pete Chakiris
Pete Chakiris is a 1966 graduate of Northmont High School, where he played football and wrestled. He started his coaching and teaching career at Brookville in 1970. After teaching a couple of years and starting the wrestling program, he was drafted and served our country in the United States Army. Upon his return, he continued his teaching career.
Chakiris’ career as a wrestling coach spanned 46 years, most of those years spent as the high school head coach. His accomplishments include 86 individual league champions, 80 sectional champions, 38 individual district champions, 26 state placers, one state runner-up, and four state champions.
Chakiris has been named the Miami Valley Wrestling Association’s Coach of the Year 12 times and was named State Coach of the Year in 2002. Chakiris was inducted into the Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association’s Hall of Fame in 1990, the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Northmont Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
During his coaching tenure, he also served as a varsity assistant coach in football, an assistant junior high football coach, and an assistant varsity softball coach. Aside from Chakiris’ athletic legacy, he is most known for his instruction in woodworking and drafting. Year after year, numerous students chose to recognize Chakiris’ influence in their lives. He regularly gives to military veteran programs, health and wellness endeavors, and families in need.
He supports his church with his contracting skills, financial backing, and being “present.” He has participated in mission trips both nationally and internationally to help others in need. Chakiris has shown up, without being asked, when people have experienced tornado or fire damage, or when they have needed encouragement. As one person put it, “I don’t know that Northmont City Schools could have a more dignified graduate to honor.”
Douglas P. Doherty
Doug Doherty is a 1983 graduate of Northmont High School and participated in wrestling and soccer while in high school. He attended Herzing University, where he obtained a BS in Criminal Justice; Traffic Institute at Northwestern University; and FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. Doherty served our country as a Marine before becoming a police officer, which garnered him respect from his peers, subordinates, and the community.
Doherty started his career with the Xenia Police Department in 1990. He worked his way through the ranks demonstrating his character and skill set in many important positions during his 24-year career. He became chief of Bellbrook Police Department in 2013 and was chief for eight years before being appointed chief deputy for Greene County Sheriff’s office in May of 2022.
He excelled in all of these important positions because of his work ethic, character, integrity, humility, and tremendous human relationship skills. Chief Doherty uses his extraordinary human relation skills to analyze and solve complex problems that he encounters on a regular basis. He uses his personal experience with PTSD to teach others and to improve the quality of their lives.
Doherty has earned numerous awards during his law enforcement career, which include the “Casey Elliot’s” Xenia’s Finest Award Officer of the Year; multiple leadership meritorious service and distinguished service awards. He has contributed to the betterment of his community and the law enforcement culture while working in three different upper management police positions.
As the current Chief Deputy of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Doherty continually models and teaches the Greene County staff on how to build positive relationships with citizens. Interacting with parents and students at the schools on a daily basis has built trust and also has improved the quality of life for the citizens whom he serves.
Debbie Ritter Stahl
Debbie Ritter Stahl is a 1971 graduate of Northmont High School. She retired from being a cardiac care nurse in 2018. She led missions and outreach programs in her church for many years and started volunteering with Community Table in the development/planning stage in the fall of 2008. She became Chairperson of the Community Table Board in 2012.
Stahl spends countless hours leading the charge to make sure every child in need in the Northmont district is fed and clothed. Under her leadership, children in need receive school supplies, food for weekends, and Christmas gifts, including coats, hats, gloves, and socks. She is well known in the community and works with Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, and other civic organizations and churches to secure donations for the programs.
She understands how difficult it is for a hungry child to learn, so her passion to nurture children is of the utmost importance. Under the programs Stahl has organized, children receive food for the weekends, and food pantries have been started at the middle school and high school with her assistance to continue this mission.
In addition, she organizes a “Back to School Fair” event, where hundreds of children receive all of their school supplies so they can start the year on a level playing field. The planning to ensure families get the information to sign up, to make sure the supplies are there, to obtain the school supply list from each elementary, to make sure there are volunteers to help the children fill their new backpack, and to set up the room and tear it down after the children have been served is enormous.
Not only does the Community Table under Stahl’s leadership provide food, clothing, school supplies, and other resources to families in need, it also teaches families how to work through their situations and gain ground. Deb Stahl takes care of people.
