The Commissioners Bios
Belmont County has a three-member Board of County Commissioners that serve as the general administrative body for 86 of 88 Ohio counties; the exception being Cuyahoga and Summit Counties with its charter form of government. The Board of County Commissioners constitutes the chief governing board of Belmont County. Together they manage a large and diverse organization whose mission is to provide quality government services in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
J. P. Dutton
President of the Board of Commissioners
jdutton@belmontcountyohio.org
J. P. Dutton was elected to his seat which began on January 2, 2017. Prior to serving as a Commissioner, Mr. Dutton spent 9 years with Leonardo Technologies, Inc. (LTI), during which he focused on providing policy analysis to energy and environmental projects including global trends as well as advanced technologies, particularly in coal and natural gas. He has worked with a variety of clients including the Department of Energy, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Corps of Engineers. Prior to joining LTI, Mr. Dutton spent 8 years serving in a number of roles on Capitol Hill as Congressional staff. During this time period, he worked with federal, state, and local governments on behalf of Ohio’s 18th Congressional District which included 20 counties. Mr. Dutton was raised on a cattle farm in Flushing, Ohio, and graduated from Union Local High School. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Miami University, Richard T. Farmer School of Business as well as an MBA from Wheeling Jesuit University. He and his wife, Stacey, who is an area hospital social worker, are the parents of three young children.
Jerry Echemann
Vice President of the Board of Commissioners
jechemann@belmontcountyohio.org
Jerry grew up all around Ohio, including Sidney, Ironton, and Zanesville. He graduated from Ohio University in 1980, where his major was Radio & Television. He had a 31-year career doing TV news on WHIZ in Zanesville, but mostly with WTRF in Wheeling. He then spent several years as the Track Announcer at Wheeling Downs. This is his first time serving in an elective office. He lives in Martins Ferry with his sons Austin and Spencer.
Josh Meyer
jmeyer@belmontcountyohio.org
Graduated from OVMC School of Radiology in 2004. Employed by East Ohio Regional Hospital in a full-time capacity from 2004-2016 in Radiology.
Currently employed on a contingent basis.
Served as a Bellaire councilman from 2011-2016.
Served as a Bellaire Library Trustee from 2014-2017.
Elected as Commissioner in November 2016.
Currently resides in Bellaire with his wife Melanie and their five children Isaiah, Collin, Caleb, Nathan, and Aivreigh.