Hayes Presidential hires new building and grounds superintendent

A longtime volunteer who specializes in trees is the new building and grounds superintendent at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.
John Havens, who has served as a Hayes Presidential volunteer and board of trustees member, began working in the position full-time in June.
He replaces John Bell, who served and as building and grounds superintendent for more than four decades. Bell retired at the end of May.
“This is my dream job,” Havens said. “I like the people I work with a lot. I love history, and I really like the historic trees that we have here and the stories behind them.”
Havens has a degree in nursery management from the Agricultural Technical Institute of Ohio State University. He has experience working in a production nursery.
For the past few years, he has been working on a volunteer basis to identify and catalog Spiegel Grove’s more than 1,700 trees. The site is an arboretum accredited by Arbnet. He also has organized Hayes Presidential’s tree tours and trained staff and volunteers to give these tours.
Some of Havens’ goals for Spiegel Grove include reaching level 2 arboretum status and making the greenhouse located next to the carriage house operational again. The site is currently a level 1 arboretum, meaning it has fewer than 100 species of trees and plants. Level 2 status is for 100 or more species, and Spiegel Grove is close to reaching it.
Havens is a Jackson Township native and serves as trustee in the township. Until taking over this position, he owned and operated Color Haven Paint & Supply in Fremont.
He has been involved in numerous community committees and activities, including the Sandusky County Bicentennial and Community Christmas.