Dr. Mark Vargus - Mayor
Term Expires: May 2026
Council Place #6
Mayor Vargus was elected to Town Council in May 2007, and has served as Lakewood Village’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer since January 2008. Dr. Vargus served as Mayor Pro-tem from 2008-2014 and has served as Mayor since June 2014. While on Town Council, Dr. Vargus also served on Lakewood Village’s MDD and EDC boards.
Mayor Vargus earned his PhD in Accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a MA in Economics and an MBA in Finance. He graduated with honors from The Johns Hopkins University with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Vargus was employed by Lockheed-Martin as a Senior Engineer in the advanced radar systems group. Following his retirement from Drexel University in 2018, Dr. Vargus has continued his research and teaching at Rice University and Texas State. His prior academic appointments include the University of Michigan, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, UT Dallas, Purdue University, Drexel University, GISMA, and Özyeğin Üniversitesi. He has won numerous teaching awards both nationally and internationally and was a finalist for the AAA inaugural Cook Prize for National Teaching Excellence. Dr. Vargus has received several national awards for his scholarly research, including the Outstanding Dissertation Award and the prestigious Notable Contribution to Management Accounting Research Award. Dr. Vargus purchased his Lakewood Village home site in 2003 and has been a resident since 2005.
Eric Farage - Mayor Pro-Tem
Term Expires: May 2025
Council Place #1
Councilman Eric Farage was elected to Lakewood Village Town Council in May 2019. He served as the President of the Municipal Development District (MDD) board from 2016 through his election to Town Council in 2019. Councilman Farage was native to Northeast Ohio when he relocated to Texas in 2014 and moved to Lakewood Village in 2015 with his wife and children. Councilman Farage attended Baldwin-Wallace University in Ohio for both his undergraduate and graduate work. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry followed by an MBA with emphasis in Healthcare.
Councilman Farage is honored and excited to serve on the Lakewood Village Town Council.
Nikki Blackwell - Councilwoman
Term Expires: May 2026
Council Place #2
Nikki Blackwell has been a resident of Lakewood Village for a decade, moving here in 2014. Her family has deep roots in the village, with her husband's family residing in the same house for over 50 consecutive years. Nikki holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas. She has triumphed over cancer showcasing her resiliency and determination. Currently, she works in property management and accounting while cherishing time with her two young children. She has a profound commitment to Lakewood Village and is thrilled to serve on the Council. Her goal is to maintain the village as the premier destination for families to thrive and call home.
Councilwoman Blackwell is honored and excited to serve on the Lakewood Village Town Council.
Matt Bissonnette - Councilman
Term Expires: May 2025
Council Place #3
Councilman Matt Bissonnette was elected to Lakewood Village Town Council in May 2019. Prior to his election, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Municipal Development District (MDD) board from 2017 through election to Town Council in 2019. Councilman Bissonnette is a native Texan who grew up in the Northeastern U.S. and spent many summers bank in Texas. The love of the land and people brought councilman Bissonnette back to Texas permanently in 2014 and moved to Lakewood Village in 2016.
Councilman Bissonnette attended The University of Akron in Ohio where he obtained a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing. Councilman Bissonnette is honored and privileged to serve our neighbors and friends of Lakewood Village.
Serena Leply - Councilwoman
Term Expires: May 2026
Council Place #4
Councilwoman Serena Lepley was elected to Lakewood Village Town Council in May 2018. Councilwoman Lepley relocated to Lakewood Village in 2015, along with over a dozen immediately family members, after a lengthy and exhaustive search of the United States for a community for her and her husband, Matthew, to raise their young family, along with her brother's family, sister and parents. They began their journey to Lakewood Village despite her extended family having deep roots in Ohio since early in the 20th century. Her family now owns four homes in Lakewood Village, making a commitment for the long-term in what they see as the best place to live in America.
Councilwoman Lepley graduated from Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio with a Bachelors degree in Speech & Language Disorders, followed by a Masters Degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Akron. She has won numerous community leadership and athletic awards, having served as a basketball student-athlete in college, helping her team compete in repeated appearances in NCAA.
Councilwoman Lepley is honored to serve her neighbors as a member of the Lakewood Village Town Council.
Clint Bushong - Councilman
Term Expires: May 2025
Council Place #5
Graduating from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1997, Councilman Bushong is currently employed as an Engineering Supervisor at Peterbilt Motors. There, he oversees a team of engineers responsible for defining future product offerings.
Having established roots in Lakewood Village since purchasing his first home in 2001, Councilman Bushong's commitment to community involvement grew. This led to his appointment as a councilman in 2013, where he took the lead in spearheading significant updates. Notably, he led the modernization of the Zoning Ordinance and implemented a web-based building portal, transitioning the construction permit process from paper-based to entirely paperless.
Councilman Bushong is honored to serve as councilman, committed to making a lasting, positive impact on the Town of Lakewood Village.