A newly-formed advisory board is serving as the eyes and ears of the Twinsburg community so that Kent State University Regional Academic Center can better serve students in their quest for career advancement and lifelong learning opportunities through higher education.
Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg is a satellite of the Kent State University Geauga Campus in Burton. Since its inception in 1991, it has played a vital role in enriching the surrounding community with course offerings in business, accounting, computer science, and other programs ranging from associates to masters degrees, as well as executive and workforce development programs.
Its mission has been fulfilled with the assistance of an advisory board that previously served both the Geauga campus as well as the Twinsburg location. Recently, Angela Spalsbury, Ph.D., dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State University Geauga Campus and Regional Academic Center, recognized the need for each entity to be represented by its own advisory board. Each board functions separately, yet interdependently, since they represent one campus with two locations.
The advisory board already has set several initiatives in motion, including workplace development, increased access to the Twinsburg Fitness Center, and the establishment of the Kent State University Geauga and Regional Academic Center Advisory Board Scholarship, which will award scholarships to one student from the Geauga Campus and one Regional Academic Center student annually.
The Regional Academic Center advisory board consists of 11 members; six of them already in place and five recently appointed. Existing members include:
- Abby Fechter, Director of Banquet Operations at Gleneagles Golf Club
- Walt Hoffmann, RAC AB Chairman, Current Councilman for Reminderville, Retired, Assistant Superintendent
- Val Lumby, homemaker/community member
- Charles Mbanefo, Owner, C. Mbanefo MD Group
- Kathi Procop, retired, former Mayor of Twinsburg
- Sheila Williams, retired teacher.
Five new members were recently added to the Regional Academic Center advisory board to serve three-year terms, representing Kent State Geauga to the community at local functions, supporting scholarship funding initiatives, and making community connections on behalf of the dean.
New members include:
Jamey DeFabio, Real Estate Agent at Keller Williams; Twinsburg Township Trustee; Chief Bailiff of Bedford Municipal Court
Megann Eberhart, Executive Director, Twinsburg Chamber of Commerce; President, Barberton Board of Education; member, Summit ArtSpace Board and Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education Internship Task Force
Lori Posk, M.D., FACP, Medical Director, Cleveland Clinic Twinsburg Family Health and Surgery Center; Medical Director, Cleveland Clinic-MyChart; Associate Staff Department of Internal Medicine; Assistant Professor of Medicine Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve
Laura Leonard, Director, Twinsburg Public Library
Ted Yates, Mayor, City of Twinsburg
Each board member brings their distinct professional and personal strengths to the group, providing grassroots connections between the Twinsburg community and KSU’s Regional Academic Center. Learn more about each of these new board members.