Foundation Board
BOARD OFFICERS
Valoree Vargo
CEO
Vice President, Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement
Kent State University
Michelle D. Thomas, Ph.D., ’05
Chair
President
The James Franklin Group, LLC
Gregory A. Long, ’71
Treasurer and Chair, Committee on Finance
President and Managing Partner
Long, Cook & Samsa, Inc.
James M. Bailey, ’03, MS ’04
Chair-Elect and Chair, Committee on Investments
Senior Vice President, Managing Director
PNC Institutional Asset Management
Peter M. Holway, ’82
Immediate Past Chair
Principal (retired)
Hirtle, Callaghan & Company
Greg Ina, ’95, M.A. ’05
Secretary
Executive Vice President
The Davey Tree Expert Company
Jessica H. Vargo, CPA, ’89
Assistant Treasurer
Chief Financial Officer
Kent State University Foundation
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Virginia Addicott, ’85, MBA ’95
President & CEO (retired)
FedEx Custom Critical
Raj Aggarwal, MBA ’70, DBA ’80
Retired Visiting Research Scholar
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
Lawrence R. Armstrong, ’80, BARC ’80
Chairman
Ware Malcomb
Christian R. Palich, ’09
Representative, Kent State Board of Trustees
Vice President of Government and External Affairs
Eagle Specialty Materials LLC
Roxia Boykin ’71
Vice President of Community Benefit and Diversity (retired)
Summa Health System
Gary L. Brahler, ’89
First Vice President - Investments
Morgan Stanley
Heather Cerbone, ’90
Senior VP Product Design and Development
Ralph Lauren Corporation
Vicki Haywood Doe, Ph.D. ’09
President
Vicki Doe Fitness
Timothy D. Eippert, ’92
CEO
Stratus
John R. Elliot, ’70
Owner
Commercial Holdings, LLC
Alexander Evans, ’14, M.B.A. ’15, M.GISc ’19
Alumni Board Representative
Epidemiologist
Franklin County Public Health
Barry E. Fetterman, ’74, MBA ’76
Principal/Portfolio Manager (retired)
Sirach Capital Management Inc.
Richard J. Frenchie, MBA, LFACHE
President, The Frenchie Group
Affiliated Partner Leadership Excellence Health Care Advisory Network
Andrea Gauding, ’87
Alumni Board Representative
Vice President and CFO
Insurance Board
Valerie Patton George, ’06
Chair, Committee on Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement
CEO
Simply Beauty Group
Kenneth M. Grunley, ’76
CEO
Grunley Construction Co.
Cathy D. Hemming, ’70
Founder
Cathy D. Hemming Literary Agency LLC
Candice A. Hughes, ’70, M.Ed. ’72, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of School Psychology
Adjunct Faculty, International Psychology Department
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Nora Conway Jacobs, ’73
Senior Vice President, Crisis Communications
Hennes Communications
Richard G. Krumel, ’71
Chair, Committee on Governance
President (Retired)
Searchwise, Inc.
Steffany Matticola Larkins, ’92
Chair, Committee on Audit
President, Employee Benefits Division
Unison Risk Advisors
Dale A. Leppo, ’74
Chairman of the Board (retired)
Leppo Group
Mark Lucas, ’83
Lean Manufacturing Manager
General Motors
Stephen M. Milkovich, ’93
President and Owner
Construction Mechanics Inc.
Robert G. Risman
Chair, Subcommittee for the KSU Hotel & Conference Center
President and CEO
Burton Carol Management LLC
Carla Thigpen
Student Representative
President
Kent Student Ambassadors
Owen Ross
Student Representative
CIO
The Golden Flash Asset Management Group
Robert E. Ross, ’70
Director, Private Asset Management (retired)
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Diana P. Strongosky, ’88
Senior Vice President, Global Innovation
Sherwin-Williams Company
Daniel A. Wolfe, ’82
Vice President; General Manager, Aircraft Captain
Aviation Business Center, Nationwide Insurance
UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVES
Todd A. Diacon, Ph.D.
President
Scott McKinney, ’97, M.P.A. ’13
Assistant Vice President, Donor and Volunteer Engagement
Diane Petrella, D.M.A.
Dean, College of the Arts
EMERITI REPRESENTATIVES
Roger K. Derr, ’58, MBA ’63
Executive Vice President and COO (retired)
Ametek Inc.
Cecile M. Draime, ’58
Owner (retired)
CD Interiors Unlimited
Linda Allard, ’62, KHHL ’91
Design Director (retired)
Ellen Tracy
Roe Green, ’80
Theatrical Stage Director (retired)
Self-Employed
Mel Mellis, ’68
President (retired)
Real Estate Group, Bartlett & Co.
Ronald A. Pizzuti, ’62
Chairman and CEO
The Pizzuti Companies
