Foundation Board

C. Ray Mullins ’74, ’77

Position: Chair

2017-2026

The Honorable C. Ray Mullins was appointed to the bench in Atlanta in 2000, becoming the first African-American bankruptcy judge in the Eleventh Circuit, which consists of all federal districts in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. In 2012, he became the chief judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia. In 2013, Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court appointed Mullins to a four-year term on the Board of Directors of the Federal Judicial Center, which provides training and research for the federal judiciary. Judge Mullins received his Bachelor of Science in business administration from BGSU in 1974 and his MBA in 1977. As a student, he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and served as their president. He has been married to his Falcon Flame, Beverly Mullins, for more than 40 years.

Anthony Rucci ’72, ’76, ’78

Position: Chair Elect

2018-2027

Anthony (Tony) Rucci is Chair-Elect of the BGSU Foundation, Founding President and CEO Emeritus of the America 250 Foundation and Professor Emeritus from the Ohio State University. Before joining the OSU faculty in 2006, he enjoyed a 25-year business career as an executive officer with three Fortune 100 companies: Baxter International; Sears Roebuck and Sears Mexico; and most recently, Cardinal Health. Within his academic career he has been Dean of the College of Business at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor at OSU. Over the past fifteen years he has maintained an active strategic consulting practice with major companies and pro bono advising with not-for-profit organizations. He has permanently endowed seven student scholarships through the BGSU Foundation.

Rucci received a BS in psychology in 1972, an MA in industrial psychology in 1976 and a Ph.D. in industrial psychology in 1978 – all from BGSU. As a student, he was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the Antaean Society, and Sigma Xi. In 2022, he received the BGSU Academy of Distinguished Alumni Award.

Emanuele Conti ’89

Position: Immediate Past Chair

2018-2027

Emanuele (Manny) Conti is an Operating Partner in the technology practice WCAS having joined in 2019. He identifies and conducts due diligence for new technology investments as well as supports existing portfolio companies in developing value maximization plans. He brings over 25 years of leadership experience in software, data analytics and technology-enabled services. Prior to joining WCAS, Conti was the CEO of Opus Global, a leading regulatory software platform. Previously, he was CEO of Kroll Inc. and the President of the North America and International divisions of Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE: DNB).  He has also held leadership roles at Qwest Communications, Ernst & Young and General Motors. 

Conti received a Bachelor of Arts in finance from BGSU in 1989 and an MBA from the University of Chicago. As a student, he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. Conti served as a commencement speaker in 2015. 

John Gawaluck ’73

Position: Chair, Audit Committee

2019-2025

A 1973 BGSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, John Gawaluck worked for EY, formerly Ernst & Young, for 41 years until his retirement in 2014. During his tenure with EY as a certified public accountant, he held several key leadership positions and served the firm’s top clients, including many Fortune 250 companies. As a student, Gawaluck was active in Beta Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Pi, Alpha Phi Omega and was a member of BGSU’s varsity lacrosse team. Gawaluck currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Valerie Newell '75

Position: Treasurer; Chair, Financial Affairs Committee

2017-2026

Valerie Newell is a Principal and Senior Wealth Advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors in Cincinnati. Mariner is an SEC-registered investment advisor managing investment assets of over $5 billion for high-net-worth individuals and their families. Valerie was ranked the No. 1 financial advisor in the state of Ohio by Barron’s for the last 8 years and No. 2 on American’s Top 100 Women advisors in 2023. Her particular specialty is investment asset management and financial planning. She works primarily with business executives, entrepreneurs, and multi-generational families.

Valerie received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting in 1975 and was honored as the Outstanding Woman graduate of her class by President Hollis Moore. A two-time All-American, she was a three-year captain of the BGSU women’s swim team and letterman. The Varsity BG club honored her as a Silver Letter Winner in 2005.

Newell previously served on the BGSU Board of Trustees for 11 years, retiring as chairman in 2004. Prior to that, she was a director of the BGSU Foundation and also served on the Alumni Board. In honor of her service to these three boards, she was awarded the BGSU Leadership Award in 2000. She was inducted in the BGSU Hooker Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame and in 2006 was named an Accomplished Graduate of the Schmidthorst College of Business. The women’s locker room in the Sebo Center and a student activities office in the Bowen-Thompson Union are named in recognition of her financial support.

Newell resides in Cincinnati (technically on the Ohio River in Covington, Kentucky) with her husband, attorney Timothy Smith. She has two sons, Andrew, a public defender attorney in Northern Kentucky and Parker, a chemical engineer in Cincinnati.

Bonnie Sandman '77, '78

Position: Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee

2020-2026

Bonnie Sandman holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from BGSU. She has provided consulting services to a wide range of public and private organizations in the U.s, U.K. and Canada. Her clients have been in manufacturing, steel, industrial casting, transportation, telecommunications, child protective services, electric utilities, health care, and police and fire departments. Work scope has included designing and implementing human resource systems for employee selection and promotion, attitude surveys for organizational diagnosis, employment selection interviewing, and individual assessment for management selection. Sandman also conducts “individual assessments” for career guidance (young adults 17 to 35 years of age), choice of major, and career change assessment for adults seeking occupational change or re-entry into the workforce.

Sandman is a member of the American Psychological Association, Sigma Xi Scientific Honorary Society, Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Houston Area Industrial/Organizational Psychologists. She has taught courses at St. Thomas University, Bowling Green State University, University of Maryland (U.K.), and Central Michigan University and has authored papers on job satisfaction, job stress, and employment testing. Sandman is a licensed Psychologist (Pennsylvania). She has served on the St. Clair Hospital Foundation Board, and was president and board member of PAAR (Pittsburgh Action Against Rape) for nine years.

Marty Stiffler

Position: Chair, Development Committee

2019-2025

Marty Stiffler possesses more than 20 years of development experience with a specialization in writing grants and fundraising communications. She has provided foundation and grants management in nonprofit fields including education, health and the arts. Prior to her work in philanthropy, Stiffler founded and was president of a writing service for businesses and professionals.

Before focusing her career on writing in 2015, Stiffler’s most recent position was director of institutional giving at Washington National Cathedral, an organization she contributed to for seven years. In this role, she was responsible for foundation and grants management along with major donor and planned giving relationships. One of her achievements was to procure a $5 million grant for building restoration of the earthquake-damaged cathedral from a major national foundation.

Stiffler also served as associate director of development for Ravinia Festival for four years; director of development for Providence St. Mel School for three years; and freelance grant writer for nonprofits such as Columbia College and The Chicago Chamber Musicians for two years. Stiffler started her career as a volunteer and continued to hold volunteer positions, including serving as a member of the community boards of the United Way, Sacramento Valley and the Josselyn Center for Mental Health, where she remains an honorary trustee. Stiffler also is a founding member of the University Libraries Leadership Council at BGSU.

Stiffler earned her bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College and pursued the study of law at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Craig Anderson '79

2017-2026

Craig Anderson is general manager and director of operations at The Americas, Global Oil & Gas Group, for the Gates Corporation in Houston, Texas. Gates Corporation is a global provider of fluid power and power transmission products, services and engineering solutions through material science. Prior to Gates Corporation he was general manager of the Energy Products Division for the Parker Hannifin Corporation, Fluid Connectors Group in Houston.

Anderson earned a Bachelor of Science in applied engineering and technology from Bowling Green State University in 1979. As a student, he was a founding father of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and held several officer positions and was vice president of Inter-Fraternity Council, as well as a member of Club Lacrosse and Student Government Association. He was also recognized by Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, and was a member of the Anteans Society and Phi Eta Sigma.

After graduation, he started the Houston Alumni Chapter, and upon being transferred to the Cleveland area, restarted the North Coast Alumni Chapter. He served on the Alumni Association Board from 1992- 1998. He has also served on the Executive Leadership Committee for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk and served on the boards of Fort Bend County Junior Achievement, Water Jet Technology Association, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Riverbend Country Club in Sugar Land, Texas. He is currently alumni chapter president for Pi Kappa Phi–Delta Sigma Chapter. Anderson was awarded the Accomplished Alumni Award from the School of Technology and Applied Engineering in 2017.

Teresa Bair ’93

2022-2025

Teresa Bair the Chief Legal Officer with Kura Oncology, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, CA. She has over 25 years of legal and business experience, including expertise in corporate governance and the operational issues relevant to proprietary drug development from discovery to approval, and organic and M&A-driven global expansion. She was previously the General Counsel of Athenex, Inc., a public company in Buffalo, New York, where she led the organization through dramatic growth and transformation. Bair serves on the Board of Trustees of the University at Buffalo Foundation and is the Chair of the Western New York Women’s Foundation.

Bair received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from BGSU in 1993 and her Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1996. As a student, Bair was a member of the BGSU cheerleading team. She is married to alumnus Joe Bair ’93, ’94, and the couple resides in Amherst, New York.

Alex Barclay ’87

2023-2026

Alex Barclay is a 1987 graduate of BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing. He is currently a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor for The Soter Wealth Management Group. He began his career at Kidder Peabody, which would later take him to Shearson Lehman in 1992 and Morgan Stanley in 2005.

As a student, Barclay was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He currently resides in the Cleveland area with his wife Kara.

Gary Benz ’81

2022-2025

A 1981 BGSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Gary Benz, attended law school at the University of Toledo, graduating in 1984 with a J.D. Benz worked for nearly four years in a law firm in Cleveland, OH before he joined FirstEnergy Corp. in their legal department. He retired from FirstEnergy in 2021 after nearly 33 years of service. During his tenure there, Benz held a variety of leadership positions including Associate General Counsel, Vice President, Supply Chain, and Sr. Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer.

As a student, Benz was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and held various positions at the BG News, including editorial editor. He and his wife Betsy split their time between Naples, Florida, Akron, Ohio and New York City. They have 5 children, including a recent BGSU graduate, and 3 grandchildren.
  

Julie Brandle ’93

2023-2026

Julie Brandle is the president and a founder of Metis Construction Services, a female-owned commercial general contractor located in Kent, Ohio. Metis completes ground-up, renovation, and facilities maintenance projects throughout the United States. With over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and public relations, Brandle oversees these areas of expertise for Metis along with being an integral part of the management team that designs and manages the overall business strategy.

A committed community member, Brandle serves on various boards and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. She is a past president of the Rotary Club of Akron and is the 2023-2024 District Governor for Rotary District 6630.

Brandle earned a double major at BGSU in Interpersonal and Public Communication and Soviet Studies, as well as a travel grant scholarship to study in Kiev, Ukraine. She is also a licensed realtor and holds National Association of Home Builders certifications in Green Building, Aging in Place, New Construction Sales and Master New Construction Sales.

Brandle and her husband Steven currently reside in northeast Ohio and have one daughter, Kimberly, a 2021 BGSU graduate of the College of Education and Human Development.

Shirley Carlson ’67

2022-2025

Shirley Waugh Carlson received her B.S. in Education in 1967 from BGSU and began her teaching career at Rocky River Ohio Public Schools. Her passion has always been educating children and parents. Her husband Ed had a long career in healthcare management which moved them several times resulting in Carolson using her education primarily in churches where she served as a director of Christian Education.

Carlson has served on the Board of GenOn Ministries (International Ministry), Mercy Education Project (Detroit), and United Cerebral Palsy Board of Governors (Los Angeles). She founded and directed the “Family at Heart” parent education program for her church while living in South Bend and was recently involved with bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Ottawa County, Ohio. Carlson and her husband were instrumental in the founding and success of Bistro 163, a 5-star, non-profit restaurant in Port Clinton. Currently residing on Catawba Island, the couple has two sons and enjoys being involved in the lives of their family and especially their five grandchildren.

Gregory Forté '76

2019-2025

Greg Forté is a former associate director for The Procter & Gamble Company. He led P&G’s northeastern sales organization and eventually central operations for the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. After P&G, he became director of consulting for Management Performance International (MPI). At MPI, Forte worked with clients to drive strategic growth through improved work systems, training and organization development. Prior to consulting, he was development director for The Freedom Center in Cincinnati. He is currently president of OE-DE Investment Group.

Forté is a 1976 graduate of BGSU with a bachelor’s in business administration. As a student, he was an active Greek as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., where he held leadership positions. Forte recently served on the BGSU Student Affairs Leadership Council prior to accepting his role on the Foundation Board of Directors. In 2017, he was inducted into BGSU’s Academy Of Distinguished Alumni.

Marcia Foss '77

2022-2025

Marcia Foss is a 1977 graduate of BGSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She retired in 2017 from Lucas County Jobs and Family Services where she was employed for more than 21 years as an Eligibility Specialist. Foss previously owned and operated her own insurance and investment business. She also served as an academic advisor and adjunct faculty member at Owens Community College.

As a BGSU student, Foss was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society. Beyond BGSU, she received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Tiffin University and a Master of Liberal Studies from the University of Toledo. Foss is currently a member of the University’s 1920 Society and The Presidents Club, having established several scholarships supporting BGSU students.

Keith Grass '78

2022-2025

Keith Grass is the owner of KBG Holdings, Inc., after retiring as President and CEO of the David J. Joseph Company (DJJ) in 2014. DJJ is a subsidiary of Nucor Corporation, and is one of the largest scrap-metal brokerage operations in the United States. He joined DJJ in 1978 upon receiving his Bachelor of Science in business and finance from BGSU. During his time at the University, Grass was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity where he served as president, a member of the Interfraternity Council, Anteans Society and Omicron Delta Kappa leadership society. As an alumnus, Grass has served on the Schmidthorst College of Business Leadership Council where he led as chair for several years. He established the Grass-Reid Endowed Scholarship, and the Grass/Reid Student Collaboration Space in the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center is named in recognition of his generous support. Originally from Queens, New York City and Long Island, Grass now resides in Cincinnati Ohio.

Holly Horn '83

2018-2027

Holly Horn is the chief surveillance officer of public finance for Assured Guaranty Municipal Corporation, formerly known as Financial Security Assurance Inc. Assured Guaranty is the leading provider of financial guaranty insurance. Previously, she was with Financial Security Assurance Inc. and Ernst & Young. Horn graduated from BGSU in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in education/social studies and received a Master of Health Administration from the George Washington School of Business in Washington, D.C. Horn served as a commencement speaker for BGSU in 2016.

Karla Jones '81

2022-2025

Karla Jones is retired as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She worked for 35 years in the Division of Rheumatology at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, with a focus on clinical care, patient education, research, advocacy, and quality improvement. She is an active member and past volunteer for the Associate of Rheumatology Professions and recipient of their Master Clinician Award.

Jones is 1981 graduate of BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and as a student was a member of the Student Nurse Association, A Cappella Choir, and served as an orientation leader. She also received her Master of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University. She and her husband, alumnus Randy Jones ’81, established the Jones Family Nursing Scholarship and proudly contributed to the new School of Nursing Building. The couple currently resides in Dublin, Ohio.

Ravi Kandikonda '03

2022-2025

Ravi Kandikonda serves as Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing at Zillow Group, leading the teams responsible for product marketing, campaign planning and management, channel marketing, partner engagement, and marketing operations. He previously spent eight years at Comcast, where he led consumer marketing programs and operations for the company’s Xfinity branded products. Prior to Comcast, he held leadership and management positions at Ogilvy, FICO, and HSBC Card Services.

Kandikonda is a 2003 graduate of BGSU earning a Master of Science in computer science and operations research. He received a Bachelor of Science from Osmania University. Kandikonda previously served on the BGSU Center for Business Analytics Advisory Board.

David Levey '71

2017-2026

Levey is a retired executive vice president with Forest City Enterprises Inc., an $8 billion, publicly traded real estate firm based in Cleveland. His responsibilities were in the residential, multifamily group, where he handled acquisition and development activities in the eastern part of the country. In his 26 years with Forest City, Levey’s duties also included syndication of public housing projects and development and construction of hotel properties. A nationally recognized expert in Historic Adaptive Reuse Development, he has been responsible for historic redevelopment in Philadelphia; Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Boston and Dallas, collaborating closely with the National Park Service to accomplish these urban redevelopment projects. Prior to joining Forest City, Levey was executive director of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority. A frequent speaker at national conferences, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from BGSU in 1971.  

C. Raymond Marvin ’60, ’17 (Hon.)

2019-2025

A private investor in the telecommunications field, Ray Marvin graduated from BGSU in 1960 with a liberal arts degree. He went on to earn a law degree from the University of Michigan and embarked on a successful career that included serving as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate Corps, Ohio assistant attorney general, assistant director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition and founding director of the National Association of Attorneys General. 

While a student at BGSU, Marvin was a member of SICSIC, Omicron Delta Kappa, Falcon Marching Band, Forensics Team, Student Council and Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Since 2010, he has supported students through the Ray Marvin Leadership Awards, which recognize outstanding leadership on campus and in the community, and in 2018 named the C. Raymond Marvin Center for Student Leadership. In 2017, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of liberal arts from BGSU.

Jessica Miller-Blakely ’97, ’13

2022-2025

Jessica Miller-Blakely currently serves as the CEO of Wood Lane Residential Services (WLRS), overseeing its management, administration, and operations. A private non-profit organization located in Wood County, Ohio, WLRS provides residential, habilitation, financial, and clinical services to over 250 individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Prior to WLRS, she spent 20 years working in long-term care as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator.

A 1997 graduate of BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in Gerontology, Miller-Blakely also earned her M.S. in Interdisciplinary Gerontology in 2013. As a student, she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and was part of the executive team that started Dance Marathon in 1995. Miller-Blakely previously served on the College of Health and Human Services Leadership Council and received the College’s Alumni Award in 2014.

Miller-Blakely comes from a family of Falcons with parents David Miller and Judith Witmer Miller earning their degrees in 1969 and 1970; three stepchildren who are alumni – Nick ’16, Kelly ’17 and Brian ’21; and daughter Emma who is currently enrolled at BGSU. She and her son Jackson reside in Perrysburg, Ohio.  

Richard Moore ’87

2022-2025

Richard Moore is a partner with the law firm of Frost Brown Todd, LLC in its Labor and Employment Practice Group. His practice includes defending clients in litigation arising from claims of various forms of workplace discrimination. He is a frequent lecturer and author on topics related to employment law and workers' compensation.

A 1987 graduate of BGSU with a B.S. in Business Administration, Moore also earned his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. As a student, he was a member of the Alpha Phil Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He and his spouse currently reside in Cincinnati, Ohio and have two grown children.

Mary Beth Pate ’00

2021-2027

Mary Beth Pate received a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from BGSU in 2000. She is the Vice President, Marketing & Philanthropy Communications & Donor Engagement at City of Hope. She has served as a guest speaker at many industrial conventions including the Association of National Advertisers, multiple Philanthropy and Marketing Summits, and the HealthCare Strategy Institute. As a student, Pate was a member of Delta Gamma and served on the Panhellenic Council. She currently lives in Cleveland and sits on the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio.

Justus Roberts ’79

2023-2026

Justus Roberts is retired from CareCentrix, Inc., where he served as the Director of Client Services Operations. He was previously a sales manager with IBM for more than a decade as well as the director for Customer Care Operations at CVS Health.

A 1979 BGSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Roberts also received his MBA from Clark Atlanta University. As a student, he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Phi Omega, and also worked on the Obsidian newspaper.

Roberts and his wife Minnie currently reside in Tampa, Florida.

John Riedl '65

2017-2026

John Riedl graduated from BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in marketing. After three years with Leo Burnett advertising, he joined ABC Television in the stations division. He spent 28 years at ABC with stints at WLS-TV in Chicago, New York national sales and 22 years at KABC-TV in Los Angeles as general sales manager. He then spent 10 years as vice president of West Coast sales for Metro Networks before retiring. Riedl was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, serving two terms as president. Recently, as a member of the class of 1965 50th reunion committee, Riedl provided a generous lead gift for the Changing Lives for the World campaign, supporting the new Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center building, the future home of the Schmidthorst College of Business opening in 2020, as well as generous support for the Falcon Club and the School of Media and Communication. Riedl served as president of a self-managed home owner’s association at his second home in Big Bear Lake in California for 14 years before joining the BGSU Foundation Board.

Spence Seaman ’79

2023-2026

Spencer Seaman is the Senior Vice President - Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services, Inc., a global provider of financial services to private, corporate and institutional clients. He was previously the Vice President for Investments with Salomon Smith Barney for more than 20 years.

Seaman is a 1979 graduate of BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. As a student, he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity, Anteaan Society, Beta Alpha Psi accounting honorary and the Ski Club. He and his wife Sue, a 1976 BGSU alumna of BGSU, reside in the Cleveland area.

Judith Sommers ’68, ’95

2019-2025

Judith Sommers has committed her life to the advancement of education, earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1968 and a doctoral degree in school administration in 1995, both from Bowling Green State University. Her professional career includes nearly 40 years of experience in public education and higher education in Ohio and North Carolina. She has been published in several national journals, contributed a chapter on career counseling to a graduate textbook, and has presented workshops at a variety of national, state and local conferences.
 
Sommers’ commitment to education goes well beyond her professional career. She has been a strong advocate and active participant in the success of BGSU and BGSU Firelands. She served as a BGSU Alumni Board member and an alumni chapter leader, is a past president and member of the BGSU Firelands Advisory Board and past chair and member of the BGSU Firelands Development Board. Sommers has received the BGSU Community Service Award and the BGSU Alumni Service Award.

Arthur Tuttle '80, '81

2020-2026

Art Tuttle is retired as Executive Director -Retailer Financial Services & Shared Services for American Greetings in Cleveland. He previously worked at Pilkington Glass in Toledo, and Marathon Oil in Findlay. He taught corporate finance at BGSU after receiving his MBA in 1981. He had earned his bachelor of science in business and finance from BGSU in 1980.

As a student, he was a member of the Stock Market Club, Omicron Delta Epsilon international economics honor society, and received the Financial Executive Institute Award given to the outstanding senior Finance major. He recently served on the BGSU Athletics Leadership Council from 2016-2019. His spouse and two sons are all Falcon alumni.  

Carol Ware '78

2021-2027

Carol Ware received a Bachelor of Science in Magazine Journalism/Advertising from BGSU. Following an early career in publishing and public relations in the private sector, she retired from the State of Ohio Department of Medicaid as the Health Equity Administrator, after 30 years of service. Ware has a passion for community service and has served on several boards. While employed with the State of Ohio, she served as a board member for the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. Additionally, she serves as financial secretary for the Delta Foundation of Greater Columbus; as secretary for the Traditions at Rocky Fork Board of Directors and for nine years on the National Executive Board for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Ware was a member of the BGSU Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2013- 2021 and served as board chair in 2018-2019. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Carol lives in Westerville, OH and serves on the board of trustees and is choir director at the Second Baptist Church in Columbus.

Michael Winner '85

2017-2026

Michael Winner earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration/accounting from BGSU in 1985 and now serves as president of commercial lines for Grange Insurance. As president, Winner is responsible for the overall growth and profitability of the company’s commercial lines, including product development, underwriting management, risk control and operations. Prior to his move to Grange in 2014, he served as president of Liberty Mutual’s Mid-Atlantic Region for business insurance and was responsible for managing an eight-state regional insurance operation with nearly $700 million in commercial premium. He is immediate past chairman of the leadership council of The Griffith Insurance Education Foundation and is a member of the board of directors for the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Red Cross. He and his family reside in Maineville, Ohio.