BGSU board welcomes new trustees to learning community

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Under the guidance of Chair Drew Forhan '81, the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees recently welcomed three new trustees to the learning community.

Following appointments by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Paula M. O'Reilly '93 of Columbus and graduate student Kathryn Ware '22 of Findlay began terms on the BGSU Board of Trustees on May 31. The board also voted on May 3 to name alumnus Paul J. Hooker '75 as national trustee.

“The momentum we are experiencing at Bowling Green State University is absolutely a reflection of the strength of our Board of Trustees,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “The appointments of Trustees O’Reilly, Hooker and Ware will further add to the depth of our board, with experience in the technology sector, business and entrepreneurship and as a graduate student. We are grateful for their time and leadership in serving the University as trustees, and we are excited to leverage their unique skillsets, perspectives and expertise in continuing to move the University forward.”

Paula M. O'Reilly '93
An experienced consultant and strategist, Trustee Paula M. O'Reilly '93 joins the BGSU Board of Trustees for a nine-year term through May 2033.

Currently, O’Reilly serves as senior managing director and Midwest technology lead for Accenture, a global professional services company with leading capabilities in information technology and consulting. She recently was appointed to lead the company's Columbus office.

Throughout her career, O’Reilly has held several leadership roles with Accenture, focusing on managing capital markets, banking, insurance and risk and operations. In 2005, she was named partner, and her expanded portfolio now focuses on technology, digital, cloud and security.

Additionally, O’Reilly is active in the greater Columbus community, serving as a member of the Ohio Business Roundtable and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. She was also included in Columbus CEO Magazine's Future 50 Class of 2022.

O’Reilly graduated from BGSU in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and international business.

Paul J. Hooker '75
At May's board meeting, trustees appointed Paul J. Hooker '75 as national trustee in recognition of his professional accomplishments, national reach and contributions to the learning community.

After graduating from BGSU in 1975 with a bachelor's in business administration, Hooker spent most of his professional career with SFERRA Fine Linens – a luxury bedding, bath and home decor store based in Edison, New Jersey – and eventually retired as CEO.

Previously, he served as a member of the BGSU Foundation Board and was a member of the Changing Lives for the World Campaign steering committee. Hooker also has supported the Alumni Laureate Scholars and the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business Building Fund.

Hooker is the namesake for the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the Schmidthorst College of Business, which is one of only 20 centers worldwide recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The center serves as northwest Ohio's premier resource for entrepreneurial education, featuring a weeklong Entrepreneurship Week each April that brings entrepreneurial leaders from around the country to campus.

In 1990, he and his wife founded a nonprofit to help children with disabilities and their families become involved with programs in basketball, soccer, Little League softball, golf, flag football and tennis. Now known as RallyCap Sports, the program has chapters at various colleges and universities across the Midwest and Northeast, with the BGSU chapter serving as the first and largest.

Hooker was named a top 100 graduate in the first 100 years of BGSU and was inducted into the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Hall of Fame in 2012.

Hooker's term as national trustee ends in May 2027.

Kathryn Ware '22
BGSU doctoral student and alumna Kathryn Ware '22 was appointed to a non-voting term as graduate student trustee through May 2026.

Currently in her third year of graduate school, Ware is pursuing a doctorate in biological sciences. Her research focuses on how birds respond to various forms of disturbance, including forest management and hurricanes.

At BGSU, Ware enjoys engaging with the learning community and has served as the Graduate Student Senate environmental affairs representative for two years. She also serves in various other capacities, including as a teaching assistant in anatomy and physiology, an officer of the Biology Graduate Student Association, member of the Biology Departmental Seminar Committee and founding member of the Biology Research Forum Committee.

Ware holds a master's degree from BGSU in biological sciences and a bachelor's degree from the University of Findlay in biology and animal science.