Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees

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• Luis M. Alcalde

  Luis M. Alcalde earned his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from The Ohio State University. He has a Masters of Law in Business and Taxation from Capital University Law School. He is an attorney with the law firm of Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter and with over 25 years of international experience he focuses his practice on international business and complex litigation. He has lived in Europe and traveled extensively throughout Latin America on business matters. A native of Cuba he has led a number of initiatives between various institutions in the State of Ohio and Cuba. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of CAPA Columbus. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of the Columbus Council on World Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Ohio Supreme Court's Client Security Fund. His previous experience includes service with the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps in Europe, the Ohio Attorney General's Office and President and General Counsel of an international brand protection and investigations company. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan by the State of Ohio's Latino Affairs Commission.
  
  
  

• Larry Brown ‘80

  Larry Brown is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church and a full member of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church since 1988. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Brown graduated from Otterbein University in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. At Otterbein, he was a member of the University’s Concert Choir, Opus Zero choral ensemble and marching band and performed in several musical theatre productions. Brown graduated from Methodist Theological School in Ohio in 1986 with a master’s of divinity degree. He has served at several United Methodist Churches, including his current appointment with Powell United Methodist Church, where he serves as senior pastor. Brown served on the West Ohio Conference Board of Ordained ministry from 1996-2008, and as the Chair of the Board from 2004-2008. He currently serves as the chair of the Order of the Elders of the West Ohio Conference and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Methodist Children’s Home in Worthington, Ohio.

• Deborah E. Currin '67

  Deborah Ewell Currin earned her bachelor's degree in education from Otterbein with a major in elementary education and a minor in art. She has owned and operated Future Antiques, Inc. since 1985. Currin is an artist whose works have been published in Better Homes and Gardens and Good Housekeepingmagazines. She has also done design work for American Greetings Corporation. Currin was named Volunteer of the Year in 1995 by former Ohio Governor George Voinovich. She serves as a Board member for the Hudson Library and Historical Society. Currin is a certified parenting facilitator, has served as the Coordinator of the Hudson Schools VIP program, president of the Hudson PTO, and levy campaign co-chair.

• Mary Hall ‘64

  Mary Hall earned a bachelor’s degree from Otterbein University with a double major in sociology (with distinction) and French; a masters degree in social work (MSW) from the Smith College School for Social Work; a master’s degree in applied sociology from Boston University; and a doctorate from the Simmons College School of Social Work. Hall is currently a professor at the Smith College School for Social Work in Northampton, MA, where she received the Smith College Ferris Award in acknowledgement of 25 years of service. She previously taught at the New York University School of Social Work and the Boston University School for Social Work. In 1999, Hall was elected to the position of president-elect of the MA Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). In 2000 she was a recipient of the Special Achievement Award from the Otterbein University National Alumni Association. Hall is an At-Large Trustee . She currently serves as the Chairperson on the Academic Committee and is a member of the Enrollment and Student Life Committees.

• Taylor Harle '13

  Taylor Harle is a mathematics education major student and plans to graduate in the spring of 2013. He is from Delaware, Ohio and graduated from Olentangy High School in 2009 as a member of the National Honor Society. Taylor hopes to teach and coach at the high school level. He is a member of the Otterbein men's golf team and an undergraduate assistant coach for the Otterbein men's basketball team. Taylor’s community service work consists of volunteering at the Church For All People and the Mid-Ohio Food Bank which are both located in Columbus, Ohio. Taylor is following the legacy of his parents, Rick and Sonya Harle, who both graduated from Otterbein. He also has a younger sister, Alissa who will graduate from Otterbein University in the year 2015 and is a member of the women's lacrosse team.

• William E. Harrell, Jr. ‘94

  William "Eddie" Harrell Jr. earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Otterbein University in 1994 and his master’s degree in business administration from Ashland University. He has been president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League since April 2006. Prior to joining the Columbus Urban League, Harrell served as the executive director of I KNOW I CAN and Project GRAD Columbus. Prior to joining I KNOW I CAN, he served on the organization’s Board of Directors. He also held various management positions with The Kroger Company. Harrell serves on the Board of Directors for COSI Columbus, Columbus City Schools Education Foundation, and KIPP Central Ohio. Harrell serves on the Advancement and Finance Committees of the Otterbein Board of Trustees.

• Cheryl Herbert

  Cheryl Herbert has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Her career began at St. Ann’s Hospital in Westerville. In 1990, she joined the staff at MedCenter Hospital in Marion, Ohio, as director of continued care services. By 1997, she was named president of the hospital. Herbert joined the OhioHealth system in 1998 as vice president of Marion General Hospital. In 2000, she became president of Morrow County Hospital and in 2004, she was hired to oversee the development of OhioHealth’s proposed hospital in Dublin. Dublin Methodist Hospital opened in January 2008 and Herbert was named president. In 2011, she became a Senior Vice President and oversees a variety of OhioHealth system-wide departments and functions. Herbert earned a bachelor’s degree from Capital University and an MBA from Ashland University. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives; past-president and member of the Dublin Convention and Visitors Bureau Board; and a member of Franklin University’s Health Care Management Program Advisory Council.

• John "Ted" Huston ‘57

  Ted Huston earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Otterbein and his degree in medicine from The Ohio State University. Named one of the top cardiologists in the area by Columbus Monthly magazine, Huston’s career focused on preventive cardiology at the McConnell Heart Health Center. He is now retired. Serving as a representative of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, Huston chairs the Facilities Committee and serves on the Academic and Enrollment Committees.

• Joseph Ignat ‘65

  Joseph Ignat serves as managing director of Blackburn Capital, LLC, an investment banking firm with principal offices in Denver, CO. Prior to his service at Blackburn, he served as vice president of American Deposit Corp., an innovative developer of deposit products for banks. Earlier in his career, he was employed with several firms involved in oil and gas exploration, filmmaking, and commercial real estate. Ignat serves as a board member of Property and Environment Research Center, an environmental economic research organization in Bozeman, MT, and as a trustee, secretary, and treasurer of the Independence Institute, an economic research organization in Golden, CO. He is a former president and trustee of the Nord Family Foundation, a grant making foundation in Amherst, OH; and the former president and current trustee of the Denver Lions Foundation, a grant making foundation in Denver, CO. Ignat earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Otterbein in 1965, his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado in 1970, and is a veteran of the United States Navy.

• Chelsea Jenney

  Chelsea Jenney is a Life Science major and is gaining practical experience via clinical work at Mid-Ohio Pediatrics. She is also a teacher’s assistant in advanced chemistry, an advanced chemistry tutor and a member of the American Chemical Society. On campus, Chelsea is a member of Sigma Alpha Tau sorority, and she is involved in Otterbein Christian Fellowship and community service programs including America Reads, St. Jude’s Up ’Til Dawn and Sisters in Service. Chelsea is also a member of several honoraries including Alpha Lambda Delta National Academic Honorary and Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Academic Honorary. She has served as a sophomore student senator and as student council vice president.

• K. Christopher Kaiser ‘77

  Chris Kaiser earned his bachelor’s degree from Otterbein University in business administration with a concentration in accounting. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1979 and worked for Deloitte, an international auditing and consulting firm for 15 years. Kaiser now is the Chief Operating Officer for OSU Surgery, LLC, a multi-specialty surgical practice that provides business and management services to more than 125 doctors affiliated with The Ohio State University. He serves on the Otterbein University Alumni Council. He also serves on the Advancement Facilities and Finance committees of the Board. Kaiser lives in Dublin with Karen, his wife of 24 years, and has two children, both full-time college students.

• John E. King ‘68

  John King earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Otterbein University. He is a vice president and one of the co-founders of Perot Systems Corporation. He is the member of the Perot Systems’ Senior Leadership team that has responsibility for the enterprise quality strategy and direction. King also has responsibility for the organization that supports and maintains the company’s corporate systems. As a company co-founder, he acts as an advisor for strategic business relationships between Perot Systems and other service providers. Before joining Perot Systems, King worked at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in all areas of the company, from applications development to large-scale program management. For EDS, his last area of responsibility was division management of all business with the United States government. He serves as an At-Large Trustee , chairing the Finance Committee and is a member of the Advancement, Governance and Ad Hoc Compensation Committees.

• Christina Kirk

  Christina Kirk is a full professor of theatre at Otterbein University and has been a member of the faculty since 1992. She earned her B.F.A. in acting from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and her M.F.A. (with honors) in directing from Columbia University in New York. Her directing credits include work at The Living Theatre and New Dramatists in New York, as well as assisting Liviu Ciulei at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Productions at Otterbein include world premieres by Kia Corthron and Joan Ackermann. Christina's performance credits include the Joseph Jefferson award-winning Kabuki Medea, Three Tall Women (CATCO) and August: Osage County (Otterbein University). In addition, she conceived and performed Conversations with Judith Malina at Columbus Dance Theatre, a one-woman show which was featured in the March 2006 Theatre Journal. She has also performed and/or directed at Nebraska Repertory Theatre, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and Otterbein Summer Theatre. Kirk was a founding member of the Board of Directors at Columbus Dance Theatre, serving from 1998 through 2001. She has also served on the Spiritual Searcher Committee at First Community Church. A certified yoga instructor, Kirk was one of six teachers of the area’s inaugural Yoga Outreach project, benefitting both local and national charities. She serves on the Academic and Enrollment Committees.

• Kathy A. Krendl

  President Kathy A. Krendl took office July 1, 2009, becoming Otterbein University’s 20th president. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Lawrence University (Wisconsin), her master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University, and her doctorate degree in communication from the University of Michigan. After holding teaching positions at Ohio State, Southern Illinois, and Indiana University, President Krendl joined Ohio University in 1996 as a professor of telecommunications and dean of the University’s Scripps University of Communication. In 2004, she was appointed provost and became responsible for 11 colleges on the University’s main campus. In 2007, she was promoted to executive vice president and provost.

• Bruce G. Mandeville

  Bruce Mandeville currently teaches Equine Business, Law, Contemporary Issues, Conformation and some hands-on classes. In addition to equestrian sport, he was also a competitive skier, twice British Columbia slalom champion as a teenager. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce and law degree from the University of British Columbia in addition to some language degrees from the Université; Paris-Sorbonne in Paris, France. Following his graduation he worked as assistant to President for the data retrieval company, Quick Law. He was involved in the management of the head office employees and shareholder meetings. At the end of the 1980s he began a full-time riding career, which spanned 15 years. Bruce competed internationally in the sport of 3-Day Eventing at 2 Olympics, 2 World Championships and 2 Pan-American Games. During his riding career he bought and sold horses; taught equitation at clinics throughout Canada and the USA; and managed equestrian facilities. He began teaching at Otterbein in 2005.

• Thomas Morrison ‘63

  After receiving his bachelor’s degree in social studies from Otterbein University, Tom Morrison earned a bachelor of laws degree from New York University, then spent four years in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Morrison is a partner in the New York City law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. His area of specialty is commercial litigation with an emphasis on advertising, trademark and unfair competition litigation. He regularly represents pharmaceutical, health care and consumer products companies in trials and appeals throughout the country. An At-Large Trustee, he is current Chair of the Board. As such, he is an ex-officio member of all Committees.

• Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil '71

  Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil originally began her college career at Florida State University in 1966. She finished her freshman year, but then transferred to Otterbein in her hometown of Westerville. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology and went on to earn her master’s degree in counseling psychology at The Ohio State University in 1978. She began her career at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, where she helped develop several books focused on helping people with psychological disorders. She served as president of the Otterbein Theatre Advisory Board; president of the Board for Advocacy and Protective Services; trustee for Creative Housing Inc. and a member of the Columbus Development Center Citizen’s Advisory Board. Born to Dr. Ernest G. and Neva Fritsche, she grew up around Otterbein where Ernest was a board member from 1973-2006. Nevalyn was instrumental in assisting the college to obtain the gift that started the Cowan Hall Renovation project underway.

• Rebecca C. Princehorn ‘78

  Rebecca Princehorn graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Otterbein University in 1978 with honors. She also holds a juris doctorate and a master’s of public administration from University of Kansas. She is a partner of the public finance group and chair of the public sector group at Bricker & Eckler, LLP. She was listed in the Best Lawyers in America (Education Law) 2010-2011. She is a member of the Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys, the Worthington McConnell Arts Center, and the National Association of Bond Lawyers. She is also a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. She received the Meritorious Service Award from the Worthington Board of Education in 2001. She was the chair of the Franklin County Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board from 1992-1994. She was a recipient of the Business First "Forty under 40" award in 1993, and the Columbus Bar Association Community Service Award in 1987.

• Peggy Ruhlin ‘79

  Peggy Ruhlin received a bachelor’s degree in business administration through Otterbein’s adult degree program. She is a principal of Budros, Ruhlin & Roe, Inc., a Columbus, OH, wealth management firm with over $1 billion of investments under advisement. She is a Certified Public Accountant (accredited as a Personal Financial Specialist) and a Certified Financial Planner(r) certificant. An At-Large Trustee, she chairs the Investment Committee and serves on the Audit and Finance Committees.

• James A. Rutherford

  James A. Rutherford is the director of The Ohio State University Physicians, Inc. Throughout his career, has been an investor and director of numerous small and startup companies in the information technology, financial services and medical technology sectors. He co-founded Goal Systems International Inc. in 1989, became COO in 1976, CEO in 1987 and chairman from 1990-1992. From 1994-2005, he worked for Ciber Inc. in Denver, Colo. After improving company sales substantially, he served as a chairman for seven years. From 2001-2010, Rutherford served as a trustee to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is a trustee emeritus of Case Western Reserve University and has served as a trustee of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) and The New Albany Foundation. Rutherford earned his bachelor’s degree at Denison University. He is a lifetime resident of the Columbus area and has been married for 42 years. He as two sons and two grandchildren.

• Kent D. Stuckey ‘79

  Kent Stuckey earned his bachelor’s degree in political science, psychology and music performance from Otterbein University. He also holds a doctor of jurisprudence from University of Michigan and a master of business administration degree from The Ohio State University. Stuckey was founder, CEO, and board chairman of Internet Transaction Solutions (ITS), an Inc. 500 company. A former general counsel and secretary to CompuServe and vice president of CompuServe Ventures, he is author of the leading treatise, Internet and Online Law. In addition to numerous other accolades, Stuckey was recognized as Otterbein Distinguished Alumnus in 2008 and received the Service Above Self Award from the Upper Arlington Rotary Club in 2005. He is an At-Large member serving on the Audit and Enrollment Committees.

• Mark Thresher ‘78

  Mark Thresher earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Otterbein. After a successful career as a CPA with KPMG, LLP, Thresher went to work for the Nationwide Companies in 1996, where he currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Nationwide. He previously served for five years as president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc., Nationwide’s publicly traded life insurance and retirement savings franchise. Thresher is a member of the Financial Services Roundtable, chair of the COSI Board of Trustees and serves as the 2009-2010 statewide campaign chair for the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC), for which he currently is a board member and serves on the program services committee. Thresher chairs the Audit Committee and serves on the Advancement, Investment and ad hoc Board Enhancement Committees.

• Alan Waterhouse ‘82

  Alan Waterhouse served as the first president and CEO of Asteres, Inc., a start-up firm in San Diego which commercialized a system to store and deliver finished prescriptions to consumers in a retail pharmacy. Prior to joining Asteres, Inc., Waterhouse was president of Cardinal Health’s Packaging Services division. He came to that position from Pyxis Corporation where he was executive vice president of manufacturing/operations. Before joining Pyxis, Waterhouse held several senior management positions in manufacturing and operations with General Motors Corporation. Waterhouse’s community work includes chairing the annual United Way fund drive for a division of General Motors and devoting a great deal of time to Big Brother/Big Sisters. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Otterbein University in 1982 and his master’s degree in business administration from Xavier University. He resides in Del Mar, CA.

• Alec Wightman

  Alec Wightman is a partner with the law firm of Baker Hostetler. He joined the firm in 1982. His law practice covers a wide range of business and business-related areas, with substantial experience in the healthcare industry. Wightman also has substantial experience in bankruptcy and workouts. Wightman earned his bachelor’s degree at Duke University and his law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz University of Law. He is a member of the American, Ohio, and Columbus Bar Associations. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Cleveland Rock and Roll, Inc., which operates the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and serves on its Executive Committee and as chair of its Development Committee. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University, and is a member and past-president of the James Foundation Board. He has been named in The Best Lawyers in America since 1997.