Board of Trustees

Ohio History Connection is governed by an independent volunteer Board of Trustees who ensure the organization manages its operations, finances and programs to further its mission and strategic goals by providing dedicated leadership and support.

The Board of Trustees meets four times per year, with most meetings held at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio. To obtain additional past meeting minutes, attend or to reach a Trustee, please contact the Executive Director’s Office:

Ohio History Connection
800 E. 17th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211
Tel: 614.297.2350 or

Visit our "Contact Us" page and select "General Inquiries" from the drop-down menu.

Next Board Meeting

The next board meeting will be held on Thursday, December 12 at the Ohio History Center (800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43211). The following meeting will be during Statehood Day, March 5, 2025 at the Statehouse

For more information on our open meetings policy and previous meeting minutes, please refer to our board resources.

Board Resources

Board Officers

President - Charley Moses, Ohio Telecom Association

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Dublin, OH

Governor Appointed Trustee

2nd Term

Term ends 2025

Vice President - Ann Bair, Nationwide Financial Marketing

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Columbus, OH

Member Elected Trustee

2nd Term

Term ends 2027

Treasurer - Melody Young, Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors

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Laurelville, OH

Member Elected Trustee

2nd Term

Term ends 2026

Secretary - Alex Hastie, Hastie Legal LLC

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Grandview Heights, OH

Member Elected Trustee

3rd Term

Term ends 2027

Governor Appointed Trustees

Jon T. Elsasser

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Zoar, OH

Reappointed for 3-year term

Term ends 2026

Janenne Allen

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Columbus, OH

Serving 1st term

Term ends 2026

James B. Hadden, Murray, Murphy, Moul & Basil LLP

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Columbus, OH

Serving 2nd term

Term ends 2026

Richard Hillis, RH Resources

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Columbus, OH

Robert M. Roach, Northwestern Mutual

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Upper Arlington, OH

3rd Term

Term ends 2026

Gregory H. Simpson

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Milford, OH

2nd Term

Term ends 2024

Member Elected Trustees

Chief Billy W. Friend, Wyandotte Nation

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Wyandotte, OK

2nd term

Term ends 2025

Jen Miller, League of Women Voters of Ohio

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Columbus, OH

2nd Term

Term ends 2026

Betty Montgomery, MacMurray & Schuster LLP

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Reynoldsburg, OH

1st Term

Term ends 2026

Kathleen Owen Russell

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Hudson, OH

1st Term

Term ends 2027

Renu Ramankutty, AXIA Consulting, Inc.

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Columbus, OH

1st Term

Term ends 2026

Guadalupe Velasquez, Welcoming City

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Columbus, OH

2nd Term

Term ends 2027

Board Elected Trustees

Anthony Joseph, White Castle Management Co.

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Bexley, OH

1st Term

Term ends 12/31/2024

Steve Coon, Coon Restoration and Sealant

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Louisville, OH

1st Term

Term ends 2025

Ex-Officios

Mike DeWine, Governor, State of Ohio

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Designee: Violet Johnston Hobbs, Deputy Director of Boards & Commissions

Senator Matt Huffman, President of Ohio Senate

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Designee: Senator Andrew Brenner

Senator Nickie J. Antonio, Minority Leader, Ohio Senate

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Representative Jason Stephens, Speaker, Ohio House of Representatives

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Designee: Pending

Representative Allison Russo, Minority Leader, Ohio House of Representatives

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Designee: Representative Joe Miller

Leslie Wagner, President, Ohio Local History Alliance

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Professor Daniel Rivers, President, Ohio Academy of History

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Mike Duffey, Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education

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Designee: Gary Cates, Senior Vice Chancellor

Michael Woytek, President, Ohio Academy of Science

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Lydia Mihalik, Director, Ohio Department of Development

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Designee: Pending

Laura P. Battocletti, Director, Capitol Square Review & Advisory Board

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Melody Young, Chair, OHC Foundation Board

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Stephen D. Dackin, Interim Director for the Department of Education and Workforce

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