OHIO EXCELS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Chairman
• President
• Director of Invacare
• President & CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership
• President and CEO / Greater Cleveland Partnership

Baiju R. Shah is the President & CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership, the region's leading economic development organization and with over 12,000 members, the largest metropolitan chamber of commerce in the nation. Guided by a board of corporate and entrepreneurial CEOs, the organization focuses on accelerating growth and inclusive prosperity through strategic initiatives, business services, real estate, and advocacy. Prior to GCP, Shah served as the Senior Fellow for Innovation at The Cleveland Foundation, the world's first community foundation with assets of $2.8 billion. His work centered on catalyzing growth initiatives for the region including leading the Cleveland Innovation Project. Shah remains a member of the Impact Investing Board Committee which directs a $150 million portfolio allocation of the foundation. Previously, Shah was the CEO of BioMotiv and co-leader of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development, a national drug development initiative. During his tenure, the company established strategic partnerships with Takeda, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. Prior to that, he was CEO and co-founder of BioEnterprise, an accelerator and industry growth initiative formed with Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, and University Hospitals of Cleveland. Shah is a Director of Invacare (NYSE: IVC) and Athersys (NASDAQ: ATHX) and is also a Senior Advisor to FasterCures, a center of the Milken Institute. He also serves as a Trustee of Destination Cleveland and Global Cleveland. Shah began his business career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Shah has been named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and recognized as one of Cleveland's most influential leaders. He received a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Yale University.

Job Titles:

• Owner

As founder, more than 30 years ago, of one of the region's first woman-owned insurance agencies, Beverly Beery has long been a part of the Lima community, an active advocate for small businesses and enthusiastic volunteer with community-service organizations focused on children. She is past president of Northwest Ohio Health Underwriters and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors; she has also served on the National Federation of Independent Business Leadership Council and the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce. In 2018 Beverly was the recipient of the Lima community's Jefferson Award for Public Service.

Job Titles:

• Director of K - 12 Education Policy

Cassandra Palsgrove is the Director of K-12 Education Policy at Ohio Excels. She is dedicated to public policy development, state advocacy, and research efforts at the critical intersection of education and workforce development with the goal of improving educational outcomes for all K-12 Ohio students.

Job Titles:

• President / Lovett and Ruth Peters Foundation
• President of the Lovett & Ruth Peters Foundation

Daniel S. Peters is president of the Lovett & Ruth Peters Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio. The foundation focuses on improving the quality of K-12 education nationwide. Dan previously spent 17 years at Procter & Gamble where he held a variety of executive positions in advertising, purchasing and research & development. Dan is the former chairman of the Philanthropy Roundtable, a national association of grantmakers in Washington, DC, and co-founder of the Alliance for Charitable Reform, a Washington, DC-based organization advocating common-sense reform of the non-profit sector. He currently serves on the boards of Hillsdale College and the Philanthropy Roundtable. Dan is a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he majored in history. He has an MBA from Xavier University. Following college, he served with a jet squadron in the US Navy aboard an aircraft carrier. He and his wife, Kellie, have two children.

Job Titles:

• Director of Operations
• Executive Assistant to the President
• Executive Assistant & Operations

Donna J. Anderson is the Executive Assistant to the President and oversees the operations of Ohio Excels. She is a seasoned Executive Assistant with over 20 years of experience. Before joining Ohio Excels, Donna served as the Executive Assistant to the President of The Pizzuti Companies, one of the most respected commercial real estate businesses in the country, devoted to tackling the challenges of public and private partnerships. Prior to working at Pizzuti, Donna spent over 20 years working for small businesses, with 16 years in education management as an Executive Assistant, Contract Administrator, Graphics Designer and much more for the Visionary Leaders Institute. The Institute is a national educational consulting firm dedicated to making significant, positive contributions to the revitalization of urban America, providing district-wide leadership training, guidance, inspiration and technical assistance to those involved and underserved in public education. Anderson studied Political Science at Bowling Green State University, is respected as a devoted small business advocate, community volunteer, and she is a proud mother of a son/father/husband who was educated in Ohio's public schools, college and the military.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director
• Executive Director / JPMorgan Chase

Fabian T. Padamadan is an Executive Director for J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he serves as the Market Team Lead for Central Ohio. As the Market Team Lead, Fabian has direct client and management responsibilities for a team of professional advisors and specialists in banking, strategic credit, fiduciary, investments, wealth advisory, and specialty assets. Collectively they are able to provide a holistic, integrated plan to help meet client's financial goals. Fabian has over 20 years of experience with JPMorgan Chase & Co. He began his financial services career in 2000 with Bank One Private Client Services. Prior to his current role, Fabian has served as an Advisor for the J.P. Morgan Private Bank as well as Regional and Market Leadership roles within Chase Wealth Management and Chase Private Client in central Ohio. Fabian is a graduate of The Ohio State University, with a B.A. in Business Administration. He is registered with FINRA Series 7, 66, 9 & 10 securities licenses and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional designation. Fabian is also a regional advisor board member for the Central Ohio Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He and his wife Branda have two children, Auden and Emerson, and are long time residents of Westerville, Ohio.

Job Titles:

• President / Cincinnati Business Committee
• President of the Cincinnati Business Committee

Gary Z. Lindgren has served as the President of the Cincinnati Business Committee since August 2007. The CBC is a private organization comprised of the region's top CEO's whose mission is to improve economic development and education. In late 2012, the CBC helped launch the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee which includes CEO's from nearly 100 mid-size Cincinnati companies. Lindgren serves in a similar capacity for CRBC. In his role, Lindgren is responsible for organizing business leadership from CBC and CRBC to address critical issues facing the city and the region. During his tenure, the CBC has spearheaded efforts to accelerate an innovation economy in the Cincinnati region. The CBC's Regional Innovation Task Force launched Cintrifuse - an organization charged with scaling the innovation ecosystem while increasing risk capital and the number of venture-worthy companies in the region.

Job Titles:

• President and CEO / Columbus Partnership
• President and CEO of the Columbus Partnership

Kenny McDonald serves as the third president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, a civic organization of Columbus' top business leaders. The Partnership was founded in 2002 to improve the economic and cultural base of Central Ohio. McDonald is responsible for leading strategies focused on diversity and equity, growth and development, and business and civic innovation, in order for the Columbus Region to achieve its vision to become the most prosperous metropolitan area in the United States. He brings more than 25 years of experience working with metropolitan economies in Savannah, Georgia;, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Charlotte, North Carolina. He also spent seven years as a global site location advisor for Fluor Corporation. McDonald has been named one of the Top 50 economic developers by Economix and is a frequent speaker and national thought leader on regional economic development. He was also named Small Nonprofit CEO of the Year by Columbus CEO magazine.

Job Titles:

• Executive Vice President

Kevin Duff is the Executive Vice President of Ohio Excels. He is committed to improving the lives of children by ensuring that all students, especially low-income students and students of color, have schools that prepare them for success. Before joining Ohio Excels, Kevin was a consultant and senior analyst with Education First Consulting from 2015 to 2018. In that role, he led project teams conducting research, provided direct support to education policymakers in seven states, and developed high-profile guidance on federal policies and stakeholder engagement. Before Education First Consulting, Kevin served in the Ohio Department of Education. Starting as an intern in 2008, he rose to the position of senior policy analyst during his final three years. Interfacing with the State Board of Education and elected officials, Kevin played a leading role in the formulation and implementation of a wide range of major policy initiatives. These initiatives include Ohio's graduation requirements, academic standards, assessments, report cards and accountability, the third grade reading guarantee, and school improvement efforts. Kevin earned his Master of Public Administration from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Ohio State University. He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Job Titles:

• Founding President
• President

Lisa A. Gray is the founding president of Ohio Excels. Gray's career has been dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of ALL of Ohio's students. Prior to leading Ohio Excels, Gray had her own consulting practice specializing in public policy development, government relations, advocacy, strategic planning, and project management with an emphasis on public education. Her clients included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Achieve, Inc., Philanthropy Ohio, Battelle for Kids, Ohio Business Roundtable, Teach for America, Jobs for the Future and the Office of Governor Taft, among others. Prior to starting her consulting practice, Gray was the Director of Policy and Communications at Battelle for Kids from 2001-2005. In 2000, Gray served as the Project Director of the Governor's Commission for Student Success. The bi-partisan commission, appointed by Governor Taft, developed recommendations for improving Ohio's K-12 public education system. Gray also served as the Deputy Executive Assistant to Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka. Prior to joining the Mayor's office, Gray served in a number of positions at the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Gray graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, with a BS in Elementary Education. At the start of her career, she served as an elementary school teacher. She and her husband have four wonderful sons, all of whom have been educated in Ohio's public schools.

Job Titles:

• Director of Development

Madison Yoder is the Director of Development at Ohio Excels. She is a passionate advocate for equity and has dedicated her career to making an impact on the most vulnerable and underserved youth in Ohio. Along with her passion for education, Madison brings a decade of experience leading successful fundraising, communications and event planning efforts to this role. Prior to joining Ohio Excels, Madison served as the Communications and Grants Manager for Star House from 2019 to 2023, helping lift Central Ohio youth, ages 14-24, out of homelessness and into a community of hope. Madison grew and managed Star House's extensive grant and donation portfolio while simultaneously leading all its communications efforts. In addition, she co-chaired and organized lucrative annual galas and oversaw major communications campaigns that attracted statewide and national attention, including Star House's feature on 60 Minutes in 2021. Madison began her career in state-level education policy in 2014 at The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, serving as the Communications Specialist for The Ohio Standard Coalition, where she helped save and advance policies that promote educational excellence for all Ohio students. From 2017 to 2019, she served as the Communications and Policy Associate for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where she led many communications efforts for their national and Ohio offices. Madison graduated from Ohio University with a BA in English - Literature, Culture, & Writing and a minor in Environmental Health Sciences. She is proud to serve as a member of the Ohio Attorney General's Human Trafficking Commission Public Awareness Subcommittee. Madison is the youngest of seven children and is a first-generation college graduate. She lives in Columbus with her boyfriend Sam, their three cats and Keeshond-Shepherd mix, Smokey.

Job Titles:

• Divisional Human Resources Leader for Siemens Healthcare
• Senior Human Resources Executive and Leader
• Senior Vice President Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
• SVP, People and Culture and CHRO / Federal Reserve Bank

Margie is a Senior Human Resources Executive and leader with a proven track record of delivering results in challenging assignments. She has consistently aligned human resource strategy with business goals to achieve significant improvements in employee engagement, organizational productivity and management capability. Margie has a broad experience in all aspects of Human Resources and progressive growth within changing organizations. She has demonstrated the ability to lead change initiatives at the grass roots level. Margie is a trusted partner to senior executives and their leadership teams. Most recently, Margie is the Senior Vice President Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. In this role she has responsibility for all aspects of the HR function as well as serving as the OMWI Director (Office of Minority Women Inclusion). She is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and reports directly to the First Vice President, COO. Recently she was appointed as the Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Resources for the Federal Reserve System. Prior to joining the Fed, Margie was the Vice President of Human Resources, Talent & Culture for the Vitamix Corporation located in Cleveland, Ohio. In this role she led the Global Human Resources function for the privately held consumer products organization. Margie began this role in February 2016 and made an immediate impact in employee engagement while developing an HR strategic plan to improve workforce productivity and effectiveness. She oversees all aspects of the HR organization and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. She reports directly to the CEO. Previously, as a Divisional Human Resources Leader for Siemens Healthcare, Margie had responsibility for all core HR functions for the largest Business Unit (BU) within Siemens Healthcare, with over $3 billion in revenue and 12,000 global employees. As the Vice President of Human Resources and a key member of the senior leadership team, she partnered with the CEO to reorganize the management team, created actionable succession plans for leaders and implemented an employee engagement strategy to significantly enhance employee satisfaction. She also developed the organizational model for the new Business Unit structure and worked in close collaboration with senior leadership across the entire Diagnostics division to manage the organizational transformation. Margie realigned the senior leadership team within 12 months through strategic talent management. She leveraged existing capabilities while bringing new talent into the organization. Margie also led a BU wide productivity project reducing SG&A costs and plant footprints while maintaining key employee retention. Prior to its acquisition by Siemens, Margie built a successful career with Dade Behring, leading HR teams in support of the entire value chain as well as the corporate functions. She was chosen to lead the Learning and Development organization in a rotation assignment where she built a new team, developed a new strategy and accomplished full year initiatives in a nine month period. Margie rebuilt the learning brand and delivered a new management development program which was competency based. Notably during her time at Dade Behring, she led initiatives to improve sales training effectiveness and reduce voluntary turnover by more than 8%. She developed the first company-wide employee survey and action planning process which resulted in significant improvements in employee morale. Margie developed a retention and engagement strategy to be implemented post the company's pre-packed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and launched the succession planning and talent management process used for an annual executive review. Serving as the right hand to the SVP of HR during the due diligence and integration of Dade Behring by Siemens Healthcare, she actively supported all aspects of the selection and change management process during this time. She was instrumental in completing all key leadership assignments within 3 months. Margie maintained a dual role as the strategic business partner to the Executive Vice President of Global R&D/Marketing while also serving as the Head of Learning and Organizational Development for the division. Ultimately she would go on to support the CEO of the entire Business Unit and serve as his right hand in reorganizing his team. Margie has been asked to speak at numerous Siemens' Women's conferences on the topic of leadership and acted as a steering board member for the Siemens WINS (Women's Information Network) organization. She is known for her ability to interact and influence change at all levels of the organization. Margie is actively sought out to coach executives and provide career counseling and mentoring for high potential employees. She built her career on a reputation of integrity, results orientation and collaboration. Margie currently resides in Lakewood, Ohio with her family and is very active in her community. She is passionate about the betterment of her children's school, Lakewood Catholic Academy where she is a Board Member. She is an advocate for Autism awareness and the Metro Health Friends of Mothers and Infants. Margie attended the strategic management program at Yale University and the Human Resources Development Program at the University of Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Ohio University.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director
• Executive Director / the Farmer Family Foundation
• Executive Director of the Farmer Family Foundation

Mary Beth Martin is the Executive Director of The Farmer Family Foundation. As Executive Director, Ms. Martin is responsible for executing The Farmer Family Foundation's philanthropic goals and objectives. She oversees all grant investments and serves as the spokesperson of the Foundation. Prior to joining The Farmer Family Foundation, Ms. Martin's experience was in the banking and commercial real estate industries in Greater Cincinnati. She led the commercial real estate teams at both US Bank and KeyBank; the Commercial Banking Middle Market team at KeyBank; and the PrivateBank, Trust, and Asset Management groups at KeyBank/Gradison McDonald. Ms. Martin's commercial real estate experience includes tenure with two privately owned real estate companies in roles as Director of Finance and Business Development. Ms. Martin is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a BSBA double major in Finance and Real Estate. Active in the community, Ms. Martin's current Board involvement includes: Accelerate Great Schools, Music Hall Revitalization Corporation, Teach for America SW Ohio region and Ohio Excels. She has previously served on the Boards of: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, CET, The Wellness Community, Mercy Health Partners Social Ministries, and the University of Cincinnati's Board of Executive Advisors in Commercial Real Estate. She is also a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati, Class XXV.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Chairman
• President
• President & CEO, Ohio Business Roundtable

In October of 2017, the Ohio Business Roundtable announced the hiring of former Congressman Pat Tiberi as President and CEO of the Roundtable. During his 17-year tenure in the U.S. House representing central Ohio, Tiberi served as a senior member on the House Ways and Means Committee which has jurisdiction over tax issues, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and trade agreements. He also served as chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health where he worked to improve the quality, affordability, and accessibility of healthcare. Tiberi also served on the Subcommittee on Tax Policy, which he chaired from 2011 to 2014. Throughout his time in Washington, Tiberi was a tireless advocate for comprehensive tax reform that would create a fairer, more transparent and more competitive tax code. Immediately prior to Tiberi departing the House, Congress passed the biggest tax reform in a generation, to make our businesses more competitive, create jobs, and provide much-needed relief to American families. Similarly, in his final year in the House, Tiberi served as Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, where he worked with members to examine economic policy and to help grow the economy. Earlier in his congressional career, Tiberi served as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Trade, where he helped lead the effort in the House to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) - a timeline and process that outlines how Congress will consider trade agreements, ensuring transparent trade agreements to hold the administration accountable. His work on trade policy helped grow the economy by knocking down barriers and opening new markets to American and Ohio goods and services creating more jobs. The son of Italian immigrants, Tiberi has been a lifelong resident of central Ohio. He is a 1985 graduate of The Ohio State University and was a member of The Ohio State University Marching Band. He began his career in public service as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. Prior to being elected to Congress, he worked as a realtor. Pat and his wife, Denice, are the proud parents of four daughters.

Job Titles:

• Founder
• Managing Director
• Founder and Managing Director of Regal International

Roland Medrano is founder and managing director of Regal International, a Columbus-based management and consulting firm. Building on his extensive apparel and retail career in international sourcing and supply-chain management, he has put his entrepreneurial talents to work in a number of other industries: owner of the central Ohio franchise of Office Evolution, an office-space provider; co-owner of Coastal Waters, an apparel lifestyle brand; and most recently CEO and co-owner of La Mega Media, Inc., the largest Hispanic media platform in Ohio, which operates radio stations in Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland and a newspaper with circulation throughout Ohio and Northern Kentucky. He also serves on the executive board of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus.

Job Titles:

• Barnes & Thornburg LLP As of Counsel
• of Counsel / Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Ted joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP as Of Counsel. He previously served as the Chairman of Grant Street Partners, a global consulting firm focused on external affairs, brand reputation, entrepreneurship and innovation. The firm represents Fortune 500 companies, founders, and entrepreneurs on public affairs and marketing strategies. Prior to Grant Street Partners, Ted served as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Starbucks where he was responsible for global public relations, public policy, community impact, international crisis, and the company's people, planet and profit-positive goals and objectives. Prior to Starbucks, Ted served as Vice President & Senior Counsel for Company Affairs at L Brands. He co-led the external and regulatory affairs portfolios, and the environmental, social and governance strategies for the enterprise.

Job Titles:

• Owner / Agent of Insurance Service Agency Inc
• Owner / Insurance Service Agency, Inc.

Tim Miller was appointed to the State Board of Education by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on January 8, 2021 to complete the last 2 years of a 4 year term for District 7/District 10. He served as the Vice Chair of the Emerging Issues and Operational Standards Committee In addition, he served two 4-year terms on the Akron Public Schools Board of Education, serving two terms as Vice President, and 7 years as Co-Chair of the Finance Committee. During his time on the Akron School Board, he helped with the creation and implementation of the College and Career Academies, which included more than 300 business partnerships across all high schools with participation of every single student. While serving on the board, The LeBron James Family Foundation's I Promise School was created, one-to-one technology for students in Akron was implemented, and the district did not seek a levy renewal thanks in part to his financial stewardship. Tim is an Akron Public Schools graduate, and received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Finance from The University of Akron. Tim is the owner/agent of Insurance Service Agency Inc., a Trusted Choice® Independent Insurance Agency located in Akron. He is an active member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Ohio, currently serving as Vice Chair of the NFIB Akron Area Action Council, and serving on the NFIB State Leadership Council. He also serves as President of the Cascade Locks Park Association, and is past President of the Friends of the Akron School for the Arts. He is a graduate of Leadership Akron Signature Class 35 and active in its Alumni Association. Tim remains active in several other trade associations and charitable nonprofit organizations in Northeast Ohio. Tim lives in Akron with his wife, Katy, and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. When relaxing, he enjoys traveling, exploring the Ohio-Erie Canal Towpath Trail, and studying Ohio and Akron history.