Board of Directors
Judge Algenon L. Marbley, Chair
Recommended to President Clinton by Senator John Glenn, Judge Algenon L. Marbley was appointed United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division at Columbus in November 1997. Prior to being sworn in, Judge Marbley was a partner with the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP. Judge Marbley is involved with the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters Association, Children’s Hospital, Franklin County Children Services and Project Linden, Inc.
Abigail S. Wexner, Vice Chair
Abigail S. Wexner is the founder and chair of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence and the Center for Child & Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, both in Columbus. Mrs. Wexner chairs the boards of KidsOhio.org and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus. Additionally, she is a trustee of the United States Equestrian Team Foundation, the Wexner Center for the Arts and is the past chair of the governing committee of The Columbus Foundation.
Steve Bishop, Finance Chair
Mr. Bishop serves as a Tax Executive Director in the Columbus, Ohio office of Ernst & Young. He leads the Columbus office’s charitable efforts as chair of the Community Engagement Committee. Steve is a graduate of The Ohio State University and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Eddie Harrell, Jr., Secretary
Eddie Harrell, Jr. is the President and CEO of the Columbus Urban League. Mr. Harrell is a Columbus Public School graduate of Marion-Franklin High School, received his B.A. from Otterbein, and an M.A. from Ashland University. Prior to his current post, Mr. Harrell was the Executive Director of I KNOW I CAN and Project GRAD Columbus. Mr. Harrell is a board member of Youth for Positive Image, Columbus Public Schools Equity Task Force, Columbus Workforce Alliance, and the Greater Linden Development Corporation.
James H. Gilmour
James H. Gilmour is currently the retired Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary of The Dispatch Printing Company. Mr. Gilmour is a board member of Children’s Hospital, Ohio Dominican University, The Ohio State University Audit Committee and Experience Columbus.
Ralph A. Johnson, Ph.D. / Honorary Board Member
Ralph A. Johnson, Ph.D. was appointed the Superintendent-in-Residence at The Ohio State University in 2006 where he is responsible for leading training programs that prepare new school superintendents for licensure. Dr. Johnson is also appointed to the Educational Service Center of Franklin County Ohio where he is the Director of the Leadership Center, responsible for providing executive training for practicing school administrators. Formerly, Dr. Johnson served for 13 years as the Superintendent of the New Albany School District which has been recognized nationally for its academic accomplishments.
Barbara C. Trueman
Barbara C. Trueman is the owner of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, majority owner of TrueSports, Inc. and former owner of Red Roof Inns. Mrs. Trueman received her degree from The Ohio State University College of Education and served as an educator. Mrs. Trueman has been involved with the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Development Advisory Council, The Ohio State University Foundation Board, the National Council for Ohio State Women, the Columbus Zoo, Recreation Unlimited, the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Columbus Museum of Art. Mrs. Trueman has also been a board member of the J.M. Smucker Company, Bank One, and Children’s Hospital.
Stuart Burgdoerfer
Stuart Burgdoerfer currently holds the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Limited Brands Inc. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for Galyan’s Trading Company and is presently a member of the Board of Trustees for Spelman College and serves as Chair of its Audit Committee.
Kevin Reeves
Kevin Reeves is Managing Director, Energy Trading & Marketing for American Electric Power Energy Partners. He attended the United States Military Academy and went on to serve as Captain of the U.S. Army’s Air Defense Artillery. He earned his Masters of Business Administration in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Joe Chlapaty
Joe Chlapaty is the President & CEO of Advanced Drainage Systems. He has served with ADS since 1980. He is deeply committed to serving our community and is passionate about education. Besides serving with KIPP Journey Academy he is on the Board of Directors at the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Marietta College, and the University of Dubuque. He also serves on the Board of Directors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and most recently with Lutheran Social Services.
Blake Thompson
Blake Thompson currently serves as Vice President for the Battelle/Ohio State University collaboration. In this role, he is responsible for helping to create an implement ideas to build more joint research and economic development ventures between Battelle and The Ohio State University. Prior to assuming his current role at Battelle, Mr. Thompson was responsible for managing university partnerships as Oak Ridge National Laboratory while serving as an Associate Vice President at the University of Tennessee. He was also staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations and a legislative director to Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran.
John Kobacker
John Kobacker is President and CEO of the Marlenko Group, Inc., a third generation family holding company. Mr. Kobacker was born in Toledo, Ohio. He majored in marketing and finance at The Ohio State University and graduated with a BSBA. FRom 1976 to 1987, Mr. Kobacker worked in his family’s shoe business as President and COO of the 725-store chain. In 1994, Mr. Kobacker oversaw the sale of the Company to Payless ShoeSource, then a division of Macy’s Department Stores. The family also owned several apartment complexes that were sold to various REIT’s in 1997. In 1998, Kobacker turned his attention to the responsibilities of managing his family’s assets that include more than fifteen investment and real estate companies. Mr. Kobacker is a member of the World President’s Organization and sits on several for-profit boards. In the past, he has served on other non-profit boards including The Wexner Center Foundation, Columbus College of Art & Design, The Columbus Symphony, The Center of Science and Industry, Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio and Children’s Hospital.
Denise Glimcher
Denise Glimcher is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She received her degree in Child Development and Family Relations from the University of Arizona. Mrs. Glimcher moved to Columbus in 1993 and enrolled at Capital University for her teaching certification in K-8, Reading and Learning Disabilities. She currently works at Columbus School for Girls as a substitute teacher and tutors KIPP students in reading once a week. Mrs. Glimcher previously served on the Planned Parent of Central Ohio Board of Directors, The Columbus Jewish Community Center Board of Directors, and Columbus School for Girls Board of Directors. Mrs. Glimcher is also a Columbus Wexner Heritage member.
Katie Kaufman
Katie Kaufman attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana (1989-1993) where she graduated with a B.A. in English. Immediately following she attended Capital University in Columbus, Ohio where she obtained her teaching certification. Mrs. Kaufman taught for eight years in the Hilliard City Schools at Norwich Elementary, a multiage magnet school. Her classroom was comprised of a diverse group of second and third graders where she practiced integrated and differentiated curriculum. Mrs. Kaufman also served as a Learning Disabilities tutor at Brown Elementary in the Hilliard City School District. In addition, she has tutored students privately focusing on various specific learning disabilities. She has volunteered at KIPP Journey Academy as a tutor for four years.
Dr. Amy McClure
Dr. McClure was a recipient of Ohio Wesleyan University’s Bishop Herbert Welch Meritorious Teaching Award and has been honored as an Outstanding English Educator by the Ohio Teachers of English Language Arts. She is especially interested in reading, children’s literature (particularly poetry and historical fiction), excellence in elementary teaching and special education. She was chosen the Outstanding Young Researcher in the country by the National Council of Teachers of English and has presented papers at numerous national meetings of professional organizations. Dr. McClure has published six books including two textbooks on teaching children’s literature and is currently writing a book on children’s literature and the national Common core Standards. Her other publications include numerous articles and book chapters on using literature in the teaching of reading. She is the past president of the Children’s Literature Assembly, Children’s Literature Board of the International Reading Association, the Ohio International Reading Association, and the Ohio Association of Private Colleges of Teacher Education. She is President-Elect of the Ohio Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. She has also served on many book selection committees, culminating with election to the 2013 John Newbery Medal Committee.
