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 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 is June 23 at 1 p.m. at the Ohio History Center.
For more information on our open meetings policy and previous meeting minutes, please refer to our board resources.
Governor Appointed Trustees
James F. Dicke II
New Bremen, OH
Serving 2nd Term
Term Ends 2022
Jon T. Elsasser
Zoar, OH
Reappointed for 3-year term
James B. Hadden
Columbus, OH
Serving 1st term
Term ends 2023
Richard F. Hillis
Powell, OH
Reappointed for 3-year term
Term ends 2024
Charles R. Moses
Dublin, OH
1st Term
Term ends 2022
Robert M. Roach
Upper Arlington, OH
2nd Term
Term ends 2023
Heidi M. Samuel
Columbus, OH
Serving 1st term
Term ends 2022
Gregory H. Simpson
Milford, OH
2nd Term
Term ends 2024
Elizabeth A. Weibel
Chagrin Falls, OH
3rd Term
Term ends 2024
Member Elected Trustees
Ann Bair
Columbus, OH
1st Term
Term ends 2024
Thomas V. Chema
Westlake, OH
3rd Term
Term ends 2023
Chief Billy W. Friend
Wyandotte, OH
1st term
Term ends 2022
Alex Hastie
Grandview Heights, OH
2nd Term
Term ends 2024
Suhas Kakde
Dayton, OH
3rd Term
Term ends 2024
Robert W. Lucas
Pemberville, OH
3rd Term
Term ends 2023
Jen Miller
Columbus, OH
1st Term
Term ends 2023
Guadalupe Velasquez
Columbus, OH
1st Term
Term ends 2024
Melody Young
Laurelville, OH
1st Term
Term ends 2023
Board Elected Trustees
C. Ellen Connally
Cleveland, OH
3rd Term
Term ends 2022
R. Anthony Joseph
Bexley, OH
1st Term
Term ends 2024
Steve Coon
Louisville, OH
1st Term
Term ends 2025
Ex-Officios
Mike DeWine, Governor, State of Ohio
Designee: Jennifer Brown, Deputy Director of Boards & Commissions
Senator Matt Huffman, President of Ohio Senate
Designee: Senator Michael A. Rulli
Senator Kenny Yuko, Minority Leader, Ohio Senate
Representative Robert L Cupp, Speaker, Ohio House of Representatives
Designee: Representative Laura Lanese
Representative Allison Russo, Minority Leader, Ohio House of Representatives
Designee: Representative Joe Miller
Christy Davis, President, Ohio Local History Alliance
Dr. David Staley, President, Ohio Academy of History
Randy Gardner, Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education
Designee: Gary Cates, Senior Vice Chancellor
Michael Woytek, President, Ohio Academy of Science
Lydia Mihalik, Director, Ohio Department of Development
Designee: Matthew MacLaren, Director, TourismOhio