OHIO Alumni Association welcomes seven new board members

The OHIO Alumni Association is proud to announce the selection of seven new members to its board of directors. Blake Andrews of Illinois, Meg White of North Carolina, Michael Walters of Colorado, Jeff Bruzzese of Ohio, TJ Simonik of North Carolina, Jordan Thompson of Ohio, and Jacque Montgomery of Ohio will begin their terms on July 1.

The OHIO Alumni Association Board of Directors is now composed of 28 OHIO graduates who help achieve the Association’s mission of connecting more than 237,000 living Bobcats worldwide.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a dedicated set of Bobcats to the OHIO Alumni Association Board of Directors,” Vice President for University Advancement and President and CEO of The Ohio University Foundation Nico Karagosian said. “The depth and breadth of the experience they will bring to the Association is representative of our diverse alumni base, and I’m excited for their valuable input as the entire OHIO community reaches toward even greater levels of engagement, connection, and investment.”

Blake Andrews

Blake Andrews graduated from OHIO in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He continued his education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received his Master of Science in Civil Engineering. Currently, Andrews works as a senior associate at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

“I am excited to join the board to become more intimately involved with Ohio University than I ever have in the past, and to share that experience with like-minded individuals of diverse backgrounds,” Andrews said.

During his time at OHIO, Andrews was president of Chi Epsilon and served as the vice president and secretary of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was an Engineering Ambassador for the Russ College of Engineering and Technology and a graduate of the Robe Leadership Institute.

Since graduation, he has been involved with the Chicago Alumni Chapter, serving as athletics chair and as treasurer. He currently volunteers at the Willow Creek Community Church as both a Promiseland teacher and a sports director. He also returns to campus regularly to serve on the Civil Engineering Senior Design Advisory Group.

Meg White

Meg White graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Journalism in 1979. She is currently the gifts officer at the CarePartners Foundation in Asheville, North Carolina.

White has spent her time serving multiple organizations throughout her career. She was a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (WNC Chapter) and was a committee chair for its Summer Institute. She took time to be a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Asheville, North Carolina, and was a board member for the Appalachian Women’s Museum. She was also a member of the Western Carolina University Friends of the Arts Advancement Council.

“I am honored to be a member of the Association board because of my love of Ohio University and the exceptional students who are attending and graduating,” White said.“I believe it is a great institution and want to share the successful stories with my fellow alumni.”

Michael Waters

Michael Walters received his Bachelor of Business Administration from OHIO in 2003. He then earned his Master of Business Administration in Finance from Florida Atlantic University in 2009. He currently works as a regional retail leader in the Colorado region for KeyBank.

“The educational experience I received at OU set me up for a life-long success,” Walters said. “I am excited to join the OU board so I can give back to the community that has done so much for me.”

Walters has served as the vice chairman of finance for the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and as a board member for the Jack & Jill Children’s Center. He was a member of the Denver Downtown Partnership and the Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

He was named Outstanding Alumnus of the Decade in the 2000s by Florida Atlantic University and received the 2013 Chairs Recognition Award for outstanding leadership in the Chamber of Commerce community.

Jeff Bruzzese

Jeff Bruzzese received his Bachelor of Arts from OHIO in 2000 before earning his juris doctor from Capital University Law School in 2004. He currently works as the assistant prosecuting attorney to Jefferson County Prosecutor Jane Hanlin. He is also self-employed as an associate attorney at Bruzzese & Calabria.

While at OHIO, Bruzzese was the president of Students Defending Students and a trustee of the Center for Student Advocacy. He was also a member of the Ohio University Review and Standards Committee.

Since graduation, Bruzzese became a founding member and board member of the Zach Collaros Foundation. He also spent time as a substitute teacher in Steubenville City Schools.

TJ Simonik

TJ Simonik earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University in 2007. He currently holds the position of lead risk analyst at Duke Energy Corporation.

Simonik is a North Carolina Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Charlotte Chapter of the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. He was chair, vice chair and mentoring committee chair of the Duke Energy Leadership Development Network (LDN) and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Simonik has been involved with OHIO in many ways over the years. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Association in 2015. He worked as a mentor in the OHIO College of Business and was a past president for both the College of Business Society of Alumni and Friends and the Greater Charlotte Chapter Network.

“Ohio University has a special place in my heart, and I’m honored to be representing my fellow alumni on the board,” Simonik said.“I look forward to connecting with fellow Bobcats and helping the University transformthe OHIO alumni experience.”

Jordan Thompson

Jordan Thompson earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology and Management in 2012. He is currently self-employed in commercial real estate development.

Thompson made his time at OHIO work for his professional career in many ways. After playing football at OHIO, he played professional football for the Detroit Lions. While still at OHIO, he received the Ohio University Outstanding Senior Leader Award and the F. Theodore Paige Outstanding Graduating Senior Award. He received the Engineering Technology and Management Academic Excellence Award for 2012-2013 and was named Advocare v100 Independence Bowl Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2012.

“I am honored to join the Ohio University Alumni Board of Directors,” Thompson said. “It is my hope to continue fostering the connection between the Alumni Association and OHIO Athletics through the relationships I formed as a student athlete during my time on campus.”

Thompson was a member of both the Ohio University General Fee Committee and the Mid-American Conference Legislative Committee. He was the president and the secretary for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He was also a Playworks Detroit Recess Super Hero Award recipient and a featured guest speaker at the NFL Rookie Symposium.

Jacque Montgomery

Jacque Montgomery earned her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics in Child Development at Ohio University in 1969. She then earned her Master of Science in Educational Administration from the University of Dayton in 1979. She is now a retired school administrator.

Montgomery served at the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio for much of her career, as its executive director of human resources & pupil service, the director of special education, as well as other roles.

She was a past president and is currently the treasurer of the Ohio University Society of Alumni and Friends for Teacher Education. She was also an Ohio University Society representative for the Dean’s Circle of Engagement and a member of the Central Ohio Alumni Network.

“I am very excited and honored to join the board as it gives me the opportunity in a small way to represent this fine University,” Montgomery said. “I look forward to meeting fellow Bobcats wherever and whenever possible to share our pride and love for Ohio University.”

As the Association welcomes its new board members, it thanks Craig Brown, Mike Jackson, Matt Latham, Dustin Starkey, Larry Starr, Stacia Taylor, Ron Teplitzky and Todd Grandominico for their years of service on the board of directors.

Visit the Association’s website to learn more about the board of directors.