Franklin’s Board of Trustees

Bill Balderaz is President & Founder of Futurety, a data analytics and marketing consulting firm. The firm focuses on helping organizations use data to power marketing and communications, serving regulated industries, including healthcare, pharma, finance, government and medical devices. Previously, Bill was the founder and president of Webbed Marketing which went from a one-man consultancy to one of the fastest-growing interactive marketing agencies in the Midwest. He has spoken at more than 150 conferences from New York to California on innovation and has been featured in dozens of media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and NPR. Bill spends his free time boating, fishing, and camping with his three children. Bill earned an MBA (2003) from Franklin University, and a bachelor’s in journalism and public relations from Bowling Green State University (1997). Bill currently serves on the Marketing & Enrollment Management Committee as well as the Infrastructure Committee.

Jamie Crane is a community advocate currently serving on the boards of Goodwill Columbus, Upper Arlington Community Foundation, and the Columbus Foundation Reese-Shackelford Supporting Organization. She has also served on numerous other boards, including Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio/Greater Ohio, Columbus School for Girls, and I Know I Can. She is highly active with the Crane Group, which was founded by her grandfather. Prior to leaving the corporate world, Jamie worked in Chicago (IL) for Kraft General Foods/Kraft USA where she led the brand management for several multi-million-dollar product lines, developed the strategic plan, and coordinated the major planning projects for a multi-billion division. Jamie holds an MBA in Marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University (IL), and a BS in Marketing and Management from Indiana University. Jamie and husband Tim Miller reside in Columbus and are the proud parents of Taylor and Hailey. Jamie currently serves on the Academics & Student Affairs Committee and the Human Resources & Advancement Committee.

Phil Fankhauser is co-founder and principal of Epcon Communities and Epcon Communities Franchising.  Since 1986, Epcon has been a developer of communities designed for the age 55+ market. With a home office in Columbus, Ohio, and regional offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, Epcon is recognized nationally as a top builder of age-targeted properties. The franchise business includes franchised builders in over 20 states. Phil has over 45 years of experience in real estate development and construction and serves as a member of the Urban Land Institute’s “Lifestyle Residential Development” Council. Phil currently serves on the Marketing & Enrollment Management Committee as well as the Infrastructure Committee.

Gary Flynn joined the board in 2002 and currently serves as the Chair of the Audit, Controls, & Compliance Committee in addition to being a member of the Partnership Committee and the Trustee Governance Committee. Gary earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Franklin University (1971) and graduated from The Ohio State University’s Executive Development Program (1983). Gary was employed for 33 years at Abbott Laboratories, a leading global broad-based healthcare company, where he retired as Senior Vice President of Abbott Nutrition. He served as Chairman of the Board in 2013 & 2014.

Ted Ford is the CEO of Advanced Energy Economy Ohio, a statewide trade group involved in the development and financing of advanced energy projects. He has over 25 years of experience in government, marketing, higher education, and public-private partnerships. Previously, Ted served as TechColumbus’ first CEO and as President and CEO of Edison Welding Institute, a nationally recognized independent engineering research, and development organization. As Senior Vice President for University Advancement at Northern Arizona University in the late 1990s, he led the development launch of the institution’s first capital campaign which raised $100 million. He has served as a business development professional, legislative advocate, legislative staffer, and executive assistant to the Governor of Ohio. He is also a regional affiliate director for BioOhio. He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University. Currently, Ted serves as the Chair of the Academics & Student Affairs Committee.

Oyauma Garrison serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer at Maryhaven, Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps individuals and families lead healthy lives free from addiction and mental health challenges by providing education, treatment, and support. Oyauma earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Denison University and his MBA from Franklin University. Oyauma previously served as the National President & CEO for A Kid Again, a nonprofit focused on providing Hope, Happiness and Healing for families raising children battling a life-threatening condition. He is a former insurance company executive of over 20 years. Active in the community, Oyauma has received numerous awards for leadership and community service including being named a Top 50 Smart Business Leaders, CEO of the Year finalist (2020 & 2021) – Columbus CEO, a Columbus Business First Most Admired C-Suite leader (2019 & 2021) and NBMBAA Lifetime Achievement Award, and National MBA of Year. He has also been recognized with the United States of America Presidential 2014 Gold Standard Award for Service. Oyauma currently serves on the Marketing & Enrollment Management Committee as well as the Infrastructure Committee.

Anthony Gonsalves, a marketing consultant, has an extensive background in the industry, highlighted by his previous positions as the Chief Marketing Officer for Allied Insurance, Titan Insurance, Nationwide Commercial, Nationwide Specialty, and Nationwide Agribusiness in Des Moines (IA). Anthony has also worked as the Vice President for Marketing Strategy & Planning for Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio. At Franklin, he currently serves on the Academics & Student Affairs Committee as well as the Marketing & Enrollment Management Committee.

Melissa Gutierrez is the current CEO for Independence Pet Holding, whose mission is to put an end to economic euthanasia by making pet insurance accessible to those who need it most. Since Melissa joined the company in 2020, they’ve grown 2x industry CAGR in pursuit of the goal. Previously, Melissa served as an SVP with Synchrony, leading the rapidly growing Pets Best Insurance business unit within the Care Credit portfolio as well as previous positions at Nationwide Insurance, including positions in sales, strategy, marketing, and finance across several business units including Nationwide Insurance, Nationwide Financial and Nationwide Better Health. Melissa holds the chartered life underwriter (CLU) designation, and in addition to her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Franklin University, she also holds an MBA from the University of Dayton. Melissa currently serves on Franklin’s Finance Committee and the Trustee Governance Committee. She served as Chair of the Board in 2021 & 2022.

Bruce Hagen recently retired as the regional executive and president of the OhioHealth North Market where he was responsible for coordinating OhioHealth’s growth in the northern areas served by the hospital system. Bruce has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He is a fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives and has been affiliated with many community service programs including the Board of Directors of the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Gerald R. Ford Council of Boy Scouts, and the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association, Great Rivers Affiliate.  Bruce joined Franklin University’s Board of Trustees in 2010 and was Chairman of the Board in 2017 & 2018. Currently, Bruce serves on the Finance Committee and the Trustee Governance Committee. 

Carrie Harris-Muller is a highly accomplished and nationally recognized healthcare leader with more than 30 years of senior executive experience in insurance companies, health plans and hospital and health systems. She currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer for Ohio Health, where she leads overall strategic direction for population health initiatives, including the development of prevention and wellness programs to lower risks for patients and improve overall health outcomes. Carrie oversees the system’s care management efforts and its post-acute care programs and division, as well as OhioHealth’s Clinically Integrated Network and Accountable Care Organization. She is also responsible for the relationships with local and national payers and leads managed care for the health care system. Prior to joining OhioHealth, Carrie held executive leadership positions with local and national payers and hospital and healthcare systems. Carrie is passionate about community service and serves on several national and local nonprofits boards. At Franklin University, Carrie serves on the Partnership Committee as well as the Human Resources & Advancement Committee.

Gary James is an alumnus of Franklin University, a past Board of Trustees Chairman (2011 & 2012), and currently serves on the Finance Committee as well as the Trustee Governance Committee. He is the founder and President of Dynalab, Inc., an electronic manufacturing services company; Dynalab Test Systems, Inc., a designer, and manufacturer of electronic test equipment; President of JAAS Systems, LLC, a publisher of manufacturing software; and a board member of MD Systems, LLC, a medical device manufacturer. Mr. James has served as President of a Kiwanis club, Treasurer of National Church Residences, and in numerous other community organizations. 

Joseph Patrick, President of Cristo Rey High School since 2020, lends his decades of expertise to Franklin University’s Board of Trustees, serving as a member on the Finance Committee, Human Resources & Advancement Committee, and the Audit, Controls, & Compliance Committee. His expertise is supported by 30 years of experience as a CPA at Schneider Downs, and at Coopers & Lybrand. Lending insight to the University’s expanding list of K-12 academic offerings, Joseph’s knowledge and experience in secondary school issues and the teacher education regulatory environment, supports Franklin’s rapid expansion in education-related programs. Joseph’s business and charitable community activities include involvement with the Catholic Foundation, the Women’s Care Center, Recreation Unlimited, Hands on Central Ohio, and Medigold.

Peter Roche joined the Board in 2009 and currently serves Franklin as the Chair of the Finance Committee and as a member of the Partnership Committee. He retired from his position as Senior Vice President of Finance at Chemical Abstracts Services in 2008. Prior to joining Chemical Abstracts, Peter served as Vice President, Accounting & Finance for Honda of America Manufacturing; Senior Manager, Tax with Peat Marwick; Partner with Hammersmith, Roche & Jenkins, CPAs; and as a tax consultant for Frank, Seringer & Chaney, CPAs. Peter earned his B.S. degree in Accounting for The Ohio State University, his CPA certificate shortly thereafter. 

Tom Shoupe recently retired from Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (HAM), where he served in numerous leadership and management roles over his 33-year career. In his final role at Honda, he served as Executive Vice President and COO of HAM, was a senior member of the Honda North America Regional Operating Board and served as function leader for the company’s human resources planning and staff deployment for regional manufacturing operations.  Before joining Honda, Tom served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representatives Thomas N. Kindness and Michael G. Oxley. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  Tom represented Honda externally in many capacities, including serving as a board member for the Columbus Partnership and Columbus 2020, an economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus, Ohio region.  At Franklin, Tom serves on the Academics & Student Affairs Committee as well as the Partnership Committee. 

Pamela Springer is a seasoned entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience growing tech-based companies including raising $55M in funding and leading re-starts and IPOs. She most recently served as president and CEO of ORIS Intelligence. There, she drove strategic growth for the company including being named one of the fastest-growing companies in Ohio, supporting over 750 world-class brands, and growing its team by 100 percent over the past three years, leading to its acquisition in 2019 by PriceSpider. Prior to ORIS, she built Manta Media into one of the largest, most trafficked websites in the U.S. Pam has been recognized as one of the “13 Powerful Women Running Today’s Biggest Startups” by Business Insider and was awarded the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Technology for the Central Region. She sits on the boards of multiple emerging growth companies including RevLocal and InvestX Capital. Springer earned a business degree from Franklin University, graduating summa cum laude. She played on the Oakland University basketball team the year they made it to the NCAA Division II Final Four. When she’s not working, Pam is an avid sports fan, outdoor enthusiast, and flute player, and recently summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. Pamela currently Chairs the Marketing & Enrollment Management Committee.

Jennifer Thomas recently retired from Nationwide Insurance, where she served in several leadership roles within the legal department. She is an attorney with over 25 years of experience in advising corporate executives on various legal issues, including complex contract issues, employee benefits, employment policy issues, and business operations compliance issues. As an executive at Nationwide, she worked closely with her internal clients and colleagues to attain business objectives and generate practical and creative solutions to various business and legal challenges.   Jennifer recently served on the board for Easter Seals Central and Southeast Ohio for the full six-year term, where she was a member of the executive committee, as well as the Fiscal and Governance committees. She currently serves on the Groveport Community School Board. Jennifer received her Juris Doctor degree from Capital University College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Bruce Hagen joined the Franklin board in 2010 and served as Board of Trustees Chairman from 2017 to 2018. At Franklin, Jennifer currently serves on the Human Resources & Advancement Committee.

Matthew Toussant is a senior executive for the non-profit scientific information firm, CAS where he has held numerous positions since 1987, including over ten years as an operations leader of the world’s largest and most comprehensive chemical science data and information collection. Matthew served in the US Army Reserve from 1982-2002. He holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary (food protein chemistry, nutrition, pathophysiology) (1992), a Master of Science degree in Food Chemistry and Nutritional Biochemistry (1979) and a Bachelor of Science degree (1976) from The Ohio State University. Currently, Matthew Chairs the Partnership Committee and is a member of the Academics & Student Affairs Committee at Franklin University. 

Denise Zabawski is the CIO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a leader in the constantly evolving technology industry. In addition, she has over two decades of experience in healthcare and banking. During her service to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Denise has led the implementation of multiple EMR systems, ERP systems, and two new data center construction projects and supported the construction of many new facilities. Denise is also a member of numerous professional organizations and associations including HIMSS, CHIME, and the Children’s Hospital Association. At Franklin, Denise serves as a member of the Infrastructure Committee as well as the Academics & Student Affairs Committee.