The general mission of the COMS Alumni Advisory Council is to enhance relationships between the School of Communication Studies and its alumni. Specifically, the council provides advice and counsel in support of the School鈥檚 alumni initiatives, as well as priorities identified in alumni surveys. Its members serve as ambassadors in their spheres of influence and encourage alumni engagement with School faculty and students, and with one another.
Alumni Advisory Council
School of Communication Studies, 帝王会所
Officers
Chair: Dr. Michael Burns (OHIO 鈥05 BSC- Organizational Communication) is active in both industry and academia. He is known as a dynamic educator, leader, speaker, consultant, trainer, and production manager.
Dr. Burns' industry experience includes working for NBC鈥檚 TODAY Show at the 2006 Torino, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 2018 PyeongChang, 2020 Tokyo, and 2022 Beijing
Olympic Games. While at the TODAY Show he works on the production management and logistics team while overseeing their runner program. Dr. Burns鈥 TODAY Show career started with an internship he had with the TODAY Show in New York City his senior year at OHIO. Additionally, Dr. Burns founded and runs Burns Learning, a communication consulting and training company. His past work experience also includes working as a communication specialist for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Dr. Burns is also an active academic. He is a teaching professor at the University of Colorado Boulder in the Department of Communication and directs TEDxCU. He is an award-winning instructor who teaches a variety of courses including persuasion, advanced teamwork and problem solving, leadership, and sport communication. Prior to joining the faculty at CU, he was a Senior Lecturer and the Director of Career Readiness in the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State University for ten years. At Texas State, Dr. Burns also served as the Co-Founder of the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts and Communication鈥檚 research startup program, CoSearch, and was a co-curator for TEDxTexasStateUniversity. He has published and presented research in the areas of persuasion, message development, higher education and the college transition, training and development, narrative influence, interpersonal communication, health communication, and family communication.
Dr. Burns is a proud Midwesterner and Bobcat and he loves having the opportunity to give back to OHIO. He earned his M.A. in Communication Studies from Texas State University in 2007 and his Ph.D. in Communication from North Dakota State University in 2012.
Past Chair: Jennifer Dougherty (OHIO 鈥99 鈥 B.S.C. in Organizational Communication; State University of New York at Albany, 2001, M.A. in Communication) is Vice President of Talent & Inclusion at Cengage Group, an education technology company focused on delivering affordable, impactful digital learning products to millions of learners. Jennifer鈥檚 teams lead Cengage Group鈥檚 strategy to attract, develop, and retain market-leading talent, and enhancing business results through people strategy. By developing cultures and programs that enhance career growth and development, and cultures where all employees feel welcomed, valued, heard, and respected, Jennifer is inspired by learners who engage in meaningful development to grow themselves and impact their organizations.
Jennifer has 20+ years of experience leading learning, talent, and inclusion functions, along with having led operations teams earlier in her career. Jennifer is a results-driven leader passionate about creating workplaces that people love and businesses value.
Jennifer鈥檚 most significant accomplishments include building a talent framework that mobilized an organization toward talent excellence, building an inaugural Inclusion & Diversity strategy, a supplier diversity strategy, and building a best-in-class leadership development journey. During Jennifer鈥檚 leadership, her teams have achieved placement on Training Magazine鈥檚 Top 125 list and been recognized with multiple Best Places to Work awards. Jennifer鈥檚 passion in education has led her to mentor multiple MBA students at Xavier University, serve on the Board of
Directors at Beech Acres Parenting Center in Cincinnati, 帝王会所, and to serve on 帝王会所鈥檚 Scripp鈥檚 College of Communication Alumni Advisory Board.
Jennifer is certified in several organizational development solutions, including Predictive Index and Organizational Health, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from 帝王会所 and a Master of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany. Jennifer lives in Cincinnati, 帝王会所 with her wife and their two children.
Chair Elect: Christina Boyd-Smith, PhD is an accredited professional coach by the International Coach Federation.
In addition to being the Corporate Rebel Coach, she works with clients in teams and 1:1, group coaches in her signature program, Clarity U, and is a speaker and author.
With her no-nonsense and spirited style, she helps leaders and teams in business, non-profit, and educational organizations such as Target, GE, Boston Scientific, Northwestern Mutual, and University of Minnesota.
She teaches at the highly rated destination spa, Rancho La Puerta and makes a wonderful peach pie.
Karen Atwell, PCC (OHIO 鈥18 MA 鈥 Organizational Communication) is fueled by curiosity and the desire to inspire greater degrees of humanness within organizational structures through Love, Empathy, Grace, Truth & Flow. As CEO of Dynamic Perspectives, she uses her acumen and thinking agility to make connections across 40 years of sales, management, consulting, and coaching experience to inspire creative solutions for her clients. Karen has a passion for developing and delivering custom solutions for executive teams, leaders, and sales teams.
Karen is Founder and Executive Strategist of Dynamic Perspectives, a boutique consulting firm focused on organizational culture clarity and behavioral alignment. Karen is also a faculty member at American University of Beirut teaching leadership development within the EMBA program. Previously Karen was VP Leadership Development with First Command Financial Services, Executive Director and Master Coach with UBS Global Wealth Management and has held various sales, management and senior leadership positions with Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and The Thompson Corporation.
Karen is a Certified Professional Coach and is Master Certified in The Leadership Challenge漏. Her consulting client list includes BD, Matterport, 帝王会所, Vyne Dental, Centerstone, McKesson, The City of Denver, and Tarleton University. Karen lives in Columbus, OH, and St. Augustine, FL. She is a long-time Rotarian and has a long history of community involvement around the education, development, and health of young people.
Erin (Gallagher) Barnhart (OHIO 鈥02 BSC 鈥 Interpersonal Communication; Master鈥檚 鈥 Rhetoric and Public Address. University of Notre Dame 鈥05 鈥 Juris Doctorate).
Erin is currently an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of 帝王会所鈥檚 Capital Habeas Unit where she represents death-row inmates in federal habeas, civil-rights litigation, and state clemency matters. Erin also serves as the co-coordinator of externship program.
While a student at the University of Notre Dame, she received the Farabaugh Prize for High Scholarship in Law upon graduation and was recognized as one of the top three students in her class. Erin also served on the Law Review, a legal academic journal, and published a student scholarship note about fair-use in copyright law.
While attending OHIO, Erin honed her persuasive communication skills as a member of the OHIO Forensics and Debate Team.
Dr. Katrina E. Bell-Jordan (OHIO '93 BSJ - News Editorial Journalism, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism; '94 MA - Interpersonal Communication with focus in Rhetorical Studies; '97 PhD. - Interpersonal Communication with focus in Rhetorical Studies and Media Studies)
Katrina currently serves as President of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois, and Professor in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre. Katrina served as Interim President of Northeastern Illinois University in 2023, and prior to this appointment she held positions as Dean (2017-2023) and Associate Dean (2015-2017) in Northeastern鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences. She also served as Chair (2007-2014) of the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre at Northeastern.
Katrina joined the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre at Northeastern Illinois University in 1997 as an Assistant Professor, teaching in the areas of media literacy/media theory, rhetorical theory and criticism, and news writing/journalism. Her research has focused on critical media studies, the politics of gender and race in the media, and the rhetoric of popular culture. She has published in journals such as Critical Studies in Media Communication, Women鈥檚 Studies in Communication, and Performance Studies; published book chapters on race and representation in the media; and written for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the New York Daily News. Katrina has also served her local public school community since 2011 as an elected member of the Skokie, Illinois, District 68 Board of Education, where she is currently Board Vice President.
Craig Alan Brown (OHIO 鈥1982 鈥 BSC in Organizational Communication; 帝王会所 State University, 2007, MA in Workforce Development and Education). While attending college at 帝王会所, Craig started to work with Congressman John R. Kasich鈥檚 office in Columbus, 帝王会所. Craig went on to join his father in business, and then sold the fifty-seven year old business in 2000.
Today, Craig works with the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a Certified Business Advisor for the 帝王会所 Small Business Development Center at Rhodes State College. He provides individual counseling/consulting services to small business clients, implements programs developed at state, federal, and global levels, develops and maintains local and regional partnerships, and participates in statewide program planning, and administration. Craig also participates in local workforce development initiatives and committees in West Central and Northwest 帝王会所 region.
Craig pioneered collaborations with many of the colleges in his region, always advocating an entrepreneurial spirit with the students and professors, and shared his insights with 22,000 counseling hours, and 1,500 counseling cases of working with entrepreneurs and business clients resulting in the startup of hundreds of small businesses in the region over the past twenty-three years.
He received recognition for his contribution to the advancement and support of students and the community from the University of Findlay, College of Business. Craig also received recognition by the State of 帝王会所 for National Entrepreneurship Week in developing partnerships with 帝王会所 Northern University, Bluffton University, University of Findlay, and Rhode State College.
Craig also served on the Governor鈥檚 Excellence in Exporting Awards State Selection Committee.
He served on the 帝王会所 Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2012-2018. He continues to serve on the Thomas Ewing Society (1959) named after the first graduate of 帝王会所 (1804). He also serves on the board of directors for the Ace Academy in Auglaize County, a high school dropout and recovery program, Apollo Career Center Advisory Board, Greater Findlay Inc., Center for Entrepreneurship Advisor Council, HHWP Community Action Commission Loan Review Committee, and Rhodes State College Business Advisory Board.
Craig lives in Wapakoneta, 帝王会所, with his wife, Linda, and daughters, Saira and Emilie, who both recently graduated from 帝王会所.
Joe Hamlin (OHIO 鈥05 鈥 B.S. in Communication Studies) is a Partner with B Scene, LLC., a sponsorship agency focusing on the performing arts, as well as serving as a Commercial Sales Lead for Two Circles, a sports marketing agency that leverages data to help sports organizations build stronger relationships with fans and maximize revenue. Joe first saw opportunity in a career in sports and entertainment with an internship with Basketball Australia while attending 帝王会所 in 2004, and has grown throughout multiple positions.
Since graduating in 2005, Joe has served as a professional storyteller working within new business sales, partnership activation, non-profit corporate development, marketing and strategy. His career began in 2005 with the Cleveland Cavaliers in a ticket sales capacity, and from there evolved towards sponsorships in 2008 with the Cleveland Monsters as their Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships. Joe left the sports industry in 2012 to serve as the Director of Corporate Development at Cleveland Clinic, focusing on corporate gifts, in-kind donations, and cause marketing. He then came back to the professional sports world in 2015 with the Browns, where he was focused on working within multiple business units to ensure partner goals are matched with internal strengths; all using custom-built campaigns that also lift the overall fan experience. While working in a marketing capacity, Joe built a first-of-its-kind fan segmentation study, covering Browns fans Worldwide, closer to home, and within the stadium itself.
Within B Scene, LLC, Joe and his partners work to bring the same strategies that have been successful in professional sports to the world of Broadway tours and other performing arts mediums. Within Two Circles, Joe is focused on driving new discussions to understand brands, and how Two Circles clients could prove beneficial to driving brand objectives forward.
Joe is a firm believer in the immense importance communication in the sponsorship process plays to help authenticate a brand鈥檚 message to a target audience, and do so in a way that makes sense to fans and increases partner recall.
In his spare time, Joe also serves as the President of the Cleveland Astronomical Society and enjoys a number of hobbies related to being outdoors such as hiking, running, kayaking, and photography.
Anthony Mirisola (OHIO 鈥23 BSC 鈥 Communication Studies; Minors 鈥 Business Administration, Marketing) is a sales leader for Penske Truck Leasing, a company that leads the transportation space in technology, maintenance, and curated fleet solutions.
After graduating from 帝王会所 in May of 2023, Anthony joined Penske Truck Leasing and quickly learned the transportation space in Columbus, OH as a Management Trainee and was promoted to oversee all rental accounts for the Southwestern 帝王会所 territory in May 2024.
Anthony currently lives in Cincinnati and works with multiple Fortune 500 companies, such as Proctor & Gamble, Dunkin Donuts, US Foods, and several other local businesses. Outside of customer consultation, he develops, trains, and mentors new Management Trainees. During his tenure at Penske, Anthony has won several sales awards at the Midwest area and Northcentral region level, creating immediate internal and external success for his team.
While attending 帝王会所, Anthony was a student Representative for the Alumni Advisory Council, President of the Student Professionals of Communication Studies, and the President of Lambda Pi Eta. In addition, Anthony attended the Chillicothe, Lancaster, and Athens campuses. These experiences helped him establish strong connections and hone his leadership skills to translate into the business world.
Cheryl 鈥淐P鈥 Perez (OHIO 鈥96 BSC - Communication Studies, Minor in Women鈥檚 Studies; 鈥97 MAIA - International Affairs)
Cheryl 鈥淐P鈥 Perez is the CEO and founder of Cheryl C Perez Brands, a suite of companies dedicated to providing consulting, coaching, and online training programs for entrepreneurs, non-profits, and small business owners. With over 25 years of experience in capacity building for businesses and non-profits鈥攊ncluding her own鈥擟P has developed her proprietary 4S Freedom Framework, which empowers clients to build the Strategies, Structures, Systems, and Squads needed to launch, grow, and scale successful organizations.
In addition to leading her own companies, CP is a dynamic presence in the nonprofit and small business community. She currently serves as the first African American female Chair of the Board for The Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), the largest small business chamber of commerce in the United States and is a Board member and Executive Committee Member for The Greater Cleveland Partnership. CP also serves on the Board of Directors for The United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland and is an active board member of the National Small Business Association & Cardinal Mooney Highs School Minority Alumni Council in Youngstown, 帝王会所. Her commitment to supporting underrepresented communities is evident through her work on numerous advisory councils and committees, both locally and internationally.
CP鈥檚 connection to 帝王会所 runs deep. As an alumna, she has actively contributed to the 帝王会所 community, previously serving as the Keynote Speaker for the Kushinda Graduation Ceremony, and as a speaker for the Student Professionals of Communication Studies. She currently sits on the 帝王会所 Family Advisory Council and advises Khaos Dance Group, a student organization. CP鈥檚 dedication to mentorship and diversity fuels her involvement, especially in promoting opportunities within communications studies for students of color.
Outside of her professional work, CP is the host of CPTV, a YouTube show with over 30,000 subscribers, where she provides free, step-by-step training on systemizing organizations. Her achievements have garnered her over 100 awards and recognition from platforms such as NBC and FOX News. When not working, CP enjoys Cleveland football, HGTV, retail therapy, and spending time with her husband, six children (3 of which are also Bobcats), and two fur babies.
Erin Scholes is CEO/Founder of SD Meetings & Events, a third-party meeting management business specializing in hotel sourcing, full-service meeting planning, and event operations staffing. She has over 20 years in meeting and event management experience planning hundreds of meetings and events. Erin and the team at SD Meetings have over 20 years鈥 experience managing in-person events and are now sought after digital event experts. They help clients find the right location to bring together attendees to achieve their organizational goal.
Erin is part of the staffing and teaching team at San Diego State University鈥檚 Hospitality and Tourism Management meetings and events program. She has been a dedicated member of the Meeting Professionals Int'l since 2000 including serving as Chapter President. During her tenure in the business, Erin has been recognized with numerous industry awards including the coveted MPI Chair Award, Smart Women in Meetings winner, and MPI San Diego鈥檚 Community Leader Award. She has also earned the respected professional designations Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP), Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM), and most recently Digital Event Strategist (DES).
Dr. Jeff Tyus (OHIO 鈥93 BSC - Telecommunications; 鈥95 MA - Telecommunications; 鈥99 Ph.D. - Interpersonal Communication) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Youngstown State University. From 2004-2006, he served as President of the 帝王会所 Communication Association and has stayed actively involved since 2002. Prior to joining the faculty at YSU in 2007, he taught at 帝王会所 (while completing his Ph.D.), Furman
University, and Sinclair Community College. He has published in the 帝王会所 Communication Journal and contributed a book chapter in the Sage Handbook of Family Communication in 2015. Jeff has been instrumental in leading his department鈥檚 online teaching efforts since 2009.
He was recognized as a Distinguished Professor in Service in both 2013 and 2018. He has taken both graduate and undergraduate students to conferences where they have won Top Research Paper awards multiple times. Jeff has engaged in multiple philanthropic events since arriving in Youngstown, including running a half-marathon to raise money for the Crohn鈥檚 & Colitis Foundation in 2009 and leading service-learning projects with his Media Relations Campaigns students to raise money for the American Cancer Society that has netted approximately $25,000 over the last 11 years. Jeff has participated in multiple university service activities such as being the Reader at graduation since May 2008 and traveling to Ghana to help recruit students to attend YSU in 2016 and 2017. He received the YSU Student Services Award in April 2021. In March 2020 he led the university鈥檚 first Study Abroad venture to Ghana and co-authored a chapter in the Handbook of Election News Coverage and Communication in Ghana in 2022.
Student Representatives
Katie Murphy is a senior from Wilmington, 帝王会所, majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Screenwriting and Digital Storytelling. During her time at 帝王会所, she has enjoyed getting involved in a variety of opportunities and connecting with people across campus. Katie currently produces and hosts The Outlet, WOUB鈥檚 news podcast, and serves as Vice President of the Student Professionals of Communication Studies. She is also honored to represent the university as one of Dr. Stewart-Gonzalez鈥檚 Presidential Ambassadors. Through these experiences, Katie has developed a strong foundation in creative storytelling, collaboration, and leadership. As a Student Representative on the Alumni Advisory Council, she has loved working with students, faculty, and alumni to help build a mentorship program that fosters meaningful connections beyond the classroom.
Zennia Lam is a senior from Grove City, 帝王会所, majoring in Communication Studies with minors in Commercial Photography, Marketing, and Retail, Fashion, and Merchandising. A passionate and creative communicator, Zennia currently serves as the Creative Development Chair for the Student Alumni Board and as Set Director for Thread Magazine. Throughout her time at 帝王会所, she has developed a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of how creativity and communication intersect. As a COMS Alumni Student Representative, Zennia looks forward to building and maintaining meaningful connections while continuing to sharpen her skills as a communicator.
David (Dave) Abram (OHIO '89 BSC - Organizational Communication)
Mary L. Bradley, Esq. (OHIO 鈥80 BSC - Communication in Organizational Communication; Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, 1998, Juris Doctor)
Timothy J. Brown (OHIO 鈥97 Ph.D. - Rhetoric & Public Address)
John A. Cassese (OHIO 鈥76 BSC - Radio and Television; 鈥79 MA - Organizational Communication)
Julia Louise Krahe (Kindl) (OHIO HTC 鈥03 BSC - Political Communication with minors in political science and math)
Laurie Sheridan Lach (OHIO 鈥92 BSC - Organizational Communication)
Jeff W. Reed (OHIO '06 BSC - Political Communication)
Chris Witherspoon (OHIO 鈥04 BSC 鈥 Communication Studies)
Stacy Lynn Schindler (OHIO '14 MA Organizational Communication, '02 BS Organizational Communication, '01 Bachelor of Specialized Studies, Communication Management)
Former Student Representatives
Benjamin Christiansen
Christian Benedetti
Nik Robinson
Jacob Leber
Moira Fudge
Victoria White
Molly Florimonte
Roshni Ashiq
Grace Breslin
Aimee Chambers
Kaitlyn Cummings
Emily Dengler
Emmie Ferguson
Bayley Fields
Shae Haas
Rebecca (Beck) Harhai
Jaclyn Hartshorn
Mackenzie Joseph
Anthony Mirisola
Sarah E. Williams
