Franklin University Board of Trustees

Melissa became President of Chase Bank in 2001 and is responsible for all the bank's corporate banking activities in central Ohio.

Melissa co-chaired the 2003 Operation Feed campaign as well as the 2004 State Board of Education task force on "Quality High Schools." She is a trustee on the boards of the YWCA of Columbus, Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and the Columbus Museum of Art.

Gary is founder and President of Dynalab, Inc.; President of GPAX, Inc.; and President of JAAS Systems. He has served as President of a local Kiwanis club, Treasurer of National Church Residences, as well as in numerous other community organizations. Gary is an alumnus of Franklin University (1971) and is Chairman of the Board's Investment Committee. 

Sue is President of Lindey's Restaurant in German Village. Sue received the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award in 1992 and was named Restaurateur of the Year by the Central Ohio Restaurant Association in 1994.

As a Franklin Trustee, Sue chairs the Student Affairs Committee.

Gregory Lashutka is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Board and retired Senior Vice President for Corporate Relations at Nationwide. His career includes serving as Mayor of the city of Columbus, Ohio, for two consecutive terms; partner with the law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, and two terms as Columbus City Attorney.

Gregory was co-captain of The Ohio State University football team and later played professionally for the Buffalo Bills. He continues to be involved with many community organizations and sits on local, state and national boards. Gregory has been honored with numerous national and community awards.

Dr. David R. Decker serves as the fourth President of Franklin University. Prior to coming to Franklin he held a number of positions at the New York Institute of Technology, including playing a key role in their internationalization and development of their online presence.

Dr. Decker has also held positions at Youngstown State University, as well as at three other universities, and has international teaching experience in China, Malaysia, Russia, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Brazil, and Jordan.

His extensive corporate experience includes serving as president and CEO of a $130 million manufacturing company. Information on Dr. Decker

Jack is President of MoTrim, Inc., which manufacturers boom-type hydraulic mowing machinery. It is headquartered in Cambridge, Ohio, with an additional plant in Florida. Jack is a Franklin University alumnus (1963) and resides in Cambridge with his wife.

Jack is a past chairman of the Board and currently co-chairs the Institutional Advancement Committee.

Jo Ann served as co-Chairperson of the Republican National Committee and served over 20 years in the state legislature, including as Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.

She serves on numerous boards, including Franklin University's, and consults on public policy development and analysis, strategic planning, and political campaigns through her firm, JAD and Associates. As a Franklin trustee, Jo Ann serves on the Fiscal Affairs Committee.

Mary joined Battelle in 1977 and currently serves as its Vice President of Operations and Systems Services.

Mary serves on the boards of the Battelle National Biodefense Institute and the Franklin Park Conservatory; she has also served on a number of committees and boards for the city of Upper Arlington. She currently serves on the Franklin Board of Trustees and its Fiscal Affairs Committee.

Phil is co-founder and principal of both EPCON Communities and EPCON Communities Franchising, located in Dublin, Ohio.

Phil has over 35 years experience in real estate development and construction. He is an alumnus of Franklin University (1968) and currently co-chairs the Institutional Advancement Committee.

Gary retired from Abbott Laboratories, a leading global broad based healthcare company, after serving 33 years, and currently serves on numerous central Ohio community boards.

He is an alumnus of Franklin (1971), has served on the Franklin board since 2002, and currently chairs the Academic Affairs Committee.

Anthony is the Chief Marketing Officer for Allied Insurance, Titan Insurance, Nationwide Commercial, Nationwide Specialty, and Nationwide Agribusiness in Des Moines Iowa. Previously, he served as Vice President for Marketing Strategy & Planning for Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio. Anthony currently serves on the Student Affairs Committee.

Eugene is a principal founder, President, and CEO of Dynamix Engineering Ltd., and brings more than 30 years of engineering experience to the company.

Eugene has served on numerous boards including the Children's Hunger Alliance and Boy Scouts of America. He is a graduate of Franklin University (1984).

As President of Riverside Methodist Hospital, Bruce is responsible for strategic planning and day-to-day operations.‚ His more than 30 years of experience in healthcare includes serving as Executive Vice President - Hospitals/COO for Spectrum Health and at Wausau Hospital Center as an assistant vice president. Bruce is a fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives, and has been affiliated with many community service programs.

Fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, Judy serves as President of 889 Global Solutions, a consultancy/importer providing strategic advice and sourcing clients headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with five offices and representatives in China. Her extensive contacts in consulting, government, manufacturing and actual operation experience give her unique value.

Her experience includes negotiation, translation, and advisory work on a number of Chinese direct investments into a U.S. Multimodal Cargo Airport and Foreign Trade Zone area in Ohio.

As the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Matthew is responsible for the overall strategic leadership for $20 billion (revenue) diversified financial services at Nationwide. His career includes serving at MCKinsey & Company, Inc., Bank One Corporation, and Ernst & Young.  Matthew is a Certified Public Accountant (State of Ohio).

Carl has more than 25 years experience in manufacturing and supply chain management, and serves as Director of Manufacturing, North America Refinish for PPG Industries.

Carl is located at the Delaware, Ohio, facility, which currently employs approximately 400 associates and is the largest industrial employer in the Delaware area. He serves on numerous boards, including Recreation Unlimited and the Delaware County Red Cross.

Floyd is a past chairman of the Board and currently chairs the Personnel Committee. He is retired Senior Vice President for The Dispatch Printing Company. Floyd, a Franklin alumnus (1985), is a veteran of the United States Air Force and currently serves on the Boards of the American Red Cross and United Way of Franklin County.

James is the Central Region President of Huntington National Bank. A graduate of The Ohio State University, he earned his bachelor's degree in Social Science and is a graduate of The Graduate School of Banking at The University of Wisconsin in Madison.

He currently serves on the boards of several Columbus organizations, including the Columbus Association of Performing Arts, Central Ohio Transit Authority, and Columbus College of Art and Design. As a Franklin Trustee and former chairman, James serves on the Audit, Controls, and Compliance Committee and the Investment Committee.

Thomas Moyer is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio since 1987. He received his law degree and undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and has received Honorary Doctorate of Law Degrees from the University of Akron and The Defiance College. His Honor is a past president of the Columbus Board of Education and the Columbus Bar Association, and as a Franklin Trustee serves on the Academic Affairs Committee. 

Peter retired from his position as Senior Vice President, Finance at Chemical Abstracts Services (CAS) in 2008. 

Prior to this position he served as Vice President, Accounting & Finance for Honda of America Mfg., Inc. and as a Senior Manager Tax consultant with Peat Marwick. Peter serves as chair of the Finance Committee and member of the Executive Committee on the board of Catholic Social Services, and serves as the treasurer for St Gabriel Radio, Inc. 

He currently chairs the Franklin's Fiscal Affairs Committee, and serves on the Franklin's Audit, Control and Compliance Committee and Personnel Committee. 

John is President of J.B. Ruhlin & Associates, manufacturers' representatives for health care equipment and communication services. Before founding J.B Ruhlin & Associates, he served as President of The Ruhlin Company, an international heavy civil construction firm.

John is a Franklin alumnus (1970), has served as a board member since 1991, is a former Board Chair, and served as Chair of the Presidential Selection Committee. He currently serves on the Investment Committee, Fiscal Affairs Committee, and the Academic Affairs Committee.

Ralph is President of Sanese Services, a food service provider doing business for over 60 years all over the state of Ohio and very prominent in industries, businesses, offices, schools, colleges, and universities. Ralph is one of the founders and owners of the Vend Marketing Institute, a national organization of unattended automatic retailing.

He serves on the Doctors Hospital Development Board and is active in the World Presidents Organization, Charity Newsies, and Adventures for Wish Kids. He is a Franklin University alumnus (1975) and serves as Chair of the Audit, Controls, and Compliance Committee.

Thomas is Senior Vice President at Honda of America Manufacturing, where he is a member of the senior leadership group overseeing the company's operations.

Thomas is specifically responsible for the areas of manufacturing, human resources, legal, accounting & finance, and compliance & ethics business teams. Before joining Honda, Thomas served as legislative assistant to U.S. Representatives Thomas N. Kindness (1983-1986) and Michael G. Oxley (1987-1988).

Donald is an alumnus of Franklin, having received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1971. He has also earned a graduate degree from Xavier University.

He was President of Franklin's Alumni Association for two terms and subsequently chaired the Presidential Screening Committee to select Franklin's second President. His career included working for prominent companies in the pharmaceutical and medical device markets.

Donald has served as the Secretary Officer of the Board in addition to the Chairman of the Fiscal Affairs Committee for eight consecutive years.

Scott is a retired lawyer and executive who currently serves on several boards. Over his career, Scott Whitlock practiced law with Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Columbus, Ohio, and served as a senior executive with Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.

He currently serves on the Institutional Advancement Committee and the Personnel Committee.