Leadership Dayton Current Class

Ashley Bethard is the Editor and Chief Content Officer for the Dayton Daily News and Cox First Media. She has spent more than 15 years in journalism, and 11 of them have been in Dayton. She got her start in media as an intern at the Sandusky Register in Sandusky, Ohio.

She has had a variety of roles at Cox since 2012, most recently as Digital Director. In 2015, she was tapped to launch the Dayton.com brand in the market, overseeing the content and engagement strategy. In 2016, she was named to News Media Alliance’s “30 Under 30” list for her work on that project.

Ashley is also a writer, primarily focused on essays and creative nonfiction. Her essays, stories and poems have been published in VIDA Review, The Rumpus, PANK Magazine, Hobart, Fanzine, Catapult, and others. In 2022, she received an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. That same year, she was the recipient of the American Society of Journalists and Authors Writing Award for First-Person Essay.

She was an attendee of the 2019 Tin House Writers Workshop. In 2017, she was awarded the Ohioana Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and for the Dzanc Books “Best of the Web.”

A two-time graduate of Ashland University, she holds a BA in English and Creative Writing (’08) and an MFA in Creative Writing – Nonfiction (’10).

Mr. George Dalton is a Vice President at CFD Research. He holds a B.S. in Electronic Engineering Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), an MS in Computer Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), an MBA from The Ohio State University, and All-But-Dissertation in an Electrical Engineering PhD at AFIT. Mr. Dalton is a retired Air Force Officer with 37 years of experience in the military and defense industry, including 24 years on active duty. Prior to joining CFD Research, he was the Deputy Director of the Air and Space Systems Division at KeyW Corporation/Jacobs, and previously a Department of Defense acquisition corps member serving in multiple roles for U.S. Air Force acquisition. Mr. Dalton has also held several roles in the aerospace and defense industry relating to the design, development and operational deployment of Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), Air Support Operations, and Space Battle Management Systems. He has been supporting Air and Space intelligence research and development for the Air Force Research Lab, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center for the past 12 years. He is also an officer and founding member of the Open Group’s Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA) Consortium.

An established leader in the public sector, I currently serve as chief legal counsel for the City of Dayton. As Director of Law I manage both the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the Department of Law. As a member of the City's executive leadership team, I act as a thoughtful advisor who anticipates problems across the organization and looks for innovative solutions. Prior to working for the City, I held positions with the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender and Green & Green Lawyers. 

My commitment and passion for our local community is evident in the numerous volunteer roles I have held. I currently serve as a board member for the Dayton Bar Foundation at the Dayton Bar Association. Most recently I served as Vice-Chair for the YWCA Board of Trustees, Chair of the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Council, and served two terms on the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project board. 

I am a 2020 graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Previous leadership opportunities include Secretary of the Dayton Bar Association, 2nd District Representative of the Ohio Magistrate's Association, and  Chair of the Dayton Bar Association's Diversity Committee. 

Suresh Iyer is Chief Technology Officer of Henny Penny, a position he has held since September 2022. As CTO, Suresh leads Henny Penny’s end-to-end data and product innovation strategies to build digital capabilities and accelerate growth.

An accomplished executive and transformational leader, Suresh leads enterprise-wide strategies to generate data-driven insights that promote effectiveness and develop intelligent, connected solutions and automation that maximizes customer experience and value. He also provides strategic counsel for the company’s digital transformation efforts.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the manufacturing, business process and technology sector, Suresh has the expertise and a proven track record of delivering global business services, process and digital transformation, plant automation, client management, strategy, and practice development.

Suresh is passionate about building businesses on innovation, technology, data, ideas, and imagination. A Lean Six Sigma Practitioner and Supply Chain Domain expert, Suresh believes in transformation that combines domain knowledge, data analytics, and digital solutions.

Over the last two decades, he has helped shape the supply chain and procurement digital transformation, Industry 4.0 at large enterprises across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific region.

Prior to Henny Penny, Suresh served as Chief Growth & Digital Officer with Centum Group. Before that, he was President & CEO of Corbus, LLC, where he was instrumental in transforming the business into a leading supply chain and digital transformation enterprise. Suresh spent 18 years at GE and Genpact in key leadership roles across supply chain analytics, process, and digital transformation. He was instrumental in building Genpact’s Supply Chain and Procurement Analytics and industrial internet of things (IIoT) business into a $700M P&L across Aerospace, Manufacturing, CPG and Healthcare.

Lisa Japs is a driven and accomplished individual with a diverse range of experiences. For close to 20 years, Lisa has worked with Dayton Live. She started in the Ticket Office, where she developed a deep understanding of customer service and theatre operations. Lisa currently serves as Chief Operating Officer, where she is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization's operations.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, from the University of Dayton which has provided her with a strong foundation in human behavior and has been invaluable in her professional and personal pursuits.

Outside of work, Lisa is a proud "dog mom" and enjoys spending time with her furry friends. She loves to garden and is an active volunteer with two local organizations: Levitt Pavilion Dayton and Friends of the Library. Through her volunteer work, she has been able to give back to her community and make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Adele joined Dayton Children’s Hospital on August 16, 2021. Adele is a Human Resources and Operations Management professional with a proactive leadership style, significant experience within all HR functional areas, and a passion for creating and accelerating workforce strategies that positively impact clinical excellence and advance key talent competencies. In her role as VPHR/CHRO, Adele serves as a strategic human resource leader and member of the Senior Leadership Team. She provides high quality service to all levels of the organization in the areas of leadership and organizational development, compensation and benefits, talent attraction, development and retention, policy development, and employee relations. In her prior role, Adele served as a System Human Resources Director and Strategic Partner-Medical Group and Physician Services with Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH). In this role, she engaged with and supported executive and operational leaders at the system level, driving HR and operational strategies into execution. She directed and led efforts in setting HR strategy, structures and process improvements across 800 physician practices within the Medical Group service line. Her efforts delivered critical people solutions and key system workforce results. 

Prior to her work with BSMH, Adele worked with HCA Healthcare, based in Nashville, Tennessee and served as a Regional HR Director - Physician Services Group. In this role, Adele partnered with national, regional, and local operations management and HR leadership to implement HR initiatives. Adele’s approachable style and servant leadership are also demonstrated by her community service work. Adele is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and enjoys opportunities to give back via volunteer community and social service partnerships. After living over five years in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee for her successful career with HCA Healthcare, Adele returned to her hometown Cincinnati in 2019 with her husband and teenage son, and enjoys travel, reading, and spending time with family and friends. 

AJ Kessler (he/him) is a husband to a husband and the proud parent of two fur babies and zero human children. He holds a BA from Wittenberg University and a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University. AJ is the Southwest Ohio Manager of CareSource Life Services, where he oversees a team of Life Coaches who assist CareSource members navigate the social determinants of health. He serves on the Board of the Miami Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, leading the DEI Committee. Additionally, AJ consults with NCCJ of Greater Dayton, presenting their Diversity 101 series to local organizations.

Steven is the External Relations Coordinator for the Miami Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross and currently instructs two courses for the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. He was formerly a FEMA emergency response official, deploying for up to three months at a time to presidentially declared disaster areas. He is on the board of Miami Valley Crime Stoppers, the Lincoln Society of Dayton, Dayton Children's Hospital's Center for Health Equity, the Central Ohio Public Information Network, and Preservation Dayton. He is an ambassador for the Dayton Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Dayton International Airport and also volunteers at the Dayton Mediation Center and at Carriage Hill MetroPark and the 2nd Street Market for Fiver Rivers MetroParks. He and his wife are also members of the Dayton Art Institute's associate board.

Amy Thompson, Ph.D., CHES, FESG

Toledo, OH 43606

amythompson473@gmail.com  419.215.7201

Curriculum Vitae

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

•  Currently, the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs leading the academic 

enterprise for a regional comprehensive urban serving university of 11,000 students. Responsible 

for overseeing 6 colleges and the Boonshoft School of Medicine as well as all student success and 

retention efforts.

•  Served as the Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs and Acting Dean of the College of Graduate 

Studies where I lead multiple units and a combined budget of 27 million dollars.

•  Served as Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs where I was responsible tenure, promotion, mentoring, 

leadership development and grievances for over 1200 faculty in unionized and nonunion departments.

•  Served as UToledo Faculty Senate President where I led shared governance efforts on behalf of 

the faculty.

•  Current president for the Society of Public Health Education, National Professional Health 

Education. Organization and Former National President of Eta Sigma Gamma, Professional Health 

Education Organization. I represent thousands of public health professionals and provide leadership 

for one of the leading membership organization in my discipline.

•  Founder and served as Director for the Center for Health and Successful Living. This center 

served underrepresented minority cancer survivors while providing cutting engaged learning 

opportunities for students.

•  Founded Pre-Health Advising Center and UToledo Adult & Transfer Center. These support services 

are aimed at supporting and retaining students and are an example of my strong leadership in 

enrollment management.

•  Proven excellence at the rank of full professor in research, teaching, and service with over 75 

publications, 150 professional peer reviewed presentations and over 1.7 million dollars in grant 

funding.

Education:

-  Ph.D in Health Education, Minor in Public Administration, 2004 – The University of Toledo, 

Toledo, Ohio

-  Master of Science and Education in Public Health, 1999 – The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio

-  Bachelor of Science in Community Health & Health Promotion, Minor in Family Life and Human 

Sexuality, 1997 – Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Professional Service

•  SOPHE Resource Development Committee, 2020-present

•  SOPHE National Conference Planning Committee, 2017-2019

•  SOPHE Abstract Reviewer, 2016-2017

•  External Program Reviewer for Public Health Programs, 2016-present

•  Chair, Health Advocacy Summit Task force, 2014-2017

•  Guest Editor, The Monograph of Eta Sigma Gamma, 2010-2011

•  Leadership Academy, ASHA, 2007-2010

•  Health Education Summit Planning Committee, 2007-2010

•  Reviewer, Journal of School Health, 2007-2010

•  Reviewer, The American Journal of Health Education, 2001-2012

Amy Thompson, Ph.D., CHES, FESG – Page 2 of 2

University Service

•  Co-Chair University Graduate Enrollment & Student Success Task Force, 2021- present

•  Presidential Council Member on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 2020-present

•  Chair, COVID-19 Pandemic Operations Team, 2020- present

•  Chair, HLC Criterion Team 3, 2019-2020

•  Co-chair, UToledo Distance Learning Ad-Hoc Committee, 2019-2020

•  Co-chair, the University of Toledo Opioid Task Force, 2018-present

•  Co-chair, Student Evaluation Ad-Hoc Committee, 2018-2020

•  Intersession Committee, 2018-present

•  Finance and Strategy, 2018-present

•  Faculty 180 Committee, 2017-2020

•  Institutional Effectiveness Committee, 2018-2020

•  Co-Director, Associate to Professor Program (ATP), 2017-present

•  Program Director, Scholars Institute Program (SIP), 2017-2018

•  Current Faculty Senate President (3 year rotation), 2015-2018

•  Chair, Committee on Committees Faculty Senate, 2016-2017

•  Co-Chair, University Sexual Assault Task Force, 2017-2018

•  Institutional Learning Outcomes Committee, 2017

•  Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs Search Committee, 2017

•  Graduate Programs Review Committee, 2016

•  Higher Learning Commission Committee, 2014-present

•  Committee on Committees, 2014-2017

•  Faculty Senate, 2011- 2018

•  Athletic Committee, 2011-2018

•  Elections Committee, 2011-2016

•  Presidential Scholarship Committee, 2010- 2013

•  Graduate Council, 2008-2011

•  Commencement Committee, Kent State University, 2007-2008

College Service

•  College Leadership Team, 2016-2018

•  Director, Center for Health and Successful Living, 2013-2019

•  Health and Human Service College Council, 2014-15

•  Chair, College Personal Committee, 2013-2018

•  College Personnel Committee, 2010-2018

•  Elaborations Committee, 2012

•  Health Professions Learning Community Advisory Board, 2009-2013

•  Undergraduate Council, Kent State University, 2007-2008

•  Student Awards Committee, Kent State University, 2006-2007

•  Ad Hoc College Restructuring Committee, Kent State University, 2005-2007

Departmental Service

•  Doctoral Program Coordinator, 2010-2014

•  Faculty Search Committee, 2010- 2011

•  Public Health Accreditation Committee, 2009-2010

•  Advisor Eta Sigma Gamma, 2009-2019

•  Community Health Accreditation Committee, 2008-2018

•  NCATE Program Committee, Kent State University, 2006-2007

•  Advisor Eta Sigma Gamma, Kent State University, 2005-present

•  Departmental Curriculum Committee, Kent State University, 2005-2007

Career officer in the United States Air Force: fighter pilot, professor of physics, commander of classified satellite program office.  Senior leader in various defense consulting and contracting firms.  Director of Engineering for DISH Network.  Midwest Region Lead, BETA Technologies.