Leadership Ohio Alumni Profiles & Fellow Spotlights
Since 1992, Leadership Ohio Fellows have gone on to lead across government, business, law, philanthropy and public safety. Meet a few of the 800 alumni statewide leaders strengthening Ohio's communities today.
Randall J. Meyer
Randall J. Meyer is the Ohio Inspector General at the Office of the Ohio Inspector General, a post…
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Sen. Hearcel F. Craig
Hearcel F. Craig is State Senator for Ohio’s 15th Senate District and Assistant Minority Leader…
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Sara Downs
Sara Downs is Chief Financial Officer of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), where she has…
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Daniel Sublett
Daniel Sublett is President of J.W. Didado Electric, the Akron-based electrical contractor and…
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Clifton R. S. Williams III
Clifton Williams is Director of Public Affairs at Taft Advisors, advising corporations, nonprofits…
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Meghan Cummings
Meghan Cummings is President & CEO of Philanthropy Ohio, the statewide network of more than 200…
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Valerie Lemmie
Valerie Lemmie is Senior Advisor for State and Local Government at the Kettering Foundation, where…
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Sam Melden
Sam Melden is Chief Communications & External Affairs Officer at the Toledo Area Regional…
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Mick Proxmire
Mick Proxmire is a Partner in the Columbus office of Reminger Co., LPA, representing employers in…
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Mark Lyle
Mark Lyle is a Legislative Liaison with the Air Force Civilian Service, serving with the 88th Air…
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Jocelyn Lowe
Jocelyn Lowe is Chief of Staff at the Ohio Department of Public Safety, overseeing Ohio Homeland…
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Emerald Hernández-Parra
Emerald Hernández-Parra is Assistant Director, Special Projects in the City of Columbus Department…
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Maggie Spear
Maggie Spear is Director of Human Resources at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, where she leads…
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Katina Stone-Jones
Katina Stone-Jones is Acting Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the VA Northeast Ohio…
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Chief Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson is Chief of Police of the Dayton Police Department, sworn in in May 2026 as the first…
ReadLeadership Ohio Announces 2026 Alumni Impact Award Recipients
Four exemplary state-wide alumni recognized for community impact, professional excellence, visionary leadership and distinguished service
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Leadership Ohio has announced the four recipients of its 2026 Alumni Impact Awards, recognizing graduates whose leadership, service and professional accomplishments exemplify the organization’s commitment to leaving everything and everyone better than they found them.
The honorees were selected from a record 24 peer nominations representing 21 alumni across four award categories. The awards will be presented Friday, August 14, during Leadership Ohio’s Alumni Homecoming and Capstone Dinner at Capital University’s Schumacher Gallery at the Blackmore Library in Bexley.
“Each of these recipients demonstrates a different dimension of exemplary leadership,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Leadership Ohio. “They are strengthening communities, building institutions, advancing their professions and creating opportunities for others. Just as importantly, their nominations came from fellow alumni who have seen their leadership and impact firsthand.”
The 2026 recipients are:
