Board of Trustees

Brent Steiner, President

Brent Steiner has served as a Trustee since 2013, representing the Northeast Quarter. He has served as President of the Board since July 2024.

Brent earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Human Resource Management from Ohio University. He is the co-owner of Ramsier Financial Services, Inc. in Smithville and is a Certified Financial Planner, a member of the Financial Planning Association, and holds a Series 7 and Life/Health Insurance Licenses. In addition, he is a member of the Financial Educator Network and has taught classes on retirement planning.

He is an active member of the Apostolic Christian Church in Rittman and a Board Member for the Apostolic Christian Church National Endowment Fund. Steiner previously served as a Board Member for the Orrville Chamber of Commerce and served as a member of the Green Local Schools Board of Education for 12 years.

Deanna Troutman, Vice President

Deanna Troutman has served as a Trustee since 2009, representing the Southwest Quarter. She has served as the Vice President for the Foundation since July 2024.

An Ohio State University graduate with a B.S. in Human Ecology, Deanna is Vice-President of Troutman Vineyards Inc. & Wolf Creek Vineyards Inc. Her responsibilities include managing overall financial operations and personnel, procurement, marketing, vine tending, and animal husbandry. Previously, she was the Director of Community Relations at Sunrise Assisted Living in Wooster and a support group facilitator for the Wayne County Alzheimer’s Association.

An active member of the Wooster Noon Lion’s Club, she previously served on its Board of Directors and as past President.  Deanna is a longtime participant and advisor of 4-H. She is also a charter member of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals and previously served as its President.

Adam Briggs, Secretary

Adam Briggs has served as a Trustee since 2017, as an At Large – West representative. In addition to serving as the Secretary of the Board, Adam is also the Chairperson of the Investment Committee Chairperson

Adam is President and CEO of Briggs Financial Group, a boutique wealth management firm based in Wooster. He is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in Economics.

Active in the community, Adam currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Fund for Our Economic Future, Wayne Economic Development Council, Wayne Center for the Arts, and is a Trustee of The Noble Foundation.  He has previously served on the Boards of Main Street Wooster (Chair), Business Volunteers Unlimited, and the Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Marlene Barkheimer, Treasurer

Marlene Barkheimer has served as a Trustee since 2009, representing the Northwest Quarter. She serves as the Treasurer and Chairperson of the Audit Committee.

Marlene is a graduate of Ashland University and is President and CEO of Community Independent Bancorp, Inc. and Farmers State Bank, its subsidiary, in West Salem.

She actively supports many causes, including Local Roots and serving as Treasurer for Friends of Hospice of Wayne County. She is on the advisory boards for Wayne County Children’s Services, the Dauch College of Business & Economics Business Advisory Council of Ashland University, and a past Board member of Wayne County Junior Achievement.

She currently serves as Director to Lodi Community Hospital and EPCOR Electronic Payments Boards and previously served as Director to the Community Bankers Association and Ohio Banking Commission. Marlene is also a past member of the Community Bank Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve.

Mark A. Auble, Immediate Past President
Mark Auble has served as a Trustee since 2006, representing Orrville. He served as President of the Board from 2020 to 2024.

Mark was born and raised in Orrville. He graduated from Orrville High School and received a B.S. from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He then received an associate degree in Mortuary Science from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and joined the family business, Auble Funeral Home, as a fourth generation funeral director.

Mark is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and the Orrville Rotary Club. He is active in the Orrville Area Boys and Girls Club.

Michael D. Agnoni

Mike Agnoni has served as a Trustee since 2011, representing Doylestown/Rittman. He serves as the Scholarship Committee Chairperson.

Mike is a Vice President with Aon Risk Services in Cleveland and has been in the insurance industry for over 30 years.  Mike graduated from the University of Akron with a Masters in Business Administration.

Mike is co-owner of Chippewa Self-Storage and is an active member of Saints Peter and Paul parish in Doylestown.

Scott Boyes

Scott Boyes joined the Board of Trustees in 2023, representing the Wooster area.

Scott, a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA), is the Chief Financial and Operating Office for Wooster Community Hospital. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a Masters of Business Administration, both from The University of Akron.

Active throughout Wayne County, Boyes has served on the boards of Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Wayne County (now known as Lifecare Hospice), Green Local Schools Board of Education, Startzman Clinic, and Wayne Economic Development Council. He and his wife, Susan, have three adult children.

Maribeth Burns

Maribeth Burns has served as a Trustee since 2011; she currently represents Wooster. She also serves as the Development and Marketing Committee Chairperson and the Assistant Treasurer.

Maribeth was the Vice President of Public, State and Local Affairs at The J.M. Smucker Company.  She is currently the President of the Wayne Economic Council, Inc. She also serves on the Boards for the Orrville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Orrville Area Boys and Girls Club and Heartland Education Community, Inc. She is an alumnus of Ashland University. 

W. Michael Jarrett

Michael Jarrett has served as a Trustee since 2015, representing Orrville.

He is President & CEO of Jarrett Companies, Inc. and a graduate of Norwayne High School. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Mount Union, and his MBA from the University of Akron.

Michael currently serves as the chair of the Heartland Education Community, as a trustee on the University of Mount Union Board of Trustees, and is a member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Jarrett has received numerous awards for growth of his company, including: Inc. 500, Entrepreneur Magazine, Weatherhead 100, Cascade Capital and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. He has also been inducted into the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame and the Mount Union Sports Hall of Fame.

 Cheryl M. Kirkbride

Cheryl Kirkbride has served as a Trustee since 2012, representing Orrville. She serves as the Chairperson of the Disbursement Committee.

She is a graduate of Smithville High School with a BA in English education from John Carroll University, a teaching certificate from the College of Wooster, and a juris doctor from The University of Akron School of Law. 

Cheryl is a partner at Kropf Wagner Law Firm, LLP with a practice emphasis on estate planning, business and real estate matters. In addition, Cheryl currently serves as a Director for The Commercial and Savings Bank of Millersburg, Ohio, as well as serving the City of Orrville as its Law Director.  She previously served as the Smithville Village Solicitor.  Cheryl and her husband, John, are the owners of The Inn at Walnut Creek in Holmes County Amish country.

Cheryl also serves as a Board member and President of The Orrville Area Boys and Girls Club and also the Wayne County Volunteer Guardianship Association as well as a board member of the Amish Country Lodging Council. Cheryl is an active member of Orrville Christian Church. She previously served on the Boards of the Orrville Public Library and Orrville Area Development Foundation and also as a billet family with the Wooster Oilers Jr. Hockey team.  Cheryl and her husband, John, are licensed foster parents through Encourage Foster Care at Christian Children’s Home of Ohio.

Glenda Lehman Ervin

Glenda Lehman Ervin has served as a Trustee since 2009, representing the Southeast Quarter. 

Glenda is the Vice President of Marketing for Lehman’s and the daughter of company founder Jay Lehman. She is responsible for the advertising, marketing and media relations for the multi-channel business.

After working as a journalist for several years, she joined a Fortune 200 company, returning to Lehman’s in 1996. She graduated from Taylor University with a double major in journalism and English, and received a master’s from Indiana University.

Glenda serves on a number of volunteer boards and has taught Junior Achievement classes in the local school system for several years.

She has been named a YMCA Woman of Achievement, as well as a Rainmaker. 

 Lynn Moomaw

Lynn Moomaw joined the Foundation's Board of Trustees in 2024. As the At Large - East representative, she will serve the eastern half of Wayne County. 

A graduate of Smithville High School, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Ohio Northern University and a Masters in Secondary School Administration from University of Akron.

Director of Operations and Adult Education at Wayne County Schools Career Center, Lynn is an accomplished educational professional with more than 25 years of leadership and management experience.

Her extensive record of community service includes Rotary Club of Wooster, The Village Network, Viola Startzman Clinic, Wayne County Childrens’ Services, YMCA of Wayne County, and the Wayne County Economic Development Board of Directors serving many of these organizations at the highest levels of Board Leadership.

Lynn has been named a recipient of the ATHENA Award by Wayne County Women’s Network and the Jack O’Donnell Award for Community Service by Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce. 

 Dr. Cyril Ofori

Dr. Cyril Ofori joined the Board of Trustees in 2022, representing the Wooster area.

Cyril currently serves as the Chair of Cardiology and the Cardiovascular Institute at Wooster Hospital Health Systems and the Chief Medical Officer for Bloomington Medical Services, a 50-physician multispecialty group.

His career in medicine began in 1987, when he graduated with his Medical Degree from the University of Ghana Medical School. He completed his internship at Harlem Hospital Center, a Columbia University affiliate, and his residency at Sinai Hospital, a Johns Hopkins University Center affiliate.  His cardiology training was done in Pittsburgh at the Weston Pennsylvania Hospital, and then he subsequently was attending physician at the Cleveland VA Medical Center/UH and Case Western Reserve University.

Ofori is generous with his time, both globally and locally. He volunteers and teaches at various organizations in Ghana. Ofori and his wife, Dr. Amelia Laing, are co-founders and owners of the Obaatan Pa Women’s Hospital in Ghana, a not-for-profit women's Hospital. Locally, he has served as an Adjunct Instructor at The College of Wooster, the Executive Director of the Wooster Chamber Music Series, and on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross in Wayne County.

Roger Proper

Roger Proper has served as a Trustee since 2015, representing Wooster. He also serves as the Assistant Secretary.

Roger is a partner at Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd., and practices in the areas of business law and business succession planning; estate planning and probate; tax-exempt organizations, and oil and gas law.

He received his undergraduate degree in finance from Miami University, his J.D. from the University of Toledo, and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from Case Western Reserve University. Roger is certified by the Ohio State Bar Association Specialty Board as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.

Roger has been active in the community, serving on the boards and governing committees of numerous organizations including Main Street Wooster, Inc., Wooster Noon Lions, Wooster Young Professionals, West View Manor, Wayne-Holmes Estate Planning Council, and FirstMerit Bank Advisory Board. He is also the current Chair-Elect for the Viola Startzman Clinic.

William J. Robertson

William Robertson has served as a Trustee since 2011, representing Rittman/Doylestown.

Bill, in his fifth term as the City of Rittman Mayor, serves on the Board of the Wayne Economic Development Council and is a member of the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association. He is also the former President of the Rittman Board of Education and retired from AT&T and IBM. Bill earned his B.S. in mathematics and education from Baldwin-Wallace College and his M.S. in secondary school administration from the University of Akron.

Bill was honored in 2021 to have the Nature Preserve in Rittman named the William J. Robertson Nature Preserve. His goal as Mayor is to improve the image of Rittman and help the community thrive and grow.

Cindy Vaughn
Cindy Vaughn joined the Board, representing the Rittman area, in 2024.

 A middle school science and social studies teacher, Vaughn retired from Wooster City Schools in 2022; she previously taught in the Rittman and Coventry school systems.

A graduated from Norwayne High School, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Ashland (College) University and a Masters in Experiential Education from University of Akron. 

Cindy currently volunteers with OHuddle, mentoring youth in the Rittman Exempted Village Schools, provides educational visits to the William J. Robertson Nature Preserve, and serves others at “The Server”, a volunteer and donation-based restaurant in Rittman for those needing a warm meal and fellowship.

 Bala Venkataraman

Bala Venkataraman has served as a Trustee since 2013, representing Wooster.

Bala, President and CEO of Magni-Power Co., has been a resident of Wooster since 1970. He currently serves on the Boards for both Magni-Power Company and the Seaman Corporation, and previously served on the Board of Wayne County National Bank. Bala is active in the nonprofit community as well, having previously served on the Boards of the United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Boy’s Village (now The Village Network) and the Advisory Council of Wayne College. In addition, he currently serves as a Board Member for Great Decisions of Wayne County and an Advisory Board Member of the Wayne Economic Development Council.

Bala holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Technology and Chemical Engineering. He is also a graduate of the Executive Business Management program from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.