The Business Advisory Council (BAC) supports MBA Research’s initiatives around business engagement and research within the business community in three distinct ways.
Outreach: BAC members work to increase participation in ExecNet, the primary method for the ongoing validation of MBA Research National Business Administration Standards.
Expertise: BAC members provide insight into workforce trends and issues impacting business operations and careers as well as providing feedback on MBA Research products and services via quarterly meetings and Focus Groups.
Advocacy: BAC members advocate for ethics education as a critical workplace skill and for Perkins refunding.
With over 20 years in the healthcare industry and the last 18+ years as a consultant, Stephanie Hojan has ascended through the ranks from consultant to Director to Vice President to Chief Operating Officer before being named President in 2022. Responsible for the overall operations of the company, she continues to be actively involved in building and nurturing client relationships.
Having helped healthcare organizations in their reporting and data needs in a variety of capacities, Ms. Hojan continues to stay active in the reporting and data analytic advisory space. Her expertise ranges from strategic planning and process design, assessing the skills set of technical staff, designing and implementing new organizational structures, organizing enterprise information governance, serving as an interim reporting manager and assisting hospital executives in understanding complex data issues.
Jarrod A. Clabaugh, CAE, is the president & CEO of the Ohio Society of Association Professionals (OSAP) and the OSAP Foundation. He has served in this role representing Ohio’s nonprofit industry since May 2016. He also is the 2022/2023 chair of the Association Societies Alliance (ASA), a national nonprofit representing state association societies, and is president-elect of his local Kiwanis.
Prior to his role with OSAP, Clabaugh was the chief communications officer for an association management company in Baltimore, MD and was the director of communications for the Ohio Restaurant Association. Clabaugh is a graduate of the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Clabaugh resides in Hilliard, Ohio and spends his free time with his family and dog.
Cathy Colliver is head of marketing at Test Double. She loves simplifying challenges and focusing on humans behind the screens. Cathy’s work spans both technical (code, martech, analytics) and creative (content, storytelling, creative direction). Her career includes marketing for multiple theatres, multiple services agencies, and a publicly-traded news company.
She is Board Chair for Stage One Family Theatre, volunteers with Jefferson County Public Schools, and formerly served on the Courier Journal Editorial Board.
David Ehrlich is a non-profit/association Executive Director with skills in governance, organizational strategy, operations, event planning, membership engagement, volunteer management, and educational program development. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University as well as a number of credentials, including the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), Certified Nonprofit Professional), and the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CTPD).
David currently serves as a Director for the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is active on a variety of national and statewide non-profit organizations outside of work.
Rob Walker serves as the Global Competitive Data Analyst for Hewlett-Packard. He develops competitive analysis, trends, and strategies for HP’s Computer Lifecycle Services by tracking competitors on a worldwide basis. Before this role, Rob was the Global Sales Program Manager for Hewlett-Packard. He managed a sales program that covered 103 countries and partnered with Canon to develop new products to bring to market.
He also served as the Global Market Analyst – Corporate Strategy – Computing Market Analysis and Planning, driving organizational understanding of the global markets, business performance reporting, along with industry trends impacting business planning and performance for EMEA, Americas, and Asia. He used syndicated data sources and internal primary research to deliver Market Sizing data analysis for senior leadership. He developed market forecasting using time-series, causal, economic, and historical modeling and reported on China’s GDP, the Impact of Currency Fluctuation, and Competitor Market Share analysis.
Rob is also a Business Mentor with SCORE and works with small businesses across the United States who are looking to start or expand an existing business. He serves as the SME for Marketing for Port of Kalama, WA, in their launch of a new retail space, supporting 25 new retailers in marketing strategy and digital marketing.
Michelle Ward is the Director of Operations for a healthcare management company. She has 20+ years in the healthcare industry, beginning her career at the front desk. She loves challenges and focusing on organizational processes. She has received the Operations Management Certification from Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and is board eligible for Certified Medical Practice Executive (CPME) through MGMA.
Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling the world.
Kevin Chorniak, CFP, currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for BTC Capital Management and Senior Managing Director, Institutional and Wealth Management Services at Bankers Trust. In these roles, he has responsibility for Private Client Services, BTC Trust Company of South Dakota, Qualified and Non-Qualified Retirement Plan Services, Institutional Custody, Wealth Management Support Services and Business Technology.
Kevin is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and has worked in the Wealth Management industry for more than 25 years. Prior to joining Bankers Trust, Kevin served as Chief Operating Officer for the Institutional Services line of business at Fifth Third Bank. During his extensive career, he has led teams of relationship managers, sales professionals, product managers, marketing communications professionals and client service professionals.
He has broad experience encompassing Institutional Trust, Institutional Investment Management, Trust Operations, Corporate Trust, Foundation & Endowment Management, Global Custody, Qualified and NonQualified Retirement Plan Services and Reinsurance and Escrow businesses. During his career, Kevin has successfully achieved numerous years of financial results that exceeded goals, multiple years of top quartile employee engagement scores and successful execution of numerous strategic projects and initiatives.
Highlights of Kevin’s community involvement include serving as former board chair and current board member of the Iowa Center for Economic Success, member of ExecNet — MBA Research Executive Advisory Network, and former board member of the Blank Park Zoo. Other highlights include serving as the former director of Salvation Army of Southern Indiana and former board member of 3660 Grand Avenue HOA, Exploited Children’s Help Organization, YMCA of Southwest Indiana, and Emory Dry Ice, a local start-up company. In addition, he has volunteered with Animal Care Society, Try Kids Tri Splash and Dash USAT Youth Aquathlon.
Carrie Keplinger is a highly accomplished travel industry veteran, renowned for her expertise in the attractions and experiences sector. She is currently serving as the CCO of Virgin Experience Gifts, the premier experience-gifting platform in the U.S. She is passionate about building the types of products that will enrich people’s lives in some way – this work carries through from customers to employees and partners.
Carrie also holds the position of President at OCTO, an organization she co-founded with a team of colleagues in the industry. OCTO aims to make digital connectivity within the experiences space easier and more efficient.
Carrie’s leadership journey began as an early-stage member of the Smart Destinations team, where she played a pivotal role in the company’s long-term growth and eventual sale. This accomplishment led her to serve as COO at Go City, where she was instrumental in building out the attraction pass category in the global travel sector.
Carrie’s interest in ExecNet and the Business Advisory Council stems from a yearning to develop talent in the travel industry with a focus on education first.
Melinda Huntley is the Executive Director of the Ohio Travel Association (OTA), a nonprofit organization that provides support for museums, attractions, visitor bureaus, retail shops, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses wanting to attract travelers. OTA advocates for smart policies that increase travel in Ohio, produces the state tourism conference, keeps the industry up-to-date on market trends and news, and provides professional development.
It also produces Heartland Travel Showcase, a 14-state regional meeting place for buying and selling group tours. She is a Commissioner for America 250-Ohio and serves on multiple task forces and boards, including those focused on World Heritage designation, trail development, and educating our youth.
Tom Anonson joined Class Act FCU in 1995 and during his 28 years of service in the credit union industry, he has made an incredible impact through his dedication to financial education and passion for serving others. Tom serves as the staff liaison on several Class Act board committees including Enterprise Risk Management, Facilities, Security, Information Technology, and Education.
Tom was instrumental in establishing the Class Act Academy of Finance within years before JCPS implemented their Academies of Louisville program. As part of this program, today we have several full-service high school branches, operated by high school students, as part of the Academies Program. Tom has served on the Academies Business Partners Advisory Board since its inception.
Tom demonstrated his commitment to bringing financial literacy into the classroom by working for several years with CUNA and the Kentucky Department of Education to create an “industry recognized certification” for those high students completing a series of CDP online modules as they participated in the Academy of Finance program. Most recently, Tom was appointed to serve on a national initiative known as Launch: Equitable & Accelerated Career Pathways for All. Kentucky was selected as one of eight states to participate in this program, and Tom was appointed because of his extensive work in this area over the past 15 years.
Tom has served in other leadership capacities as well such as the Jump$tart Coalition Board, Education Credit Union Council Board, and the University of Louisville Advisory Board for the College of Education and Human Development. Tom has served as the Louisville Credit Union Chapter President and has served on various League committees including Annual Meeting, Awards, Education and Governmental Affairs. Tom was also selected to serve three years on the Filene Institute i3 program.
During his personal time he enjoys spending time with his wife of 30+ years and children when they come by the house as well as his two labradoodles, Ozzy and Bowie.
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