About the Foundation
Welcome to Our Newest Trustees
The Wright State University Foundation Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the following business and community leaders will be joining the board on July 1, 2020. We look forward to working with our newest trustees and thank them for volunteering their time and talents to serve the foundation, the university, and our students.
Learn more about our new trustees.
Samia Borchers, M.D. ’81
Dermatologist
Dayton, Ohio
Lauren Macgregor
Graduate Student
Wright State University
Gary McCullough ’81
Private Investor
Chicago and Los Angeles
Hernan Olivas
President and CEO
O’Neil & Associates
Dayton, Ohio
Randy Phillips ’82
Senior Vice President for Corporate Development
Leidos, Inc.
Washington, D.C., and Chicago
Sharon Honaker Rab ’75
Educator, Writer, and Community Activist
Dayton, Ohio
Our History
The Wright State University Foundation was incorporated on December 15, 1966. Our founders were leaders of business and industry from throughout the Dayton region. Robert S. Oelman from National Cash Register Company, James M. Cox, Jr. from the Dayton Daily News, Eugene W. Kettering from Winters National Bank, Richard O. Michael from Champion Papers, and C. William Verity from Armco Steel Corporation were among those serving on our first board of trustees.
Thanks to the support of individuals, corporations, and foundations from throughout our region, state, and nation, the Wright State University Foundation has distributed more than $51 million in scholarships and established 811 scholarship funds over the last five decades.
The Wright State University Foundation has also successfully spearheaded two comprehensive fundraising campaigns: Tomorrow Takes Flight and Rise. Shine. The Campaign for Wright State University.
The Tomorrow Takes Flight campaign concluded in late 2006 with a final total of $123.1 million, more than triple the original goal of $40 million. Two hundred new scholarships were created, along with five endowed chairs and professorships and two named colleges.
Rise. Shine. The Campaign for Wright State University concluded on June 30, 2017, with more than $167.7 million raised for scholarships, attracting more top-flight faculty, and supporting construction of state-of-the-art facilities. 31,310 donors supported the campaign, including 17,659 first-time donors to Wright State. Fifteen Wright State alumni each donated $1 million or more to Rise. Shine.
Our Vision
The Wright State University Foundation’s vision is to be a best-in-class foundation, matching the resources, passion, and commitment of our donors with the needs of students and the strategic direction of the university.
Our Mission
The Wright State University Foundation’s mission is to partner with Wright State University in promoting and facilitating a culture of engagement and philanthropy by raising funds and managing and distributing the resources entrusted to us in support of the university’s mission and priorities.
Our Values
We are committed to:
- The needs of students and the passion of our donors
- Responsible stewardship of resources with accountability and transparency
- Long-term relationships with the community and alumni
- Diversity and inclusiveness
- Innovation and resourcefulness
Our Strategic Plan
Developed in 2016, the Wright State University Foundation’s strategic plan builds on the success of Rise. Shine. The Campaign for Wright State University and positions the foundation for an even greater impact on the future of Wright State University. Our strategic plan will help cement the foundation’s role as the preeminent fundraising arm for Wright State University.
Download the Strategic Plan (PDF).
Our Board of Trustees
Officers

Andrea Kunk (’04, ’07), Chair
CFO, Peerless Technologies

David Deptula (’80), Vice Chair
Chair, Grants Committee
Vice President of Legal and Special Projects
Dayton Freight Lines, Inc.

Bill Diederich (’91), Secretary
Governance Committee

Brian Kohr (’94), Treasurer
Chair, Finance Committee
President & CEO, TriKohr Advisors

Scott Rash, Foundation President & CEO
Members

Martha Balyeat (’03)
Audit Committee
WOEF Board Representative
City Auditor, City of Van Wert

Linda Black-Kurek (’78)
Chair, Investment Committee
President, Liberty Health Care Corporation

Aaron Brautigam (’21)
Grants Committee
University Student Trustee
Admission Ambassador, Undergraduate Admissions

Michael Bridges (’81)
University Board of Trustees Representative
President, Peerless Technologies Corp.

Chris Brookshire ('11, '14)
Investment Committee
Alumni Association Representative
Primary Care Physician Recruiter
Business Development, Premier Health

Douglas A. Cook (’81, ’85)
Finance Committee
Retired

Holly Di Flora
Finance Committee
Owner, The Home Group Realty Company

David Donaldson (’88)
Grants Committee
Market President, WesBanco Bank, Inc. Southwest, Ohio

Eugene Leber (’86)
Governance Committee
Owner, Leber Family Foundation

Dana Frazer, M.D. ('96)
Academy of Medicine Representative
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Acting Chief and Associate Program Director of Surgery,
VA Medical Center

Karla Garrett Harshaw ('84, '13)
Grants Committee
Director of Development and Communications,
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.

Travis Greenwood (’84)
Immediate Past Chair
President & CEO, The Greentree Group

Kristina Kean ('96)
Finance Committee
Vice President, Finance, Miami Valley Hospital

William W. Montgomery
University Board of Trustees Representative
Chairman, President & CEO, Celina Insurance Group

Danielle Rolfes (’97)
Audit Committee
Partner, Co-lead International Tax, Washington National Tax,
KPMG US

Tom Sheehan
Investment and Grants Committees
Vice President, Human Resources, Emerson

Pamela vonMatthiessen, D.V.M., M.D. (’98)
Chair, Governance Committee
Retired Physician

Matthew Watson ('07)
Investment Committee
Financial Advisor
UBS Financial Services

Rob Weisgarber (’77)
Chair, Audit Committee
Retired Financial Executive

Woody Willis ('83)
Finance Committee
Alumni Association Representative
Senior Software Engineer, Altamira Corp.
Ex-officio Members

Susan Edwards, Ph.D., President, Wright State University
Foundation Staff

Robert T. Batson, Chief Financial Officer
