1 LUG 2024 · ASHLAND, Ohio – Jon Parrish Peede (pronounced PEE-dee), former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, has been selected as the next president of Ashland University and Ashland Theological Seminary. The AU Board of Trustees unanimously approved Peede’s appointment following a thorough search process conducted by a presidential search committee that included trustees, alumni, faculty, staff and a student representative. Peede will begin his role as president on June 1, 2024. With more than 25 years in leadership positions in higher education and federal agencies, Peede brings a diverse set of experiences to Ashland. He has been a faculty member, fundraiser, public speaker, fiscally sound manager and strategic communicator. He is a proven consensus builder and thoughtful leader who develops relationships with a variety of stakeholders to achieve common goals. Peede also maintains a value system that is in alignment with Ashland’s vision. In addition to being a champion for the liberal arts, he clearly grasps the value of the university’s graduate and professional programs. He believes that improved access to education, civil discourse and intellectual diversity of thought on campus, experiential learning opportunities for students and shared governance are all markers of institutional excellence.“ Jon Peede stood out in our presidential search. His past experiences as a leader and unifier will benefit Ashland University as we sharpen our focus on branding and navigate the changes in higher education,” said Jim Hess, chairman of the AU Board of Trustees. “Jon is an innovative and strategic thinker who will build on all the good that is currently in place and move us forward to a brighter tomorrow. Jon aligns well with our AU values and Brethren identity. He shares our passion for shaping graduates who work, serve and lead with integrity. Jon will lead our university community in passionately pursuing excellence in everything we do. Our Board welcomes Jon and Nancy to our Ashland University and Ashland Theological Seminary community. ”Peede’s career has spanned six institutions, and his impressive credentials are headlined by a term as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. He led the agency from July 2017 to January 2021. The NEH chairman position is presidentially nominated and Senate confirmed—Peede was unanimously confirmed within seven weeks of nomination, an example of the bipartisan support he received. As NEH chairman, Peede had sole authority of awarding approximately 1,000 annual grants and managed a $237 million annual budget and 170-person full-time staff. He awarded $500 million in support of liberal arts education, undergraduate and graduate curriculum innovation, museum and library programming, documentary films and multimedia works, cultural infrastructure projects and humanities scholarship. “I am honored to serve the Ashland students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and supporters. I admire the university’s steadfast commitment to its Christian heritage, liberal arts core, graduate programs and high teaching standards,” said Peede. “I look forward to building upon the momentum of Dr. Campo’s administration. And, I cannot wait to work with the faculty andstaff who give so much of themselves to mentor students and transform lives. Nancy and I are overjoyed about joining the Ashland community. ”As a high-ranking government official focused on public policy on the liberal arts, Peede spoke at dozens of campuses about the current direction of higher education. He partnered with leading academic bodies and private foundations to create innovative solutions, such as the “Cornerstone: Learning for Living” project with the Teagle Foundation. Inspired by a Purdue University program, Cornerstone reimagines the general education curriculum to develop students’ communication and creative thinking skills and broaden their perspective on the world. Peede’s appointment is the culmination of a search that began last fall, following Carlos Campo’s decision to become the CEO of the Museum of the Bible after nine years leading AU. Peede emerged from a pool of more than 60 highly qualified applicants for “his years of service in higher education, his creative leadership and academic acumen and his fundraising experience over his 25-year career,” according to Steven Cole, an AU board member and co-chair of the search committee. Paul McKnight, the other co-chair of the search committee, added that “Peede had researched AU the most and presented a full slate of ideas for the future. ”While having spent his life in the South and on the East Coast, Peede is not a stranger to Ashland University. He served as a visiting faculty member of AU’s acclaimed MFA in Creative Writing program, and he has spoken in Ohio at numerous public events. “Whether speaking with a conservative Ashbrook scholar at a congressional event or a progressive novelist on your campus, I found the same foundational beliefs, namely a firm commitment to intellectual rigor, freedom of expression and mutual respect,” Peede recalled. Peede is currently an educational consultant and a faculty member in the department of English and foreign languages at Mississippi Valley State University, a historically Black college and university. Since 2022, he has been co-director of the American Civics Project, which provides K-12 educators with resources and professional development opportunities. Peede’s professional career has also included time at the University of Virginia where he was the publisher of the award-winning “Virginia Quarterly Review,” a national journal of literature and discussion. At the National Endowment for the Arts, he served as director of “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience,” director of literature grants and counselor to then-NEA chairman Dana Gioia. At Millsaps College, Peede was the director of communications, and at Mercer University Press he edited academic books. A scholar of southern literature, he is co-editor of the essay collection “Inside the Church of Flannery O’Connor: Sacrament, Sacramental, and the Sacred in Her Fiction. ”Originally from Brandon, Miss., Peede’s passion for education and literature led him to Vanderbilt University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English. He also holds a master’s degree in Southern studies from the University of Mississippi and will complete a doctorate in English pedagogy at Murray State University in May 2025. Of note, Peede is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and American Mensa. Peede, 55, is married to Rev. Nancy Hollomon-Peede, who has been a spiritual director and minister for various denominations and churches during her 35-year career in ministry. She also served as a chaplain at Harvard University. They have a daughter, Somerset, who is pursuing a postgraduate viola performance degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia.

24 GIU 2024 · Joe Clime is the president and CEO of First Federal Bank of Ohio, which has been around since 1891. First Federal Bank of Ohio has 9 locations to serve customers in North Central Ohio. Clime, who is from Bucyrus and went to college at Ohio State, has been with First Federal for 17 years. Joe shares all the great work they do for their customers, and more about his family, on the podcast.

17 GIU 2024 · Jay Allred is the CEO of Richland Source, which covers local news for Richland, Ashland and Knox Counties.  The company was started in 2013 and has a group of 10 professional journalists that provides their online content.  Allred was born in Montana, attended high school in Texas and is a graduate of Ashland University.  Jay, as a kid, spent time growing up in several states, due to his dad being in the newspaper industry. Jay Allred shares about his family, hobbies, and more about Richland Source, on the podcast.

10 GIU 2024 · Craig Rust is the president of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which is located just outside of Lexington.  Rust has been in the role for 13 years and previously ran Watkins Glen in New York, before coming to Mid-Ohio in 2011.  Craig was born in Pennsylvania and attended Lehigh University. Rust got his start in sales in New York City, in 1996, at Madison Square Garden.  The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was built in 1962 and just received a new surface this year.  Mid-Ohio is a 2.25 mile road course and hosts many events, which range from Indy car to motorcycles.  Learn more about the track, and president, Craig Rust, on the podcast. 

3 GIU 2024 · Gary Eberts is the owner of Eberts Heating and Cooling, which is located on Ashland road in Mansfield. The company was started in 1965 by Gary's parents, which serves roughly a 30 mile radius - including Richland, Knox, Morrow, Wayne and Crawford counties, along with the Willard area. Gary is married with 4 children and has several grandchildren. Customer service and satisfaction are very important to Gary and his company. Learn more about Gary Eberts and his business on the podcast.

27 MAG 2024 · Don Barr is the president and CEO of Galion Building and Loan Bank. The company, which got started back in 1888, is a community bank providing home loans, construction loans, car and personal loans, along with home equity lines of credit. Don, who has been with GBL Bank since 1976, was born in Galion and is a graduate of Galion High School. Barr went to college at Wittenberg University in Springfield.  Learn all about the great services offered by Galion Building and Loan Bank, and more about Don Barr, on the podcast.

20 MAG 2024 · Joe Schramm is the president of Schramm Industries, which is located on West 4th Street in Mansfield. The company specializes in hydraulics and has an expert repair facility in hose fittings, lines and cylinders. Schramm helps those in the field in construction, industrial and agricultural.  The company has been in operation for over 20 years and serves residents of Richland, Ashland and surrounding counties with about a 60 mile radius. Joe was born in Los Angeles and later moved to the Ashland area. Schramm is a St. Peter's graduate, is married and expecting their first child later in 2024.  Learn more about Joe and his company on the podcast.

13 MAG 2024 · Dr. Curt Gingrich is the president of OhioHealth Mansfield hospital and Shelby hospital. Mansfield is the 3rd largest hospital in the OhioHealth family and has 325 beds.  Curt has been in the role of president for 7 months and there are around 2,800 associates between the two facilities, along with outpatient practice facilities.  Curt was born in Lima, attended Elida High School and got his medical degree from the Ohio State University. Dr. Gingrich is married with two children and enjoys golfing, hiking and the outdoors.  Learn more about him and Mansfield and Shelby OhioHealth hospitals on the podcast. 

6 MAG 2024 · Natalie Thomas and her husband, Ed Thomas, are the co-owners of Thomas Electric, which is based in Mansfield.  The company, which is locally owned and operated, was started 17 years ago, back in 2007. Thomas Electric is an elite dealer with Generac Power Systems, providing power solutions when the power goes out with home generators.  They offer sales, install, parts and service with a great staff.  Learn more about the company on the podcast.

29 APR 2024 · Sonja Pluck is the director of the Madison Adult Career Center, which is located at Madison High School. Sonja, who is a graduate of Madison, started working at the Career Center in 1997 and is in her 27th year.  They offer 75 courses and most programs can be comnpleted in a year or less.  The Madison Adult Career Center will celebrate 50 years in 2025.  Learn more about all the programs and director, Sonja Pluck, on the podcast.