Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the appointment of five new trustees to the boards of public colleges across the state. The selections, which include a real‑estate developer, a former educator, a JobsOhio executive and a community‑college parent, will serve six‑year terms or fill the remainder of vacated seats. These appointments come as DeWine prepares to leave office in January due to term limits, making them among his final higher‑education decisions.
New trustees and their backgrounds
Jerad Barnett, a Dayton‑area real‑estate developer, was tapped for the Wright State University board. Federal campaign records show Barnett has contributed thousands of dollars to Republican candidates, including $10,000 to former Ohio Senate President Jon Husted and $15,000 to DeWine’s 2022 re‑election campaign.
Robin Burrow, mother of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, joins the board of Hocking College, a community college in Southeast Ohio. She now works for her son’s foundation after a career as a K‑12 educator.
Jonathan Bridges, a managing director with JobsOhio, and healthcare executive Myron Lewis were appointed to the board of Owens Community College in Northwest Ohio.
Angela Powell, former executive director of the Morrow County Chamber of Commerce and current science teacher, was added to the board of Marion Technical College.
Impact of Senate Bill 1 on trustee authority
The latest appointments occur under the expanded authority granted to trustees by Senate Bill 1, Ohio’s higher‑education overhaul enacted last year. The law gives boards greater oversight of campus presidents, faculty workloads, and performance evaluations. Trustees must now adopt policies that promote “intellectual diversity” and phase out most diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Senate Bill 1 also reduced the maximum term length for new university trustees from nine years to six and requires most members to complete training on their new responsibilities.
Looking ahead
With DeWine’s term ending, future trustee appointments will be made by Democrat Governor‑elect Amy Acton. The shift could bring a different partisan balance to Ohio’s public‑college boards, but the statutory duties outlined in Senate Bill 1 will remain in place, ensuring continued focus on academic freedom and reduced DEI programming.
Local stakeholders and families are watching these changes closely, as board decisions affect tuition rates, program offerings and the overall campus climate for students and faculty alike.
Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.
