Welcome New Board Members
We are pleased to welcome four newly-elected Regular Members to the Foundation’s Board of Governors.
Hon. Chris Brown
Judge Chris Brown grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where he graduated from Columbus South High School. He attended THE Ohio State University, majoring in political science, before receiving his juris doctor from Capital University Law School in 2005. In November 2014, at age 34, he became one of the youngest judges in the state to be elected to the Common Pleas bench.
Prior to his election, Judge Brown worked six years as an assistant prosecutor for Franklin County, primarily in the Special Victims Unit, prosecuting sexual assault offenses and crimes against women and children. In 2012, he left that position to work as a criminal defense attorney throughout Ohio, defending individuals charged with offenses ranging from Aggravated Murder to traffic citations.
Judge Brown is licensed in the State of Ohio, United States Federal Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Sixth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.
When not on the bench, Judge Brown enjoys spending time with his wife Jennifer and their two daughters, doing puzzles, gardening, cooking, playing basketball, and coaching youth sports.
Bayardo Gonzalez
Bayardo Gonzalez is a Consultant at Nationwide Insurance, specializing in forecasting and analyzing agency performance and compensation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Bayardo and his wife, Carrie Sheehan, have been residents of Bexley for nearly 20 years. They are proud parents of a Bexley High School graduate and a 9th grader at Bexley High School.
Alison Merzel
Alison Merzel is the founder of AHM Advising LLC, an independent educational consulting practice focused on helping high school students and families find their best-fit post-secondary educational options. Prior to launching her business in 2019, Alison was at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business for 15 years, most recently as the Senior Director of Graduate Recruiting and Admissions.
Alison holds a BS from Northwestern University in Communications and Spanish and a Master of Labor and Human Resources from The Ohio State University. She has a certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from the UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education. In the summer of 2024, Alison became the 6th education professional in the state of Ohio to earn the designation of CEP (Certified Educational Planner). Alison is a Wow Writing Workshop Certified College Essay Coach and completed the Gap Year Association’s 2022 Counselor Institute.
Alison is a professional member of IECA, the Independent Educational Consultants Association, where she serves as co-chair of the Jewish IEC Affinity Group and member of the College Tour subcommittee. She is also a member of NACAC, OACAC, and OASFAA and serves as an Advisory Board Member for College Planner Pro, software that is designed exclusively for IECs.
Locally, Alison is a member of the Bexley Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Board of Trustees of Congregation Tifereth Israel where she serves as the Co-Chair of the synagogue’s Personnel Committee.
Alison and her husband, Jeff, have lived in Bexley for 17 years and have three children in the Bexley school district - one at Cassingham Elementary and two at Bexley High School. The Merzel family is not complete without mention of Marvin, an Australian Labradoodle, and Toby, a Cavapoo.
Dr. Lori Gerstein Ramsey
Lori is Founder and Principal Consultant at LGR Consulting as well as a Senior Consultant with Metis Associates, where she has dedicated over two decades to enhancing outcomes for youth and communities through her expertise in education, research, evaluation, and advocacy. She has extensive experience in program evaluation in diverse content areas, such as educational technology, out-of-school time, equity, arts, STEM/STEAM, health, and high needs schools. She works closely with program personnel on federal, state, and locally-funded initiatives to assess outcomes and provide technical assistance to develop programs. Lori has also worked as a public school teacher and technology coordinator.
She holds a doctorate in Instructional Technology and Media from Teachers College, Columbia University, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Cincinnati, and a bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Miami University. She and her husband Jason are parents of one Bexley graduate and a current high school student.
