All leadership positions are either elected or appointed. There are 11 Elected Director positions. Those are filled at the annual member meeting by a vote of all dues-paying members present. Terms last until the next Annual Member Meeting, or the Elected Director steps down.
Elected Directors may cast votes at Executive Board Meetings, and constitute the “Executive Board.”
The remainder of positions are appointed by a majority vote of Elected Directors present at any Executive Board meeting.
The Executive Board may also create new appointed positions by a majority vote of Elected Directors present at any Executive Board meeting. (We accept suggestions for additional appointed roles, especially if you are the one who wants to fill it!)
If an Elected Director position is vacant, the Executive Board may appoint members to any of the 11 Elected Director positions at any Board meeting throughout the year. However, those roles will be considered appointed (non-voting) Directors. Only an election by the entire Society (i.e. at the annual member meeting) can grant them Voting Director authority. Interim Directors appointed in this fashion would fill out the remainder of the term until the next Annual Member Meeting.
Elected Directors and Appointees may hold/be accountable for only one official role, but may sit on multiple committees.
We hold special elections at the top of our monthly Board meeting. Please contact us if interested in any of the positions listed below, or have an idea for an appointed position of your own!
Elected Directors (11) – Members of the Executive Board. These positions are (roughly) 1-year terms filled at the Annual Member Meeting.
President – Alexander Rytel (Running for re-election for 2026 term)
Vice President – Tim Kocher
Secretary – VACANT
Treasurer – Joan Smutko
Communications Director – Lillian Ross
Membership Director – Kevin Bishop (Running for re-election for 2026 term)
Development Director – Gabriel Jackson
The final four Elected Director positions are not locked to a specific role. However, these Elected Directors must also assume an appointed position.
Elected Director Position 8 – Brittany Higdon – Appointed Cherry Blossom Program Coordinator (Running for re-election for 2026 term)
Elected Director Position 9 – Julie Macmann – Appointed Director of Charitable Events and Community Service
Elected Director Position 10 – John Torres – Appointed Web Developer
Elected Director Position 11 – Matthew Stanonis – Appointed National Conference of State Societies Delegate (NOT running for re-election for 2026 term)
Committees
Cherry Blossom Program Committee (Jurisdiction over Candidate Selection Process, and more) – Brittany Higdon (Chair), Julie Macmann
Development Committee – Gabriel Jackson (Chair), John Torres, Tim Kocher, Alexander Rytel
Communications Committee – Lillian Ross (Chair),
Membership Committee – Kevin Bishop (Chair), Brittany Higdon
Appointed Positions. These are created and/or filled at any board meeting throughout the year by a majority vote of the present members of the Executive Board.
The following positions may be appointed by a majority vote of Elected Directors present at any Executive Board meeting. Committees are formed and Committee Chairs are appointed through the same process. Committee Chairs have broad discretion over how Committees are organized, run, scheduled, and who is on them. Have an Idea about an appointed position or a Committee we didn’t even know we needed that you would be perfect for? Contact us! At present, most of the appointed positions listed below are vacant:
Parliamentarian – Steven Sturges
Director of Social Events
Director of Fundraising
Director of State Society Relations
Director of University Outreach
Director of Capitol Hill Outreach
Assistant Treasurer
Website Content Manager
Additional Applicable Government, NGO, Corporate, or Other Appropriate Liaisons as Needed
Director of Cyber Security
Director of Continuity of Ohio Society Government
Archivist
Historian
Cherry Blossom Program Assistant (Reports to Cherry Blossom Program Coordinator)
Administrative Officer (Reports to Secretary)
Newsletter Editor (Reports to Communications Director)
Communications Assistant I (Reports to Communications Director)
Communications Assistant II (Reports to Communications Director)
Membership Officer I (Reports to Director of Membership)
Membership Officer II (Reports to Director of Membership)
Development Officer I (Reports to Development Director)
Development Officer II (Reports to Development Director)