The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges                      
250 E. Broad St., Suite 1700
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3722

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                 

For more information, please contact Cheryl Kight, 614-469-1950
ext. 111 or kight@ofic.org or Lynne Briggs, 614-469-1950 ext. 109,
briggs@ofic.org

Date:  October 12, 2010

OFIC Board of Trustees Announces $3.6 Million Goal for
2010-2011 Annual Campaign

Mark R. Thresher, Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer, Nationwide, Assumes Chairmanship

The Board of Trustees of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) held its fall meeting on October 6, 2010 on the campus of Wittenberg University in Springfield.  The members approved a 2010-2011 statewide campaign goal of $3.6 million.  Serving his second year as Statewide Campaign Chair this year is Mark R. Thresher, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nationwide in Columbus.

“It is important to remember,” Thresher commented, “that Ohio’s students and their families have been heavily impacted by reductions in to state aid and are now even more challenged to meet the costs of a higher education.  To assist our students in achieving their academic goals and thereby play a part in our state’s economic improvement, we must, trustees and corporate volunteers alike, redouble our fund raising efforts.”

Assisting Thresher in his fundraising efforts for OFIC are the following Regional Chairs who will direct the campaigns in their areas:

Akron – George J. Sacco, Jr., President, Match Point Human Resource Consulting LLC
Cincinnati – Baker Bahlman, President, Emory P. Zimmer Insurance Agency Inc.
Cleveland – Michael A. Cogan, President & CEO, Northern Trust Bank FSB
Columbus – Jordan A. Miller, Jr., President, Fifth Third Bank
Dayton – Bear Monita, Partner, Lorenz Williams Incorporated
Mahoning Valley – John S. Gulas, President & CEO, Farmers National Bank
Stark/Tuscarawas – Eric J. Johnson, Vice President, Investments, Stifel Nicolaus
Toledo – Roosevelt Gant, President, R. Gant, LLC

Gordon R. Brollier, OFIC President, said, “It is critical that more of Ohio’s citizens earn at least a bachelor’s degree In order for Ohio to be competitive in today’s economy with its ever-increasing demand for highly skilled workers.  Considering that, in the past year, our students with the greatest financial need have lost between $3,400 and $5,600 each in cuts from state tuition assistance programs, it is vital that more scholarship and financial aid assistance be available for Ohio’s students.  We extend sincere appreciation to our 2010-2011 campaign leaders and our teams of corporate volunteers for their willingness to give their time and efforts to assist students achieve their academic goals.”

Keynote speaker for the meeting was Richard H. Ekman, President, Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).  Mr. Ekman outlined for participants the challenges
that independent colleges are facing in today’s socio-economic environment.

Ed Hartzell, OFIC Board Chair also welcomed Todd F. Clossin, Ohio Regional President & CEO, Fifth Third Bank, Northeastern Ohio, who was elected to serve a 3-year term as a trustee.  Clossin has previously given time and service to OFIC’s mission and served as Vice Chair of the 2006-07 Cleveland area campaign and as the area Chair from 2008-2010.
OFIC is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 independent Ohio colleges and universities and operates one of the largest, most comprehensive and diverse scholarship management services in the state.  OFIC member colleges collectively enroll 99,000 students and award one-third of all bachelor’s degrees in the state. For 60 years OFIC has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education and has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship commitments through funds raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in private higher education. OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.
The member colleges are: Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, University of Mount Union, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein University, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.
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