Cindy Byrd is a co-owner of Logo-Werks, an embroidery, screen printing, and promotional products company, that she has run for 4 years.

In January 2007, she retired from corporate America for the third time. From 1968 until July 1998, Cindy spent 30 years at AT&T and affiliated companies where she held various positions. Her final job at AT&T was the General Manager of Customer Service, before she retired. Then she returned to work for Walmart.com to establish customer service for their online store from September 2000 until February 2002. (She stayed long enough to ensure the new processes would endure the holiday season.) In August of 2002 Cindy once again returned to work for T-Mobile as the Vice President of Customer Service. She fulfilled these duties from August 2002 until January 2007. (She had promised them 24 months when hired in.)

Previously Cindy has served on the board of the Dayton Area Red Cross for two years in the early 90’s. She received an Associate's Degree in Business Management from Sinclair Community College in 1991.

Jason H. Calhoun, a Columbus, Ohio attorney, formally held several positions with the State of Ohio in the workers’ compensation system over a period of twenty–five years as a Deputy Director of the Ohio Industrial Commission and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Jason is a past President of the Board of Trustees of the Columbus AIDS Task Force. Jason earned a bachelors degree from Yale University in Political Science and a law degree from the Michael Moritz School of Law at the Ohio State University.

Jason was born in Philadelphia, PA and in addition to Philadelphia has lived in Baghdad, Iraq; Rome, Italy; Djakarta, Indonesia; Nairobi, Kenya; Northfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut before taking up residence in Columbus, Ohio.

Sally Cooper is the Assistant Director of the Institute for Human Services, and is a contributing staff member to the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare. She was formerly the co–founder and Executive Director of the National Assault Prevention Center (NAPC), a non–profit organization created to develop curricula, provide training, and conduct technical assistance for human services agencies and communities, to prevent child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. Sally has also worked for the Ohio Attorney General, where she was Chief of the Crime Victims Services Section, and Acting Chief of the Children’s Protection Section.

Sally was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1984, and is also a recipient of the YWCA Women of Achievement Award. She is a board member of the Ohio Chapter of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), and is a member of the national APSAC organization. She has served on numerous Governors’ task forces on child abuse and family violence. Sally is a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. She and her partner Kyle live outside of Centerburg, Ohio.

Melanie Falls is the Director of Community Services for Bellefaire JCB, a large child and family services agency in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Her primary responsibilities include managing six community counseling programs and advocacy for children and family policy in the social service community. Prior to working at Bellefaire JCB she co–owned and operated a holistic private mental health practice in Kent, Ohio.

Melanie has done advocacy work in the LGBT community for over 20 years. She has presented workshops and lectured on diversity issues related to gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgendered individuals and their families in various venues such as: Northeast Ohio College of Medicine, University of Akron, NASW State and National Conference and social service agencies throughout Ohio. She has served on HRC’s dinner committee for three years and has done volunteer work with Cleveland’s GLBT Community Center. Melanie is an LISW and LICDC and has an MSSA from Case Western Reserve Univeristy.

Paul Feeney is a sales Account Executive at Sun Microsystems, a Fortune 500 computing systems company with a 100% score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. He joined Sun in 2005. Prior to joining Sun, Paul was a 10-year veteran of various sales and technical positions at Sterling Commerce, a Dublin-based software subsidiary of AT&T.

Prior to joining the Equality Ohio Education Fund board Paul served as EO’s Equality Council Co-Chair together with Lynn Greer. He also served three years as the Board President of the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus. Under Paul’s leadership the group implemented a strategic planning process, established a well-funded endowment, hired a full-time executive director, and transitioned from working to a governing board. Paul is also the Secretary of the Columbus chapter of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.

Paul was born in Columbus and attended Thomas Worthington High School before going to school at Vanderbilt University. His Bachelor of Arts degree is in Molecular Biology with a minor in French. He currently lives in Columbus’ Arena District, where he is an avid hockey fan with his partner, Chad Braun, MD.

Jack Jackson was hired as Deputy Director in January 2005 to assist Director Sherri Geldin in guiding the Wexner Center’s strategic planning, administrative operations, fundraising, and public affairs initiatives. He provides direct leadership for the Center’s marketing, development, and patron service teams as well as all administrative departments, including finance, human resources, IT, and facility operations.

Prior to his appointment, Jack was vice president of the Columbus-based strategic communications firm Cochran Group Inc., where he provided strategic counsel for a diverse mix of non-profit, private, and public sector clients. From 1992 to 1998, he served as chief of staff at the Ohio Department of Education, developing and executing strategic plans, operating budgets, and policy positions. He also led department-wide transformation and organizational development initiatives, played a lead role in establishing and directing Ohio’s BEST (an education improvement coalition), managed stakeholder relations, and served as a policy liaison to the governor’s office. Prior to his work at the Department of Education, he served for six years as senior budget and management policy analyst at the Ohio Office of Budget and Management.

He serves as a board member for the Columbus Public Schools Foundation, the Neighborhood Schools Development Partnership (also for Columbus Public Schools) and the Short North Business Association.

Jackson has a B.A. in political science from Ohio Dominican University and a Master of Public Administration from The Ohio State University.

Jeffrey J. Smith, CPA is a self-employed consultant providing accounting technology solutions to private sector companies and nonprofit organizations. Prior to starting his own business, Jeff worked as a consultant at Streff & Associates, Inc (1998-2001), an information management firm specializing in the implementation of financial software for small and midsize companies. From 1990-1997, Jeff served in a number of professional capacities, rising to Chief Financial Officer of the New Albany Investment Company (formerly Wexner Investment Company).

Jeff is a 1986 graduate of The Ohio State University with a BSBA in accounting and management information science. His professional memberships include the Ohio Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Jeff is a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Federal Club Member. He has served on the HRC National Board of Governors as well as Co-Chaired and served as Treasurer of the Columbus HRC Dinner. Jeff also served as President of Reality Theatre. He was also the Alumni Board Treasurer and Chapter Counselor for the Ohio Gamma Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity.

Currently, Jeff serves as President of the Victorian Village Society and has served as Treasurer. He is also on the board of the Short North Foundation.