Meet the Trustees
Linda Woods is a Principal with Lydian Partners LLC, a Chicago-based boutique executive search firm focused on CFO, board, and office of the CFO engagements for public and private companies. She joined Lydian in 2022 from Spencer Stuart, and previously spent several years with Korn Ferry International. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and an MBA from Georgia State University. She resides in Oakwood with her daughters, one a student at OHS and the other a proud Oakwood alumnus.
Upon joining OSF in 2019, Linda joined the Development Committee where she served for a year before becoming Vice Chair and moving to the HR/Nominating Committee. In 2021 she became Chair and continues to be active on the HR/Nominating Committee. Prior to OSF, she served one term on the Oakwood Board of Education (2014 through 2017) and in various capacities with the Harman PTO.
Linda is grateful for her girls’ Oakwood education and cherishes the unique and closeknit nature of our community. Volunteering with OSF is a way to pay it forward to future generations and help maintain Oakwood as a great place to live and raise a family.
Kevin is a proud graduate of the OHS Class of 1982, and graduated from The Ohio State University in 1986. He has over 30 years of insurance experience and expertise as a partner at Robert K. Jones Insurance agency. Kevin and joined the agency immediately after college and became a partner in 1997. Outside of the agency, Kevin enjoys fishing, summer vacations in Northern Michigan, Dayton Flyers basketball, Cincinnati Reds, and Detroit Tigers.
Maria Beecher is originally from Boston, MA and recently retired after serving 20 years in the U.S. Air Force after achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel. Her husband, Brian, is also a retired U.S. Air Force Lt Colonel. They have three children – Dominic, 10 and will attend 5th grade at Smith; Isabella, 7 and will attend 3rd grade at Smith; and Sophia, 3 and will attend both Top of the Hill Preschool in Oakwood, as well as preschool at Smith next year. They have made their last move and plan to raise their family in Oakwood. She is currently enjoying being a stay at home Mom and has kept busy with various volunteer opportunities within Oakwood.
Scott Bryant is a retired Air Force Civil Engineering Officer with over 25 years of experience leading people and managing complex programs across the globe. Following his military retirement in 2022, The Bryant family relocated from their last assignment in Montgomery, Alabama to call Oakwood (and everything special about it) “Home”. Scott is enjoying working part-time with the Air Force again as Geospatial Strategy Consultant through Wooplert, a local Architecture, Engineering and Geospatial firm. Scott is originally from Houston, Texas, and received his Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in Landscape Architecture and his Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) while stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB from 2005-2010. Within the different communities The Bryant Family has lived, Scott has enjoyed volunteering at local churches and with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Scott and his wife Amy have three children, starting their second year in Oakwood Schools in the 2023-2024 school year as a sophomore, a freshman, and a fifth grader at Smith Elementary.
Emma joined the Oakwood Schools Foundation in 2018. She is currently chair of the Grants and Programs Committee after serving on the Development Committee and co-chairing Come Back Lumberjacks. In addition to serving as a Trustee of OSF, Emma was president of the Jr High/Sr High School PTO and she chairs the guidance hospitality committee at the high school. Emma brings many years of experience in education and community volunteerism. As an independent college counselor, Emma has a deep understanding of what successful school districts are doing to make their students shine in the competitive college admission environment. Emma works closely with students and parents around the country, guiding them through all parts of the college application and admissions process. Prior to her work as an independent college counselor, Emma worked as Assistant Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Davidson College and as a Biology and Math teacher at a private school in North Carolina. Emma holds her Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College in Biology and Psychology. She and her husband, Chris, moved to Oakwood in 2017 with their four children.
Afred Dupuy is Director of Valuation and Strategy at Brand Finance, a leading independent consultancy focused on solving companies’ most pressing and interesting brand and business challenges. He has had the good fortune of living and traveling abroad (fluent in German at one point), which has broadened his perspective for interrogating issues and thinking critically to help teams reach great solutions. He and his wife, Fanny moved to Oakwood in 2003 and except for a 4-year hiatus in Toronto, raised their three children on Telford, just a couple of blocks from Smith School. Now that they all graduated from OHS, Alfred looks forward to helping the community (and OSF in particular!) to not only pay back what Oakwood has given his family, but also to pay it forward. During his free time (!) Alfred can usually be found at the Community Golf Club or out on the soccer pitch while coaching the Dayton Kroc SC Boys 2011 team.
Meghan Stelling Ewing (OHS Class of 1998) is a new member of the OSF Board of Trustees and is on the Development Committee. Meghan received her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Ohio University and her Masters Degree in Administrative Social Work from The Ohio State University. Throughout her career as social worker, Meghan has worked in the not-for-profit sector and affordable housing, and she has experience with training, grant writing and fundraising. Since returning to Oakwood to raise a family, she has served on multiple working boards including the Junior League of Dayton, The Women’s Board of Dayton Children’s Hospital and most recently concluded a successful campaign for the American Heart Association as a Woman of Impact. She and her husband, John have three children who are active in Oakwood schools along with community and extracurricular activities. Meghan volunteers regularly at Smith Elementary and is a member of the Smith PTO.
Ashley is a speech-language pathologist and spends her days helping families communicate with their loved ones. She has experience working in school and private settings, serving students with varying abilities. She co-founded Lemon Tree of Dayton LLC, a private speech pathology practice, to help individuals find their voice—no matter how young or old.
Ashley is not an Ohio native and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pennsylvania State University. (Go Nittany Lions!) When Ashley and her family moved to Oakwood in 2015, she immediately fell in love with the small-town charm and safe community for raising children. Her oldest son, Griffin, and daughter, Maddie attend Harman elementary school. Her youngest son Fitzgerald is three and loves enjoying all of Oakwood’s beautiful parks.
When she isn’t working, you’ll find Ashley walking her kids to school and taking advantage of all this small-town has to offer, from the fall festival and Christmas tree lighting to the ice cream social. Ashley joined OSF in 2022 and is currently the HR/Nominating Committee Chair.
Josh is a Senior Vice President at Woolpert where he manages shareholder relations and various financial projects. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Accounting and Finance and an MBA from the University of Dayton.
Josh and his wife Manda relocated to Oakwood in 2010. They have been active in the community coaching youth sports and volunteering with the Oakwood Fine Arts Boosters and Oakwood Athletic Boosters. They have one son currently at OHS and a daughter who is a proud Oakwood Alumnus. Josh enjoys traveling with his family and spending time at the beach, and in his free time you will likely find him on the golf course with one of his kids.
Yusaku is a software engineer at Lockheed Martin where he manages data quality and data migration projects. Prior to joining Lockheed in 2014, he was a senior consultant for BackOffice Associates dealing mostly with SAP projects and data audits. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University in Computer Science and Mathematics.
Yusaku and his wife Lauren are both Oakwood graduates (2000 and 2001 respectively) and have 3 children in the Oakwood school system (1 at OJH and 2 at Smith). In the Fall, Yusaku is a coach for the OHS boys soccer program and off season you will find him and his family hiking all the great metroparks in the area.
Greg is a proud Oakwood grad of 1985. He received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan (1989), an MBA in Finance from Indiana University (1993), and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2002). Greg is a licensed architect with a sole-proprietor practice in the Oregon District. Greg moved back to Oakwood in 2007 where he calls home with his wife, Carrie, and two children, Kevin and Elie. He loves coaching youth sports; and golf … when he can find the time.
Amy brings to the Board a diverse professional background and strong commitment to community engagement. With a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Dayton, she has honed her skills in strategic communication and relationship building. Amy’s career journey has included stints in account management within the advertising industry and project management at the prestigious Cincinnati Children’s James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence, contributing to the advancement of healthcare initiatives. Before joining OSF as a trustee, Amy served as the Director of the Oakwood Alumni Association, fostering connections and supporting alumni. Amy herself is a proud 1998 graduate of Oakwood High School, and her three children attend Smith Elementary. Beyond her volunteer work, Amy finds joy in practicing yoga, exploring new destinations through travel and hiking, and the methodical and creative hobby of needlepoint. As a trustee, Amy brings a wealth of experience, dedication, and a genuine passion for her community.
Trained as a nurse, Jamie Swan Mhaskar’s desire to serve runs deep. Jamie is in her second term on the Oakwood Schools Foundation Board and has held numerous leadership positions throughout the community over the years.
Jamie received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan in 1997 and a Master of Science in Nursing from the City University of New York-Hunter College as a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner. Her early career focused on cardiac nursing at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and Princeton Medical Center. She left that position to conduct research as a Nurse Practitioner at the War Related Injury and Illness Center at the VA Medical Center in East Orange, NJ.
The Mhaskars moved to Dayton in 2007 when their babies were very young. William was one-and-a- half, and Annie was a newborn; they welcomed Graham in 2009. For many years, Jamie’s primary focus was raising children and volunteering in the community. Some of Jamie’s favorite leadership commitments include serving the Junior League of Dayton, the Epilepsy Foundation of Ohio, The Dayton Art Institute Associate Board, The OJHS/OHS PTO executive board, and, of course, The Oakwood Schools Foundation.
In early 2021 Jamie returned to work at the University of Dayton as a nurse with the Covid Health Reporting Team and will start a new role as a substitute nurse for Oakwood Schools later this summer. Jamie currently serves on the development committee for Oakwood Schools Foundation and is the co-chair of Come Back Lumberjacks; she chairs the annual Stand Up and Cheer donor appreciation event and is a member of the Flourish Finale committee.
Dori Spaulding currently serves as the Event Coordinator for Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley. She has been a passionate supporter of nonprofits for over 20 years. Dori has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Dayton with a certificate in nonprofit and community leadership. She is excited to support the Oakwood Schools Foundation as a member of the Grants Committee.
Dori and her husband Tim are proud parents of two Oakwood High School students, and they are simply thrilled to raise and educate them in Oakwood. Dori enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and hiking with her family.
Mari Jo Vazzo comes to us with an awesome PR background! She has been helping organizations share their stories for over 15 years from inside organizations as well as serving as an extension of an organization’s team. She’s worked with brands like SageSure, Cox Media Group, Airstream, Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, and The Disability Foundation. Mari Jo’s greatest passion is coming alongside a person or organization, learning their unique story and joining her words with theirs to share it.
When she’s not writing she’s guiding two kids (both Oakwood students) through this crazy life. Mari Jo is a certified yoga instructor and childbirth educator and enjoys pursuing a holistic lifestyle. Baking, yoga, reading, discovering new recipes, making pretty things and a great beach vacation are high on her list of must-haves