1320 Cambridge Blvd.
Columbus, Ohio 43212
(614) 488-0681
Ext. 263
Columbus, Ohio 43212
Ext. 263
ABOUT US
Seth Stearns is Executive Director of Operations and Director of First Community Foundation.
Nancy joined the Foundation Board in 2020. During her career in association management she helped establish the Ohio Dental Association Foundation and the Ohio Society of Association Management Foundation. As a volunteer she has been active in development work for The Wesley Communities and The Columbus Rotary Club.
At FFC she is a member of Circle C and has served on the New Horizons Campaign, Capital Campaign Task Force, Adult Education Council, Mission Council, and feeding the homeless. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island.
Tim and his wife, Hayley have been members of FCC for nearly 30 years. He previously served on Akita Council and the Board of Deacons. Currently he serves as the Director of Capital Markets at the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, which promotes and provides affordable housing to the residents of Ohio. Prior to that, he spent 27 years in the Public Finance field for regional financial institutions. Tim and Hayley have three adult children and two grandchildren. He is a graduate of Kenyon College and received a master’s degree from the University of Texas.
Ralph Griffith and his wife Dotsy have been members of FCC since 1992. He is the CEO and President of Value Recovery Group and its subsidiary, Global Recovery Group, financial services companies with offices in Columbus and the Washington, DC area. His prior business experience encompassed financial advisory and business consulting positions as well as a lender in commercial banks. Ralph is the Finance Committee Chair of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency Board, is a member of the Rotary Club of Upper Arlington, is on the Strategic Initiatives Committee of the Furniture Bank and is a Children’s Leader for Bible Study Fellowship International. He is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University.
Brad Griffith is a lifelong entrepreneur. He grew up working for his dad’s veterinary hospital, learning the joys and challenges of business ownership. He believes in the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to drive meaningful change in our community. Brad is now President of Buckeye Interactive, the web strategy and engineering agency he started in 2009 to provide growing businesses and organizations with unparalleled access to exceptional web engineering and design.
Katherine and her husband Mark joined the church in 2002. She is currently a leader of Prayers & Squares Ministry and participates in the Knitting for Refugees group. She served on the Stewardship committee for the 2019 campaign. In addition, she was a volunteer Sunday School teacher when her daughter was in elementary school. That daughter grew up in the church and is married and living in Philadelphia. Katherine has volunteered extensively in the local community Girl Scouts and with Upper Arlington Crew and Greater Columbus Rowing Association. Since 2014, she has been, along with her sister, the Donor Advisors for a fund with the Foundation started by her father. She is a retired Air Force Intelligence Officer, having served 20 years on active duty and 9 years in various civilian senior intelligence management positions at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center in Dayton.
Katie joined First Community in 2020 and now attends South campus where she also serves as an usher. Professionally, she works as Relationship Officer for Community Shelter Board, the system leader for the prevention of and response to homelessness in Central Ohio. Prior to that, she spent 13 years leading programs to help adults with disabilities find employment and achieve full community integration. Katie is a graduate of The Ohio State University and native of Westerville where she lives with her husband Edwin and daughter Ashley.
Clare and her husband Jim joined the church in 1982. She has served on the Mission Council and as a volunteer Sunday School teacher and is a member of Friendship Circle 28.
Clare’s professional career included over 30 years of public service. She served as Senior Attorney with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the Washington, D.C. and Columbus offices, as Chief Legal Counsel for the Ohio Department of Commerce and was a Deputy Tax Commissioner overseeing the legislative, tax analysis, fiscal, human resources and training offices at the Ohio Department of Taxation. She also served as Deputy Director of the Human Resources Division at the Ohio Department of Administrative Services where she developed and administered the human resources program for the State of Ohio. She retired from the State as Director of Human Resources at the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
Currently, Clare is serving in the volunteer role of AARP Ohio State President.
Dave Nickel and his wife, Jennie, have been members of First Community church for over 25 years. Dave recently served as Chair of the Adult Learning Council for three consecutive years. He earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University with a double major in higher education administration and chemistry. He has both taught and served in leadership roles for over 20 years in several universities, including The Ohio State University, other central Ohio universities, and Wuhan and Huazhong Agricultural Universities in Wuhan, China. He also worked for 20 years with Goodyear and Lockheed Martin Corporations as head of and senior trainer of the leadership and management development program. Additionally, Dave also worked as an internal organizational development consultant there. Dave is a graduate and former practitioner of the Wellstreams ecumenically oriented spiritual direction program.
Leslie Junk grew up at FCC and Camp Akita and became a member in 1991. Her church service includes a Mexico Mission trip, feeding the homeless, Sunday school teacher and Couple Circle member. Recently retired from Nationwide, she spent 25 years training agents on their technology tools and associates on secure cyber security practices. Her training methods encompassed website content and digital course design. Prior experience includes software sales and sales management at Goal Systems and AT&T.
She is the treasurer of Childhood League Board XI and a graduate of Miami University. Leslie and her husband Bill have two adult children and two twin grandchildren.
Cathy and her husband John have been members of FCC since 2004. She previously served on the High School council and is currently a participant of Open Door Ministry. She graduated from The Ohio State University in Allied Health and received her Masters degree from the University of Alabama. She was employed at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as a clinical Dietitian for 10 years.
Cathy then changed career paths and began working at IGS Energy in 1989 in an administrative role when it was a start-up company with only three employees. She has held various positions as the company went through many changes and grew in size to over 1000 employees. She is a member of the Board of Directors and continues to work there on a part time basis in the area of finance and treasury.
Cindi joined FCC when she and her husband, Karl, a lifelong member, moved back to Ohio nearly 20 years ago. She has served on Akita Council, Youth Council, Nominating Committee, and taught Sunday school for several years. Cindi was also an active parent volunteer with both school and sports team activities. Cindi graduated from UNC at Chapel Hill and has worked for State Farm Insurance for 35 years. She and Karl have two adult sons.
Anthony has been a member of FCC since 2016 and joined the FCC Foundation board in 2023 currently serving on the investment and development committees. He has had a fulfilling and impactful 30-year career in research administration and technology-based economic development having worked for the University of Tennessee Institute of Technology Management, the Ohio State University Research Foundation, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and the Ohio Department of Development. His son, Jack, is an honors student at Hilliard Darby High School, plays baseball and golf, and is on track to attend OSU. Anthony is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in psychology and political science and a master’s degree in public administration. Anthony has served as president of the board of directors of Elder Choices of Central Ohio, the board of advisors of Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services/Senior Independence, and the board of directors of United Cerebral Palsy of Central Ohio.
Ron has been a member of FCC for over 50 years. Joining the Block of Wood class, he has been part of: The Board of Deacons, twice – chairing once, the High School Council, Chancel Choir, Couples Circle 47, Facilitator with FCC High School Membership Program, Traveling Freshman leader, Care Ministry member and usher for over 20 years.
Community activities have included: Past UA Alumni Association President, Past UA 4th of July Chairman and Member of the UA Education – UA Athletic Board.
Professionally, Ron was a director, supervisor and consultant in telecom service design and architecture for over 30 years and is still consulting. A UA and The Ohio State University grad, he has three adult children, who were involved in FCC programs through high school and across the country since college.
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