Class Notes

By Laurie Davis

*Annual Alumni Association Member
**Lifetime Alumni Association Member

Faculty, staff and friends

*Maria Corpuz (’20, ’21) received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award.  She was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. Her vocation is to help vulnerable populations, particularly the geriatric and developmentally disabled of Toledo.

*Joshua Davies (’18 MSW) received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award. He was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. In his current position with the City of Toledo, Davies is charged with removing barriers and increasing opportunities for Toledo’s youth.

*Sandra Rivers-Gill (’04, ’22 MLS) has published her debut poetry collection, “As We Cover Ourselves With Light” through Sheila-La-Gig Editions. The book is an insightful lens of recurring strong themes of family and the more cultural, interspersed throughout that speaks to a broader sense of community. She has published widely in journals and anthologies, including internationally.

*Benjamin Syroka (’19 JD) received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award. He was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. Syroka travels the country helping resolve trials and appeals as a career clerk. Outside of the courtroom, he is published in local and national periodicals on topics such as prisoner rights, recidivism, inflation/consumer protection, and labor rights.

1970s

Chuck Ealey (’72) was named a 2024 National High School Football Hall of Fame inductee. Ealey, who is generally considered the greatest player in the history of UToledo football, played high school football at Notre Dame High School in Portsmouth, Ohio where he led his team to a state championship as a senior and an 18-0 record in his two seasons as starting quarterback.

1990s

Griffin Gappert (’96, ’96, ’96, ’96) joined Rogers Corp.’s senior leadership team as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He leads Rogers’ global Research and Development (R&D) organization and partners with business unit leaders to drive innovation and commercialization of next-generation material solutions.

Kenneth Graves (’99 MA) was promoted to the City of Greenville’s Deputy City Manager.

2000s

Benjamin Brydges (’06, ’14 MBA) was named Executive Vice President – North America for Dormakaba, a global access solutions provider.

Allison Fiscus (’09, ’09) received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award.  She was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. Fiscus currently oversees and coordinates partnerships, services, and initiatives for adults across all Toledo Lucas County Public Libraries. Her work focuses on merchandising strategies to increase circulation, patron loyalty, and library community connections.

Ryan Gilbert (’08, ’08), an 11th and 12th grade English language arts teacher at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, received a national Milken Educator Award for 2023-24. He is the first-ever recipient at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center and one of two Ohio Milken Educators awarded this season.

Kimberly O’Grady (’09) was voted in as the President of the Columbus Compensation Association for the term of 2024 – 2025. She started serving on the board in 2020.

Gratia Pitcher (’03, ’03, ’06) was named chief medical officer (CMO) of Essentia Health in December 2023. She served as interim CMO since October and has been with Essentia since 2015.

David Potts (’07, ’07) owner of USA Insulation of Toledo, received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award. He was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. Potts’ business has grown from $1 million to $10 million in sales and from one to three locations. He is even more committed to developing his team into leaders and supporting the community though his company.

*Robert Tucker (’09 JD) received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award. He was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. Tucker is an attorney with Robinson, Curphey & O’Connell Law, representing companies of all sizes, trustees and beneficiaries in trust-related disputes and medical and legal providers against claims of negligence.

2010s

Thomas Burden (’14) received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award. He was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. Burden’s Grypmat company produces a non-slip tool tray that provides mechanics with a safe, handy location to keep their tools when working on surfaces that are not flat. In 2017, Burden won best new product at SEMA, the world’s largest Auto Show, and aired on Shark Tank getting a deal with three sharks. Burden made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and Grypmat was placed on the cover of Time Magazine as Invention of the Year, amongst other awards and recognitions.

*Daniel Dower (’12 MBA) received a 2023 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award. He was among the 20 selected from a field of 153 candidates. Dower is currently the KeyBank Market President for Northwest Ohio, and is responsible for leading the bank’s activities and resources, its 200 employees and representing Key in the community. In the community, he serves as a board member of Imagination Station, board vice president and treasurer for Leadership Toledo and board member and coach for The Miracle League of Northwest Ohio.

Eric Ramar (’13 JD) was promoted to partner at Plunkett Cooney, one of the Midwest’s oldest and most accomplished law firms.