Board of Directors

& STAFF

Members of the Soap Box Derby Board of Directors and its current staff.

Board of Directors

Jill Kolesar | Chair
Founder and Chief Client Officer, Mobile Health Consumer, Inc.

Nate Sargent | Vice Chair
Attorney, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP

Bethany Dria Lawrence | Treasurer
Manager, Eide Bailly LLP

Anne Rericha | Secretary
Attorney IV, FirstEnergy Corp

Greg Bean
Estate Planning and Probate Attorney, Stark and Knoll Co. L.P.A.

Bill Forquer
Principal, Bill Forquer & Associates

Rob Gerberry
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Summa Health Systems

Eufrancia Lash
Deputy Director of Public Service and Neighborhood Assistance, City of Akron

Michele Tomer
Attorney

Ollie Pannell, member-at-large
Community Advocate

STAFF

Dennis VanFossen Jr. | President & CEO
dennis@soapboxderby.org

Eric Welshenbaugh | Marketing & Program Director
eric@soapboxderby.org

Linda Hubbell | Education Director
linda@soapboxderby.org
Ext. 12

Duane Burkhammer | Director of Shipping
shipping@soapboxderby.org
Ext. 35

Susan Burnoski | Finance Manager
accounting@soapboxderby.org
Ext. 34

Jaclyne Sesock | Derby Experience Manager 
jaclyne@soapboxderby.org
Ext. 22

Ryan McFall | Race Program Manager & Event Coordinator
ryan@soapboxderby.org

Brad Kappler | Event Manager
brad@soapboxderby.org

Doreen Thorne | Grant Writer
doreen@soapboxderby.org

Sarah Kolesar | Graphic Designer & Digital Coordinator
sarah@soapboxderby.org

Alan Howe | Interim Race Programs
alan@soapboxderby.org

main office phone number: 330-733-8723

Honorary Board OF DIRECTORS

Alan Brubaker
Summit County Engineer

Bobby Cooper
Former Chair – Racing Commission

William J. Ginter
Principal, Akron Legacy Group

Paul Jackson
Partner, Roetzel & Andress

Bill Lowery
Retired President, Annaco

Gregg Mervis
President & CEO, Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau and John S. Knight Center

Mark Mroczynski
FirstEnergy

Kevin Thomas
Retired President & CEO, AAA Akron Auto Club

Bob Troyer
Public Relations Consultant

Thomas Welsh
Retired Senior VP, FirstEnergy