Equality Ohio Education Fund Board
Zachery McCune (he/him) is a public policy and advocacy professional committed to advancing community-centered policy. He currently serves as a policy and research manager with the Office of Policy Development and Integration (OPDI) at AARP, where he supports the organization’s policy development process and offers strategic policy analysis across various portfolios.
Prior to this role, Zach served as the manager of outreach and advocacy for AARP Ohio, where he directed the community engagement and local advocacy strategy for the state office. Before joining AARP, he served as the associate director of public policy for a regional healthcare system and LGBTQ+ health and HIV/AIDS service provider where he directed the organization’s policy and advocacy portfolio. He has also held roles leading philanthropic and political mobilization campaigns and has served in the state legislature.
Zach holds a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and is currently a Master of Public Policy and Management student.
Heidi Bostelman brings more than 25 years of leadership experience at JPMorgan Chase, where she has built a career around transformation, strategy, and growth. She currently leads Client Experience for JP Morgan Private Client, a banking service that provides personalized guidance across personal and business banking, lending, investing, and planning.
Over the years, Heidi has taken on roles that combine her passion for people with her drive for impact. She helped launch the firmwide Advancing Black Pathways initiative, shaped strategies to support Black and Latinx communities, and led customer experience programs that earned Chase top national rankings. As a founding member and leader within the firm's LGBTQ+ Executive Councils, she has also been a strong voice for diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization.
Heidi and her wife Allison live in Clintonville where they relish in their role as cat-moms and aunts to 3 amazing nieces and nephews. You can often find them at the local farmer's market or enjoying one of the many restaurants and breweries in the neighborhood.
LaRaun Clayton (he/him) is a nonprofit executive, U.S. Army veteran, and community leader committed to advancing equity, dignity, and opportunity for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities across Ohio and Indiana.
He serves as Vice President of Veterans & Housing Programs at Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana, overseeing housing, workforce development, suicide prevention, and supportive services for veterans and their families. A licensed social worker with an MBA and a 500-hour certified yoga instructor, LaRaun brings a values-driven, holistic, and strategic approach to his leadership.
LaRaun served ten years in the United States Army Reserve and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi/Enduring Freedom. His relationship with Equality Ohio began in 2017 through his work in HIV prevention and youth services, and he has remained a long-time supporter of the organization’s advocacy efforts.
A Youngstown native now living in Cleveland, LaRaun previously served on the Board of the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland and the Cleveland Steering Committee for the Human Rights Campaign. He currently serves on the Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation Board of Trustees and Cuyahoga County’s Citizens Advisory Council on Equity. A graduate of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Advanced Leadership Institute, LaRaun brings a collaborative, grounded approach to his service on the Equality Ohio Education Fund Board.
Tami Lunan is a seasoned Political Strategist with expertise in public policy, movement building, and advocacy for racial and LGBTQ+ justice. She has contributed to a range of legislative and electoral campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels, and has organized with multiple high-profile candidates and issue-based initiatives.
Currently, Tami serves as the Caring Economy Organizing Director at the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, where she leads the CEO (Caring Economy Organizing) Project—a statewide coalition focused on improving access, equity, and standards in Ohio’s child care system.
With a strong background in field organizing, Tami has held leadership roles with several prominent advocacy organizations, including the National Audubon Society and Equality Ohio. She is also a founding organizer behind one of Ohio’s earliest initiatives centering queer women of color, and continues to support community-based efforts through board service and volunteer work.
Brian Malachowsky is a committed advocate for justice and equality, bringing deep legal expertise to his role on the Equality Ohio Education Fund Board. With a career dedicated to public service, he currently serves as Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, where he provides legal counsel on law enforcement regulation, policy development, and agency governance.
Previously, Brian led Ohio’s Safe at Home program, significantly expanding address confidentiality protections for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other serious crimes. His leadership in public policy spans election law, legislative counsel, and state governance, working to shape more equitable policies that impact Ohioans statewide.
An alumnus of the New Leaders Council, Brian holds a JD from Rutgers Law School and a BA from the University of Connecticut. He has also trained as a Chaplain and earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, reflecting his commitment to both individual well-being and systemic improvement.
Based in Columbus, Brian enjoys life in the Westgate neighborhood with his wife, two children, and their Bernedoodle.
Kathy retired from the practice of law in 2022. As a partner in the law firm of Bailey Cavalieri, she specialized in the liability of corporate directors and officers and co-authored one of the leading treatises on the topic. Kathy earned her BA from The Ohio State University before attending law school at the University of Michigan.
Kathy has previously been involved with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), serving on the National Board of Governors. She has also been involved with The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio as a volunteer and board member.
Kathy has 2 grown children and lives in Upper Arlington with her partner of 26 years, to whom she was married in 2015.
As chief strategy officer and senior advisor to the president, Tayo Clyburn will serve as a guide and resource to staff in carrying out the foundation’s new strategic plan. He will work across the senior team and program leadership to identify strategic opportunities to innovate and create change through the foundation’s programs. Acting as a trusted advisor to the president, this role will provide guidance on internal priorities, challenges, culture, and decisions.
Clyburn has held leadership roles at Colby College as the dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion and St. Mary’s College of Maryland as the vice president for inclusive diversity and equity. Prior to these positions, he served as the executive director for mission and strategic partnerships in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) at The Ohio State University. Throughout Clyburn’s career, his work has been cross-functional, interfacing with senior leaders, staff, and local community members to strategically integrate inclusive and equitable practices.
Clyburn earned his MA and PhD from Ohio State’s Department of English, where his work focused on critical race theory, post racialism, and post-civil rights African American literature.
Levent Talgar is a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co, where he leads technology and operations initiatives to innovate and transform Chase’s ~5,000 retail branches. Prior to joining Chase in 2003, he was at McKinsey & Company serving financial services and high-tech clients with growth, service, and technology strategies.
Outside of his day job, Levent serves as Chase’s sponsor in Ohio for both Pelotonia and Next Gen, its internal business resource group focused on leadership development for early career professionals. He has previously served for multiple years on Chase’s Columbus Management Committee and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Committee.
Levent holds B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in computer science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory focused on natural language processing and knowledge-based systems.
Levent resides in Dublin, OH with his wife and 3 children. They love to travel, visiting family spread across the globe including Turkey, Ireland, Portugal, UK, UAE, Thailand, Cambodia.
Lynn has had a long and varied career primarily as a litigation attorney in private practice, as a Section Chief in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and as Deputy General Counsel at The Ohio State University. She also served as Executive Director of the Ohio School Facilities
Commission, and as Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations and Development at OSU. Following her retirement from OSU Lynn worked as a business development advisor for Engie North America, a global energy company focused on decarbonization.
In addition to working with Equality Ohio, Lynn serves as Chair of the Dublin, Ohio New Community Authority for the Bridge Park Development Project and is President of the Westbay Cove Condominium Association on Anna Maria Island, Florida. An Air Force veteran, Lynn has bachelor’s degrees from Southeast Missouri State University and University of Vermont and a JD from the University of Dayton School of Law, where she was Editor of the Law Review.
Lynn and her partner of over 30 years, Sandy Anderson, live with their dogs Scout and Harper in Dublin, Ohio. They will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary this year, thanks to the work of Equality Ohio and other organizations and individuals committed to the belief that we can
change the world.
Equality Ohio Board
Brandon West is an Ohio-based advocate focused on advancing LGBTQIA+ protections through local policy, coalition-building, and public education. He has helped lead and support efforts to end the harmful practice of conversion therapy and continues to work with local partners to advance additional community protections, including non-discrimination measures. Brandon brings a practical, community-first approach to turning values into actionable, positive, and kind change.
Dominiece Hoelyfield is a seasoned HR professional and inclusive leadership strategist with over a decade of experience spanning higher education and healthcare. She currently leads organizational programs under Human Resources that align people with purpose—facilitating employee resolutions, providing critical resources, and advancing leadership development and cultural transformation.
Dominiece holds a B.A. in Radio/TV from Southern Illinois University and an M.S. in Higher Education from Illinois State University. Her commitment to equity and access began in higher education, where she established the first LGBTQ Resource Center at Missouri State University and increased underrepresented graduate student enrollment at The Ohio State University through the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP).
She is a graduate of the African American Leadership Academy and was honored by United Way of Central Ohio’s Project Diversity/Pride Leadership program. She served as a Trustee for Stonewall Columbus and a board member of Black, Out, and Proud, advancing equity at the intersection of race and LGBTQ+ identity.
Guided by Frank Hale Jr.’s words, “Commitment without currency is counterfeit,” Dominiece is passionate about driving authentic, lasting change in systems and communities. Her leadership is rooted in integrity, collaboration, and a bold vision for inclusion, legacy-building, and generational impact.
Julie Posey has a master’s degree in pharmacology, is an Associate Professor of Human Anatomy and Physiology and a Diversity Equity Inclusion Faculty Fellow at CSCC. Julie has been an educator for 28 years both at Columbus State Community College and at Columbus College of Art and Design. She is a co-author on two web textbooks/iBooks for Anatomy and Physiology and is a coauthor on a series of custom course manuals in Physiology and Human Biology. Julie was the 2013 recipient of Columbus State’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2023 Faculty Excellence Award. She is a passionate DEI advocate with initiatives including a transgender/nonbinary support group, Cougar Closet, a transgender/nonbinary free shopping experience, hosting panels for learning about this special community and drag shows to share the art and history with the CSCC community. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Julie is a mom of the most beautiful transgender senior at Ohio University.
Kevin McGruder is Associate Professor of History at Antioch College. His interest in community formation led to a career in community development focusing on affordable housing in Cleveland, Newark, N.J. and Harlem. Now as an academic, his research interests include African American institutions, urban history focusing on racial residential patterns, and LGBTQ history. He has a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University, an M.B.A. in Real Estate Finance from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in U.S. History from the City University of New York. He is author of Race and Real Estate: Conflict and Cooperation in Harlem, 1890-1920 (2015) and Philip Payton: The Father of Black Harlem (2021), and editor of Home at Last: The Collected Writings of AIDS Journalist LeRoy Whitfield (2022).
Patrick M. McKelvey is a clinical leader, educator, and nationally recognized speaker with more than a decade of experience advancing infant and early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and workforce resiliency. He currently serves as Clinical Lead Supervisor for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation and Training at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where he directs statewide initiatives, oversees the HOPE Line, and professional development for early learning professionals. Patrick has designed and led innovative programs addressing grief, trauma, and behavioral health in early childhood settings, secured grant funding to expand services, and delivered keynote presentations and trainings across the country. His expertise spans program development, supervision, and systems change, with a career dedicated to strengthening children, families, and professionals through evidence-based practices, relational approaches, and a commitment to resilience and well-being.
Personal Statement:
“I am an immigrant. I was born and grew up in Kolkata, India, and completed my
undergraduate studies there. In 1987, I came to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies with
nothing more than $20 and one suitcase filled with clothes and textbooks.
In 1993, my wife and I moved to Columbus. We lived in Victorian Village for 20+ years and are
living currently in downtown Columbus. As an immigrant, woman of color and lesbian, I have been very involved in civic and political engagement, as I strongly believe we improve our own lives only when we improve the lives of people around us. #VisibilityMatters”
Biography:
Rini Das (She, Her, Hers) is a serial entrepreneur, having founded her first company to provide
STEM tutoring when she was 15 years old. She founded and led various startups such as a
Gamification SaaS company -- PAKRAGames.com and a Big Data consulting company --
DemsWin.com. At her core, she considers herself as Mary Poppins, she likes to fly in with her umbrella, solve problems and fly away. She founded RD Management Consulting Inc. (RDMCHelps.com) in 2003.
She brings decades of experience in Mergers and Acquisition consulting, Operational Excellence
and Lean Six Sigma, IT Leadership Excellence, Software Development, User adoption and Data
Science and Analytics. She has taught at various universities such as Mendoza School of
Business at University of Notre Dame, Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University
and others. She is the co-founder of Zettabytes.Today - a networking organization for LGBTQ+ professionals in Tech, Data and Design. She has served on numerous Boards (non-profit, for-profit and Advisory), including Stonewall Columbus and Columbus & Central Ohio LGBTQ+ Leadership Roundtable.
She holds a MA in economics and game theory from the Stony Brook University (SUNY) and a MS in applied mathematics and decision sciences from the University of Iowa.
Shelly Riggs (she/her) is a retired educator with 34 years of public service, where she taught science and theatre to grades 8-12. During her tenure, she built a theatre program for the Logan Hocking School District from the ground up, creating and teaching courses in all areas of the theatre curriculum. She was the Director of Theatre and Technical Director for the district, building a program that has been recognized around the state. Shelly has also earned the Master Teacher designation, and was a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ community in her schools. She is currently an adjunct professor at Hocking College, where she teaches in the film department.
Shelly graduated from The Ohio State University in 1988 with a BS in Science Education, and again in 1995 with an MA in theatre education. She is the mother of two amazing young adults, and has been married to her spouse (also a public educator) since 1991. Shelly loves all things outdoors, including kayaking and backpacking, and has been adopted by a rescue pittie mix. When not writing letters and making phone calls to her legislators, you can find her with a good book, directing or acting in theatre productions, or hanging out with her chickens in SE Ohio.
Tim Johnson is currently a senior policy advocate with the Ohio Poverty Law Center, specializing in
education, childcare, and human services issues.
Tim Johnson joined the Ohio Poverty Law Center in July 2019, after having spent six years in state government. During his time working for the state, Tim was both a staffer to several members of the General Assembly and the senior policy advisor to the Senate Minority Caucus. As a senior policy advocate, Tim spends his time working on a variety of issues that affect poor Ohioans including education and childhood lead poisoning. He is serving his term as an Equality Ohio Board Member.
Tim graduated a proud Falcon from Bowling Green State University where he received BA in Political
Science. Tim was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio where he currently resides with his partner and
their two cats.
Eileen Galvin (she/her) is Senior Director of Information Technology at Columbus College of Art & Design.
Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Eileen graduated from The Ohio State University in 2011 with a B.A. and an M.A. in Linguistics. While at OSU she served as Chair for the LGBT First Year Cohort program, President of the LBGT Speakers Bureau and co-founded the first transgender and intersex student affinity group. She was awarded the 2011 Harold A. McIntosh Award for Leadership and Service by the OSU LGBTQ Alumni Society.
Eileen is also a performance artist of over 10 years. Her work envisions a world where liberation exists and is available to all bodies. She lives in Upper Arlington with her partner, Monte.
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