Commission Biographies

Mary Anne Christie has had a distinguished leadership role in her political career, as well as a community volunteer and in her professional business.

She was the first woman elected to Madeira City Council & served as Mayor. Her leadership abilities won her the position as the first woman president of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. OKI is the principal transportation planning agency for the tristate area. Later was elected as President of the Ohio Regional Council of Governments and served as a board member of the National Association of Regional Council of Governments in Washington, DC. Mary Anne has been voted to a position on the Republican State Central Committee for 9 terms and was selected in 2017 as the Vice-Chairman of the Ohio Republican
Party. As president of the Ohio Federation of Republican Women, she served on the Board of Trustees for the National Federation of Republican Women in Washington DC.

As a community leader, Mary Anne has been elected on a number of prominent organizations such as the Vice Chair of the Ohio State Board of Housing, United Way Day Care Advisory Council, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College Advisory Council; President of the Hamilton County Children Service Commission, Talbert House Board of Trustees to name some of the boards & commissions that she has guided.

Ohio Governor Voinovich appointed her as an Administrative Judge to the prestigious Ohio Industrial Commission Worker’s Comp Board. She worked for many years as a real estate appraiser & small business owner earning her the appointment to the Hamilton County Board of Revision. She holds a bachelor degree in Political Science from University of Cincinnati where she earned the designation to the Phi Sigma Alpha – National Political Honor Society. At the University of Arizona, she completed study from the International Associates Industrial Accidents Workers’ Compensation College.

For her illustrious achievements she has been honored as a Distinguished Alumnae by the University of Cincinnati, Friends of Women Studies; VIP Award by the Hamilton County Mental Health Board & Citizenship Award by the Cincinnati Board of Realtors.

Donna Collins serves as the executive director of the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Collins brings more than 20 years of experience in leading a state agency and statewide non-profit organizations, demonstrating consistent success and solid results that impact policy, education, economic development, and arts and culture. In 2015 John R. Kasich, Governor of the State of Ohio, inducted Collins into the Association of Ohio Commodores whose mission is to assist the State of Ohio in its advancement in all areas contributing to the economic growth and development of the State, and the greater prosperity of its citizens. At the national level Collins is an elected Board member of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and a member of the ArtPlace America Central Appalachian Network Assembly.

Julie Ehemann is a graduate of Ohio Northern University having majored in Pharmacy.

Julie has been married to her husband, Kurt, for 32 years and they have one daughter.

Julie worked as a retail pharmacist managing several different pharmacies and worked as the Pharmacy Director for the Cub stores in the Dayton area for 9 years. She continues her involvement in the profession as a member of the Ohio Pharmacists Association serving on the Legal and Regulatory Committee.

Julie has been involved in her community of Shelby County in many ways starting as a volunteer EMT with the local rescue squad. She transitioned to local government as a Councilmember (5 years) and then the first woman Mayor for the Village of Anna (12 years).   Julie has served on numerous Boards and clubs including Shelby County CASA, the American Red Cross, the Anna Garden Club, Shelby County Counseling Center and SCARF (Shelby County Animal Rescue Foundation).  Julie is a graduate of the JoAnn Davidson Institute and the Cambridge Leadership Institute.

Julie was the first woman elected to be Commissioner in Shelby County. In her ninth year on the Board of the Shelby County Commissioners, Julie is also active on the Sidney Shelby Economic Development Executive Board, the Emergency Management Executive Board, the Shelby County Land Reutilization Corporation and the Shelby County Drug-free Coalition.

Julie enjoys being involved with the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohio serving as President of the Executive Board for 2019, the Water Quality Task Force, the Justice and Public Safety Committee, the Taxation and Finance Committee, and the Jobs, Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee. Julie was recently elected to serve on the NACo (National Association of County Officials) Board and serves as a member of NACo’s Rural Action Caucus and their Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

Hollie Hinton is a native of Chillicothe, Ohio and has had a long time passion for the advancement of the status of women. She was appointed Director of the Ohio Governor's Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach under Governor Ted Strickland. Her efforts led to the passage of two Executive Orders, the establishment of the Ohio Interagency Council on Women and Girls, and culminated in a major statewide summit bringing together women from more than 60 Ohio counties. Her professional career includes private sector business leadership as the Director of Marketing at a leading engineering and architecture firm DLZ.

Hinton is Director of Corporate Relations at The Ohio State University and serves as a member of the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Cincinnati. Hinton speaks Spanish, having lived in Spain for a year of study, and in Puerto Rico while serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA. She is active in various civic organizations including the International Women's Forum and National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Senator Stephanie Kunze is currently serving her first term in the Ohio Senate representing the people of the 16th Senate District on the western side of Franklin County including the cities of Dublin, Galloway, Grove City, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Worthington and portions of Clintonville and Columbus.

A resident of Hilliard, Senator Kunze has called Ohio home for more than 20 years. While raising her two daughters with her husband Matt, she dedicated her time to volunteer leadership and service in her community and was elected to the Hilliard City Council in 2009. Her commitment to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs led her to be a founding member of www.LocaLevelEvents.com, which was created to encourage those who live and work in an area to support their local businesses, schools and community. In addition, she volunteers with SON Ministries which seeks to address the needs and challenges of suburban poverty in her community and is a graduate of the Hilliard Citizens Police Academy.

Senator Kunze has been appointed by Senate President Larry Obhof to serve as the Chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education committee and as a member of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources; Finance; Health, Human Services & Medicaid; Insurance & Financial Institutions; Rules and Reference; Transportation, Commerce & Workforce and Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review committees.

She has also been reappointed to the Infant Mortality Commission to serve as Co-chair as well as the Ohio Family Stability Commission. During her previous two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives representing the 24th Ohio House District, she played a key role in the passage of recent legislation aimed at reducing the alarming infant mortality rate in Ohio. She looks forward to continuing her focus in fighting this heartbreaking issue.

Senator Kunze has also been appointed as the chair the Ohio Children's Trust Fund; Governor’s Executive Workforce Board; co-chair of the Undergraduate Mission Study Committee; Home Visiting Consortium; The Commission on Minority Health and the Women Suffrage Centennial Commission.

Senator Kunze is known for her passionate advocacy for small business, education and health issues important to Ohioans. She has successfully championed legislation aimed at reducing the opiate epidemic that is plaguing Ohio’s communities and legislation aimed at delivering justice for victims of sexual violence, advocated for efforts to improve Ohio's business climate and fought to ensure that Ohio's students receive the highest quality education possible.

While in the Ohio House, Senator Kunze served as Vice Chair of the State Government committee, as well as a member of the Finance, Insurance. Education, Economic Development and Regulatory Reform and Rules and Reference committees and the Finance K-12 subcommittee. She also co-chaired Ohio's Commission on Infant Mortality and served on the Attorney General's DARE Task Force.

Senator Kunze is a member of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce, Hilliard Area Chambers of Commerce, The Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce, Franklin County Farm Bureau and Hilliard Schools PTO. Senator Kunze graduated with a degree in English from Indiana University.

State Representative Tracy Richardson is serving her first term in the Ohio House of Representatives. She represents the 86th District, which consists of Union and Marion counties.

Richardson is a graduate of West Point and was deployed in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, earning a Bronze Star Medal. She is currently serving as a U.S. Army Reservist. Prior to being elected to the House, Richardson served nine years on Marysville City Council and worked for several years as a corporate human resources professional for a Fortune 500 company and as a Leadership Professor for ROTC at both Capital University and Ohio Wesleyan University.

Richardson serves on the Finance; Armed Services and Veteran’s Affairs; Higher Education; and the Finance Subcommittee on Agriculture, Development, and Natural Resources standing committees. She has also been appointed to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, the State Victims Advisory Council, the War Orphans Scholarship Board, and the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.

She also volunteers her time on the Union County Drug Free Coalition and the Neighborhood Watch Safety Team. Richardson actively supports her local schools and is a dedicated member of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, where she cantors and helps at vacation Bible school.

Richardson and her husband, Chris, who works at Honda, are the proud parents of three sons and have called Marysville home since 1998.

Active in Ohio politics and policymaking for more than 20 years, Pamela Siekman has cultivated a rolodex of relationships among Ohio’s Fortune 1000 companies and its local, state, and federally elected officials. She co-founded with her husband Dwayne, Siekman and Siekman, a government and public affairs firm. At their firm, she plays an integral role in developing lobbying and public affairs strategies for clients, such as Halliburton, Woolpert, Transportation Research Center Inc. and K&D Group.

Prior to her work at Siekman and Siekman, she founded PRH Consulting Group a national political fundraising and consulting firm which has raised more than $100 million for state and federal candidates and corporate clients. For a decade, she played a key role in Speaker of the House John Boehner’s national finance committee, with a primary responsibility of major donor fund-raising in Ohio.

Pamela received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Wright State University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Bowling Green State University. She is a graduate of the Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, a member of the Association of Ohio Commodores, and serves on the New Albany Chamber Board, Ohio Women Suffrage Centennial Commission, and as the Ohio Chair of Maggie’s List.

State Senator Sandra Williams, proudly represents Ohio’s 21st Senate District, and is currently serving her second term in the Ohio Senate. Senator Williams is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended Cleveland Public Schools. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University in Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice, a Master's in Criminal Justice Administration from Tiffin University, and an Executive Master's in Business Administration from Cleveland State University. She is also the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Tiffin University.

Senator Williams has spent more than two decades in public service—as a corrections officer, probation and parole officer, mediator for the State of Ohio, legislative aide, and State Representative for eight years, with a total of 18 years in the Ohio Legislature. She also served our country as a member of the United States Army Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1995. She is the former Vice Chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and has taught college courses at Tiffin University and Cleveland State University.

In the 133rd General Assembly, Senator Williams currently serves as the Assistant Minority Whip for the Democratic Caucus. Additionally, she serves as a ranking member on the Energy and Public Utilities, Ways and Means and Finance-Higher Education Committees. She also serves on the Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee, Corrections Institution Inspection Committee (CIIC), Governor’s Executive Workforce Board, Power Sitting Board, and Ohio Tuition Trust Authority Investment Board.

Senator Williams is also a member of several civic organizations including, the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus, NAACP, Black Women's Political Action Committee, the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World, and Top Ladies of Distinction (TLOD).

Megan Wood is the Director of the Cultural Resources Division for the Ohio History Connection. The Cultural Resources Division is responsible for the Ohio History Connection’s system of 58 historic sites, 1.8 million collection items, and all exhibitions across the sites. Megan obtained a B.A. in Public History from Western Michigan University and a M.A. in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Most of her career has focused on education and learning in museums. She has worked on programs and projects including National History Day in Ohio, 1950s: Building the American Dream exhibit at the Ohio History Center, and the recent expansion of the Armstrong Air & Space Museum. Megan is an active member of the American Association for State and Local History and the American Alliance of Museums.