First Responders’ Bridge Team

Hugh has worked in the technology sector most of his career, leading both public and private companies. He has guided his companies into acquisitions, two IPOs, and a host of growth and financing initiatives.

He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of ChromoCare, a leader in genetic testing for patients that focuses on medication compatibility for individuals having problems finding the appropriate drugs for medical conditions.
Hugh is also a 20-year board member of LifeCare Alliance, the largest provider of Meals on Wheels to Central Ohio seniors and the disabled.

Hugh lives in Dublin, OH, and is married with three children.

As assistant prosecuting attorney for Franklin County, Becky gained extensive experience prosecuting a wide variety of Juvenile delinquency, traffic, and bind over cases, as well as Abuse, Neglect and Dependency cases. Additionally, she worked at the Family Drug Court Prosecutor and was appointed to the drug court board. Her areas of specialty include: Family Law, Juvenile Law, Guardian Ad Litem work, and Criminal Law.

She joined Painter & Associates, LLC to represent juveniles in delinquency and traffic cases, to serve as a Guardian Ad Litem, and to represent clients involved in Abuse, Neglect and Dependency cases. Additionally, she handles Victim of Crime Compensation, wills and trusts, estate planning, divorces, and child custody cases.

A very active member of the Central Ohio law enforcement community, Becky holds a JD, Capital University Law School and a BA-Communication, Cleveland State University. She is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary and the Franklin County Drug Court Board.

Brian is an experienced leader with over 20 years in the healthcare industry. He currently serves as President and COO for Mount Carmel Grove City. Brian has tertiary care nursing clinical experience in the cardiac intensive care, mobile intensive care, emergency and prison settings. Brian served in the United States Army and Ohio Army National Guard for 12 years as a flight medic and forward area surgical team specialist. Brian received his master's degree in business psychology accompanied by undergraduate degrees in nursing and organizational leadership. In addition, Brian is a Certified Health and Wellness Coach from the American College of Sports Medicine and an emergency medical technician.

John Householder currently serves as President of Kokosing Construction Company, a Heavy Highway general contractor working in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Kokosing Construction has capabilities including the construction of bridges, mass excavation, underground utilities, concrete paving and asphalt paving. John started with Kokosing out of college in 1991 as a Project Engineer. John ran his first project as Superintendent in 1994 and has since had roles as Lead Estimator, Project Manager, Area Manager and Vice President. John has served on both the Kokosing Advisory Board and more recently on the Kokosing Inc. Board of Directors.

John is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a BS in Construction Management. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s AMP 190. John lives in Delaware, Ohio and is married with two children.

Jason Profitt has been working in the technology field for the past 12 years, being involved in wide range of services from network infrastructure to custom software development. He was previously the Director of Technology at Chepri Interactive, where he led a team of software developers, and participated in the acquisition of new clients, and support of existing. He is currently the Vice President of Technology at Piada Italian Street Food. At Piada, he is responsible for using his technical expertise to improve the digital infrastructure, research new and evolving technology trends, and furthering data analysis.

Jason graduated from The Ohio State University in 2007 with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science & Engineering, with a minor in Business.

Nancy Whetstone is a seasoned marketing and development professional currently serving as philanthropy director at Canine Companions. Since 2019, she has raised over $6M, secured 20+ planned gifts, and excelled in donor stewardship and moves management. With a bachelor's degree in journalism and interpersonal communication from Central Michigan University, Nancy has 15+ years in digital/print communication, marketing, PR, and community relations. She has nearly 20 years of nonprofit leadership, serving on the boards of the Mount Carmel Foundation and Ohio Business Week Foundation.

Nancy's achievements include National Down Syndrome Congress' National Parent Group Award, a PRism Award from PRSA, and a commendation from Ohio Governor Ted Strickland.

Stan Partlow joined AEP in October 2005. Stan recently retired as the Vice President and Chief Security Officer and had responsibility for Cyber Security, Physical Security and Aviation. During his AEP career, Stan has also had responsibility for the AEP motor vehicle fleet, the enterprise procurement function and business continuity.

Prior to joining AEP, Stan served the Law Enforcement community for over 25 years. Stan served the Columbus Division of Police for over 21 years and retired as the Commander of the Detective Bureau. Prior to that Stan served in numerous roles in Patrol, Narcotics, Professional Standards and Training during his tenure as an Officer, Sergeant and Lieutenant.

Stan served as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1984-1988 where he was responsible for conducting a variety of criminal investigations. In his law enforcement career, Stan has supervised dignitary protection details, and has been a member of the protection staff of two Columbus Mayors. He has been a SWAT team member for the Charlotte Division FBI Team, and a member of the Columbus Division of Police Underwater Search and Recovery Team. Stan also served as a Hostage Negotiator for the Columbus Division of Police.

Stan is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Leadership College. Stan holds the designation of Certified Law Enforcement Executive from the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. Stan completed the FBI Domestic Security Executive Academy. Stan earned the Certified Protection Professional certification from ASIS, a worldwide security organization. Stan completed the AEP/OSU Leadership Program and the Executive Level Targeted Development program.

Stan holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Capital University School of Law (1995), a Master of Science degree in Administration from Central Michigan University (1990), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bowling Green State University (1980).

Stan is a member of the Board of Trustees of Franklin University and he serves on the Board of Directors of The Center for Family Safety and Healing. Stan is a founder of the Columbus Police Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors for the Bridge an organization dedicated to mental healing for first responders.

In 1987, Dan founded Signature Control Systems LLC a company specializing in Parking and Access Control Systems service as President/CEO until selling the company in 2012 and retiring.

Dan is a lifelong resident of Columbus, graduated from Eastmoor High School and attended The Ohio State University. Today, Dan spends much of his time with his large family that includes three children and nine grandchildren.

Sam’s purpose in life is striving to make the world a safer place to live, work and play^®

Sam is the Director of Digital Identity and Physical Security for American Electric Power. He is responsible for leading Physical Security and Identity Registration for the corporation, which includes the protection of people, information, and assets. Since joining the company in 2008, Sam has served as a Region Security Coordinator, Security Operations Center Manager and Critical Infrastructure Security Manager. Prior to joining AEP, he served as a National Account Manager for The Wackenhut Corporation, Security Project Manager for Bank of America, and Security Manager for DeGraff Memorial Hospital. Sam has over 25 years of experience in the Security industry with expertise in Utility, Financial, Health Care, Security Operations Center, and Contract Guard Service. Sam is the creator of “Best Friend Friday” a framework to drive change and improve relationships at work and beyond.

Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is a Certified Protection Professional, board certified in security management from ASIS, the largest international security organization. Sam is an NRA certified Firearm Safety, Pistol and Personal Protection instructor, Stop the Bleed instructor and an Emergency Medical Responder. Sam currently serves as chairman of the Edison Electric Institute Security Committee and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the First Responders’ Bridge.

Marie Silver Keister is president and CEO of Murphy Epson, Inc., a Columbus-based marketing, public relations and engagement firm celebrating its 35th anniversary. Marie is a certified planner with the American Planning Association, accredited in public relations by the Public Relations Society of America, and named one of the top 50 women in public relations in the U.S. by PR News.

Marie provides strategic counsel for popular and controversial initiatives to build public support and secure funds for complex public policy initiatives. During her career spanning over three decades, Marie has designed and facilitated 1000+ stakeholder and public meetings, advisory committees, strategic planning sessions and discussion panels to help public and private sector clients build a better world.

Marie is a graduate of The Ohio State University.

As co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of PC Wealth Solutions, Mike brings real-time investment management experience to clients. Prior to forming FC Wealth Solutions, he spent 15 years working on Wall Street as a trader and portfolio manager for some of the industry’s most well-known firms. His previous experience at Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Canada and Hutchin Hill Capital gave him valuable experience in institutional money management. His focus on continual research helps him identify macro trends and strategic investments for client portfolios. His research has enabled him to develop many of the rule-based investment strategies the firm uses for managing client assets and monitoring the markets.

Mike was born and raised in the Columbus area. He earned a bachelor of science in economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an avid follower of the markets and enjoys researching and developing new investment strategies. He also enjoys exercising, spending time with his family and volunteer coaching. He currently lives in Galena with his wife and five kids.

Cardale Jones graduated from Ohio State in 2017. During his college career, he led the Buckeyes to the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship during the 2014-2015 season. His performances against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game, Alabama in the college football semifinals and Oregon in the National Championship are some of the most iconic wins in Ohio State’s coveted history. Cardale played several seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers.

Cardale is a founding partner of The Foundation, a non-profit that raises money to support Ohio State University student athletes through Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), and connects student athletes with local charities.

He is also the Chief Talent Officer for Ten Talents NIL and a football analyst at CBS “Inside College Football.”

Tom Balliett is a creative professional with experience in marketing, business administration, and operations across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, medical devices, education, motorsports, technology, and publishing. His expertise in exploring and implementing innovative ideas is rooted in design thinking methodologies, marketing strategy, and process optimization.

Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design with a specialization in product design from The Ohio State University, complemented by a certificate in Design Thinking and Innovation from the Online Harvard Business School.

As the co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of the International Center for Creativity (ICC) in Dublin, Ohio, Tom oversees business operations and plays a leadership role in shaping the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Under his collective leadership, the ICC delivers a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial + Innovative Design, a Master of Arts in Innovation + Entrepreneurship, and an MBA concentration in Innovation + Entrepreneurship.

Tom's dedication extends beyond the business world. Inspired by the events of September 11, he has served as an EMT/Paramedic in 9-1-1 emergency response in Central Ohio for nearly two decades. He remains an active paramedic, paramedic instructor, and he volunteers at the Grace Clinic. Tom has also held healthcare leadership roles in marketing and EMS product management at Sarnova and Bound Tree Medical. His multifaceted career highlights his commitment to innovation, education, and service, establishing him as a respected leader in both the business and emergency services sectors.

Dr. Malinky received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from John Carroll University in 1971, his Master of Arts degree in psychology from John Carroll University in 1973, and his Ph.D. in psychology from Akron University in 1980.

Research interests include Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity decision making, malingering in civil and criminal cases, and risk assessment for firefighters. Areas of practice include in-house consultation for the Bureau of Disability Determination for 20 years, providing psychological evaluation for Social Security Disability for employers and attorneys, psychological evaluations for the Industrial Commission of Ohio, psychological evaluations for Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, psychological evaluations for private attorneys, Fitness for Duty evaluations for employers and attorneys, court ordered NGRI evaluations due to Battered Women’s Syndrome, evaluation of mitigating circumstances for the first capital punishment case in the Southeast District Federal Court, and providing EMDR treatment to first responders. He also did court ordered evaluation of NGRI through Netcare and in private practice and court ordered evaluations for competency to stand trial through Netcare and in private practice.

Dr. Malinky has practiced psychology for over 30 years. He was a staff psychologist at Columbus Area Community Mental Health Center, United Behavioral Health and Harding Hospital providing him a knowledge base in both private and insurance driven care settings. Dr. Malinky is currently in private practice.

Dr. Warren is a Professor of Clinical Nursing at The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Director of the Psychiatric Nursing Program and Affiliate Faculty for the Kirwin Institute for Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University. Dr. Warren served as the Interim Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program from 2013-2014. She has extensive experience in leadership positions within mental health settings and within nursing.

Having published numerous articles and book chapters on practice, theoretical, and research issues regarding mood disorders and healthcare disparities, she is considered a national expert and consultant in areas of culture, diversity and inclusion within mental health organizations and systems. Dr. Warren is a National Institutes of Mental Health Racial/Ethnic Minority Fellow and Postdoctoral Fellow, a Fellow in the National Academies of Practice, and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Dr. Warren is active in the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) where she served as its National President. Dr. Warren pioneered the Executive Nurse position for the Ohio Department of Mental Health. In this position, she developed policy regarding mental healthcare in the context of recovery and culturally and linguistically appropriate strategies for use within acute and primary care settings. In 2016, she received both the ANA Board of Directors Hildegard Peplau and the APNA Psychiatric Nurse of the Year.

Dr. Warren also has a private practice in which she provides psychotherapeutic, evidence-based interventions for individuals, couples and families.

Lisa Callander has been with the City of Columbus EAP since 1989, providing program administration, clinical services, consultations, trainings, and administering the City EAP. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University, and a Master’s of Social Work from OSU. She has independent licenses in the State of Ohio as a Supervisory level Social Worker, and Supervisory level Chemical Dependency Counselor. Prior to working with the City EAP, Lisa worked in inpatient and outpatient chemical dependency treatment programs.

Lisa has extensive experience in working with first responders, and in the area of critical incident stress response. She serves as a member of the Mid-Ohio and CFD CISM teams and is the Mental Health Advisor for the CPD Peer Assistance Team (PAT).

Ra’Shawd is a native of Youngstown, OH and currently resides in Columbus, OH. He holds a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Youngstown State University. Ra’Shawd is a licensed Professional Counselor certified through the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board. He has over 13 years of direct care experience working with adults, adolescents, small children, first responders, family units and couples.

Prior to his role as an EAP counselor with the City of Columbus, Ra’Shawd served as Associate Director for a local charter school, Counselor Supervisor at a residential treatment facility for adjudicated youth, Program Manager for maternal-child health fatherhood initiatives, and provided individual and intensive family therapy for a number of years. In his work he emphasizes the importance of being trauma-informed and understanding multi-cultural competence in clinical service.

Asst. Chief Bodker joined the Columbus Division of Police in 1994, as a member of the 90th Recruit Class. As an officer he worked in the Linden community within the Patrol Bureau. He also served as a field training officer and was assigned to the Detective Bureau, prior to being promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2005.

As a Sergeant, Asst. Chief Bodker supervised the officers of 2 precinct-C company, in the North Linden community. While serving as a sergeant, Chief Bodker also had the privilege of being selected as a hostage negotiator for the Columbus Division of Police. He also served on the Hostage Negotiation Team and was a member of the Midwest Crisis Negotiators until his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant in 2010.

Chief Bodker served as a Division Lieutenant in the Patrol, Detective and the Professional Standards Bureaus. As a lieutenant, he served as the Incident Commander for special events such as Ohio State Football games, Presidential visits, and protests throughout the City of Columbus. It was also during his time as a lieutenant, that he, along with a core team of law enforcement and mental health professionals formed the Peer Assistance Team.

In 2015, Asst. Chief Bodker was promoted to the rank of commander. He was assigned to lead the Professional Standards Bureau and was honored to represent the Columbus Division of Police in 2017 as it was awarded “Accreditation with Excellence” by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA). In 2016, Chief Bodker was proud to join with Deputy Chief Michael Woods and Commander Mark Lang to lead nearly 200 Columbus Police Officers to Cleveland, Ohio, to address safety concerns, during the Republican National Convention. In 2017, Asst. Chief Bodker was appointed by the Chief of Police to head the Internal Affairs Bureau.

Asst. Chief Bodker grew up and attended high school in Atlanta, Georgia. After high school, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is a graduate of the United States Postal Inspector Training Academy, the 64th session of the Police Executive Leadership College, the Force Science Institute, and the 275th session of the FBI-National Academy. Chief Bodker has received the designation as a Certified Law Enforcement Executive by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

Asst. Chief Bodker and his wife Karen are proud to be the parents of three daughters Bailey, Grace, and Morgan.

Ron McMillin was born and raised in the Columbus area and graduated from Hilliard High School in 1987. He is married with two adult children and two grandchildren. 

Ron retired after 34 years law enforcement experience as the Assistant Chief with the Westerville Division of Police where he served since 2000. His law enforcement career began as a U.S. Army Military Police officer and continued as a police officer in Illinois for nearly 9 years, prior to his appointment with Westerville. He has been fortunate to have served in a wide variety of specialized positions over the course of his career to include; honor guard member, field training officer, bomb technician, SWAT member and team leader, and supervisory roles in all three bureaus at Westerville PD. 

Ron is active in his church and is involved in a youth mentoring program. He received Law Enforcement Chaplain Training through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Critical Incident Stress Management training through the ICISF. He has a unique appreciation for those who willingly put themselves in harms way to protect and serve others and is humbled by the opportunity to serve them. 

Ron also serves as Chaplain for First Responders' Bridge. 

Thomas C. Ullom, is a life-long resident of Westerville and retired from the Westerville Fire Division in 2015. He served as a firefighter for 39 years — 27 of those years assigned to the medic. He was a member of IAFF Local 3480 where he spent eight years as Union President.Following the death of a fellow firefighter, Tom founded the Westerville Fighters’ Memorial which later became First Responders’ Park in Westerville in 2010. Following 9/11, he worked with the New York/New Jersey Port Authority, over the course of seven years, to obtain a piece of steel from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that was part of the federal investigation of the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers. The piece of steel, known as C-40, now stands at First Responders Park.

Tom was inducted into Westerville South High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2011. He received Westerville Sertoma’s Service to Mankind Award for significant and meritorious service in 2009, Westerville Sunrise Rotary’s Service Above Self award and The American Legion’s Firefighter Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Public Service in 2011. Tom was the City of Westerville’s 2009 Employee of the Year. Additionally, Tom was recognized as Sunny 95/CME Federal Credit Union/ThisWeek’s Hometown Hero in 2014. He is a member of the Central Ohio Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM), a member of the Heritage Christian Church’s Safety & Security Team and was a co-facilitator of their 13 week Grief Share Program. Tom was called to New York City by The History Channel to be interviewed for the episode, 9-11: “15 September’s Later,” in 2016.

In retirement Tom loves playing Pickleball.

Mike DeFrancisco retired from the Columbus, Ohio Division of Fire after proudly serving for over 33 years. Mike also served as a law enforcement officer within the division of fire, fire and explosive investigation unit, where he had been assigned for 21 years and has conducted in excess of 2500 fire or explosion investigations. Mike also served as a specialist with the division of fires, bomb squad.

He has an Associate’s Degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University and currently sits on the boards of the Ohio chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Ohio Arson School, and the National Association of Computer Voice Stress Analysts in addition to First Responders' Bridge.

Rhonda Grizzell is a Columbus native and graduate of Hamilton Township High School, who went on to attend Wittenberg University, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She entered the Columbus Division of Police in November of 1994 and spent the next 26 years with the Division, retiring at the rank of Commander. While at CPD, Rhonda attended the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy. She held numerous assignments in CPD as a Bureau Commander, including Patrol, Training, Property Crimes, Wellness, and Community Response Bureau. One legacy she is particularly proud of was her involvement in leading the Columbus Peer Assistance Team to combat the effects of stress and traumatic experiences that officers must face.

In October 2020, she assumed the role of Deputy Chief of Police for Chief Curtis Baker with the Reynoldsburg Division of Police. DC Grizzell has focused on growing RPD’s community service by collaborating with Starfish Assignment Licking County and joining the organization as a board member. Additionally, she has recently joined with several other Columbus suburbs to form the new Metro Peer Team to bring additional mental health resources to suburban agencies. DC Grizzell is excited to continue supporting first responders by joining the board of the First Responders' Bridge.

Steve Cesaro was born and raised in the Steubenville, Ohio area and graduated from Wintersville High School. He is married with four adult children and three grandchildren.

He is currently the Chief of Police for Perry Township Police Department in Dublin, Ohio and is in his 26th year. Starting as a patrol officer in 1998 he was promoted to sergeant, lieutenant and then chief. He has served in a variety of positions during his career to include honor guard, field training officer and coordinator, investigator, shift supervisor and patrol operations supervisor.
Steve has worked many years in the private sector in security, executive protection, firearms instructor to civilians, security, law enforcement and military. He was also a basketball coach for The Hidden Gems basketball organization for seven years mentoring youth players from 13 – 17 years of age.

Since becoming the chief of police in 2021, he has started an officer wellness program, got the department to join the Metro Peer Support Team and expanded the police department’s chaplain program. Steve is honored and excited to be a part of the First Responder’s Bridge to support their mission and goals to help all first responders.