Board Members
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Eugene Hurst, President
Eugene became involved with the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association in 2011 while his wife Stephenie was pregnant with their son Logan. He has been on the board serving as a member at large since 2017. Eugene earned an Associate’s Degree in Avionics from Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics in 1995 and is currently employed by Honeywell Aerospace as a Lead Technician. Eugene currently lives in Urbana, Ohio with his Wife Stephenie and their two sons Logan and Aadon.
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Maurice McDonald, Vice President
Maurice “Mo” McDonald is a Vice President at PESystems, Inc. In his capacity, Mo is responsible for leading the company’s largest contract that includes over 420 positions valued at over $418 million supporting the US Air Force. He manages personnel providing program management, engineering, cyber security, logistics, test and evaluation and administrative support across several locations nationwide.
Prior to joining PESystems, Mo was the Executive Vice President of Aerospace and Defense at the Dayton Development Coalition. He managed partnerships and initiatives across the Dayton region with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), the Springfield Air National Guard Base and the Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center. Mo was responsible for preserving and protecting the federal assets in the Dayton region. In addition, he helped shape the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems strategy and supported the attraction, retention and expansion of Aerospace and Defense related businesses across Ohio.
In addition, Mo was a Senior Program Manager at URS Corporation in Beavercreek, Ohio. He led over $90 million in government contracts, performing business development activities, program management, and recruitment and employee retention in support of the Federal Government.
Mo also served for over two decades in the U.S. Air Force and has a Bachelor’s degree from the US Air Force Academy and a Master’s degree from Georgia College and State University. Mo currently serves as a Trustee on the Clark State Community College Board in Springfield, OH, a member of the Air Force Institute of Technology Foundation Board and a member of the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association Board. He resides in Xenia, OH with his wife Sylvia and his two sons Michael and William. Mo hails from Cleveland, OH and is an avid Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians fan.
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Melissa Galbreath, Recording Secretary
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Mark Sarver, Treasurer
Mark Sarver became a board member at large in 2020 and Treasurer in 2021. Mark works for Fifth Third Bank as a Business Banking Relationship Manager. He served on several boards and earned a Bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University. Mark lives in Centerville with his wife and two children.
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Rachel Abshear, Board Member
Awaiting full bio.
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Lauren Becker, Board Member
Lauren M. Becker, MOT, OTR/L. Lauren Becker is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and a native Daytonian. She attended Sinclair Community College and Xavier University where she earned an Associate's of Applied Science Degree, a Bachelor's of Liberal Arts with Concentration in Human Occupation Studies and a Masters in Occupational Therapy.
She is currently employed by Greene County Educational Service Center where she works in the school system with students ranging from 3-22 years of age. She previously worked in early intervention for the P.A.C.E. Program of Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Her passion is to help individuals find independence and purpose in life, as well as help bring better understanding and inclusiveness throughout society for diverse abilities.
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Emily Kocjan, Board Member
Emily is currently a pediatric occupational therapist at Therapy Connections, LLC in Beavercreek. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work and her master’s degree in occupational therapy. Emily is originally from Cleveland and has relocated to the Dayton area. In her free time she enjoys the outdoors, traveling, exercising, trying new recipes, reading, and spending time with friends and family. She is passionate about supporting peoples engagement in meaningful activities and creating a more inclusive society.
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Dr. Kelly Liker, Board Member
Kelly is currently the Medical Director of Child Advocacy at Dayton Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Wright State University. Dr. Liker obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas in San Antonio. She completed her pediatrics training and chief resident year at Holtz Children’s Hospital, University of Miami, in Miami, Florida. She completed her fellowship training in child maltreatment at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. Kelly is originally from Chicago and new to Ohio. Her work includes collaborating with community agencies to recognize, prevent, and protect children from various types of abuse and neglect. She is also a member of the Montgomery County Child Fatality Review Team. She very much enjoys teaching medical trainees and members of the community on topics in pediatrics and in child abuse and neglect.
Kelly has a teenage cousin with Down syndrome who has been an influential person in her life, motivating her to dedicate her time and energy to improving the lives of those with Down syndrome and their families. -
Cheryl Woodward, Board Member
Cheryl Woodward became involved with the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association in 2009 while pregnant with her son, Eli who was born with Down Syndrome. She has been on the board serving as the Vice President since 2015. Cheryl works in marketing for Premier Health and is also a certified athletic trainer and a licensed real estate agent with HER Realtors. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Cheryl lives in Covington with her partner and 2 children.
Staff Members
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Willie Cox, Executive Director
Willie is a management and leadership professional experienced in growing an organization from inception to a fully functioning corporate entity. He has spent the last 15 years in non-profit executive leadership. He is accomplished in oral and written communications, and the facilitation of employee training. He has earned degrees in leadership, communication, management and liberal arts. He most recently attained a Bachelor degree in Organizational Leadership in 2017, from Wittenberg University.
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Chris Steiner, Office Administrator
Chris Steiner is the MVDSA Office Administrator. Chris has two Associate degrees from Sinclair Community College: one in Communication and one in American Sign Language Interpreting. Prior to working for the MVDSA and completing her schooling, she worked in the Financial Services industry for approximately ten years and served twenty years in the Ohio Air National Guard. Chris enjoys cooking, grilling during the summers, and reading. She is also an active member in the American Legion Post 526.
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Jackie Ward, Community Engagement Coordinator (North)
Awaiting full bio.
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Mary Topp, Community Engagement Coordinator (North)