EDUCATIONAL ADVOCATE

This class is dedicated to Brenda Louisin, our North Star, and to every parent of a child with dyslexia who is fighting for their child’s right to read. We believe the least we can do in this shared fight is to offer freely our experience, strength and hope in Brenda’s honor.

PRESIDENT (ODC)

Brett is the parent of three amazing children, one of whom is dyslexic. She has Master’s Degrees in Engineering and Business Administration from the University of Michigan. She is a real estate investor and start-up business consultant. She is the President of OH-KID, a grassroots parent group dedicated to ensuring all children in Ohio learn to read. She is also an advisory board member of the International Dyslexia Association Central Ohio.

SECRETARY (ODC) & WRITER

Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kelli, lives in Columbus, Ohio with her family. She formed and facilitated the Young Writers’ Workshop at the Thurber House (the educational center that honors the legacy of James Thurber) and served for three years as a writer in residence for The Wexner Center for the Arts. She is a published author and worked in television for ten years at Turner Broadcasting before devoting herself full-time to writing and storytelling.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PRODUCER

Los Angeles based, Keida is a film and video producer, director and photographer. He has produced and directed commercials for Walmart and other notable clients, as well as developed and produced the feature Evil Takes Root: The Curse of the Batibat starring Nicholas Gonzalez. Keida’s next film is a dramatic feature New Americans, critically covering the topics of American identity, systemic white supremacy and PTSD, beginning principal photography in 2021.

TREASURER (ODC)

Neil Lynch is a retired financial services executive. In his 24 years with JPMorgan Chase, he served in a variety of leadership positions in marketing, technology, and customer experience across multiple lines of business. In addition, he was a consultant for numerous financial services firms while with Accenture. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelors of Science degree from Vanderbilt University. Neil also serves as Treasurer of another non-profit in Columbus, Ohio.

PHD, CCC-SLP – CONSULTANT

Gayle is a speech-language pathologist, holds an IDA Structured Literacy Certification as a Dyslexia Practitioner, and is an Associate of the Orton-Gillingham Academy (AOGPE). She received her PhD from the Ohio State University, Department of Speech and Hearing Science where she specialized in speech perception in individuals with dyslexia. Gayle is dyslexic, as are all four of her bright, highly-creative children. She is a co-founder of UA- KID.