(JULY 14, 2026) The Dayton Foundation is pleased to name current Governing Board members Dr. Cassie B. Barlow as chair and James M. Vaughn, CPA, as vice chair, and to welcome Lisa D. Coker and Joseph A. Zehenny as its newest Board members. The Governing Board provides stewardship for the Foundation and its more than 4,400 charitable funds, which have awarded more than $1.5 billion in grants to charitable organizations since 1921.
Barlow, who succeeds Janice L. Culver, CPA, as chair, will serve a two-year term. She has been a member of the Foundation’s Governing Board since 2019 and previously chaired the Foundation’s Marketing and Public Relations Committee. Most recently, she served as Board vice chair and a member of the Executive Committee. Barlow is the president of SOCHE (Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education), which is focused on the professional development of faculty and staff, as well as the workforce development of students and job seekers. Formerly, she was the 88th Air Base Wing and Installation commander of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the largest air base wing in the United States Air Force with more than 5,000 military, civilian and contractor employees. In recognition of her servant leadership, she was honored in 2019 as a YWCA Woman of Influence and in 2023 as the recipient of the Citizen Legion of Honor Award by the Presidents Club of Dayton.
An active community volunteer, Barlow currently serves on the boards of The Abilities Connection, Archbishop Carroll High School, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, Tait Foundation and Wright Patt Credit Union Sunshine Fund. She formerly served on the boards of the Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter, Blue Star Families and Victoria Theatre Association.
The Foundation also is pleased to announce James Vaughn, CPA, as its new Governing Board vice chair. Vaughn joined the Board in 2019 and has chaired both the Finance and Development committees. He is the vice president of Accounting for Taylor Communications, Inc. (formerly Standard Register), where he has been employed for the past 43 years, working in various senior financial and operational roles. He also serves the community as treasurer of Citizens for Good Libraries (in support of the Dayton Metro Library); development committee member of Five Rivers Health Centers; finance chair of the Oakwood Schools Foundation, a component fund of The Dayton Foundation; finance committee member of St. Albert the Great Catholic Church; and volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Joining the Foundation’s Board for five-year terms are Lisa D. Coker and Joseph A. Zehenny.
Coker is the chief executive officer of Infinite Management Solutions, LLC, a woman- and veteran-owned firm serving middle-market and large organizations across the public and private sectors. A United States Air Force veteran and certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, she partners with C-suite leaders to shape strategy, optimize operations and lead complex initiatives with measurable impact. She currently serves on the Dayton Art Institute Board of Trustees and previously served as the vice president of the Miami Valley Chapter of Women in Defense Board of Directors.
Zehenny formerly served as the managing partner of Arthur Andersen’s Dayton office, the leader of KeyBank’s Dayton commercial banking team and the chief financial officer for DRT Holdings, Inc. He currently works as an independent consultant, advising business owners on complex financial, operational and strategic matters. His background also includes mentoring executive teams through transitions, mergers and acquisitions, and business financing arrangements. His community commitment includes serving as the current chair of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance board, as well as past chair of the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Goodwill Easterseals of the Miami Valley. Zehenny has been a member of eight other boards, including Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School and the Dayton Development Coalition.
About The Dayton Foundation
The Dayton Foundation has been the trusted charitable giving resource for thousands of individuals, families and organizations of all giving levels since 1921. Ranked among the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.5 billion in grants since its founding, with current assets from all funds totaling $1.3 billion. For more information about how The Dayton Foundation can help you help others, visit daytonfoundation.org or follow the Foundation on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram.