The Executive Board meets three times each year. The fall meeting is the Thursday evening prior to the conference at the host location of the upcoming conference. The winter meeting is virtual and is held from 10am-2pm on the first Friday in January. The spring meeting is held from 10am-2pm on the first Friday in June at the upcoming conference location and includes a tour of the campus for the Executive Board. The annual business meeting, which is open to all OCA Members, is held as a part lunch on the Saturday of conference weekend in October.
Executive Director
Elycia Taylor
Elycia Taylor (M.A., West Virginia University) is an Assistant Professor and Lead Instructor of Business and Technical Communication at Columbus State Community College. She teaches Communication, Public Relations, Media, and Journalism courses.
The Executive Director is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is three to five years. Elycia was appointed in 2021.
President
Rhiannon B. Kallis (she/her/hers)
Rhiannon B. Kallis (Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania) is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at The University of Akron. Dr. Kallis’s primary research and teaching foci are in Strategic Social Media and Interpersonal Communication.
The President is an elected position. The term of service is two years, followed by two years of service as Immediate Past President. Rhiannon took office in 2024.
Vice President
Phokeng M. Dailey (she/her/hers)
Phokeng M. Dailey (Ph.D., The Ohio State University) is the Vice President for Marketing & Communications, and former Warren C. Fairbanks Endowed Chair of the Department of Journalism & Communication, at Ohio Wesleyan University. Her research and teaching foci are in health communication, the mass media’s role in the racialization of illness/disease and medical decision-making. Prior to entering academia, she worked in visual merchandising and has technical experience with copywriting, mass media messaging and/or corporate branding.
The Vice President is an elected position. The term is two years, followed by two years of service as President. Phokeng took office in 2024.
Immediate Past President
Cody Clemens (he/him/his)
Cody M. Clemens, (Ph.D., Bowling Green State University) is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Management at Ohio University’s College of Business in Athens, Ohio. Dr. Clemens’s primary research and teaching focus are Business, Health, Organizational, Relational, and Gender Communication.
The term of service for the Immediate Past President is two years. Cody served as OCA president from 2022-2024.
Editor-in-Chief for the Ohio Communication Journal
Andrea Meluch (she/her/hers)
Andrea L. Meluch (PhD, Kent State University) is an Associate Professor of Business and Organizational Communication in the School of Communication and Department of Management at The University of Akron, Akron, OH. Her research focuses on the intersections of health, organizational, and instructional communication. Specifically, she is interested in issues of organizational culture, mental health, and social support.
The Journal Editor is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Andrea was appointed in 2025.
Associate Journal Editor for the Ohio Communication Journal
Gwen A. Hullman (she/her/hers)
Gwen A. Hullman (Ph.D., Kent State University) is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at Cleveland State University. Dr. Hullman’s primary research and teaching interests include Conflict Resolution, Mediation, Training and Development, and Conversational Goals.
The Associate Journal Editor is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years, followed by two years as Journal Editor. Gwen was appointed in 2025.
Communication Coordinator
Ryan Eisenhuth (he/him/his)
Ryan Eisenhuth (B.A., Geneva College) is a doctoral student in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Ryan teaches public speaking, argumentation & advocacy, and communication & new technology. Most of his research lies at the intersection of rhetorical theory, media ecology, and religious communication.
The Communication Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Ryan was appointed in 2024.
Conference Coordinator
Melissa Cumberbatch
Melissa Cumberbatch (Ph.D., Ohio University) is an Instructor in the Languages and Communication Department at Columbus State Community College. Melissa is the Lead Instructor of Oral Communication, Introduction to Mass Communication, Introduction to Communication Theory, and Introduction to Film. She teaches Communication and Media courses.
The Conference Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Melissa was appointed in 2024.
Conference Coordinator
Seth M. Smith
Seth M. Smith (M.S., Minnesota State University, Mankato) is an Instructor in the Languages and Communication Department at Columbus State Community College, where he is the Lead Instructor of Interpersonal Communication and Small Group Communication. His administrative work, advising, and teaching have independently been recognized as award-winning.
The Conference Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Seth was appointed in 2024.
Awards Coordinator
Jeff Tyus (he/him/his)
Jeffrey Tyus (Ph.D., Ohio University) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH. Dr. Tyus is also the Graduate Program Director for the MA in Professional Communication program at YSU. He teaches Intercultural Communication, Media Relations Campaigns, Communication Research, and several graduate-level courses.
The Awards Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Jeff was appointed in 2008.
Sponsorship Coordinator
Nancy Jennings
Nancy Jennings (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is a Professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses on children’s media use and their cognitive and social development.
The Sponsorship Coordinator is a position appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is three to five years. Nancy was appointed in 2021.
Archivist
Bill Jennings
William Jennings (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is an Associate Professor in the Department of English & Communication at the University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash. As a career educator, he has taught middle school, high school, undergraduate, and graduate level students in both face to face and online environments. His general research interests focus on the intersection of language, culture, and politics.
The Archivist is a position that is appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of service is two years. Bill was appointed in 2022.
Member-at-Large
Samantha Roberts
Samantha Roberts, M.A., is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Marketing in the College of Business at Ohio University. Professor Roberts specializes in business communication and uses experiential learning to equip students with practical, career-ready communication skills. Her teaching emphasizes helping emerging business professionals develop competence and credibility across written, oral, and digital communication contexts.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a one-year term. Samantha was elected in 2025.
Member-at-Large
Katlin Medjesky (she/her/hers)
Katlin Medjesky (M.A., University of Findlay) holds the position of
Community Outreach Coordinator at the Wood County Health Department, where she develops and manages the agency’s communication and outreach
efforts. With a background in public health communication and a research focus on the intersection of communication theories and public health issues such as ACEs, Katlin utilizes her experiences to make meaningful connections within her community and work.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a two-year term. Katlin was elected in 2025.
Member-at-Large
Mary Catherine Kennedy (she/her/hers)
Mary Catherine Kennedy (Ph.D., Ohio University) is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Management in the College of Business at Ohio University. Dr. Kennedy’s primary research and teaching foci are in Strategic Business Communication, Interpersonal Communication, and Communication and Religion.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a two-year term. Mary was elected in 2024.
Member-at-Large
Mary Olivia Roberts (she/her/hers)
Mary Olivia Roberts (MBA, Youngstown State University; MA, Ohio University) is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Management at the Ohio University College of Business. Mary’s primary area of instruction is Business Communication and Professionalism. She also is a consultant in the healthcare marketing and communication industry.
Member-at-Large is an elected position that serves a two-year term. Mary was elected in 2025.
Graduate Student Representative
Man Luo (she/her/hers)
Man Luo is a Ph.D. candidate at Bowling Green State University School of Media and Communication. Man teaches public speaking, and her research interests are media studies, AI technology, and users’ analysis.
Graduate student representative is an elected position with a 1-year renewable term. Man was elected in 2025.
Graduate Student Representative
Theorose Elikplim Dzineku (she/her/hers)
Theorose Elikplim Dzineku (Kent State University) is a Doctoral student in the College of Communication and Information at Kent State University. Theorose’s primary research is at the intersection of Journalism and Technology. More specifically, she researches how journalists in Africa use technology in news production.
Graduate student representative is an elected position with a 1-year renewable term. Theorose was elected in 2025.
If you’re interested in serving on the Executive Board, contact Rhiannon B. Kallis, OCA President.