Director of Player Development – Mens’s Basketball | The Ohio State University

James Penn (born January 9, 1977) also known by his famous nickname “Scoonie” is a two time NCAA All-American, and an Ohio State University Hall of Fame Basketball Player. Scoonie played point guard for Boston College where he was both Big East Freshman of the Year and 1st Team All Big East. After transferring to The Ohio State University following his sophomore season. Scoonie was a two time NCAA All-American while leading the Buckeyes to the 1999 Final Four.  He was also named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 1999 in addition to winning the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in 2000 as the nation’s top senior under 6 feet tall.  He ended his career at The Ohio State University as the all-time leader in 3 point field goals made.

Scoonie was drafted in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Scoonie’s professional career afforded him the opportunity to play basketball internationally, where he accumulated a number of awards and titles playing for some of Europe’s most historic clubs, such as Olympiacos.  Once his playing years were over, Scoonie tapped into his passion as an entrepreneur and a motivational speaker.  Using his life experiences to motivate and shape the minds of young children, Scoonie translated his passion to win into a corporate message of success.  Scoonie can also be seen on television working as a basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network.

Penn enters his first season as Ohio State’s director of player development (2017).

Scoonie holds a bachelors degree from The Ohio State University. He is the recipient of numerous community and sports achievement awards.  Scoonie currently resides in Columbus, OH with his wife Nancy and their four children.

Professional Bio

Head Men’s Basketball Coach | Denison University 

Bob Ghiloni is the Head Men’s Basketball coach at Denison University. He will be returning for his 16th season with the Big Red Men’s Basketball team in 2016-17. During his tenure in Granville he has led the DU basketball program to 11 North Coast Athletic Conference tournament appearances including a berth in the championship game in 2011-12.

In 2014-15 Denison finished the year with a 13-13 record while logging wins over nationally ranked opponents, DePauw, Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster.

In 2011-12 Ghiloni and the Big Red put together one of the most impressive finishes to a season in school history as they went 6-2 over the final month of play to secure the No. 5 seed in the NCAC Tournament.  As the fifth seed, DU rolled into Crawfordsville, Ind. for the second time in less than a month.  Trailing by 13 in the second half, a 17-0 run by senior Larry Farmer put the Big Red ahead and secured DU’s place in the conference semifinals.

The late season magic continued as the Big Red turned a solid performance against host and top-seeded Wittenberg into an eight-point win and the program’s first berth to the NCAC Tournament title game.  In the conference final, Denison pushed second-seeded Wooster to the limit, but fell just short of their first NCAC Tournament crown.

In 2004-05, Ghiloni was named NCAC Coach of the Year after posting the program’s first winning season in seven years.

Ghiloni came to Denison from Bishop Ready High School in Columbus (Ohio) where he was the head coach of the Silver Knights boys’ basketball program for 15 seasons. In 2001-02, Ghiloni’s Ready squad posted an impressive 23-5 record and reached the state tournament championship finals in Division III.

In his 15-year run at Ready, Ghiloni directed a dramatic turn around in the boys’ basketball program which resulted in six consecutive winning seasons, two district championships and the 2001-02 trip to the state championship. In 2002, Ready won its first Central Catholic League championship since 1979 and made its first state tournament appearance since 1973. After having earned Central District Division III Coach of the Year honors five times.

Along with his coaching duties, Ghiloni was director of admissions at Ready and also has served as director of student and academic affairs and director of guidance. He has also taught courses in world history and American history.

Prior to coaching at Ready, Ghiloni spent three seasons as an assistant basketball coach at Capital University in Columbus. Also included in Ghiloni’s extensive professional background are two more Columbus coaching stints as an assistant with Ohio Dominican (1983-1984) and St. Francis DeSales High School (1981-1983). Ghiloni has also served as an instructor and administrator for several local and regional basketball camps.

A native of nearby Newark, Ohio, Ghiloni graduated from Ohio State University in 1981 with a bachelor of science degree in secondary education. He earned his master of science degree in education from the University of Dayton in 1985.

Before transferring to Ohio State as an undergraduate, Ghiloni attended OSU’s Newark campus for two years and played collegiate basketball there. While at OSU-Newark he served as team captain and earned several honors, including the Coach’s Award and the McGrevey Scholar-Athlete Award. He played his secondary school basketball at St. Peter and Paul Seminary High School in Newark, graduating in 1975.

At Denison, Ghiloni’s appointment also includes academic rank as an assistant professor on the faculty of the University’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation.

Ghiloni and his wife, Molly, have two daughters, Danielle and Andrea and currently live in Columbus.

Professional Bio

Chief of Asset Management | Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing

The NeXT Basketball Foundation’s first Board President, a position he held for three years, and one of the organization’s original Founding Members, Mr. DiBlasi has been instrumental in the growth and successes of NeXT. Tony has 25+ years of experience within the not-for-profit sector having served National Church Residences, Assistance Dogs of America Inc. and Leadership Worthington.  Over the years, he has been involved with all aspects of operations including long-range strategic and business planning, grant writing, budgeting, marketing and branding initiatives, coordinating special events and building and deploying innovative technology solutions.  He also has extensive experience in establishing and promoting strong organizational and board governance structures. 

For the past 12+ years, Mr. DiBlasi has served Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, an Ohio-based not-for-profit organization involved in the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable housing in Ohio and Kentucky.  In his role as Chief of Asset Management and as a member of the executive management team, Mr. DiBlasi establishes the strategic direction for his department and leads a professional team of Asset Managers and Compliance staff overseeing an affordable housing portfolio representing $3.25B in equity from its investment partners.  Being recognized as a leader within the affordable housing industry he frequently presents at national conferences and holds countless professional certifications.

Mr. DiBlasi lives in Powell with his wife Linda and son Vitaly.  He is an amateur videographer and enjoys spending quality time with his family biking, swimming, playing golf and basketball.

Professional Bio

Chief Strategist

DIAMOND ~ Transformational Leadership Consulting, Ltd.

Dr. Irwin is an Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant specializing in Talent Strategy, Leadership Branding and Executive Development. Prior to this, Dr. Irwin spent more than 16 years as a Human Resources executive with The Procter & Gamble Company leading enterprise-wide, cultural enrichment with critical focus on Executive Staffing and Succession Planning, Leadership Development, Talent Management and Organization Effectiveness. Dr. Irwin is best known for her role in transforming the face of P&G Leadership Development and Talent Management with new-to-the-world tools, systems and best practices, earning P&G the honor of being named the #1 Company for Leaders. For more than 25 years, Dr. Irwin has been a student of the mental sciences with particular interest in the study of the mental faculties and their influence on success and failures in an individual’s life and career. Dr. Irwin has applied this study to the world of business with great success to help organizations, and the people within, to perform at their peak.

Vice President of Business Development | Buckeye State Bank

Former OSU football quarterback and played in the Canadian Football League. Sports analyst for Big Ten Network and WTVN 610. Also Owner and Business Development Officer at Buckeye State Bank and member of Buckeye Nation Investment Group.

Senior Pastor | Linworth Baptist Church

Brent graduated from Cedarville University in 1998. He was a 4 year letter winner and two year captain on the Yellow Jacket Basketball team. Following his time at Cedarville he pursued his Masters of Divinity degree at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.

Brent is currently the Senior Pastor at Linworth Baptist Church in Worthington.

He has been married to Gillian for sixteen years and has four children, Lydia, Caleb, CJ, and Lucy.

Men’s Head Baseball Coach – The Ohio State University

Greg Beals, a Springfield, Ohio, native with 22 years of coaching experience, including eight years as head coach at Ball State where he won 243 games and three Mid-American Conference West Division championships, is in his sixth season as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Beals was named to his position June 17, 2010, following a national search to replace the winningest coach in school history, Bob Todd.

This hands-on teacher, team-builder, program-builder, family man – he and his wife Kathy, a four-year basketball letterwinner at Kent State, have three daughters: Kayla, Amber and Morgan – and administrator was clearly the right choice to assume responsibilities of coaching the oldest sport on Ohio State’s campus.

During the interview process, Beals left the search committee somewhat stunned and speechless for a few moments when he initially introduced himself to the group. He spoke of families, including his personal family, his Athletics Department family and the family of young men he developed at Ball State. He also spoke of his career in the sport as a player and coach, and his strong desire – no, make that life-long dream bordering on passion – to be the next baseball coach at the state school located just an hour from his home town.

The committee of Ohio State administrators plus senior baseball players Tyler Engle and Dean Wolosiansky then proceeded to learn much more about this Springfield, Ohio native who has bachelor’s (1995; human movement studies) and master’s (1999; sports administration) degrees from Kent State, where he also played four years of baseball.

The committee liked what it heard, it liked the sincerity of his delivery, his enthusiasm for engaging various audiences – the surrounding community, alumni, the University as a whole and potential recruits – and his goal of taking Ohio State back to the College World Series.

“I cannot tell you how excited I am about this opportunity,” Beals said in 2010 at his introductory press conference. “I look forward to donning the Ohio State Block `O’ cap and representing The Ohio State University. I have surrounded myself with great people – administrators, coaches and student-athletes – that I will be forever grateful to. Now I join an Athletics Department that embraces the motto `You Win with People.'”

Beals led Ball State to a 243-202 record in his eight seasons as coach with three seasons of 36-or-more victories. After setting the school record for a first-year coach with 36 wins in 2003, Beals led the Cardinals to consecutive 38-win seasons, including the NCAA Regional appearance in 2006 – Ball State’s first NCAA Regional since 1969 – and to MAC West Division crowns in 2003, 2005 and 2009.

Prior to his position at Ball State, he was an assistant coach for nine seasons at his alma mater, Kent State. He was a part of three Golden Flash teams to make an NCAA Regional – 1994, 2001 and 2002 – and three that won MAC championships. He also worked with 21 players who would sign professional contracts and 17 who would be named to the MAC all-academic team.

Beals, who spent three seasons in the New York Mets’ farm system after his playing career at Kent State, attended Kenton Ridge High School in Springfield, Ohio, where he played baseball under Coach Tom Randall, a member of the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame.

Full Bio

Owner & Managing Partner | Insurance & Risk Management of Florida

Consultant | Kaiser Consulting

Wendy is a highly respected CPA with over 19 years experience in audit, compliance and financial analysis with Deloitte and Touche. While working in public accounting she successfully assisted two companies through their initial public offerings.  With excellent project- managernent skills and expertise in training, Wendy is a strong certified public accountant.  Currently she is a Project Manager (Audit Consultant / Financial Analyst) with Kaiser Consulting.

Wendy is a Miami University graduate where she played varsity volleyball all four years, and was a team member of the 1990 MAC Conference Championship team.  Wendy is wonderful wife and mother.  She is married to Chris and they have three children: Jackson, Claire & Logan.

Senior Manager, Quality Management | Alliance Data

Organizational leader with over 23 years’ experience in brand marketing support.  During her career, Kari has held many roles within the organization including Operations, Marketing Execution & Quality Management.   Throughout her career, Kari has been dedicated to leading and developing individuals and teams both professionally and personally.   

Kari has a passion for youth sports and basketball. She has volunteered in many capacities to support youth sports and school activities from managing schedules, corralling coaches and fundraising efforts over the years.     

Kari lives in Westerville with her husband Mike and they have two children Morgan and Tripp.  She enjoys music concerts of all genres, basketball and golf.

The Bailey Family

L-R: Addison, Austin, Logan, Rhonda, Reese, Shawn, Bryce & Ryan

Shawn is Director of Business Development at NBC4/Columbus, Ohio (Nexstar Media) and the President/Founder of Reid, William & Reese Consulting – a recruiting firm that specializes in partnering great companies with great people. 

Shawn was born in Circleville, Ohio on January 12, 1965 to Jake and Chris Bailey. He graduated from Hilliard High School in Hilliard, Ohio in June 1983, and graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech/English in June 1987. Shawn was a three-year men’s basketball team letterman and a tri-captain his senior year along with his fellow teammates, Steve Iannarino and Don Mewhort. While at Wittenberg Shawn was a part of a senior class that won over 94 games in their college career and finished third in the country during the 1987 DIII NCAA tournament. Shawn was the recipient of the men’s basketball “Tiger Award” his senior year as voted by his teammates.

Upon graduating from Wittenberg, Shawn moved to West Palm Beach, FL. in the summer of 1983 to begin a career in the pharmaceutical industry with Marion Laboratories, an Overland Park, Mo. based company founded by the great Ewing Kauffman. Shawn relocated to Columbus, Ohio in 1992 and has spent the last 27 years in central Ohio as a professional sales representative for three fortune 500 companies: Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, International Paper and Georgia Pacific, and with Sinclair Broadcasting, one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country. Shawn is currently in his 32nd year as an account executive and sales professional.

Over the past year Shawn has embarked upon one of the greatest endeavors of his life- the creation of The NeXT Basketball Foundation, where he became the Executive Director of the non-profit organization in August of 2015.

Over the past year Shawn has had the distinct pleasure and privilege to develop something special with a team of individuals that share his passion, perspective and vision centered on changing how we evaluate success in youth sports. It is his belief that the metric employed by our society to measure success in youth athletics is a flawed and failing model. 

Shawn’s belief is we can do better.

The NeXT Basketball Foundation began with one single thought: to create a cultural shift in the field of youth athletics by changing how we as a society thinks, evaluates and competes within youth sports. The mission of NeXT is to develop young people for the NeXT phase of their lives through the game of basketball, while at the same time, creating future leaders through community service and community initiatives.

Shawn’s foundation is a great example of when a vision/message resonates with a group of people, at the grassroots level, how swiftly and powerfully it can build momentum and grow. The NeXT Basketball Foundation has a motto that states: “We All Got NeXT.” Every adult that participates in youth sports has the tremendous responsibility, and opportunity, to aid each player’s parents in properly developing their children, the NeXT generation of adults, to be productive citizens and in becoming actively engaged members within their given community in the future. We at NeXT want to take this important and valuable time in a child’s life, while they’re participating in youth sports, and maximize the impact.

Shawn’s main objective is to create an environment through community “give-back” initiatives where each young person will develop a heart and mind that is socially conscious, civic minded, and community driven.

Shawn truly believes you can’t lead until you humble yourself and serve.

For Shawn’s effort he was named an Out-of-Territory Winner for Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach Award in March of 2016.

PCA annually honors youth and high school sports coaches from throughout the U.S. who embody the ideals of the Double-Goal Coach® who strives to win, while also pursuing the even more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. His selection as an Out-of-Territory Winner (130 selected out over 2400 candidates in the country) qualified Shawn as a National Finalist for our Double-Goal Coach Award.

Shawn currently lives in Powell, Oh. with his wife, Rhonda and his family. Shawn is the proud father of five boys: Logan, Austin, Bryce, Ryan and Addison, and one daughter, Reese – his youngest child.

Reid William & Reese | Consulting

Basketball Legend to Education Innovator

Jerry Lucas is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. Lucas is one of only three players in history to win championships at every level (high school, college, NBA, Olympics); was named one of the Top Fifty players in NBA history; and named one of the Top 15 All-Time March Madness Players. However, it is his work off the court that he is most passionate about.

Before becoming “Dr. Memory™”, the leading authority on memory training and learning systems, Lucas became a legend on the hardwood. It started in high school in Middletown, OH. He was the only three-time Ohio High School Player of the Year, a three-time First Team All-American and a two-time National Player of the Year. His team won two State Championships and amassed an incredible 76 game winning streak.

While every university in the country was vying for his talents, Lucas stayed at home to play for Ohio State and the legend grew. He was a three-time All-American and a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year while leading Ohio State to a National Championship in 1960. With an unmatched combination of scoring and rebounding prowess, Lucas was the only player to lead the nation in rebounding and field goal percentage three times; was the only player to have 30 points and 30 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game, as well as the only player to ever achieve those astounding numbers against a UCLA team coached by the great John Wooden.

Lucas closed out his amazing collegiate career twice being named National Player of the Year; as the leading rebounder in Big Ten History; a three-time First Team All-American, and in what seemed to be a foreshadowing of the future, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Ohio State. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named Lucas one of the five most outstanding college basketball players of the 20^th century when he was named to their Team of the Ages.

The greatness on the court continued when he represented our country in the 1960 Olympic Games. Lucas helped Team USA capture the gold medal as he led the team in scoring and rebounding. Lucas holds the Olympic field goal percentage mark at an astounding 84% shooting.

The next stop for Lucas was the National Basketball Association as he continued to shine. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 1963-64 season with the Cincinnati Royals. While playing in his home state, he was one of the league’s most popular players, and one of its best. When Cleveland was trying to secure an NBA franchise, they had the Royals play several games in the city due to Lucas’ popularity and that, ultimately, helped Cleveland secure the Cavaliers as an expansion franchise.

During his career Lucas was a 7-time All-Pro, was the NBA All-Star Game MVP and is the only forward in league history to pull down 40 rebounds in a game. In 1973, he was a member of the New York Knicks World Championship team. He retired from the game with time remaining on his contract to pursue his passion of education. Lucas was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.

Lucas’ passion for education and memory was evident from childhood and grew throughout his life. As a boy, he constantly challenged himself with mental games to test his memory. He learned early on that the key to being a successful student took knowing not only how to learn, but also how to retain that learned information. 

Lucas, a self- described “Mad Scientist” when it comes to learning and education, developed a system known as The Lucas Learning System™ and has earned him the title of Dr. Memory™. Through the years, he has taught his memory retention and learning system to millions through seminars, appearances and through sales of his books and CDs. The Memory Book, which he co-authored, was a New York Times Best-Seller and sold over 3.5 million copies. 

Dr. Memory™ is now widely regarded as the world’s leading authority in memory training and learning systems. Lucas’ proven methods encompass his concept known as Learning That Lasts™.

Today, Lucas is taking his learning and memory system to a new level with Dr. M’s Universe™. This interactive web-based digital platform is geared towards making learning fun and easy for kids and adults.

Professional Bio

My name is Jamie Lusher, and I have the privilege of serving as the Executive Director for NeXT Girls’ Basketball Programming. I am extremely humbled and grateful for this opportunity. NeXT is an inspiring organization that will provide our girls with access to the true values of life through the game of basketball. It has been said that in work and in life, if you follow your bliss, unseen hands will open doors of opportunity. It is my goal to provide our athletes with the skills to follow their bliss and look at their future with empowerment and efficacy. Education, to include athletics, should provide our young people with the autonomy to follow their passion and give them the skills to walk through the door of opportunity when it opens. As a part of NeXT, our girls’ basketball program will create young women with a strong sense of self-value and develop an understanding of the power of being a part of something bigger than oneself. Additionally, our girls will break through barriers, mental and physical, to develop confidence through their experience as a team, together.

As a professional, I am grateful to serve the students, staff and community of Grandview Heights Schools as the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer. It is a great honor to be a part of a district with a storied tradition of excellence. The position of Chief Academic Officer offers a unique opportunity to lead and innovate, and focus on teaching and learning to benefit the unique needs of every child. Additionally, I am a professor at Capital University. I teach the foundational course of Educational Leadership (EDUC 550) and Data Analysis & Educational Research (EDUC 555). I have 20 years of experience in the field of education. Formerly, I served the Worthington City Schools as the Coordinator of Academic Achievement. In that role, I was fortunate to develop, lead, implement, and support the improvement of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for 19 schools spanning pre-kindergarten to post-secondary. Prior to my work in Worthington, I was afforded the wonderful and enriching experience to serve as both a middle school and elementary principal. It was my pleasure to serve the students, staffs, and communities of Wilson Hill Elementary and New Albany Middle School. At each stage of my professional work, I have coached basketball. From varsity to youth, boys and girls, the love of players and the game continue to drive my desire to serve!

I am a graduate of Canal Winchester High School. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Akron. I started for the Lady Zips from 1996-2000. I received my Masters of Education Degree from Ashland University. I completed my doctorate and accompanying research on the leadership support of interventions for students through Ohio University. In my research, I completed a national pilot study and factor analysis to develop a survey instrument to determine the Leadership Support of Interventions for Students (LSIS). 

I reside in Powell with my husband Ralph and our children:  Braddock, Tatum, and Avery. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and my yellow lab, Georgia and my miniature schnauzer, Liesl. I love coaching basketball, reading, swimming, running, and attending any and all theatre productions.

Lead Counsel | Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease

Professional Bio

Finance Fund Capital Corporation

Executive Vice President, General Counsel

Andrew Swary is the Executive Vice President, General Counsel of Finance Fund and Finance Fund Capital Corporation (FCAP). A member of the Executive Team, Andrew manages all legal matters and leads the Legal Team and the New Markets Tax Credit Group.

Finance Fund is a statewide nonpro t community development entity that moves public and private sources of capital to economically distressed communities to improve the quality of life for people. FCAP, an a liate of Finance Fund, is a statewide certi ed nonpro t community development nancial institution (CDFI) that provides small business lending to low- to moderate-income communities with focus on healthy foods, community facilities, health and wellness, and education.

Prior to joining the organizations, Andrew worked as a Senior Associate at Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP in Columbus for eight years where he regularly represented for-pro t and non-pro t community development entities (including Finance Fund), investors and lenders in a wide variety of complex community development projects in Ohio and across the country.

Andrew has structured and closed hundreds of real estate, business and community development projects that utilize federal and Ohio new markets tax credits, historic rehabilitation tax credits and other government sponsored or subsidized programs. Andrew also has extensive experience with real estate nance, commercial lending, equity investments, joint ventures, corporate governance, and real estate acquisitions, dispositions and leasing.

Andrew is admitted to practice law in Ohio and New York. He began his legal career as an associate in a large New York law rm, focusing his practice on general corporate matters and representing lenders and nancial institutions in connection with asset-based lending transactions.

A 2013 graduate of the Duke Leadership Program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Andrew received his law degree in 2002 from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where he was a member of the Journal on Dispute Resolution and participated in the summer study abroad program at Oxford University in England. Andrew attended New York University School of Law during his third year of law school. He graduated magna cum laude from Fordham University in 1999, where he received a bachelor of arts in history, was awarded the Mooney History Award (the Fordham History Department’s top student honor) and was elected to Phi Beta K

Danielle Ghiloni Walter is a native of Columbus, Ohio, graduating from Bishop Ready High School in 2002 where she was a varsity athlete in basketball, cross country and track and field as well as valedictorian of her class.  Danielle received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Ohio State University in 2006 and her law degree from DePaul University in 2006.

Danielle worked in the athletics compliance offices at both DePaul University and Ohio State University before joining the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national office in 2009, where she remained for six years.  As an Associate Director at the NCAA, Danielle developed extensive collegiate sports experience related to student-athlete eligibility issues, agent and amateurism concepts, policies regarding academic standards and gender-equity concerns.  Danielle also served as a liaison to coaches’ associations, conducted Youth Clinics at the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Final Four events and led the national Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which is comprised of 32 Division I student-athletes who work to enhance the student-athlete experience, protect student-athlete well-being and promote the engagement of student-athletes at their institutions, in their communities and in the NCAA governance structure.

Danielle currently serves as Of Counsel at the law firm of Carpenter Lipps & Leland in Columbus, where she leads the firm’s NCAA and Title IX compliance practice.  She is also an adjunct professor in the Sport Management program at Ohio Dominican University.

Professional Bio