Â鶹´«Ã½

August 12, 2022
On Campus

Representing Alumni

Â鶹´«Ã½ Welcomes Four New Members to its Alumni Association Board

Â鶹´«Ã½ recently welcomed four new members to its Alumni Association Board. Committed to serving as a liaison for the University by engaging and connecting the alumni body for the purpose of supporting Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s mission and values, the Alumni Association Board works to encourage alumni engagement in the life of the institution.

"We're proud of the work we do to support our beloved Â鶹´«Ã½ and are eager to welcome this new slate of Alumni Association Board representatives," said Alumni Association Board President Laurice Moore, class of 1995.

Joining the Alumni Board this year are: Ron Baumanis, class of 1982; Justin Dilley, class of 2001; Kari Johnston, class of 2005; and Callan Swaim, class of 2016.

Baumanis returns to the Alumni Association Board after having first served in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He holds a B.A. from Â鶹´«Ã½ in psychology with a minor is speech theatre. He later earned his Ph.D. in counseling psychology followed by a post-doctorate in neuropsychology from New York University. Owner of BrainTrainers brain injury rehabilitation clinic in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Baumanis specializes in holistic cognitive rehabilitation in group settings, runs the clinical program, serves as an expert witness, and has lectured nationwide about his program.

During his time at Â鶹´«Ã½, Baumanis was involved in the psychology program as a teaching assistant, was a varsity football cheerleader, and participated in the theatre program, along with other campus organizations. He continues to remain involved in his Ann Arbor community, where he directs and performs in musical theatre productions. A member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society professional theatre directors’ union, Baumanis has also remained active at Â鶹´«Ã½ where he has participated in career days, educational panels in several different programs, and alumni/student outreach activities. 

Dilley was a double major at Â鶹´«Ã½, obtaining a degree in theatre and an interdisciplinary degree in communication studies. He went on to earn his MA in applied theatre at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. After spending years creating and teaching performing arts programs in public and private schools, he co-founded a performing arts company with fellow Â鶹´«Ã½ graduates. He also performed regionally on Boston and New York City stages, and worked as a church musician in Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Almost a decade later, Dilley embraced an opportunity in the Software as a Service (SaaS) startup space, eventually becoming a sales leader for a pioneer company in the proptech industry. He recently co-founded Fourthwall Advisors, a niche advisory group for the tech and real estate space.

Currently working on the Strategic Account with MRI, a global real estate software company headquartered in Ohio, Dilley founded the Iota Beta chapter of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was also a member of Wittmen Crew, wrote for both The Torch and Â鶹´«Ã½ Magazine, performed in The Â鶹´«Ã½ Choir, and was active in theatre and music performance. A resident of Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and son, Dilley continues to teach private music lessons and perform or direct professionally in the metro area.

Johnston earned her degree in sociology from Â鶹´«Ã½. After graduating, she spent 14 years in corporate America before deciding to go into business for herself. In 2020, she opened Rose City Boutique & Consulting, located about a block from Â鶹´«Ã½'s campus. This year, she also added property management for a local Airbnb to her business ventures. 

While at Witt, she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and spent a year in the Â鶹´«Ã½ Choir. Johnston currently resides in Springfield, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, 15-year old son, Noah, two dogs, and a cat. The family enjoys Friday nights watching the Springfield Wildcat Marching Band and traveling when they can find time away from running their small business.

Currently based in New York City, Swaim works in leadership development at the travel tech company Expedia Group, building high-performing teams and high-impact executive leaders. 

During her time at Â鶹´«Ã½, Swaim was a member of the 2015 NCAA national runner up volleyball team, a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and president of the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society. She also enjoyed hammocking with friends out in the hollow on summer nights.

After graduating from Â鶹´«Ã½, Swaim moved around the United States and traveled internationally with supply chain and account management roles. In May 2018, she acquired her master’s degree in management and leadership through Purdue University Global. In June 2022, she became a professionally certified coach and founded her own leadership coaching company. In her free time, she loves to explore museums, try new cuisines, and adventure with her partner, Martin, as much as she can. 

Â鶹´«Ã½ Alumni Association
The Â鶹´«Ã½ Alumni Association represents more than 26,000 alumni living in every state in the U.S. We are proud to have a large national presence through our alumni chapters across the country in cities such as Columbus, Cincinnati, Denver, and Washington, D.C.
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Cindy Holbrook
Cindy Holbrook
Senior Communications Assistant

About Â鶹´«Ã½

Â鶹´«Ã½'s curriculum has centered on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual's capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination. We are dedicated to active, engaged learning in the core disciplines of the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education grounded in the liberal arts. Known for the quality of our faculty and their teaching, Â鶹´«Ã½ has more Ohio Professors of the Year than any four-year institution in the state. The university has also been recognized nationally for excellence in community service, sustainability, and intercollegiate athletics. Located among the beautiful rolling hills and hollows of Springfield, Ohio, Â鶹´«Ã½ offers more than 100 majors, minors and special programs, enviable student-faculty research opportunities, a unique student success center, service and study options close to home and abroad, a stellar athletics tradition, and successful career preparation.

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