Over the summer, the Honors and Scholars Alumni Society held elections for three seats on its Board of Governors. The Board is pleased to welcome Greg Johnson, Timothea Letson, and Marissa Ring as newly elected members at large that will each serve a three-year term. The Board also elected Jenna DeCarlo and Jeff Stucke to serve as President and Vice-President, respectively, with Treasurer Tyler Hunt and Secretary Kurt Polzin remaining in their leadership positions for the next year.
The mission of the Society is to enhance the educational experience, further professional development, promote philanthropic engagement, and foster a sense of community for the alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of The Ohio State University Honors and Scholars Center. Learn more about the Honors and Scholars Alumni Society.
Greg Johnson ’97, ’05, ‘24
Dr. Greg Johnson received his Bachelor of Science Degree from The Ohio State University in 1997 and began teaching junior high social studies at West Liberty-Salem Local Schools that same year. After receiving his Master of Arts Degreein Educational Administration from OSU in 2005, he began his tenure as the high school principal for the district and continues to serve in the same position more than twenty years later. In 2024, he earned his Doctor of Education from Ohio State as well.
Greg serves on the Board of Directors for the National Principals Association. His involvement with NPA can be traced back to the school shooting that he and his school experienced in 2017. This event and the extensive recovery period that followed led to Greg’s involvement in the establishment of the NPA Principal Recovery Network in 2019. Sharing his experience and educating others about school leadership during and after a shooting as well as the long and difficult road of recovery has been a passion of Greg’s since 2017. This passion has allowed him to speak at conferences across the country, often accompanied by his wife, three children, and son-in-law. All members of the family were in the school the day of the shooting and each experienced the event and its aftermath differently.
Greg’s greatest passion is his family. He has been married to his wife Crystal for 29 years and they are the proud parents of three adult children. Additionally, he is also passionate about his Ohio State Buckeyes. Greg and Crystal met at Ohio State. All three children are graduates or current students at OSU. Greg was a member of the Honors Program and all three of his children are past or current members of the Mount Leadership Society Scholars Program. Greg enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and granddaughter and looks forward to tailgating on campus with his family and friends as often as possible this season. Go Bucks!
Timothea Letson ‘00
Timothea Letson received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University in 2000. Following her undergraduate studies, she worked as a Congressional fund raiser, working on campaigns in Oregon, Washington D.C., and South Dakota, before attending the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she earned her JD (Go Big 10!).
Professionally, Timothea serves as the Deputy General Counsel at Compass, a high-growth, tech-enabled real estate brokerage. During her eight-year tenure, she has demonstrated exceptional versatility, playing a pivotal role in the company's growth—including advising on Compass’s 2021 IPO and serving as Interim Co-General Counsel. Currently acting as a strategic executive partner, she directs Legal's support of Corporate Strategy, leads Government Affairs, and oversees Legal Operations. Before joining Compass, Timothea practiced in the Employment Group at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and as a Litigation Associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.
Timothea currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, where she and her husband are raising their two sons.
Marissa Ring ‘09
Marissa Ring serves as the Vice President of Strategy and Operations for Teach For America's Recruitment Team. As an alumna of Ohio State’s Honors Program and a Morrill Scholar, she is deeply committed to the transformative power of higher education and community.
Marissa graduated from The Ohio State University with a major in English and minors in Sociology and African and African-American studies. After graduation, Marissa joined Teach For America in Los Angeles, where she taught secondary English. While teaching, she earned a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Administration from Loyola Marymount University. She was named Urban Researcher of the Year for her work on strategies to increase graduation rates for students who had been involved in the criminal justice system. Marissa then joined Teach For America staff and has worked in recruitment, talent strategy, and operations, developing deep expertise in strategic planning, team leadership, and organizational effectiveness.
Marissa also serves on the Board of Directors for Reach University, where she contributes to advancing innovative pathways into the teaching profession through nonprofit governance and strategic oversight.
Marissa lives with her husband, two daughters, and a chihuahua in Victorian Village.