Board of trustees

BOARD CHAIR & FINANCE CHAIR – Mary Brown, Berea City Council

Mary Brown retired as the Branch Manager for the U.S. Bank in Berea. She served in that role for 17 years and was in the banking industry for over 30 years. Mary has been a Berea Chamber Board of Trustees member for over 20 years, serving on the Executive Committee for 19 of those 20+ years. She is currently the Board Chair & Finance Chair but has also served as Vice President and President. Mary is passionate about civil service and investing in her local community. She currently serves as Ward 2 Councilperson and previously served as Council-at-Large, Council President, and Ward 5 Councilperson. 

Outside of her professional life, Mary enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, two children and two grandchildren. She and her family reside in Berea.

PRESIDENT – Dr. Nicolette Scott, Broad View Eye Center

Dr. Nicolette Scott earned her Bachelor’s degree in Science Education from The Ohio State University before returning to OSU to complete her Doctorate from the College of Optometry in 2001. She went on to receive her fellowship from the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, with a clinical focus on pediatrics and binocular vision.

Dr. Scott founded her optometry practice, Broad View Eye Center, in 2002 and has grown it to three locations serving the greater Cleveland area, including Berea. She is committed to community eye health, regularly providing vision screenings in local schools and educating children and seniors on the importance of life-long eye health.

She currently serves as President of the Berea Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Scott and her husband Allen, a paramedic-firefighter for the City of Berea, are proud longtime Berea residents and parents to Andy and Libby.

VICE PRESIDENT – Danielle Shaffstall, Generations Senior Living

Danielle serves as the Corporate Director of Public Relations for Generations Senior Living. She graduated with honors from the Ohio State University with a BA in Strategic Communications in 2010.

Danielle has worked with hospitals, assisted livings and skilled nursing facilities for seven years. She is a true patient advocate and is an active member of several organizations in the communities she serves. Prior to the medical field, Danielle obtained her real estate license and worked in the real estate industry for several years.

She lives in Elyria with her husband and two sons and enjoys spending her free time traveling, working out, and visiting her grandma who is a resident at Generations. She joined the Berea Chamber of Commerce board in 2022 and previously served on the board for the Olmsted Chamber of Commerce.

2nd VICE PRESIDENT – Brian Appleby, Northwestern Healthcare

Brian serves as the Administrator for Northwestern Healthcare in Berea.  He has 38 years of experience in the skilled nursing area where he has also served as a Regional Director of Operations overseeing the northern part of the state. In his roles he has also served in the assisted living side of the long-term care industry and has overseen Dementia related facilities as a Certified Dementia Practitioner.

Brian received his bachelor’s degree in human resources from the University of Akron and later went to Ohio State University to become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. While working in skilled nursing, he was on the HR Committee for AOPHA which helped with HR related concerns involving the long-term care industry and the issues they face with the workforce.

Brian lives in Berea with his wife, Michelle, and his two sons, Jacob and Justin. He loves reading, being a grandpa, fishing, and riding his motorcycle through the Metroparks.

LEGAL ADVISOR – Phil Henry, Phillips & Mille Co, LPA

Phillip J. Henry lives in Berea with his wife, JoAnn and their three children.  Mr. Henry is a Managing Attorney with Phillips & Mille Co., L.P.A.    Mr. Henry is experienced in the following types of litigation: consumer protection, foreclosure, commercial litigation, collections, corporate disputes, criminal defense, personal injury, medical malpractice, appellate advocacy and also practices in the area of corporate law.  Mr. Henry is a member of the Ohio Bar Association and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Associations.  Mr. Henry was named as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Mr. Henry is an active member of St. Adalbert’s Parish in Berea, where he serves as a Eucharistic Minister and a team leader for weekly collections.  He also served as President on St. Adalbert’s Parish Council.  Mr. Henry is a member of the Berea-Midpark Middle School and Berea-Midpark High School PTAs, serves on the Board of Trustees for the Berea Chamber of Commerce and the Middleburg Heights Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of Business Network International (BNI).  Mr. Henry has volunteered with Junior Achievement for the past 7 years at Grindstone Elementary, was a Den Leader for Cub Scout Pack 107 for 4 years, and has been a head coach with Lou Groza Football and Berea Youth Soccer Club.

Mr. Henry graduated from the University of Toledo in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and from the University of Akron School of law in 1999 with a Juris Doctor degree.

Cristina Capretta, Berea City School District

Cristina Capretta has served as the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for the Berea City School District since 2015. She oversees internal and external communication efforts, including media relations, digital and print publications, and social media. Her work for the district has been recognized by both the Ohio School Public Relations Association and the National School Public Relations Association. She has worked in both the private and public sectors specializing in marketing, graphic design, public relations, event planning, development, and communications for over 15 years.

Cynthia Cekanski, Saber Healthcare Group

Cynthia Cekanski has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Beginning her career as a Registered Nurse, Cynthia spent many years serving labor and delivery patients. In 2000, she became a licensed nursing home administrator and spent nearly a decade with HCR ManorCare. In 2009, she moved to CommuniCare Health Services where she oversaw a number of different facilities, many of which were located in Berea. She currently serves as Regional Vice President of Operations for Saber Healthcare Group.

Cynthia has been involved with the Berea Chamber Board of Trustees since 2007 and has served as a member of the Executive Committee since 2013. She currently serves as the Chairman of the Board. In addition to the Berea Chamber of Commerce, Cynthia is also an active volunteer with the Berea Kiwanis.

Outside of work, Cynthia enjoys skiing, traveling and spending time with her husband and three children. She and her husband currently reside in Strongsville.

Ryan Davis, WestPoint Wealth Management

Ryan Davis serves on the Berea Chamber of Commerce Board, bringing a strong background in relationship-building, leadership, and community engagement. He previously served on the Board of Education for Albert Einstein Academy and is a former board member of Hope 4 Africa, where he supported initiatives focused on small business microloans and economic development.

Ryan is a graduate of Geneva College and holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Luther Rice College. His professional and volunteer experiences reflect a consistent commitment to helping individuals and organizations grow through thoughtful leadership and meaningful connections.

He currently works in Client Services at WestPoint Wealth Management in downtown Berea, where he focuses on supporting clients and fostering long-term relationships.

Ryan has been married to his wife, Summer, for 25 years, and together they have three adult sons. They have called Berea home since 2004, with the exception of two years spent living in Malaysia. In his free time, Ryan enjoys traveling, attending Cleveland sporting events, and working in his yard.

Mike Judge, The Cleveland Browns

Mike Judge is the Director of Ticket Sales for The Cleveland Browns. He has worked with the Browns for 7 years. Mike  holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University. He has served as a Berea Chamber Board of Trustees member since 2020.

Doug Miller, Polaris Career Center

Doug Miller is the Director of Community Outreach at Polaris Career Center, where he has worked in a marketing/PR capacity for over 21 years.  Prior to Polaris, he spent 4 ½ years in the Governor’s Economic Development Offices in Cleveland and Akron, linking area employers to various State and local economic development resources and incentives.  Doug has a BA in Political Science from Kent State University and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Akron.  He also holds a Certificate in Marketing Management from Cleveland State University.  Doug is active in numerous community organizations including chambers and business advisory councils.  He currently serves on three area chamber boards of directors.  He is also a youth/CYO baseball, basketball, football and track coach.  Doug lives in North Ridgeville with his wife, Ann, and two sons, Josh and Drew.

Lisa Palmison, Palm Wellness

Lisa is a Licensed Professional Clinician Counselor and co-owner/founder of Palm Wellness Counseling group located in Berea. She is dually licensed in school and clinical counseling, and has spent the past 18 years working in both public education and mental health counseling settings. She currently works with clients ages 16+ and specializes in treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and women’s issues. Palm Wellness is actively involved with the Chamber of Commerce, and received the 2022 Rising Star Award for positively impacting the community. We also sponsor an annual scholarship honoring resilience at Berea Midpark High School to encourage the continuing education of our local community students. Lisa is proud to serve on the Chamber of Commerce board. Lisa is a Berea High School graduate, and earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from The Ohio State University, and Masters in Education from Kent State University. Lisa lives in Berea with her husband and business partner, Phil, and 2 active sons. She enjoys hiking, reading, cooking and birding in her free time. 

Andy Timko, Fifth Third Bank

Andy Timko serves as a Preferred Relationship Manager at Fifth Third Bank. He has been a Berea Chamber of Commerce Trustee member since 2015 and also serves as a Trustee for the Berea Little Red School House Foundation. He and his family currently reside in Berea.

Lisa Zacharyasz, Luna Team Shop

Lisa and her husband, Gene, have been the owners and operators of Luna Team Shop in downtown Berea for over 20 years. Luna caters to local sports teams, from vintage Berea Braves shirts and sweatshirts to Berea-Midpark Titans gear. They also provide team shirts for dozens of local schools, including St. Mary Elementary in Berea, St. Mary of the Falls in Olmsted Falls, St. Bart’s in Middleburg Heights, and for teams from Olmsted Falls, Westlake, Midview, Strongsville and Brunswick.

She is a dedicated volunteer and active member and advocate for our community. 

She joined the Berea Chamber of Commerce board in 2021

Megan Mikolay, Berea Chamber of Commerce

Megan Mikolay has served as the CEO for the Berea Chamber of Commerce since 2015. She has over 15 years of experience in operations management, executive support and event planning. As a native Berean and graduate of Berea High School, the betterment of our city is a cause that is a personal passion for her. She enjoys the opportunity to work with local businesses and find ways to enhance their footprint in the community through networking opportunities, sponsorships and strategic partnerships. She is a strong believer in the power of networking and has personally seen how it can help businesses grow.

Megan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communication from Ohio University.