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Meet Our Board
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Board Officers
Tabitha Hancock
President
Board Member since November 2016
Tabitha is a life-long resident of Newark, where she lives with her husband and three children. She is an IT Security Leader at UberEther. She received her Business Administration degree from Mount Vernon University with a focus in Leadership. She is very active in her church (Christian Apostolic Church) and serves in children’s ministries.
Stephen Gombos
Secretary
Board Member since January 2023
Stephen Gombos is the Laboratory Manager at Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark Ohio. He completed his Medical Laboratory Science Degree at Kent State. In 2013 he joined the Licking Memorial Laboratory Team, and in 2015 he became the Chemistry Supervisor. In 2021 He was named one of Newark’s Top 20 under 40 for his role in helping the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also serves on the Ohio Department of Education’s Industry Advisory Committee for review of health science technologies career field technical content of standards, where he reviews and revises curriculum in Ohio Technical Schools.
He lives in Hanover with his wife Rebeca and two daughters Leah and Rayna where every spring they plant a garden full of tomatoes, peppers and pumpkins.
Natalie Brown
Vice President
Board Member since October 2023
Natalie Brown is the Assistant Vice President of Legal Services and General Counsel for Licking Memorial Health Systems. Her responsibilities focus on corporate compliance, risk management, hospital contracts, confidentiality and privacy issues, and other state and federal regulatory and business needs of the health system. Natalie began her legal career at the Ohio
Attorney General’s Office representing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Medicaid in administrative and civil matters, before joining the Department of Medicaid as Deputy Legal Counsel. Natalie majored in Biology at the University of Dayton (UD) before receiving her Juris Doctor from UD. Personally, she enjoys crafting, being outdoors, and spending time with her family.
Carter Hall
Treasurer
Board Member since March 2024
Since 2013, Carter has been a resident of Licking County. graduated from Denison University with a Bachelor's degree in Economics, with a concentration in Finance. Currently, he is employed at First Federal Savings located in downtown Newark. Carter is passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations and giving back to his community. He and his wife, Jessica have 2 sons. Additionally, he is actively involved in the Christian Apostolic Church in Newark.
Board Members
MARY LOLLO
Board Member since Decemeber 2018
Mary has worked for Newark City Schools for almost 30 years. She is an active member of the 20th Century Club and Camp O’Bannon where she has held many offices over the years. She is a member of the Licking County Republican Executive Committee and was Executive Secretary for 15 years. She also served on the Licking County Board of Elections for eight years and has been active in many campaigns over the years. Mary is happily married to Tim Lollo and has one adult daughter. In her free time she enjoys traveling, gardening, reading and crafting.
RENETTA SHAFFER
Board Member since May 2020
Renetta Shaffer is a life-long resident of Utica. Gardening is in her blood, and was instrumental in her family being able to eat abundantly as a child where her family raised about an acre of garden, and NOTHING went to waste. Restaurant work has aided in Renetta’s love for cooking and experiencing different foods, and thus, leads back to the garden to raise all kinds of healthy foods. Her passion, along with her husband, Dr. Scott Shaffer, is to help people get back to cooking and eating natural foods and getting healthy through what we put in our mouths!!
Renetta is a house manager for our very generous donors, Shawn and Laura King, who first introduced her to Together We Grow Community Gardens. She also works with her husband as office manager in Shaffer Chiropractic in Utica.
JERI GOOD
Board Member since July 2022
Jeri Good retired from Nestlé USA in the Los Angeles area where she worked in the Communications and Digital division. Jeri grew up in Newark and moved back to the area in 2020. She also serves on the board of the Licking County Community Center and Catholic Social Services. She enjoys volunteering at the Midland Theater, Newark Police Citizens Academy, and the Downtown Newark Association. Jeri was a first time gardener in 2022 and encourages others to give it a try.
Paula Parlett
Board Member since November 2023
Lance Humphrey
Board Member since June 2023
Lance Humphrey is a retired Veteran of the United States Air Force. Within his 20 years of service, he managed multiple crews for Flight Line Operations in both training and deployed theaters. Of the many places around the world that he was stationed, his family’s favorite location was living in a small village just North of Venice, Italy. After retirement in 2019 he returned home to Newark Ohio where he was born and raised. He now manages all plant functions at the Hebron Facility for Tectum Inc - Armstrong World Industries. Happily married to his wife Shannon of 23 years they are blessed with four amazing children, Preston, Piper, Poet and Patience. When Lance is not at cheerleading events with his daughters or at the track with his son, he enjoys working in his garage on restoration projects.
