Don DePerro, President and CEO of the Columbus Chamber, previously served as president and publisher of Columbus Business First where he enjoyed a newspaper career that spanned over 30 years. He has been named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Media Advocate of the Year for the state of Florida and has received six American City Eagle Awards for Excellence – the highest honor awarded to American City associates – as both an editor and publisher. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Don remains heavily involved in countless community initiatives. Don and his wife Lia have three children, including one Buckeye, and live in Dublin, Ohio.

Dez has a versed background in a wide range of public policy issues, an insider’s perspective of the legislative process, and contacts throughout Ohio’s Capitol Square. Through his professional experience, he possesses a wealth of knowledge in grassroots campaigns, educating public and elected officials on policy initiatives, and navigating through all levels and branches of government. An alumnus of the Ohio General Assembly, he previously served as Director of Government Affairs for Status Solutions—a company that specializes in situational awareness and risk management technology platforms. At Status, he advocated and lobbied in over nine states and provided Status’ business partners with strategic counsel on how to best navigate and enhance governmental relationships with public and elected officials, state agencies, and trade associations. With his insight and familiarity with Ohio’s governmental and political systems, Dez will lead the government relations efforts for the Columbus Chamber and provide our members with practical guidance and constructive analysis related to important legislative issues and advocate on their behalf to legislators, committees, and other interested stakeholders. An Akron native, Dez is a graduate of Kent State University and the University of Dayton. Outside of the office, he enjoys playing intramural sports, Orangetheory workouts, traveling with his wife Tiffany, and grilling out with friends and family.

As you would expect with any CPA, Kelly is whiz on the 10-key and can calculate finances faster than anybody in the Midwest.  Know that you will never catch her cooking the books, but you might catch her cooking up a storm in the kitchen. With all her amazing math skills, she's also figured out the perfect ratio of ingredients to make an award-winning banana pudding. Just ask anybody in the office who has challenged her during our annual bake-off that we hold each year for our United Way Fundraiser. Kelly graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance. She also holds a Master's degree in Accounting and Financial Management from Keller Graduate School of DeVry in addition to being a CPA.

Born in Cincinnati and a transplant to Central Ohio, Hope has a great passion for Ohio businesses and the community. As an Otterbein University graduate, Hope brings more than 20 years of strategic and creative marketing experience to her role as Vice President of Marketing & Communications at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. As an accomplished leader, marketer, and researcher providing data-driven solutions, she has been recognized for dedicated leadership, ideation, and solution implementation. Prior to joining the Chamber, Hope was the Sr. Director of Sales Marketing and Research for Gannett | USA Today | Dispatch Media Group for nearly 10 years.

Expanding upon her commitment to the Central Ohio community, Hope also serves on the Board of Trustees for the United Way of Central Ohio.

Hope lives in Grove City with her husband, Jason, and has two daughters and four dogs (yes, FOUR!). In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, attending the theater, and volunteering.

Kelly Fuller loves to help people discover and develop their gifts, and as the Chamber’s Vice President of Talent and Workforce Development, she gets to do just that. Her entire career has existed in the workforce development space, beginning at Discover Card in 1986. Now with the Chamber, Kelly works to serve the workforce and economic development needs of its membership and the greater Columbus community.

Kelly is a graduate of Miami University and Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Outside of the office, she is an avid runner, published poet and a mother to her two children. No matter where you might run into Kelly, one thing is certain; she is dedicated in supporting your business to find candidates who will make a difference for your bottom line.

As Vice President of Membership, Lorie Holt uses her experiences from prior roles in non-profit leadership, where she specialized in areas like organizational growth strategies, account management and brand development, to guide the Chamber’s membership and retention efforts. Lorie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. A Columbus native, Lorie enjoys spending her weekend mornings enjoying a stroll through the park with her husband, Jared, and their son, Oliver and their daughter, Annie.

As the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) at the Columbus Chamber Foundation, Sherrice activates systemic change strategies for equity and inclusion in the business community.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Sherrice served as the Director of Change Management at NiSource, one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States. Sherrice spent 19 years at Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company, holding leadership roles in Organization Effectiveness, Talent Management, and Leadership Development.

Sherrice holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus in Organizational Leadership and Management from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University. She cooks with her family and practices yoga in her free time.

Sherrice holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus in Organizational Leadership and Management from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University. She cooks with her family in her free time, creates herbal medicine, and practices yoga.

As Development Director, Danielle uses her expert storytelling to drive support for the Columbus Chamber’s Foundation which focuses on Workforce Development and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access. 

Danielle graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She spent six years with American City Business Journals on the audience team which allowed her to develop a marketing and membership strategy for both Columbus Business First and The Houston Business Journal. While with ACBJ, Danielle became the youngest Audience Development Director in the history of the 43 markets due to her ability to pair business development strategies with tactical marketing methods.

Before joining the Columbus Chamber, Danielle worked at REDI Cincinnati, a nationally ranked economic development organization. She built strategic marketing plans and led digital marketing and lead generation for the region’s four coreindustry sectors. Danielle managed REDI’s website redesign, supported over 200+ project wins and partnered on marketing for the LVI Super Bowl and 2026 World Cup pitch.

Danielle’s passion is for people. She loves to grow business through the stories and experiences of local businesswomen and men in the community.

In her free time, Danielle loves to adventure around with her family. They love to absorb art, culture, and sample cuisines. She resides in Upper Arlington with her husband, daughter, and two rescue cats.

Tim McKelly knows Columbus and he knows it well. As a resident of the Capital City for his entire adult life and with over 25 years of experience in Central Ohio’s sales and marketing field, Tim is the ideal resource for local businesses in the business development sector. When he’s not helping Chamber members increase their visibility, you can find Tim traveling the globe, from New Zealand to Chile and beyond. In fact, Tim helped to organize and lead three photographic safaris to East Africa. An expert multi-tasker and facilitator of connections, you can count on Tim to use his diverse skill set to help your business thrive.

Christine has always been a natural-born connector whether it was for work or personal. This “talent” began for Christine back when she was in high school and continued to follow her through her adventures and journey’s in her hometown of Bloomington, IN, Arizona, California, back to Indiana, and on to OHIO where she landed in 1991. When you meet and talk with Christine, she is more than likely already thinking about how she can connect you with someone else she knows!

Christine lives in Groveport with her husband, two youngest children, cat and dog. She and her husband have three older children who reside on their own and growing their own families. Christine has run a community non-profit for 15 years that supports families in crisis with rent, utilities, car repairs, and medical needs.

Kayleigh was raised in a very small town in eastern Ohio and moved to Columbus after graduating from Muskingum University with a B.A in History and Communication. After working in the events realm for several years, and after graduating with her MEd, she returned to Columbus to accept a role with the City of Gahanna and Gahanna CVB where she spent 4 years planning large community events and outdoor initiatives. She is excited to work with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and help execute the wonderful events and educational sessions. In her free time, Kayleigh enjoys going to the local professional sports matches/games. She also spends time finding the best free live music sessions and festivals to attend during the weekends.

Aaliyah is a proud Lao-American that was raised in a small suburb called Whitehouse in Northwest Ohio. She eventually moved to Columbus in 2016 to pursue a degree at The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business. She graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration, with a specialization in Marketing. She worked in the marketing realm for several years with various internships/jobs, while pursuing a degree at OSU! After graduating with her B.S., she accepted a Marketing position with the Columbus Clippers Baseball Team where she spent 1 year as an intern (during college), and then after graduation, spent 3 years working as the Assistant Director of Marketing, In-Game Entertainment + Promotions, as well as the Director of Social Media for her final year with the Clippers. She is excited to work with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and help provide marketing expertise to the Chamber's members. When Aaliyah isn't in the office, she enjoys going to "happy hour" at local restaurants, and visiting various Metro Parks in Columbus. She also spends time finding concerts to attend, taking her Doberman Silas for walks, traveling, cooking, and boating at Lake Erie.

Mallory Roth hails from Vermilion, Ohio, "A small town on a Great Lake," and holds a B.A. from Wittenberg University in political science. After a short stint as a nanny in Charleston, SC, Mallory made her way to Columbus.  Previously, she worked closely with development, annual fundraising and member engagement. Mallory has experience coordinating and executing annual giving campaigns and membership drives using social media, direct mail and stewardship.  She also has experience with volunteer management and the development of goals-driven strategies to increase awareness of the organization among constituents and the community. Mallory has first-hand experience with small business, as she grew up living in a Bed & Breakfast owned by her parents. When Mallory is not in the office, she enjoys cooking, traveling and relaxing on Lake Erie. She is an avid visitor of Local Cantina on Tuesdays and never passes up a chance to enjoy breakfast at DK Diner.

Chris is a native of Central Ohio, growing up in Whitehall. Chris previously worked at the Columbus Partnership as the Administrative Coordinator for the Smart Columbus team. For Smart Columbus, Chris provided support to the Executive Director, facilitated external engagement, was the go-to contact for engagements at the Smart Columbus Experience Center, served as project manager for two Harvard Business School FIELD Immersion MBA teams, and supported the 2022 Smart Cities Connect Conference & Expo held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Prior to joining the Columbus Partnership, Chris was the owner and principal agent of brand consultancy Stamplify Branding. Through Stamplify, Chris has worked with businesses of all sizes, from local State Farm insurance agency to Wilson Sporting Goods, providing expertise and thought leadership in messaging strategy and engagement execution. In addition to having a unique understanding of the private sector of Columbus, Chris has a deep knowledge of and commitment to supporting the non-profit community, too. Chris currently serves as Treasurer of the Whitehall Education Foundation and is the Vice President of the Roosevelt Foundation. Chris previously served on the United Way of Central Ohio's LINC affinity group steering committee for four years, culminating as chair during the United Way's 2019-2020 campaign year, as well as in the past being a trustee for the boards of the PAST Foundation and Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce, respectively.

Ariana Garvin recently moved to Columbus, Ohio after graduating college at Wittenberg University with a major in Political Science. Ariana grew up in Springfield, Ohio where she worked with their Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau and did outreach for local nonprofits. She has experience with connecting with business owners who share similar goals and passions. Ariana grew up watching her father run his two small businesses and wanting to help in any way she can. Seeing how important small businesses’ success is in a small town, she wants to apply the same level of excitement to Chamber members. Being new to Columbus, she’s looking to dive into the community here and connect with new people. When Ariana has free time, she enjoys trying new local restaurants and coffee shops, spending time with family, or reading a good book.

Becca Shull was born and raised in North Andover Massachusetts, and moved to Columbus after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University. Since moving to Ohio Becca has learned to be an avid Ohio State fan.  With her previous experience with small businesses, she is excited to help support small businesses meet their goals. When Becca is not in the office she is trying new restaurants in Columbus, spending time with her dog Chuck, or hanging out with family.

Nick was born and raised in the far east side of Columbus and after graduating college moved to Victorian Village like a true city dweller. He grew up going to countless CBJ games with his dad and is now an avid fan.

He graduated from Wittenberg University with a double major in Communication and Sports Management. He spent the last 3 years in the healthcare industry where he would help people navigate the complex healthcare system. In his free time, you can find him around town trying all the coffee shops you can think of, being outside, or spending way too long in the Trader Joe's frozen food section.

He is excited to connect with you and make sure that you are getting the most out of your membership with the Columbus Chamber, email him today! (bonus points if you include a picture of your dog)

Holly Gallucci brings more than 15 years of experience with her to the Columbus Chamber as a business-to-business Advertising Account Executive with Columbus Monthly magazine and The Columbus Dispatch. Her familiarity and understanding of central Ohio businesses are most helpful in her role as a Business Development Representative, finding solutions for your company’s needs.

As a graduate of Worthington Kilbourne High School and The Ohio State University, Holly is a true Buckeye with her eye on making our Columbus area partners become even more successful!

When pursuing other interests, Holly is busy being a wife and mom of one daughter, plus two energetic kittens! She also enjoys volunteering at her child’s school, jogging & exercising, socializing with friends, and vacationing in Florida.

Nate McBride was born & raised in Columbus and is passionate for all the sports teams that call Columbus home. While earning his degree at Columbus State, Nate worked his way through school serving tables & bartending for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. After school he worked in business development roles for a few local small businesses in the food & beverage, staffing & recruiting, and technology hardware industries. This previous experience gave Nate a true understanding of small business needs and struggles, which brought him to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. With his radiant positivity, hunter mentality, and competitive drive Nate hopes to be a champion for the Central Ohio business community. Outside of work, Nate co-hosts a couple of sports podcasts. He also enjoys golfing, snowboarding, taking in the Columbus bar & restaurant scene, and spending time with his friends and family.

Will Thieman grew up in Upper Arlington, OH and is passionate to see Central Ohio grow and thrive.  Will graduated from Ohio Wesleyan Cum Laude, and was captain of the tennis team his senior year.  After graduating college, Will entered the real estate world: investing and managing residential real estate and representing buyers and sellers of commercial properties.  During his tenure in commercial real estate, Will strategized with many business owners, and gained a wealth of experience.  He is excited to work with businesses in Central Ohio and help them grow.

While Will is not working at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, he is coaching, writing or traveling.  Will coaches high school tennis, and is the girls coach at Olentangy Liberty and boys coach at Upper Arlington.  Will is the published author of a historical fiction book called Come Back Home, and hopes to publish a few more books.  When he’s not writing or coaching, Will loves to travel.  He’s been to 12 countries and hopes to visit a dozen more!

Kelly Douglas is no stranger to the accounting industry. She brings 22 years of experience to the Chamber and works diligently as its Accounting Clerk to ensure finances are always in order. When she’s not at the Chamber, Kelly enjoys spending time with her son. Their favorite activities include watching movies and playing games - the card game 'War' is their favorite! She enjoys reading, cooking and is a self-proclaimed sucker for reality TV. Kelly is new to Columbus having moved from Mansfield Ohio and she is already in love with her new home!

We could tell you that Laura Kenyon has been with the Columbus Chamber for 17 years and does everything from accounting to operations to database management. But what you really need to know is that she's got a fantastic sense of humor, wins our office chili cook-off every year, is always upbeat, and usually has some pretty amazing candy in her candy dish.  Laura is to the Chamber as Norm is to Cheers. Everybody knows her name and she is a much-appreciated fixture here. Before coming to the Chamber, Laura worked for 13 years at the law firm of Schwartz, Ramirez, Kelm and Warren as Office Services Manager.

Tracy serves as the front line connection to our members; we like to think of her as our Director of First and Last Impressions.  Her warm smile and sweet demeanor make her the perfect person for the job.  She truly cares about each and every member just like she would her own family--and as a mother of four grown boys and grandmother to 12, you know you're in the right hands. When she's not spending time with her family, Tracy explores the healing benefits of essential oils. Before the Columbus Chamber, Tracy was the Day Treatment School Secretary at Rosemont where she served in many positions during her ten year stay assisting children and families in need.