Leadership

Karin Wiest – President

Karin is a licensed attorney with a BA from the College of Wooster, JD The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.  She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Wooster, the Wayne County Bar Association and serves on the boards of The College of Wooster Women’s Advisory Board and the League of Women Voters, Wayne County.

Jarrod Hartzler – Vice President

Jarrod is Executive Director of Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and is a former Arts Management Fellow at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Ohio Citizens for the Arts and Wayne Center for the Arts. His past positions include Executive and Artistic Director of Tuesday Musical and Managing Director of Wooster Chamber Music Series. Jarrod serves in a number of capacities for Buckeye Book Fair, including chairing committees and advising the organization on arts education.

Russell T. Cross – Secretary

Russell received his B.Sc. in Psychology and Linguistics at Lancaster University in the UK. He is the Language Systems Product Manager at PRC-Saltillo, a Wooster company that provides speech technology for those with communication disabilities. Russell serves on the editorial board for two scholarly journals in the fields of linguistics and technology.

Laurie Bower – Treasurer

Laurie Bower is the Business Office Manager for Tru-Weld Equipment.  She has degrees from Mount Union College and the University of Akron.  She enjoys reading, quilting, and community theater. 

Antwon Duncan Milcsewski

Antwon is a Cleveland native and he is no stranger to the stage having performed with concert dance companies such as Ohio Ballet, Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater, and Verb Ballets. Musical Theatre is one of his greatest passions and some of his favorite roles include; Larry in A Chorus Line at Porthouse Theater and Plato in Cats at Carousel Dinner Theater. Mr. Duncan is a University of Akron alumni where he received his BA in Dance. Since leaving the stage he has spent the majority of his time as an educator and working at various local studios including Starmaker Performing Arts Center and Martell School of Dance. Antwon’s Master’s degree is from BGSU and he is celebrating his fifth year as a Career Technical Educational teacher at Canton McKinley Senior High School. When not choreographing for the musical, dance team, show choir, or dance concert Antwon can be found carving out time for family and friends. He is ecstatic to be using some of that time to serve on the board of Verb Ballets (Ohio’s contemporary ballet company), and now join the Buckeye Book Fair as they continue to spread the importance of literacy.

Elizabeth Nelson

Elizabeth Nelson is a retired children’s and reference librarian from Medina County District Library. She is an advocate of poetry and volunteers with reading groups and libraries throughout Northeast Ohio.

Tricia Pycraft

Tricia Pycraft grew up in Shreve, Ohio, and began her career at Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd. Attorneys at law as a college intern during her summer break from Denison University. The experience inspired her to attend law school and she began practicing at Critchfield in 2002 after passing the Ohio bar examination. Tricia also represents a variety of financial institutions, businesses, and homeowners associations in collections matters of all types, from obtaining traditional and cognovit judgments and pursuing collection or foreclosure, and negotiating payment plans.

Priya Jeyara

Priya Jeyaraj, an accomplished IT professional for over two decades, began her journey as a computer programmer, advancing to the role of IT Project Manager in Ohio. She works with Cisco’s Learning & Certifications team as a Technical Content Developer, staying abreast of evolving software technologies in a remote position. Beyond IT, Priya passionately advocates for reading and literacy. She volunteers for projects like designing IT solutions for WorldBeing, aiding underprivileged youth in India, and supporting independent libraries in rural areas. Priya seamlessly integrates her commitment to literacy with a successful IT career, exemplifying her dedication to education and literature.

Hayley Tracy-Bursley

Hayley is the Assistant Director at the Wayne County Public Library, where she is committed to fostering literacy engagement and community connections. She has worked in libraries since 2012, bringing a wealth of experience in public service and programming. Prior to her library career, Hayley worked in social services, further strengthening her dedication to community outreach. She is also an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Wooster. As a Buckeye Book Fair board member, Hayley is passionate about supporting authors, readers, and initiatives that promote lifelong learning.

Elizabeth Schuster 

Elizabeth Schuster is a seasoned economic professional with over 20 years of experience in sustainability and community development, both in the U.S. and globally. She is currently the Environmental Economist and CEO of Sustainable Economies Consulting, a strategic planning and economics research firm based in Wooster, OH. Educated at Oberlin College and the University of Arizona, her expertise spans sectors including agriculture, academia, and government. A recognized authority, Elizabeth’s research delves into regenerative agriculture economics, food production, and ecosystem service valuation. Her contributions have earned national accolades, including awards from the American Farm Bureau Federation and the NJ Association of Floodplain Management. With a passion for bridging gaps and driving positive change, Elizabeth is an invaluable asset to any collaborative project that merges data and strategy.

Don Ackerman

A lifelong Wooster resident, I’ve served as CFO at Community Action Wayne/Medina for 44 years. I hold a BA in English and an AA in Business Management-Accounting from The University of Akron. Married to Cheryl for 41.5 years, we have a daughter, Kiah, a grandson, Titus, and son-in-law, John.

A passionate reader, I’m in three book groups, have co-led the AAUW/Kiwanis Annual Used Book Sale since 2009, and have volunteered at the Buckeye Book Fair for 15 years. I also serve as Treasurer for the Kiwanis Club of Wooster and the new Western Reserve Division of Kiwanis.

Beyond books, I enjoy time with Titus, pickleball, movies, music, my dogs (Nuna & Sophie), and college sports. My all-time favorite book is The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Fun fact: Since 1990, I’ve tracked my favorite song every Saturday—1,705 and counting!

I’m thrilled to support Kimberly and the Board in making the Buckeye Book Fair a premier literary event.

David Wiesenberg , Emeritus

David Wiesenberg was the publisher and co-owner of The Wooster Book Co. for 25 years. He is an Ohioana Citation Winner and an Ohio Advocate for the Literary Arts Award Winner.