Committed to preserving and advancing the mission of Wittenberg, the University's Board of Directors has added six new alumni members to its ranks in Mike Aljancic, class of 2002, Bill Emery, class of 1980, Horton Hobbs IV, class of 1997, Ronald Rowland, class of 1969, Allison Scaia, class of 2009, and Kelly Maguire Sumption, class of 2001. All will attend their first Board meeting on February 6-7, 2026.
"Our new Board members bring a passion for Wittenberg, and the expertise, engagement, and insight needed to lead us on the Wittenberg Way. As proud alumni, they are committed to the future of our University,” said Dr. Christian M. M. Brady, Wittenberg's 16th president. "Board Chair Bill Edwards and I are excited to have their energy and full participation, and we look forward to welcoming them to their first official Board meeting in February."
Aljancic, who earned a business management degree from Wittenberg, is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and Managing Director at Ascend Advisory Group in Dublin, Ohio. His career began in 2004 at J.P. Morgan Chase, where he served as vice president and financial advisor. He later spent 12 years at Morgan Stanley as managing director, senior portfolio manager, and wealth manager before moving his practice to Ascend Advisory Group.
Ascend Advisory Group currently manages $2.2 billion in assets, serves clients in 47 states, and was recognized as one of the 2025 Forbes Best-in-State (Ohio) Wealth Management Teams. Aljancic’s team works with business owners and high-net-worth families, providing multi-generational financial planning and business exit consulting.
During his time at Wittenberg, Aljancic was a standout member of the football team, earning All-American honors and being named to the NCAC First Team three times. After graduation, he continued his athletic career with three seasons in the German Football League, where he helped lead the Braunschweig Lions to a German Bowl championship in 2003.
Aljancic is currently a board member of the Mercator Club, which raises and distributes more than $50,000 annually to charities serving underprivileged youth in central Ohio. He and his wife, Abby, founded the Lifewise Academy Worthington Chapter and continue to serve on its board. The Aljancic family is also actively involved in Lifepoint Church in Lewis Center. He and Abby have three daughters — Evie, Teagan, and Paige — and a Bernedoodle named Nacho.
Emery earned a degree in political science at Wittenberg, where he was also a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He is currently semi-retired with Gallagher Insurance, as well as a private investor, having previously been founder and partner of Baker and Associates Insurance in Hilliard, Ohio, which was acquired by Assured Partners now Gallagher.
An engaged alumnus and philanthropy volunteer at Wittenberg, Emery and wife Susan Kenney Emery, a psychology major in the class of 1982, were members of Wittenberg’s Health, Wellness, and Athletics Complex Volunteer Committee for Columbus, Ohio. Together, they have three children in William Emery, class of 2012, Edward “Ted” Emery, class of 2022 (M.A.), and George. Emery is a fourth-generation Wittenberg graduate, while two of his three sons are fifth-generation alumni.
Hobbs earned his B.A. in geography from Wittenberg followed by an M.S. in geography from Miami University. For more than a decade, Hobbs has served as vice president of economic development for The Greater Springfield Partnership, where he works closely with local economic development partners to assist existing businesses, attract new businesses, develop real estate, and aggressively market the community.
A trustee of Mental Health Services for Clark County Inc., Hobbs also serves on the board of directors of Global Impact STEM Academy and the Springfield Historic Landmark Preservation Foundation. Additionally, he is past president of the Mid America Economic Development Corp. From 2006-2011, Hobbs served as a development officer for the Springfield Foundation and before that was executive director of the Center City Association. He previously served as a planning director for the City of New Carlisle, Ohio, and as the regional planner for Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
As a student, Hobbs was active in the Caving Club, which his father, the late Professor Emeritus of Biology Horton Hobbs III, founded in 1977 at Wittenberg. Hobbs has also assisted at Career Days at his alma mater and other career-focused events for Wittenberg students. Hobbs and wife Lori have two daughters in Courtney and Caitlyn.
Rowland, of Columbus, Ohio, earned his degree in political science, followed by his J.D. from The Ohio State University, and an L.L.M. from the University of Florida. A retired attorney, Rowland was a partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease LLP, where he practiced tax law and served as a member of the trusts and estates team. A past chair of the Columbus Bar Association Tax Committee and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association Tax Committee, he was honored in 2022 by the Ohio State Bar Association for 50 years of service. He has also been named Small Business Advocate of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Rowland, who is also retired from the United States Navy, was a member of the JAGC team and served as a defense attorney, a prosecuting attorney, and a special court martial judge in his career. Additionally, he served as an adjunct professor at Capital University in the graduate tax program for five years. Outside of law, Rowland served as a member and chair of the development board of Children's Hospital, as well as a member and chair of the Columbus Investment Interest Group, an affiliate of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, as well as a trustee and chair of The Catholic Foundation. A member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Rowland and wife Barbara Baird Rowland, class of 1970, have both been longstanding members of Wittenberg’s Benjamin Prince Society. The couple has three grown children in Tracy, Andrew, and Jennifer.
Scaia earned degrees in economics and management followed by an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She currently serves as a Vice President at The Hartford leading their Workers’ Compensation / Employee Benefits Integrated Offering and Data & Insights for Risk Control Services. In her 15+ years at the company, she has worked across Claims, Business Insurance, Employee Benefits, IT, and Personal Insurance in product management, performance analytics, process improvement, and more.
As a student at Wittenberg, Scaia was a member of Student Senate, the women’s swimming team, and Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She is past president of the Alumni Association Board, serves as a Commit to Witt Ambassador, participates in the alumni referral program and Postcard Project, and previously served as the Chicago alumni chapter leader.
Sumption earned a B.A. in English and currently serves as VP of Client Marketing for Synchrony in their Home & Auto platform. She previously served as Senior Client Marketing Leader for GE Capital and Senior Loyalty Marketing Manager for Macy’s. She has 24 years of experience leading marketing strategies and client engagement, driving consumer acquisition, activation, and loyalty across a variety of industries in both retail and financial services. During the past 15 years at Synchrony, formerly GE Capital, Sumption has led teams to partner with retail leadership to create and execute campaigns geared at fostering double-digit growth in sales through loyalty and payment promotions and technology.
Sumption, her husband Jeff, class of 2001, and their two sons reside in Dublin, Ohio. Active within her church and in her children’s schools, she has also served Wittenberg as a Commit to Witt Ambassador, Career Day participant, alumni chapter leader, Presidential Search Committee member, and as President of the Alumni Association. During her student days, Sumption was a Head Orientation Assistant, Student Senator, Director of WittCAM, a reporter for the Torch newspaper, sung in the Wittenberg Choir, and served as Tour Director for the choir. She joined the Alumni Association Board in 2020 and currently serves on its executive leadership team as Immediate Past President.
