Meet our 2021 NAMI FOUR COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

​President:​  Katherine Rakes, partner in law firm of Newcomer, Shaffer, Spangler,
​Breininger & Rakes in Bryan.  Term expires December 31, 2021.  ​
Vice-President:  Lori Robison, school-based therapist, A Renewed Mind Behavioral Health.  Term expires December 31, 2023.
​Treasurer:  Todd Ziegler, AVP commercial lending, Premier Bank, Napoleon.  Term expires December 31, 2021.
Executive Director:  Wendy Jennings, Phone: 419-551-0654.  Email:  wendy@namifourcounty.org.
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Other Board Members:
Sarah Hankinson, finance manager, Erie Construction.  Term expires December 31, 2023.
Nathen Henricks, cost accounting manager, Spangler Candy Company.  Term expires December 31, 2022.
Jamie Marshall, director of operations, Parkview Physicians Group.  Term expires December 31, 2022.
​Mary Alice Nagel, private banker with Premier Bank. Term expires December 31, 2021.
Rob Spengler, product development manager with Spangler Candy Company. Term expires December 31, 2021.
​Ann Wasson, pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Defiance.  Term expires December 31, 2023.
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2021 Board of Directors' meeting dates:
Regular meetings of the NAMI Four County Board of directors are held quarterly in January, April, July and October starting at 8 a.m. at the Four County ADAMhs Board, T-761 State Route 66, Archbold, Ohio.

​EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Wendy Jennings is a Bryan native who moved to the Atlanta area as a young adult where she raised a family and worked before moving back to northwest Ohio in 2015.  While in Georgia, she worked 17 years with Apparel Manufacturing in a variety of administrative positions.  While living there, she became an autism advocate through Autism Speaks and was a catechist at St. Oliver Catholic Church.  She also became familiar with NAMI while living in the Atlanta area.  Since moving back to Ohio, Wendy has worked with Partners in Employment as a program coordinator now serving individuals and families in the four county area. A member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Bryan, she is also president of Bryan ARTS Club and board vice-president of Never Let Go Ministries.  Wendy is also the current affiliate president of NAMI Four County. Her relationship with NAMI Four County began over two years ago when she needed assistance for a son who was battling addiction, but also had mental health issues as well as autism. “Resources for my son seemed to be limited.  The judicial system was uncooperative, and my pleas for help seemed to be met with little to no compassion or went unheard because of my son’s complicated situation,” she recalls.

​“Through NAMI, I was able to make connections and better advocate for my son.  More importantly, I felt my voice was being heard when I shared experiences.  I felt hopeful for the first time.  I decided to get involved (with NAMI Four County) when I read on a pamphlet that NAMI was northwest Ohio’s voice on mental illness.”

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​​President

​Katherine (Katie) Rakes is born and raised in northwest Ohio, graduating from Fairview High School.  She received a bachelor's degree from Huntington College and her law degree from the Appalachian School of Law and is now a partner with Newcomer, Shaffer, Spangler, Breininger & Rakes in Bryan. Her practice focuses on domestic relations, estate planning, and real estate law primarily in Williams and Defiance counties.  Katie was recently selected to serve as the solicitor for Stryker. She has also worked as a legislative intern with the Insurance Institute of Indianapolis, served as a legislative assistant with the Indiana House of Representatives, and worked as the scheduling coordinator for the mayor of Indianapolis.  She is licensed to practice law in both Indiana and Ohio.  Katie lives in Defiance County with her husband, Doug.

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​Vice-President

​Lori Robison is a licensed independent social worker -- supervisor who has a master of social work degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Currently, a school-based therapist with A Renewed Mind Behavioral Health, she had been the vice-president for academics at Northwest State Community College, the director of the social work program at Defiance College, and an assistant professor of social work and program director at Cornerstone University.  Lori has also worked as an outpatient therapist, school social worker, domestic violence shelter program director, and vocational training program coordinator for developmentally disabled adults.  Lori and her husband, Rex, live in Defiance and have three adult children and one grandson.  She is involved with Habitat for Humanity of Defiance County and the Second Baptist Church of Defiance.

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​​Treasurer

​Todd Ziegler has been a banker for more than 30 years -- first with Huntington Bank and all of its prior names.  He is now the assistant vice-president for commercial lending with Premier Bank in their Napoleon office.  A lifelong resident of Archbold, Todd and his wife, Sharon, have two high school age children -- Luke and Addison.  Watching them play sports and working outside takes up most of his free time.  He attends St. Martin's Lutheran Church in Archbold and is a member of the Napoleon Rotary Club, a board member of the Henry County Community Improvement Corporation, a member of the Henry County United Way, a teacher for Junior Achievement and a volunteer with Fulton County Christmas Cheer.

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​Other Board Members

Sarah M Hankinson is a 30 year resident of Delta.  She is currently finance manager for Erie Construction in Lucas County.  She had been with The Farmers & Merchants State Bank before taking the job with Erie Construction.  Her passions include camping, hiking, motorcycling or any kind of adventuring with her husband Leroy and two children Shaianne and Riley.  Her life has been primarily focused on her family and she is excited to be involved with such a great organization as NAMI Four County. ​​

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​Nathen Henricks grew up in Northwest Ohio, graduating from Edgerton High School.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Defiance College  in accounting (2010) and a Masters of Business Administration from Bowling Green State University (2013).  Nathen works at Spangler Candy Company as the cost accounting manager.   He currently lives in rural Bryan, Ohio with his wife, Michelle.  They are expecting their first child in the Summer of 2017.  Nathen has been an active volunteer for Big Brothers  Big Sisters and a volunteer teacher for Junior Achievement.  Nathen is the treasurer of our affiliate.

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​Jamie Marshall is the director of operations for the Parkview Physicians Group.  Based in Bryan, she manages the Ohio physician practices, of which there are a total of eight locations.  Born and raised in Findlay, most of Jamie's family, including three siblings, still live in the Findlay area.  She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and then earned an MBA in Healthcare Management from the University of Findlay in 2003.  She owned a gym in Findlay for six years before joining ProMedica in 2013.  She joined the Parkview system in 2015. Jamie and her son, Ty, live in Bryan.

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Mary Alice Nagel ​is an assistant vice-president and private banker at Premier Bank with over 38 years of banking experience.  She serves clients primarily in Defiance, Napoleon, Hicksville and Paulding, Ohio, as well as Fort Wayne, Indiana.  A lifelong resident of the Defiance area, Mary Alice and her husband, Rich, are parents of three adult children and have four grandchildren.  They live on a family farm in rural Defiance.  She enjoys spending time with her family at sporting events supporting the Tinora Rams, Ohio State Buckeyes and Detroit Tigers.  She attends St. Mark's Lutheran Church, rural Defiance, where she is a Sunday School teacher and a member of the choir.  Mary Alice is also secretary of the Zonta Club of Defiance, a member of the Defiance County 4-H Endowment Committee and volunteers with Junior Achievement and United Way of Defiance County.

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​Rob Spengler ​is a native of Wauseon, but moved to the Chicago area for nearly 15 years before moving back to his hometown in 2015.  It was at that time that he purchased his grandparent's home and began working at Spangler Candy as a product engineer.  He finds his current role as the product development manager to be especially fulfilling and allows him to utilize both his technical and creative sides while collaborating with all departments across the company.  He is insatiably curious and loves learning.  In his spare time when not reading, he balances quieter pursuits such a playing chess and painting with more adventurous explorations of ethnic cuisines, live music, and spontaneous travel.  He enjoys spending time with his life partner Stacianne, who is a writer, and daughter Maddie, who is studying to be a veterinary technician.

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​The Rev. Ann C. Wasson is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Defiance and is celebrating the 35th anniversary of her ordination as Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2019.  Raised in New Jersey, she is a graduate of Lafayette College and Princeton Theological Seminary.  Over the years, she has lived in Missouri and Oklahoma where she has served 10 Presbyterian churches as pastor, interim pastor, as well as a supply pastor for two Lutheran congregations (ELCA).   She has worked with congregations in conflict through her work on committees of the presbyteries where she has lived and served.  She has served in a variety of community types and is well acquainted with rural communities and small towns with limited access to mental health service, while also seeing how good treatment changes peoples’ lives.  Ann and her husband, Norman, live in Defiance; Norm is a retired United Methodist minister.  They have a son and a daughter who currently live in Oklahoma.

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