James Oda Named Chairman
James C. Oda, of Miami County, has been elected to serve as Chairman of Edison State Community College’s Board of Trustees. Assuming responsibility as Vice Chair is Tyeis Baker-Baumann.
As a member of Edison State’s Board of Trustees since 2017, Oda realizes the significant role Edison State plays in the region.
“I’m honored to be working with the Board of Trustees at Edison State, which is one of the most active and growing community colleges in the state of Ohio,” Oda said. “The college is a tremendous asset in Miami, Shelby, Darke, and Preble counties.”
Oda graduated from Edison State and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in history from Wright State University. He currently serves as director of the Piqua Public Library and Municipal Historian for the City of Piqua. Oda’s current community activities include serving as chairman of the Piqua Downtown Design Review Board, Piqua Planning Commission, Miami County Planning Commission, and Piqua Tourism Council; he serves on the boards of the Piqua Municipal Records Commission, Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce, Miami County Foundation, and the Piqua Foundation. He is also the director of the St. John’s Lutheran Church choir.
Past activities include serving as president of the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums, Miami County Visitors and Convention Bureau, Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce, Mainstreet Piqua Association, Access Piqua Television Association/Western Ohio Television Consortium (Channel Ten/Five), Piqua Arts Council, Johnston Farm Friends Board, and Piqua Historical Society.
Oda has served as an adjunct faculty member teaching history at Edison State. He’s worked in archaeological field studies and excavations in New Mexico for over 10 years and is the author of dozens of books and articles on local and state history, including the award-winning Encyclopedia of Piqua, Ohio.
Baker-Baumann was appointed to serve on the Edison State Board of Trustees in 2021. She earned her Master of Science in Counseling in Mental Health from Wright State University and a Bachelor of Science in Social Services from Urbana College. A Greenville resident, Baker-Baumann is the president of Rebsco, Inc., a design and build contractor and custom fabrication company, where she’s involved in daily operations, safety, marketing, and sales.
Additionally, she serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Western Division of Park National Bank. She has served as the immediate Past Chair of the NFIB Ohio Leadership Council and a member of the Leadership Council. Baker-Baumann serves on Lt. Governor Jon Husted’s Small Business Advisory Board and as a Board Member of the Darke County Center for the Arts.
Baker-Baumann has used her skills as a yoga instructor and teacher trainer to serve as the founder and former director of The Good Stuff Foundation—a nonprofit organization focused on providing yoga, wellness, mindfulness, and other ancillary support services to underserved and under-resourced communities.
“The future holds the potential for amazing growth for Edison State’s active four locations,” said Oda. “Edison State’s training programs are providing the Upper Miami Valley with an ever-growing group of workers and leaders for today and tomorrow’s business and industry.”
For more information about the Board of Trustees, visit www.edisonohio.edu/BOT.
Photos: Chairman Oda; Vice Chair Baker-Baumann