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JaGS Advisory Council
Our mission is to to bring together the collective wisdom, experience, and expertise of multiple stakeholders in our community to contribute to the advancement of the program’s curriculum and experiences.
The Advisory Council is a collection of individuals who bring unique knowledge and skills which augment the knowledge and skills of the program in order to more effectively guide the organization. The Advisory Council does not have formal authority to govern the organization. Rather, the Advisory Council serves to make recommendations and or provide key information and materials to administrators of the program. The Advisory Council plays an important public relations role, as well as providing program staff with a fresh perspective on programmatic issues.
JAGS Family and Friend Master List
Our immediate network is always full of our strongest advocates. As such, JAGS students need to be able to leverage their immediate family and friends professional network to assist in JAGS programs and learning opportunities. The JAGS program has a vast network of close family members, and potentially friends of the family, that can be utilized or “tapped into” to work with students and teachers to build upon existing and future initiatives.
The goal of this project is to build out an immediate “JAGS friends and family” network of individuals that are willing to extend their direct expertise, or those of their professional network, to assist JAGS students in achieving current JAGS initiatives, or JAGS initiatives that will be implemented in the future.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Bank of America
Yago Gonzalez
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Yago Gonzalez is a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for the Chief Investment Office (CIO) within Bank of America Corporation. In this role, he is responsible for portfolio construction and management of domestic and offshore portfolios that correspond with various investment objectives supporting Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank clients in the Americas. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Yago is a native of Guatemala and has studied and worked in Guatemala, Spain and the USA. Yago has served as a board member at Tiqvah Hands of Hope and C.A.M.P and is currently a member of the Bank of America Hispanic-Latino Executive Council. Yago believes that education is the path to progress and is passionate about bringing educational opportunities to the youth. Yago has a B.A in Finance from the Universidad Francisco Marroquin (Guatemala) and an M.B.A from the Ohio State University . He is a Charter Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder.
Contacts
Nicholas Ostrout is the Chief Commercial Officer for Monarch Therapeutics. Dr. Ostrout is responsible for negotiating and managing contracts for licensed assets, evaluating a pipeline of potential new therapeutics, and negotiating and sub-licensing clinical therapies. Having earned his PhD in Immunology from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in the Department of Global Health, Dr. Ostrout has spent nearly 15 years working within global companies in various roles developing the next generation of novel medicines. Nick has traveled to around 20 countries to evaluate business opportunities for potential new technologies or therapies from academic institutions and start-ups, spending significant time in England, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. Nick graduated from Jackson High School and lives on Lake Cable with his wife Kelly and his three boys, James, Sam, and Will. He is passionate about helping JAGS students discover career opportunities in the sciences and how they can have an impact globally.
Contacts
Nicholas Ostrout, Ph.D.
Chief Commercial Officer
Monarch Therapeutics
Eric
McKimm
VP and Owner
ProTech Security Inc.
Contacts
Eric leads a local commercial and residential low voltage and digital security integrations company with offices in Ohio and Florida. With deep experience in global organizations like Goodyear, Diebold, and FCB London, Eric, as a CPA, played a key role in developing and implementing Sarbanes-Oxley compliance worldwide to many multi-national corporations. As project controller, oversaw a nearly $1 billion foreign manufacturing investment in China during his international assignment. Eric's nearly 20-year career at Ernst & Young and Goodyear has taken him to six of the seven continents, providing invaluable global experience. Passionate about giving back, Eric is excited to support the JAGS program through his leadership and expertise.
Karen Han Raketich is the founder of Life Science Recruitment Agency, where she helps connect people with exciting careers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices across the world. From countries like China, Japan and Australia to Denmark, United Kingdom, Italy, to Mexico and the United States, Karen has spent her career working with diverse teams globally. She has a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacognosy and Literature, along with certifications in Strategic Human Resources Leadership and Social Media in HR from Cornell University. Most recently, Karen is studying cohort of “Generative AI in Future of Medicine” at Stanford and “Generative AI in Digital Transformation” at MIT. She’s passionate about helping JAGS students discover career paths where they can make a real impact, both locally and globally.
Contacts
Karen Han
Life Science Recruitment Agency
Founder
Leadership and
Communication Development
5A Leadership
John Weston
Contacts
John Weston brings over 18 years of hands-on experience in leading project and product development, always focusing on clear communication and seamless integration. He takes pride in working closely with teams, uncovering hidden challenges, and finding solutions that enhance performance across departments. John’s approach to leadership is centered on matching the right tasks with the right people, ensuring everyone can contribute meaningfully and projects stay on track. What drives him most is helping teams see the bigger picture, embrace their roles, and feel empowered to make a lasting impact on their organization.
As the founder of 5A Leadership, John is passionate about guiding businesses toward better leadership, communication, and strategy. His approach is deeply personal, rooted in his philosophy of balancing Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, and Future—principles he believes are key to both personal and professional success. With a proven history of driving innovation and growth, John has become a trusted voice for businesses looking to navigate change and lead with purpose.
Mark Ledoux is the Director of Research and Analytics for Enrollment Management at Kent State University. Mark has over 30 years of experience working in admissions, recruitment, and enrollment management. He provides statistical reporting and analysis of Kent State’s new student enrollment trends to support the recruitment, marketing, and communication plans. He oversees the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems at Kent State. These systems support the enrollment of both domestic and international students. Mark served on the Board of Trustees at Canton Montessori School and served as President of the Ohio Public Universities Admissions Council. He resides in Jackson Township with his wife Paula and his son Zach (JAGS student).
Contacts
Mark Ledoux
Director of Research and Analytics for Enrollment Management
Kent State University