Bexley City Schools

Board of Education

Alissha Mitchell, 2023 Board President

Alissha Mitchell and her husband Brian are 10-year residents of Bexley. They have five children, including three Bexley High School graduates, one currently enrolled at the high school, and one at the middle school.

Alissha is a graduate of Ohio Dominican University with a degree in Business Administration. As a Commercial Property Manager for OhioHealth in their Real Estate, Construction and Facilities division, Alissha oversees nearly 4 million square feet of medical office space, 12 hospital campuses and multiple managed real estate sites, land and development for the organization. She is directly responsible for the financial performance of the portfolio, and charting the strategic real estate and operations for the central Ohio, northern and southern regions.

An active community member since arriving to Bexley, Alissha has volunteer coached, and served as one of the founding members of the now Bexley Minority Parent Alliance before her board appointment. She is a current member of the Bexley Education Foundation, a former member of the Bexley Building, Zoning, and Planning Board, and was unanimously appointed to serve an unexpired term to the Bexley Board of Education in 2015 and elected to finish that term in 2017.

Alissha brings a unique knowledge to the board in facilities operations, management and budgeting. You will often see Alissha and her family at any number of Bexley sporting events with active student athletes and an intense team spirit for the Lions!

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Victoria Powers, 2023 Board Vice President

Victoria Powers and her husband, David Horn, have lived in Bexley since 1997 and have two sons, Graham and Simon, who are both Bexley High School graduates.

Victoria earned a B.A. in philosophy from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law San Francisco. After practicing law in California and Ohio, she retired from the Ice Miller law firm in 2018, where she chaired the firm’s financial restructuring practice group and served in firm management in a number of capacities. Since retiring, Victoria has served as adjunct faculty at Capital University Law School and has volunteered with the Legal Aid Society of Columbus.

During her years in the legal practice Victoria was recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers 2004-2019, including in 2019 as one of the top 100 lawyers and top 50 women lawyers in Ohio; by Chambers USA in America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Bankruptcy and Restructuring, 2005-2018 and recognized in Band 1 since 2013; and in The Best Lawyers® in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, and Bankruptcy Litigation, 2005-2018 and as Best Lawyers® 2015 “Lawyer of the Year” in Bankruptcy

Litigation in Columbus.

Victoria has served on a number of community boards, including the Bexley Education Foundation, Broad Street Presbyterian Church, BalletMet Columbus, Trinity Episcopal Church, the Columbus Montessori Education Center, and the National Kidney Foundation. Victoria is currently a member of the Ohio Poverty Law Center board’s Development Committee, serves on the Broad Street Presbyterian Church Personnel Committee, serves as treasurer of the Mount Holyoke College Central Ohio Alum Club, captains a Pelotonia peloton, and sings and serves with the Harmony Project.

Victoria was elected to the Board of Education in 2019. She served as Vice President of the Board in 2021, as President in 2022, and currently serves as Vice President of the Board.

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Dr. Jonathan Baker

Dr. Jonathan Baker has had a career rooted in teaching and helping others enhance their own skills in the classroom. Dr. Baker was an Assistant Professor at Columbus State Community College for 10 years. He then served as Mathematics Department Chairperson for 7 years where he managed the largest department on campus for seven years and expanded online course offerings.

Dr. Baker then went to OSU in a hybrid faculty-staff appointment within the Department of Statistics where he developed the department’s first online course and served as coordinator for tutoring and transfer credit. He then joined the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching & Learning as a Faculty Fellow; and has now become an Associate Director within the Institute overseeing the educational consulting staff and continues to teach statistics during the academic year.

Diversity & equity work has been a passion of Jonathan’s both professionally & personally. He served as co-Principal Investigator for the STEM Ability Alliance while at Columbus State, was a part of OSU’s Advocates & Allies (for gender equity) program, and was the Inaugural President of the Bexley Minority Parents Alliance.

Dr. Baker, his wife, Courtney, and daughters (Sophia BHS ’20, Lydia BHS ’23, Naomi BHS ’26) have been proud Bexley residents for well over a decade. Dr. Baker has spent several seasons coaching youth basketball, and even assisting with soccer & cheerleading. Dr. Baker has been active with music & theater programs. He has worked on the Technology Committee & has been a member of the Bexley Middle School PTO since 2014. He has been a proud member of the Big Brothers/Big Sister mentoring program. Dr. Baker has served his church in numerous speaking, teaching, and service capacities. He was even a former board member.

Dr. Baker brings his experience as a trained statistician, school administrator, innovative educator, and passionate ally for ALL students to continue to propel Bexley City Schools ahead.

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Dr. Marguerethe Jaede

Dr. Marguerethe Jaede is the Director of Partnership4Success (P4S) an equity-centered collective impact initiative focused on improving social, emotional, and academic outcomes for young people. She and her husband, Patrick, a senior officer in the U.S. Navy Reserves, have lived in Bexley since 2003. They have two children who are both Bexley High School graduates. Marguerethe earned a BA in sociology from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, an MA in Public Policy from Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in Multicultural and Equity Studies in Education from The Ohio State University. She is a Training Associate for both Cognitive CoachingSM and Adaptive Schools®. Marguerethe is the co-founder and president of the Developmental Assets Resource Network (DARN) a non-profit that has served Bexley residents for almost 20 years. Throughout her time in Bexley, Marguerethe has served on numerous school and community committees and spent years coaching youth sports. She currently serves on the Franklin County Public Health Equity Advisory Committee and City of Bexley COVID Task Force. Marguerethe was elected to the board in 2021.

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Joanne Pickrell

Joanne Pickrell began serving on the Bexley Board of Education in January 2022. Joanne and her husband, Aaron Pickrell, have called Bexley home for 15 years. They have two daughters, Lilly and Amelia, who are 2nd graders at Maryland Elementary School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from The George Washington University. She is a partner at the Remington Road Group, a small public affairs firm based in Columbus, Ohio. In this role, she works to advance policies that make a meaningful difference in the lives of families and communities, including initiatives on education, health care, diversity, and strengthening community trust. In 2019, Joanne volunteered for the Committee for Bexley Excellence, which passed the 2019 Bexley Schools’ operating levy.
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James McCann is the student representative to the Bexley City Schools' Board of Education for the 2022-2023 school year.

Friend of Education Award

The Bexley City Schools Board of Education has a proud tradition of annually presenting a community member(s) the Friend of Education Award. Annually in late January or early February the Board sends out a nomination form. Visit the Friend of Education webpage to nominate a community member.

Board of Education's Statement on Racism, June 2020

The Bexley Board of Education acknowledges the voices and expectations of our community in response to recent events that call on us to confront racism, not only through conversation but also definitive action. We recognize our critical role in shaping and cultivating an educational experience that ensures that each student, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, feels valued, supported, and free. We believe this is essential to any public school environment, and that our work in recent years towards this goal is merely the beginning and not the end of our journey.

Read the full statement here.