Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has appointed two new trustees to the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University Board of Trustees. DeWine named Gregory White, J.D., of Concord Township, Ohio, to a nine-year term as trustee and Abygail Deemer of Warren, Ohio, to a two-year term as an undergraduate student trustee. White’s appointment ends May 16, 2033, while Deemer’s appointment concludes May 16, 2026.
White is a highly accomplished Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State alumnus with a distinguished legal and military career. Now retired, he served as U.S. magistrate judge for the Northern District of Ohio, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Lorain County prosecutor and city of Elyria law director. Upon retirement, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson asked White to serve as consent decree implementation coordinator for the city of Cleveland, a position he held from April 2016 to December 2021.
White served with the U.S. Marine Corps from March 1968 to October 1969 in Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Regiment. His military service medals include the Silver Star, Bronze Star with valor and Naval Commendations with valor during combat actions against the army of North Vietnam. In 2021, White was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame and received the Ohio Medal of Valor.
An active community member who has served on several nonprofit boards and committees, White has been involved with organizations such as the Partnership for a Safer Cleveland, 4-H, Midnight Basketball League of Lorain County, Voices for Children, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Oberlin Early Childhood Center and city of Elyria’s Parks and Recreation Department. He has received numerous awards for his community involvement and service, including the President’s Award from the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP for philanthropic service and humanitarian idealism for the betterment of Greater Cleveland; the Commander’s Public Service Award in recognition of continued support of veterans issues and the ideals and goals of AMVETS, presented by the AMVETS Department of Ohio; and the Distinguished Citizen Award presented by Boy Scouts of America’s Heart of Ohio Council.
White majored in criminal justice studies at Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State, earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1973. He earned his Juris Doctorate in 1976 from what was then called the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.
White succeeds Robin Kilbride, whose term as a Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State trustee recently expired.
Deemer is a senior biology major and honors student. A dedicated student leader, she has held multiple leadership roles at Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State. She served as the Undergraduate Student Government’s director of finance and administration from March 2023 to February 2024, where she assisted the organization’s general assembly with planning and executing events for the student body. Since December 2023, she has served as the Panhellenic Council’s vice president of risk management and peer accountability. In that position, she has planned events and created accessible, virtual lessons focused on wellness. She also previously served as a Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State orientation leader and a Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ Student Center Information Desk assistant.
In 2023, Deemer was a nominee for the Nancy and John Scott Leadership Award, which recognizes a Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State student who has shown exceptional leadership through their organizational involvement and has had a positive and significant impact on the greater Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State community. Deemer’s activities also include serving as an undergraduate research assistant at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), a position she has held since September 2023.
Deemer replaces Haley Dees, whose term as a student trustee recently expired.
Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State’s Board of Trustees currently consists of 14 members, nine of whom are voting members appointed by the governor of the state of Ohio, with the advice and consent of the state Senate, to nine-year terms of office. Two student trustees, one undergraduate and one graduate, are appointed by the governor to two-year terms of office. The Board currently has three national trustees, who serve three-year terms, as additional non-voting members appointed by the Board of Trustees.  
For more information about Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State’s Board of Trustees, visit www.kent.edu/bot.
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Photo Captions: 
Photo of Gregory White:
Gregory White of Concord Township, Ohio, has been appointed to the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University Board of Trustees by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. (Photo credit: Bob Christy)
Photo of Abygail Deemer:
Abygail Deemer of Warren, Ohio, has been appointed to the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University Board of Trustees as an undergraduate student trustee by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. (Photo credit: Bob Christy)
Media Contacts: 
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797 
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595