Melody Sawyer Richardson, Chair Ms. Melody Sawyer Richardson is Director of the Commercial Real Estate Division at Comey & Shepherd City Office, where she specializes in the sale of unique and historic properties. Her mission is to bring people and businesses back to the urban core. After receiving a Master's in Social Work from OSU, she went on to earn an MBA (Rutgers School of Management), and JD (Rutgers Law School). She is admitted to the bar in New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Kentucky. Previously an attorney with the Wall Street firm of Lord, Day Lord Barrett Smith, she subsequently served as Associate Counsel of Chase Manhattan Bank (NY) and then Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of Bellemead Development Corporation. After returning to Cincinnati, she became Vice President & General Counsel of Cincinnati Arts Association. Ms. Richardson has chaired many events and served on many local and national boards including the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors' Bureau, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, SPCA, Tall Stacks, the International Sculpture Center, the U.S. Dept. of State Fine Arts Committee, and Vice Regent for George Washington's home, Mt. Vernon, where she represents Ohio. A native Cincinnatian, she joined the SORTA Board in 2003 and was elected Chair in 2007.
William L. Mallory, Sr., Vice Chairman
Mr. Mallory's distinguished 28 year career in the Ohio House of Representatives is just one of his many tremendous accomplishments. In 1974, Mr. Mallory became the first African-American Majority Floor Leader in the history of the state of Ohio. Mallory still stands as the longest serving majority leader in Ohio's history and the longest serving Ohio representative from Hamilton County. During his time in Columbus, Mr. Mallory served as chairman of the House Select Committee on Technology and as vice-chairman of the House Select Committee on Health Care Reform. He has been co-chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party and president of the Black Elected Democrats of Ohio. Mr. Mallory joined the SORTA board of trustees in 2006.
Robert
W. Buechner
Mr. Buechner is a partner in Buechner, Haffer, O’Connell, Meyers & Healey
Co., L.P.A., with more than 25 years of professional experience assisting clients
primarily in the areas of estate planning and closely held corporate law. Nationally
recognized as an authority on tax and financial matters, Mr. Buechner has authored
five books, published 15 articles, and has spoken at over 500 tax and financial
forums. He has served as chairman of the Southwestern Ohio Tax Institute and
as chairman of the tax section of the Cincinnati Bar Association. Mr. Buechner
holds a B.S.E, cum laude, from Princeton University and J.D. from the University
of Michigan. He resides in Hyde Park with his wife Angie and their four children.
Margaret C. Gutsell
Dr. Gutsell serves as executive director of the Inclusion Network, an organization committed to promoting and supporting efforts to include people with disabilities in the community. During her tenure at the non-profit, her expertise has helped businesses, organizations, schools, museums, and individuals to be more welcoming and inclusive to everyone. The governor appointed Dr. Gutsell to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, where she served two years as vice chair. She holds a B.A. in psychology from Michigan State University, an M.A. in rehabilitation counseling and an Ed.D. in special education from the University of Cincinnati with concentrations in human development counseling and administration. She has taught and published at the university level. She and her husband, Jeff, reside in College Hill. Dr. Gutsell joined the SORTA board in 2007.
Stephan Louis,
Mr. Louis has been involved in selling and marketing innovative medical devices throughout the United States for over 25 years. A Cincinnatian for several years, he has been actively involved with his community council, OKI Regional Council of Governments, church and other community groups. Mr. Louis holds a B.S. degree in Electronics and Design from Eastern Kentucky University. He resides in Pleasant Ridge and has three adult children. Mr. Louis joined the SORTA board in 2003.
James Tarbell
On City Council from 1998-2007, Mr. Tarbell served as vice mayor of the City of Cincinnati and the chair of City Council's Arts, Culture, Tourism and Marketing Committee. He has served as a member of the City Planning Commission, the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, and the OKI Regional Council of Governments. As chair of the Arts Committee, Mr. Tarbell was instrumental in providing City funding for the expansion of downtown arts venues and development of arts centers in neighborhoods. He started the Over-the-Rhine Arts District Homebuyers' Loan Program and is a champion for the redevelopment of the City's neighborhood business districts, including preservation and rehabilitation of the historic but blighted areas of the city. He founded the OTR Chamber of Commerce. In 1994, Mr. Tarbell received the Charles P. Taft Civic Gumption Award. He was honored as the OTR Chamber's Man of the Year and Cincinnati Magazine's "most trusted" civic activist. He has served on the boards of Downtown Cincinnati Inc., Emery Center, Taft Museum and May Festival. Mr. Tarbell enjoys being a Cincinnatian. He and his wife, Brenda, live in Over-The-Rhine. He has been a member of the SORTA board since 2007.
Lamont Taylor
Mr. Taylor is Employee Relations Representative for Frisch’s Inc./Golden Corral Franchise, responsible for employee relations and non-exempt recruitment for Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. He had previously worked for Federal Express and the Greater Cincinnati Urban League. Mr. Taylor serves as the vice president of Finance for the National Human Resource Association. He has been actively involved in community issues, as past president of the Corryville Community Council and as a board member for Cincinnati Works and the Corryville Community Development Corporation. He and his wife Erika reside in Walnut Hills with their two children, Evan and Rhyan. He joined the SORTA board in 2003.
There are two open positions on the SORTA Board of Trustees at this time
