Advisory Board

The PolyColumbus Advisory Board is composed of subject matter experts who volunteer their perspective and advice to the PolyColumbus Board of Directors.

 

 

August Brunsman is the Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance, a national non-profit headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. He has served in that position since 2001, and it has been his full-time employment for over a decade. He graduated from the Ohio State University in 2001 (Phi Beta Kappa), majoring in psychology and minoring in mathematics and cognitive science.

August brings over two decades of expertise leading non-profits. His leadership experience runs the gamut of a small, new community to an organization with a budget of over a million dollars. August also served as a member of PolyColumbus’ founding Board of Directors in 2014.

Among other subjects, August advises PolyColumbus on matters of non-profit governance and business operations.

 

 

 

 

Trina has been actively poly for fourteen years. In that time she has worked as an activist, community leader, and educator. Trina shares her knowledge and experience with groups and students at events and colleges around the country.

Together with Barak, she owns AIS (Adventures in Sexuality), the largest PanPolyBSDM group in Central Ohio. They have also founded local Switch, Submissive, and Dominant Roundtables, a TNG (The Next Generation) group, and an N2K (New to Kink) group. They are active supporters of the National Coalition of Sexual Freedom, SARNCO (Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio), and PolyColumbus. Together they have authored numerous short stories and essays on Polyamory, Kink, and Sacred Sexuality. They have written monthly articles for Sexis Magazine, and record a monthly podcast for the Erotic Awakening Network called The Kinky Curious Podcast or BS’ing with Barak and Sheba.

 

 

After a three year term on PolyColumbus board of directors, serving as Executive Director, Karen transitioned to a staff role and to our Advisory Board.

Beyond PolyColumbus, Karen is a co-producer of Beyond The Love, Polyamory Summit, a highly successful, 3-day polyamory-focused conference located in Columbus.

She has lived poly for many years, facilitating polyamory discussion groups and classes at alternative lifestyle events. Karen is also an experienced speaker/facilitator in the arena of effective communications and relationship dynamics. Additionally, she has served as a guest panel member for polyamory discussions at multiple venues.  One of her favorite regular panels is with Human Sexuality courses at The Ohio State University.

Karen is proud to serve the community through several staff positions with local lifestyle events. She is a human resources professional with a degree in psychology. Additionally, she has two grown children, a beautiful grand-daughter and lives in a Unicorn poly household a cat, Ginger the Poly Puppy, her nesting partner Dan and his wife dawn.

 

 

 

Miri Mogilevsky is a writer and activist in Columbus, Ohio. Having recently earned her M.S.W. at Columbia University, she practices evidence-based therapy with a variety of clients.

Miri frequently writes and speaks on the topics of mental health, social justice, and secularism. She has presented at numerous national conferences, a partial listing including Skepticon, Women in Secularism, and American Atheists. A freelancer for the Daily Dot, her writing and opinions have also been published in Everyday Feminism, xoJane, Raw Story, Religion News Services, and other outlets.

Among other subjects, Miri advises PolyColumbus on matters of mental health and social justice.

 

 

 

 

As a founding board member, Neil played a key leadership role in shepherding PolyColumbus from the small meet up it once was to the fully functional 501(c)(3) that it is today. His expertise in navigating the legal waters of non-profit formation and his detailed knowledge of policy and documentation have been invaluable resources. While Neil is now focused on other professional and leadership challenges, he continues to support the organization as a member of the Advisory Board.

Neil holds an undergraduate degree (cum laude) from The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, and a degree in law (summa cum laude) from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. Neil’s professional experience runs the gamut from commercial litigation to forensic computing to non-profit fundraising and governance.

Neil enjoys board and tabletop gaming, spending time with his various partners, and playing ball with his rat terrier Samwise.

Neil advises PolyColumbus on matters with respect to policy writing, ongoing legal maintenance of a 501(c)(3), and other formal business organization and related subjects.

 

In addition to being on the PolyColumbus board of directors from the beginning, Susan serves as Treasurer, Deputy Executive Director, and Executive Director before transiting to the Advisory board in Spring of 2018, after 10 years of dedication to the active management of PolyColumbus.

Susan is a supportive and active presence at Beyond on Love, presenting three workshops at the 2014 event. In addition to speaking at local universities, she presented about polyamory at the Sexy Secular Conference at the University of Akron, has been interviewed at length by the Humanist Hour, and has no plans of slowing down.

Together with her former partner and now close friend, she writes and edits the blog (on hiatus) Looking Through Us, a blog dedicated to ethical non-monogamy and polyamory. Susan has an undergraduate degree in American Studies and German, as well as an M.B.A.

Susan has lived poly for over a decade. She has been married to a wonderful man
since 1999 and is currently nurturing several relationships of significance. She is the mother to two amazing, busy, and open-minded children and keeps busy freelance writing, writing poetry, and finding her zen on her yoga mat.

 

After serving as the Board Secretary since 2015, Margaret retired from the board. She provided the Board with a faithful accounting of all board meetings. She continues to advise the board on an as needed basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Misty holds a B.S. in nursing, is licensed as a Registered Nurse, and has been active in that field full-time for over fourteen years.

She and her husband have been polyamorous for fourteen years, long before it was the trendy thing to do.

Among other accomplishments, Misty began the Poly in the Midwest Facebook group and provides assistance running the Beyond the Love Polyamory Summit.

When not spreading the good news of polyamory, Misty enjoys boxing, gardening, drinking good beer, and marveling at the brilliance of her two small dogs (occasionally simultaneously).