Staff
J. Richard "Dick" Emens
Executive Director
A co-founder of the Conway Center for Family Business, Dick serves as Executive Director and chairs the Advisory Board of the organization. He is co-author of the book "Family Business Basics: The Guide to Family Business Financial Success" and has written numerous articles on issues pertaining to family business.
Dick also co-teaches coursework in family business at Ohio Dominican University, which prepares students to be employed in a family-owned or controlled business.
A partner with Emens & Wolper LLP, Dick specializes in business and corporate law; oil, energy and gas law; family business law, and succession planning. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America in corporate law and in oil and gas law. He is a member of the Columbus, Ohio, Michigan, and American Bar Associations and holds Bar Admissions in Ohio, Michigan, and the United States Supreme Court.
Dick is deeply committed to creating academic opportunities for young people. He is a long-time board member of the Ball State University Foundation and is an emeritus trustee of Franklin University, where he is a past board chairman. He is a past president of the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation and has served as a board member of numerous non-profit and for-profit organizations.
Dick received his B.A. at DePauw University and his J.D. at the University of Michigan.
Rebecca J. Blatt
Associate Director
Becky joined the Conway Center for Family Business in 2003 as Associate Director.
Becky manages the Center's operations, as well as its communications and marketing initiatives. She also is responsible for and its educational seminars, programs and the annual Family Business Awards. She is the initial point of contact for members, prospective members, and the public.
In addition, Becky is responsible for expanding the Center through membership programs and raising awareness of the Center throughout Central Ohio.
Prior to joining the Center, Becky was Development Director of the State Science and Technology Institute. She previously held positions with Columbus Urban Growth Corporation, the Ohio Department of Development, and the Ohio House of Representatives.
Becky received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration at Miami University of Ohio in Oxford, OH. She and her husband Greg live in Dublin, OH. They have four daughters.
Connect with Becky on LinkedIn →
Deana R. Gordon
Educational Program Coordinator
Deana joined the Conway Center for Family Business in 2008. She is responsible for planning and promoting the Center's educational program series. In addition, Deana writes and edits material for the Center's publications, the "Monthly Message" and the "Family Business Communicator".
Previously, Deana was a program associate with the American Lung Association® of Ohio. She also held positions with Taylor-Made Strategic Research and Communications, the Ohio Attorney General's Office, and the Ohio Governor's Office.
Deana received her bachelor's degree in communications in 1989 from Ohio Northern University. She resides in Grove City, Ohio with her husband and two sons.
Connect with Deana on LinkedIn →
Thaddeus J. O'Brien, PhD
Next-Generation Peer Group Facilitator
Dr. O'Brien was a founding board member of the Conway Center for Family Business. He facilitates monthly Next-Generation Peer Group meetings that explore personal and professional leadership issues in a supportive environment. He frequently moderates educational programs offered by the Center.
Thaddeus is the president and founder of O'Brien & Associates. The firm focuses on executive assessment and development, organizational analysis and interventions through meetings using tailor-made surveys and instruments to identify specific issues. He specializes in working with organizations in major transition - either undergoing changes in leadership or dealing with rapidly shifting market conditions.
For more than 30 years, Thaddeus has worked with companies in industries ranging from hospitals and medical work to professional service organizations and closely held companies. He serves on an array of civic, hospital and professional service boards.
Thaddeus is a licensed psychologist who received his MA and PhD from the University of Chicago. He is an active member of the American Psychological Association, The Ohio Psychological Association, The National Association of Sports Psychologists and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
Bea Wolper
Women in Family Business Peer Group Facilitator
Bea is a co-founder of the Conway Center for Family Business and serves as an Advisory Board member. She facilitates the Women in Family Business Peer Group. In these sessions women discuss issues and opportunities unique to women who own, lead or work within a family business.
In addition, Bea has been a lead instructor for "Building, Operating and Passing on the Family Business" at Ohio Dominican University. Ms. Wolper and her husband, Dick Emens, the Center's Executive Director, co-authored Family Business Basics: The Guide to Family Business Financial Success.
Ms. Wolper is a partner in the law firm of Emens & Wolper LLP, in Columbus, Ohio. Her practice focuses on succession planning, estate planning, general corporate law, contracts and the buying and selling of businesses, with an emphasis on family-owned businesses.
Bea serves as the Ohio President for the International Women's Forum and serves as a director of TB Investment Properties and Insight Bank. She is on the Legal Advisory Board of the Columbus Foundation and Central Ohio Planned Giving. She has served on the executive committees of COSI, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Mt. Carmel College of Nursing, Greater Columbus News Bureau and Small Business Council.
Bea was selected as one of "America's Most Influential Women" in 2006 and was elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business in 1995. She is listed in The Best Lawyers of America and has won numerous awards including Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Columbus Region; the YWCA Women of Achievement Award; and the Women in Business Advocate Award from the United States Small Business Association.