Board/Staff | A Special Wish SWO

Meet the Board

Dr. David Roer

Chair

Retired, Pediatric Associates of Dayton

I have been married to my wife, Jenni, for 43 years and am the proud father of two daughters and grandfather to two grandsons. In my free time, I enjoy golfing and fishing. I previously served on the ASW Board and have often said it was the most enjoyable board I have ever been part of, thanks to the incredible people involved. I am excited to rejoin the group and look forward to contributing once again.

Dr. Craig Thiele

Vice Chair

Retired, Caresource

I am a native Daytonian happily married to Melanie for 40 years. I love our kids, grandkids and being involved with A Special Wish. There is great joy in helping Special Wish families spend time with their families, creating great memories.

Jenny Lee

Secretary

Tax Manager

Flagel Huber Flagel

I am a tax manager at Flagel Huber Flagel with 10 years of experience as a tax accountant.

I have been happily married to my husband, Sean, for over eight years, and we share our home with our Yorkie, Jelly. We love traveling, whether exploring new destinations across the U.S. or abroad, and are big fans of movies and sports, always looking forward to our next adventure or game day.

I am deeply honored to be part of an organization that brings joy and hope to children facing unimaginable challenges. Serving on the board allows me to contribute to something truly meaningful, and I am committed to helping create moments of happiness and comfort for these incredible children and their families.

Dylan Romans

Treasurer

Senior audit and accounting manager, Brady Ware and Company

I am native to the Dayton area and enjoy spending my free time with my wife and son, traveling, and visiting all of Dayton’s awesome craft breweries. I really enjoyed seeing Nathan’s wish for the ultimate Cleveland Browns experience come true in October 2022. Even as a Bengals fan, it was amazing to see how welcoming the Browns organization and players were and to see Nathan’s joy in getting that experience.

Mukund Dole, M.D.

Program director, Hematology/Oncology, Dayton Children's Hospital

My hobbies include golfing, photography, gardening and spending time with family and friends. I work with many families who are recipients of Special Wishes and I see firsthand how they impact the families that I work with.

Quin Kline

Managing Partner,

Q&A Strategies

I have been married to Russ for 15 years and we are crazy dog people, welcoming around 30 foster dogs and puppies a year into our home.

A special wish is the most magical form of a celebration of life and love a person can experience. Connecting with the ones you love can be so hard with everyday stressors, to give the gift of connection to a family facing enormous difficulty is an honor few can say they have been a part of. I am blessed I have been given the ability to support the kids and families of ASW in any small way.

Jayne Gmeiner

Chief nursing officer,
Dayton Children's Hospital

I am a nursing leader with over three decades of nursing leadership experience in adult and pediatric health care environments. I enjoy time with family and friends, attending sporting events, reading, and, especially, the beach! I serve on this board to help create resources for special events for the children in our region who are experiencing very difficult life-threatening illnesses. I am motivated by creating fun family memories for these children and their families.

Chris Besecker

Project manager,

Shook Construction

I grew up in Greenville, Ohio. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, learning about American history, trying new local restaurants, and traveling.

I helped grant a Wish in 2022 and felt the impact. I love seeing deserving children receive an experience or gift that helps bring them happiness.

Zachary Pierce

Senior Corporate Recruiter - Applied Research Solutions

Born and raised in Kettering, OH. I attended Fairmont HS and graduated from The Ohio State University. I married my lovely wife Erin Pierce in 2017 and we currently live in Kettering. We have two pets a basset hound (Luna) and a cat (Kitty). I am a golf fanatic and play as often as possible. We enjoy spending the rest of our time taking walks, and spending time with family and friends (and watching Bravo reality shows). I have always found it inspiring the work ASW does in helping fulfill dreams for kids and families in our community and look forward to supporting that mission.

Carol Murray

Nurse practitioner,
Transitional Care Unit, Dayton Children's Hospital

I have been married to my husband, Chris, for 30 years and we have four adult children and also serve as foster parents. We love to explore all things in the great outdoors. I also enjoy running, reading, and sporting events. I love to hear stories and see pictures of families that I have worked with during prolonged hospitalizations. enjoy a family event or vacation.

Jim Heikes

I'm a lifelong resident of Dayton, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Wright State University and a retired educator. My career fields were teaching social studies and school counseling. I enjoy playing golf, studying history, reading, and spending time with my family. My wife and I enjoy volunteering for Dayton Live, Five Rivers MetroParks, Lakeside Environmental Stewardship Society and Lakeside Heritage Society. I have been involved with A Special Wish since the 90's, having served as a board member, board chair and advisory board member. I am happy to make a positive impact on children and families through A Special Wish.

Brian McNeice

General Manager, Mill Mechanical

My wife, Jennifer and I currently live in Springboro where we settled 15 years ago when we got married. I am the proud father of three children. My hobbies include traveling, being with friends, golf and watching the Bengals at Paycor stadium. Growing up I was a foster child and was fortunate to eventually be placed with a great family. It was my foster sister that encouraged me to get involved with Special Wish and I am so grateful that I did. I started on the advisory board and grew to love the organization which is why I now am happy to be on the board. My goal is to help Special Wish fill as many dreams as possible.

Nina Pieri

Leasing Consultant / Rookwood Properties / 6 years as a producer/Executive Producer at ABC22/FOX45

Originally from Buffalo, New York, I came to Ohio to attend The Ohio State University and proudly made it home. Over the years, I’ve built strong personal and professional roots throughout Southwest Ohio, with deep connections across the region.

For more than a decade, I have supported families of children facing life-threatening disorders. While at Ohio State, I served on a leadership board and helped raise funds for pediatric cancer research, shaping my lifelong commitment to this work. Helping create moments of joy and lasting memories for families during difficult times is an honor I carry with gratitude and purpose.

Janel Mills Barnett

Partner, Synergy Building Systems Inc

I am a nearly lifelong resident of Beavercreek where I reside with my husband Jerad. We are proud parents of three kids. Our oldest daughter is a leukemia survivor who received a special wish towards the end of her treatment. The wish was exactly what we needed to get through some very difficult days at the hospital. It also provided so much joy to our other two kids whose lives were also uprooted during this time. We are forever grateful!
Fun Fact: After our hard days, our family decided to travel and have since visited 49 out of 50 states. We have also been to 45 National Parks.