On Saturday, September 10, five individuals were inducted into the Brookfield High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. Inductees include: William Toby Gibson, Dr. Marquita Kemp, Kaitlyn Lang, Jason Straka, and Dr. Joseph Zuhosky. Prior to their induction ceremony, inductees visited the district on Friday, September 9, where they received a tour of the K-12 building, spoke to BHS students during a special assembly, attended a luncheon, and then visited high school classrooms. Congratulations to our 2022 inductees!
William Toby Gibson (Class of 1991)
Following his graduation from BHS in 1991, Gibson attended YSU where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Education and then later returned to obtain his Masters in Administration. Following stints in Farrell City and Warren City Schools, Gibson returned to Brookfield in 2000 where he would serve as a middle school teacher before being named the Elementary Principal in 2011. In 2016 Gibson became principal at BMS before being named superintendent in 2019 Throughout his tenure, Gibson has implemented several programs aimed at bringing families into the schools and establishing community and health-provider partnerships to assist those in need. He has also enhanced academic and post-secondary career opportunities for all students by implementing STEM courses, providing construction, robotics, and pre-apprenticeship programs, and assisting in the formation of a MakerSpace. As superintendent, Gibson has helped secure $2.1 million in grant monies for student programming, safety, and energy-efficient resources. In Gibson's free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, gardening, working on old cars, and fishing.
Dr. Marquita L. Hubbard Kemp DNP, MBA, RN, VHA-CM (Class of 1980)
Following her BHS graduation in 1980, she pursued a nursing career, obtaining her Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees in Nursing and Business Administration from various universities. In 2020 she completed her Doctoral Degree in Nursing at Duquesne University with honors. During her education and subsequent career, Dr. Kemp has traveled to Rome, Italy, to research Transcultural Care and Global Health Perspectives, worked in some of the best teaching hospitals in the country, and worked in a liver transplant ICU under the guidance of Dr. Thomas E. Starzl, aka "The Father of Liver Transplantation". Kemp was also actively involved in clinical and medication trials of the drug now known as Tacrolimus which helps to prevent organ rejection after transplant. Dr. Kemp has also worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a critical care nurse where, in addition to providing care, she also held multiple leadership positions and worked to improve access to medical care using video connect. In 2018 she was elected vice president for Title 38 with The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System. Dr. Kemp is a longtime community health advocate and remains committed to providing education, training, and consultation to those in need.
Kaitlyn Nasci Lang (Class of 2004)
Following her 2004 graduation from BHS, Lang attended The Ohio State University and obtained a Bachelor's, Master's, and Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology. She is currently a Nationally Certified School Psychologist working for a school system in southwest Ohio. Lang is regarded as a leader in the field of school psychology, having presented training both locally and nationally. She is the immediate past-president of the Southwestern Ohio School Psychologists' Association (SWOSPA), has been a regular advisor to the OSPA Executive Director, and was recently appointed by the OSPA president to serve as the Chair for the OSPA Autism Task Force, with a goal to improve the educational identification of students with autism in Ohio. Lang lives with her husband, two children, and two giant schnauzers in Butler County, Ohio, where they are actively involved in raising money to support military and suicide prevention charities. She is the first Brookfield graduate to be inducted into both the Athletic and Distinguished Alumni Halls of Fame!
Jason Straka (Class of 1990)
Following his 1990 graduation, Straka attended Cornell University to study landscape architecture. He eventually went on to earn his Master's Degree with a focus in agronomy, community design, and environmental studies. Straka is an industry leader in environmental golf course design by blending his formal education, rigorous professional training, and considerable design experience. Merging his professional training in the many facets of golf course design with his extensive hands-on design experience, he has shaped his specialty: integrating a golf course both functionally and aesthetically into its surrounding environment. An active member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), Straka was one of the youngest members ever elected to its Board of Governors. He was honored in April 2016 with a Presidential Citation for his work in the development of meaningful professional education programs. In 2018 Straka was named to the ASGCA Executive Committee to serve a 5-year officer rotation and currently serves as its 75th president. Straka has also served as a Board Member of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation (OTF), has served as an instructor at a variety of professional seminars around the world, and led educational courses at multiple universities. In 2010 Straka was rated by Golf Magazine as one of the most influential people in golf under 40 years of age, and three Straka-designed golf courses won awards in Golf Inc.'s Renovation of the Year Competition. He currently lives in Dublin, Ohio, with his wife and two children. Straka enjoys volunteering, fishing, and spending time with this family.
Dr. Joseph Zuhosky (Class of 1985)
Following his graduation from BHS in 1985, Zuhosky's post-secondary education led him to the University of Notre Dame, Ohio State University, Northwestern University, and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). Zuhosky's interest in medicine is driven by his childhood hospitalization experiences. He had a rare Meckel's diverticulum disorder which went undiagnosed from ages 2 to 5. Zuhosky discovered the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation during his time at Ohio State. He has held multiple leadership roles including Chief Resident at RIC. He was elected to the Board of the Physiatric Association of Spine Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation (PASSOR) where he also served as course director training anesthesiologists and PM&R physicians from all over the world in interventional spine procedures. Zuhosky has represented his specialty at the American Medical Association Resource Utilization Committee that assigns valuations for all procedures, evaluations, and management services in medicine. Zuhosky has practiced in Charlotte, North Carolina, his entire career. His practice model of seeing patients at the onset of symptoms, instead of at the back end of care when all other interventions have failed, has become so successful that all of the major orthopedic and neurosurgery practices in Charlotte have adopted it; and physicians and administrators from around the country have sought counsel to bring this model to their own practices. When he's not working, Zuhosky enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, coaching, volunteering, boating, tailgating, and serving his community.