Thomas J. Stickrath, Chair
Thomas Stickrath has more than 40 years of experience in the criminal justice field. Stickrath began his career in 1978 with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) and subsequently served as warden at the Orient Correctional Institution and regional director of the DRC, before being named assistant director in 1991. In 2005, Governor Bob Taft appointed him the director of the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS). Under his leadership, the department achieved national accreditation for all of its programs, earning DYS the American Correctional Association's distinguished Eagle Award. In 2010, Governor Ted Strickland appointed Stickrath the director of the Department of Public Safety, where he oversaw divisions including the State Highway Patrol, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Emergency Management Agency, and Homeland Security. The following year, then-Attorney General Mike DeWine tapped Stickrath to serve as superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, overseeing the state crime lab and a team of law enforcement professionals. Stickrath also chaired Ohio's Homeland Security Advisory Council. He returned to the Department of Public Safety in 2019, when he was appointed director by Governor Mike DeWine.
Stickrath has served extensively as a consultant on criminal justice issues to various organizations and state governments. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from The Ohio State University and his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and in 2011 received the University's "Distinguished Service Award."
Stickrath's term expires on February 21, 2027.
Will Lucas, Vice-Chair
Will Lucas is a native of Toledo and a media and entrepreneur. He is founder and CEO at Creadio, a full-service marketing and production agency which services brands nationally and is brand manager for AfroTech, the largest Black tech digital platform and conference globally.
Lucas currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Toledo where he is Chair of the Trusteeship and Governance Committee, is Vice-Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, and a member of the Clinical Affairs, Academic and Student Affairs Committees. Currently, he also serves on the Ohio Martin Luther King Commission and was previously Co-Chair of President Obama’s Ohio Small Business Committee. He was selected in 2019 by Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted to serve on the Advisory Board for InnovateOhio, and previously served on the international corporate Board of Directors for Plastic Technologies, Inc.
Widely recognized as a leading technology entrepreneur, Lucas was listed as part of the TechCrunch list for '40 Diverse People In Tech Who Made Big Moves In 2015,’ and Business Insider's 'The 46 Most Important African-Americans In Technology.' He received the '20 Under 40 Award' in 2016 from Leadership Toledo.
Lucas earned his associate's and bachelor's degrees from the University of Toledo in Technical Studies and Organizational Development, respectively. He is also founder and curator of TEDxToledo and previously served on the Boards of Directors for the Ohio Council of Community Schools, Kid's Unlimited, and the Lucas County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).
Lucas' term expires on February 21, 2025.
Sheetal Bajoria
Sheetal Bajoria is the co-founder and president of MDSolutions Inc., a traffic safety sign and design company. Headquartered in Plain City, Ohio MDSolutions provides traffic signs, intelligent traffic systems, pavement markings, overhead/guide sign supplies and construction safety products to businesses and government organizations across the nation.
Bajoria is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs. As an accountant and financial analyst, Bajoria has made presentations at the Management of Accounting Practice (MAP) Round Table at the Ohio Society of CPAs and to individual CPA firms on how to develop back-office systems and explore outsourcing capabilities. She has assisted corporations with project costing, budgeting and analyzed and revised operational procedures to promote overall efficiency.
Bajoria holds two degrees: a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Institute of Management Studies in India and a Bachelor of Business Administration with concentration in Accounting.
Bajoria is an active volunteer with the Buddy Up for Life organization which provides Down Syndrome individuals with tangible skills necessary for employment, volunteer opportunities and a sense of independence in adult life.
Bajoria’s term expires on February 21, 2026.
Keith Cheney
Keith Cheney works as Chief Deputy in the Allen County Auditor's Office. He has more than 30 years experience in the oil and gas industry, having owned and operated a gas station and working for the Certified Oil Company in a variety of roles from sales to security to eventually serving as Chief Operating Officer.
Cheney has served on numerous boards and civic organizations, including Lions Club International, the American Cancer Society and the Ohio Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association. He currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Allen County Republican Party and is a member of the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee.
Cheney's term expires on February 21, 2027.
Penelope Cunningham
Penelope Cunningham has spent decades serving the people of Southwestern Ohio both in and out of the courtroom. During her legal career she has served as a Magistrate in the Court of Domestic Relations, a Hamilton County Prosecutor, and a judge on the Court of Domestic Relations and Ohio’s First District Court of Appeals. She has also sat by assignment on The Ohio Supreme Court. During her judicial tenure Cunningham served as Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeals and served on various committees and educational panels for the Cincinnati Bar Association, the Ohio Judicial College, and the National
Business Association.
Cunningham received both her Bachelor of Arts degree and law degree from the University of Cincinnati. She has served as a trustee on the Mount Notre Dame High School Board, including as Chair of the governance, strategic planning and trustee recruitment committees. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology and is a member of the Governance and Academic Affiairs Committees, and also serves as a member of the Board of
Governors for Bear’s Paw Country Club, Inc.
Cunningham's term expires on February 21, 2027.
Lynn Slaby
Lynn Slaby joins the Commission with a distinguished record of public service. He spent 14 years as Summit County Prosecutor, served as a judge on the Ninth District Court of Appeals for 14 years, and was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2011-2012. Prior to his appointment to the Casino Control Commission, he served as a commissioner on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), which is responsible for regulating utility providers in the state. While on the PUCO, Slaby was named to the Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications Services, the National Transportation Taskforce and the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners.
Slaby received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and his law degree from the University of Akron. He has served on the board of trustees for the Cleveland Christian Home for Children, West Side Ministries, Community Care Network, High Street Christian Church and as President of the National District Attorneys Association. He has also served on the Alumni Board of both the College of Law and the Business College for the University of Akron, as well as the Ohio Judicial Conference. Slaby continues to serve as Past President and board member of the Copley Community Improvement Corporation.
Slaby’s term expires on February 21, 2025.
Christopher Smitherman
Christopher Smitherman is a Cincinnati native who served four terms on Cincinnati City Council and was named Vice-Mayor by then-Mayor John Cranley. While on City Council, Smitherman served on the Arts & Culture, Budget & Finance, and Economic Growth & Zoning Committees, and was Chair of the Law & Public Safety Committee.
Smitherman received his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from The Ohio State University and his master's degree in Counseling from Bowling Green University.
Smitherman's term expires on February 21, 2026.