Meet Our Newest Staff Members
Kristi Leonard-Webber
Community & Career Connected Learning Coordinator
I am Kristi Leonard-Webber and I would like to introduce myself and my role. I come from many generations of public educators and small business owners. I, myself, have professional experience in both fields as well and use this experience at the Washington County Career Center and BB2C as their new countywide Community and Career Connected Learning Coordinator.
I am a returnee to the area. I graduated from Frontier and Muskingum University. I raised my boys while coaching Nordic and alpine skiing and teaching at South Tahoe High School. My time with my boys was spent skiing, mountain biking, motorcycle riding, paddle boarding, camping, and spending my time outdoors. I have since gotten back to my roots and recently married my college sweetheart. My continued passion for the outdoors now includes two horses, gardening and skiing, and hunting and sharing time with my husband and our combined 4 boys.
I was drawn to BB2C because of the passion and people and the collective energy directed at our youth and communities. I look forward to contributing to the rich opportunities we create within our six school districts and supporting each districts' specific career awareness goals. Together, we can find and create opportunities to empower our youth to believe and achieve.
You can contact Kristi Leonard-Webber at klwebber@bb2careers.org or by calling 740-370-6399.
Jeremy Ward
BB2C Network Director
Hello, I’m Jeremy Ward. I live in the Hocking Hills area on the Vinton/Hocking County line with my wife Carrie. We have two daughters (Emily 26 & Kerrigan 18) and are enjoying our 10 acres with our two dogs as we transition into being empty nesters! I love to golf and travel whenever possible.
Originally an elementary teacher, I taught various subjects in grade levels 4th-8th. Additionally, I coached baseball, basketball, and softball at the varsity level and worked as Park Director for the village of McArthur. Most recently I served as principal at Vinton County Middle School for 8 years.
As a building leader and district liaison for career-tech and workforce connections, I developed a relationship with BB2C that fueled a passion for community and career connected learning. The more I learned about the work being done and expanded throughout the region, the more involved I wanted to be- so I did not hesitate when the opportunity arose to join the BB2C team.
As Network Director, I work to coordinate, connect, and support organizations that focus on Business Engagement with Career Awareness, which we call BECAs, throughout the region with our network team at BB2C. Our team will continue to build and strengthen relationships within the realm of community and career connected learning in our region and beyond.
You can contact Jeremy at jward@bb2careers.org or by calling 740-370-6399.
Claire Ramsey
BB2C Network Resource Coordinator
Hello! My name is Claire Ramsey, the BB2C Network Resource Coordinator. Originally from West Virginia (WV), I am an Ohio (OH) transplant who loves the Appalachian region and is passionate about seeing it thrive. I enjoy traveling to see how global education systems work and all things outdoors: hiking, kayaking, skydiving, camping, rock climbing, open-air markets, etc.
My professional background includes swim coaching, triathlon training, English as a Second Language teaching (WV & OH, USA; France; & Bolivia), English/Language Arts teaching (WV), and educational research (OH & WV, USA; Kenya; Germany; Finland).
I’m excited to join the BB2C team because it enables me to actualize my dream of applying what I’ve learned from education systems around the world to my home region. I want nothing more than to rejoin the Appalachian community to positively contribute to its education systems and local communities in a legacy-building way. I pursued my degrees in education and professional experiences in order to have more to give back to the region that gave so much to me and that is exactly what BB2C empowers me to do as a staff member.
As the Network Resource Coordinator, I work to organize, establish, and build out frameworks and resources that can be used by network Business Engagement and Community Awareness (BECA) organizations and liaisons. Alongside the network team, I identify fillable gaps in the surrounding Appalachian Ohio counties and provide organizational resources and professional development training in support of the BB2C vision, which includes cultivating and supporting successful students, prosperous businesses, and thriving communities.
You can contact Claire at cramsey@bb2careers.org or by calling 740-370-6399.