John Berry Jr.
Chairman
John Berry is a Dayton native who graduated from Centerville High School and Northern Michigan University. He and his wife Shirley currently live in Naples, Florida and Dayton, depending on the season.
John is the Chairman of Berry Investments and the Berry Family Foundation. He has served on many boards (The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, YMCA of Dayton, Camping & Education Foundation, KeyBank, etc.) and was the President of The Berry Company from 1988 to 1994. He worked for The Berry Company for 30 years and was the President and CEO from 1987-1995.
John had the privilege to work with and for both his grandfather and father to learn and understand their philosophy and mission to support community, personal responsibility, and further free enterprise. It has been a pleasure to carry on what they started so many years ago and see their vision perpetuated for future generations.
Charles D. Berry
Trustee
Charles Berry is the Chairman of the Charles D. Berry Foundation and worked for The Berry Company for over 30 years in public affairs.
He has been heavily involved, supporting many community charities and managing the day-to-day tasks of corporate support in the Dayton area. He is a graduate of Kettering High School and Sinclair Community College. Chuck has served on the Board of Dayton Public Radio, URS, and The Berry Foundation.
David Berry
Trustee
David Berry was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He is a graduate of Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. After attending Denison University in Granville, Ohio for two years, he decided to pursue a career in Film & Photography and transferred to California Institute of the Arts, near Los Angeles, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1973.
He managed a successful career working for Industrial Light & Magic helping to create special effects for films such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Trek, E.T., and Cocoon to name a few. Now retired from professional work, he continues to consult, teach, and explore the boundaries of digital film creation with a passion. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Kamala.
William L. Fraim
Trustee
William is a California native. He moved to Ohio in 1979 to work for The L.M. Berry and Company. In 1983 he was hired as Marketing Manager at AcuSport Corporation in Bellefontaine, Ohio. He retired in 2018 as Chairman and CEO.
William currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Hillsdale College, serves on the board for The Berry Family Foundation, is a member of the World Presidents’/Young Presidents’ Organization, has served as a member and President of the National Association of Sporting Good Wholesalers, is a past board Member of the United Way of Logan County, and is a past member of the Urbana University Board of Trustees. William also chaired the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ Logan County Campaign for eight years, investing an extraordinary amount of time and effort on behalf of the area’s students, recruiting volunteers, and securing donors.
William and his wife Bonita have a combined family of nine children and 11 grandchildren.
Paige Henry
Trustee
Paige is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner™ professional, and a branch manager with Raymond James Financial Services. She is licensed as a Series 7 Registered Representative, and in General and Municipal Securities on the Principal level – as well as a Uniform Securities Agent, and holds life and health insurance licensure. She provides clients the true “one-stop” financial management resource.
Paige is Treasurer for the Board of Directors of SICSA. She is also a Trustee for the Community Foundation for Kettering and a member of The Ohio State University President’s Club. Paige shares her time between Dayton and Columbus. Her areas of client expertise are estate and tax planning, as well as financial planning. She also specializes in small business retirement planning.
William T. Lincoln
Treasurer & Trustee
William T. Lincoln has been President of Berry Investments, Inc. since 1986 where he works with the Berry Family in Asset Management and Philanthropy. Prior to 1986, he was a Senior Vice President at Society Bank (now KeyBank) where he managed the Trust Department. He is also a Trustee of the Charles D. Berry Foundation and President of the Louise Kramer Foundation.
He has also served on several boards: Children’s Medical Center, Children’s Medical Center Foundation, University Of Dayton – Law School Board Of Advisors, Boy Scouts Of America Executive Committee, Alzheimers’s Association, The Dayton Foundation Finance Committee, PACE (Parents Advancing Choice In Education), Victoria Theatre Association, and the Arts Center Foundation. He has assisted the Berry Family in managing their philanthropy for the past 35 years. He worked with John Berry and John Berry Jr. and understands the mission of the Foundation.
James O. Payne
Secretary & Trustee
In 1994, Jim retired from The Berry Company as Executive Vice President-Finance and Administration, following 25 years of service.
He received an Economics degree from the University of Dayton in 1959 and an MBA from Xavier University in 1966. He served three years on active duty with the U.S. Army, twice receiving the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service.
Jim was also very active in the Dayton community. He served as a board member for Danis Building Construction Company and Design Forum, Inc.
He was a member of many not-for-profit organizations: Chair of the Investment Committee of the Dayton Foundation, member of the University of Dayton Investment Committee, eight years on the Centerville City School Board, two as President, and President of the Dayton Chapter of the Financial Executive Institute.
Jim and his wife Suzanne live in Naples, Florida and have five children, 12 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
David Ray
Trustee
With over forty years of corporate management experience, David has successfully held multiple positions within the C-Suite prior to joining Eubel Brady & Suttman in 2003. Today, David is responsible for the day-to-day business operations of EBS. As a member of the Wealth Management Group, David works closely with high net worth individuals and brings the ability to assist clients with the preservation and growth of a closely held family business. David also brings a unique talent through his study of behavioral assessment and talent optimization. Utilizing behavioral analysis, David helps business owners and clients define and develop an ideal state definition for their personal, business and financial future.
David enjoys spending time with his wife Joellen, three daughters, and five grandchildren. He shares his passion for basketball as a middle and high school basketball coach. An avid golfer, David coordinates the annual Carl Ray Memorial Scholarship golf tournament. David is also active in the community through his support of non-profit organizations such as Matthew 25 Ministries and St. Vincent de Paul.
Vivian O’Connell
Director of Foundation Relations
Vivian O’Connell brings decades of experience and a passion for philanthropy to the Foundation and has devoted her career to nonprofit fundraising and development. She has helped raise millions of dollars to support the missions of many nonprofit organizations, including the Sacramento Association of Realtors, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and United Rehabilitation Services (URS).
Vivian is a graduate of the Leadership Dayton Class of 2018 and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Disability Foundation. She has previously served on the Boards of TEDxDayton and Helping Hands of Dayton. She joined the Berry Family Foundation in the summer of 2020.
Annie Nelson
Administrative Services Coordinator
Annie Nelson joined the Berry Family Foundation in November of 2021. Inspired by her grandparents, Annie developed a deep passion for charitable work at a young age. This resolve led her to dedicate her career to the non-profit sector. Over the last 12 years, Annie has been fortunate to be a part of organizations supporting causes such as education, multiple myeloma research, youth development and mental health.
