FIRST GENERAL SESSION
Sunday, Nov. 10
4 p.m.  I  Union Station Ballroom

Mary Steenburgen is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winning actress best known for her work in the films “Melvin and Howard,” “Parenthood,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” "Philadelphia,” “Stepbrothers,” and “Book Club” and television shows “Justified,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Last Man on Earth.” Most recently, Steenburgen starred for two seasons as Maggie Clarke in NBC’s musical television sensation “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”.    

Steenburgen stars in Focus Features “Book Club: The Next Chapter” opposite Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen, which was released in theaters by Focus Features on May 12, 2023. In addition to starring in the film, Steenburgen (along with Troy Verges and Caitlyn Smith) wrote “Anywhere With You” for the end credits of the film and she and her three co-stars recorded the vocals.  

Mary is a songwriter for Universal Music Publishing Group. Along with co-writers Troy Verges and Caitlyn Smith, Mary wrote the acclaimed song “This Is Christmas” for HBO's “Holiday Harmony” and “Northstar” for Roku's original film “Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas”. Mary was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)”, featured in the film Wild Rose. “Glasgow” received the Critics' Choice Award and the Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Original Song.  

OSBA BLACK CAUCUS DINNER
Sunday, Nov. 10
7 p.m.  I  Battelle Grand North
Cost: $95

Meryl Johnson is a retired teacher with 40 years of teaching experience in Cleveland Municipal Schools. A graduate of Glenville High School in the Cleveland school district, she received her bachelor of arts degree from Kent State University and her master of education degree from Cleveland State University. She was elected to the State Board of Education in November 2016, representing District 11.

During her years of teaching, Johnson helped new/struggling teachers improve their skills through the Educational Research and Dissemination Program, developed by the American Federation of Teachers. She also developed and conducted workshops on cultural competency and trauma-informed education to empower teachers to teach all of their students successfully. 

Johnson is an avid student advocate. As a teacher, she helped students develop leadership skills by training them in mediation through the Winning Against Violent Environments (WAVE) Program, voter registration, letter writing to newspapers and speaking at community forums. She also transported Student Council leaders to Columbus to lobby for fair school funding.

Since her retirement, she has taught student participants in the Upward Bound program every summer on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. She also hosts a weekly radio show called “It’s About Justice.”

The OSBA Black Caucus Dinner is open to all attendees and provides a platform for networking, discussions and recognition of the achievements of African American and ethnically and culturally diverse students and board members.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required; the cost to attend is $95. Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 25.

MONDAY CONFERENCE LUNCHEON
Monday, Nov. 11
11:45 a.m.  I  Battelle Grand North
Cost: $70

Anne Marie Anderson is a three-time Emmy Award winning broadcaster, keynote speaker and author.  Having spent more than three decades in sports television, Anderson has covered many of sport's biggest events including six Olympic Games, golf's majors, NBA and Major League Baseball playoffs, heavyweight title fights and the Super Bowl. She has been recognized nationally for her journalism and leadership in the advancement of sport. 

Anne Marie’s upcoming book, Cultivating Audacity - How to Dismantle Doubt and Take Bold Risks, challenges readers to recalibrate their relationship with fear and explore life free of the barriers that stand between you and the life you want to lead.  As a speaker, Anderson is known for delivering keynotes that are alternately funny and touching, often drawing upon her role as a parent to connect with the audience through the power of storytelling. 

Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Registration is required; the cost to attend is $70. Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 25.

SECOND GENERAL SESSION
Tuesday, Nov. 12
11 a.m.  I  Union Station Ballroom

Boomer Esiason, a 14-year NFL veteran, played for the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award 1988 and led the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII (1989). Sporting News and Football Digest also named Esiason the NFL Player of the Year that same season. The University of Maryland product was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft and became one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history. He ranks in the Top-25 all-time in NFL passing yards, Top-30 in completions and Top-25 all-time with 247 touchdown passes.

Upon retiring from the NFL, Esiason made his debut as a commentator for ABC's Monday Night Football for two years and called games for Westwood One Radio Sports’ Monday Night Football broadcasts for 19 seasons. From 2002-24, he served as lead studio analyst on CBS Sports’ The NFL Today and has served as cohost of WFAN Radio’s acclaimed weekday morning since 2007. In 2019, Esiason became the host of a new syndicated interview show, Game Time with Boomer Esiason, seen nationwide in 220 television markets across the country.

Esiason’s accomplishments stretch far beyond football. After his son Gunnar was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, Esiason created the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) to fund research to find a cure for the deadly disease with the mission to provide a higher quality of life for people with cystic fibrosis. BEF also provides education, awareness and scholarships for people with the disease. To date, BEF has raised over $230 million for the fight against cystic fibrosis. In 1995 the NFL honored him with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his excellence on the football field as well as his charitable work through his foundation.