Alex Shumate

Alex Shumate is serving his second term on the Board of Trustees of The Ohio State University, having previously served on the Board from 1989-1998 including a term as Chairman of the Board from 1997-98. During his time on the Board, Mr. Shumate has twice served as the Chair of the University's Presidential Search Committee. He currently serves as Vice Chairman, is on the Board's Executive Committee and is the Chair of the Trusteeship Committee. Mr. Shumate is Managing Partner, North America, of the international law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP where his duties include providing strategic and operational guidance in pursuing new business opportunities regionally, nationally and internationally and in addressing issues arising from the firm's 14 offices in North America. He is consistently selected by his peers for inclusion in the annual Best Lawyers in America and as an Ohio Super Lawyer. Mr. Shumate serves as a director of the J.M. Smucker Company and Cincinnati Bell, Inc. He is president of The Limited Brands Foundation Board, secretary of The Columbus Partnership, director of The John Glenn Institute and board member of the Ohio Business Roundtable. He previously served as the chair of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, the Columbus Urban League Board and The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute Board. He received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University and his J.D. from the University of Akron. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Akron School of Law and was named a Distinguished Alumnus by Ohio Wesleyan University. Before joining Squire Sanders he served as chief counsel and deputy chief of staff to the Governor of the State of Ohio and as assistant attorney general, State of Ohio. Mr. Shumate has been honored by organizations including the Columbus Bar Association, the United Negro College Fund, the United Way, the NAACP, the Ohio General Assembly, Capital University School of Law, and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. In 2007, he received the Columbus Award, the most prestigious award given by the Columbus Chamber, for outstanding business and community leadership. In 2003, he was named Humanitarian of the Year by the American Red Cross. He is also the recipient of The Ohio State University Distinguished Service Award, the John B. Gerlach, Sr. Development Volunteer Award from The Ohio State University Foundation, the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award and the Robert S. Crane Trusteeship Award from Leadership Columbus. Mr. Shumate resides in Gahanna, Ohio, with his wife Renee and he has two sons, John Alexander and Aaron Michael.