2024 Alumni Awardees Work Toward Common Good

A commitment to build a more equitable and just society has been the cornerstone of Ron Bridges’ journey in his 37-year career in public service.

A seasoned nonprofit leader in public affairs, program management and community engagement, Bridges dedicated more than 25 of those years to the AARP movement in both Kentucky and Ohio. He demonstrated exceptional leadership and communication skills, which led to impactful initiatives and collaborative relationships across diverse constituencies.

“I found great satisfaction in the work related to public affairs, public service. I've been driven by the belief that public service is crucial to addressing community needs and working toward common good,” Bridges said. “I was profoundly impacted by the challenges I saw in my community. I witnessed the struggles of many folks that were grappling with deep-seated issues around food, hunger, housing and the like. And there was a sense of responsibility. My work is focused on ensuring that essential services are provided, rights are protected and opportunities are created for all individuals, regardless of their background.”

Upon his retirement, Bridges was state executive director of AARP’s Kentucky office. He now serves as the volunteer chairman of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Kentucky, where he continues to advocate for community welfare and development. His ongoing dedication to enhancing lives through strategic advocacy and collaborative engagement cements his contributions as a visionary leader in nonprofit and public service sectors.

Before his rise to leadership of AARP’s efforts in Kentucky, Bridges was government affairs director for AARP in Ohio. In this role, he developed and executed state legislative strategies, built relationships with policymakers and represented AARP before state legislative bodies, substantially advancing AARP’s public policy objectives.

Bridges’ career also includes roles such as senior vice president at the Health Coalition of Central Ohio and executive director at the American Lung Association in Washington, D.C. In these positions, he managed regional healthcare initiatives, facilitated collaborative networks and led advocacy campaigns, consistently driving improvements in public health and policy.

“To the next generation of leaders being trained at the Glenn College, I offer the following advice: Stay passionate. Let your passion for helping others drive your work. It's not only a passion that will result in positive outcomes, but it'll get you through the challenges that you'll face,” Bridges said, stressing that students should stay adaptable, maintain integrity and transparency, and build strong relationships. “There are things like bureaucracies that we face, and we need to understand the challenges that government has in fulfilling its obligation to the citizenry and be steadfast in trying to uphold the tenets of good management of resources, management of the public good.”

A champion of connection, collaboration and community, Matthew Stephens-Rich has been a driving force in the Glenn College Alumni Society, starting with his leadership in the Young Alumni Club and eventual election as president of the society.

“What I get out of the chance to be able to give back to the college and to the alumni society is a real sense of paying back in earnest,” he said. “It’s a chance to provide the connections, the resources that I was afforded as a student, and in turn be able to create new opportunity for peers and colleagues. It’s honestly a sense of not just gratitude but also of debt that I owe to others and a chance to be able to repay it in full in the sense of being a resource for others.”

Stephens-Rich’s service has spanned multiple committees, including Alumni Engagement and Professional Development, and his role as chair of the 2022 Leadership Forum. His commitment extends beyond committee work — he is a dedicated mentor, always present at events, college visit days and student career talks, creating meaningful connections with students and alumni alike. He spearheaded the effort to endow the Glenn College Alumni Scholarship Fund, which will leave a lasting impact on future public leaders.

Stephens-Rich is director of programs for the Electrification Coalition, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes policies and actions to facilitate the widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles on a mass scale to overcome the economic, public health and national security challenges that stem from America’s dependence on oil. Often incorporating state and federal grant funding to drive further action, his work focuses on leading the implementation team and supporting broad fleet electrification, consumer adoption and charging deployment across the country. He supported the City of Columbus’ $50 million grant award for the U.S. Department of Transportation Smart Cities Challenge (Smart Columbus), developing the Electrification Coalition’s free-to-use fleet analysis tool with over 1 million vehicles assessed to date, and state agencies across the country in leveraging federal funding to grow economic development opportunity in EV and battery manufacturing.

Through his involvement with the Glenn College Alumni Society, Stephens-Rich enjoys having the chance to grow his professional network not only with others who want to work in the energy and sustainability space but also with those who share a passion for improving policy.

“The great treasure I’ve really taken out of the alumni society, and honestly still get to lean into it, is a real chance to connect with alumni that I didn’t immediately go to school with,” Stephens-Rich said. “I never would have had a chance to get to build these relationships and friendships if for not the alumni society. That’s something I continue to really get excited about. It’s just the chance to get to meet new folks, especially getting to learn what their passion is and chance to get to grow those relationships.”

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Natalie Pantalos’ mission in her military and her civilian sector careers has been to support communities.

Now an active duty soldier assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, Pantalos is training to become a reconnaissance sergeant in the Civil Affairs special operations branch, which works in nations across the world to enable local governments, strengthen stability and improve the quality of life for civilians.

“Something that inspires me to do the work that I do is just the uniqueness of the job and the impact that we’re able to have on the communities that we work in,” she said. “And the other is just my teammates and fellow soldiers. These folks come from across the world, across the nation, all walks of life, and they master incredible skills. They’re not just jumping out of planes and firing weapons; they’re flying helicopters, they’re developing new technology, they’re protecting our cybersecurity. Just being able to serve side by side with them honestly inspires me to do what I can to further the mission as much as possible.”

Prior to serving full time in the U.S. Army, Natalie was the director of external relations and community affairs at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, where she advocated for business interests in Ohio and helped shape the organization’s outreach and engagement. She also worked in politics and state government for seven years as deputy communications director in the Ohio Governor’s Office, chief communications director for the Ohio Department of Veterans Services and digital outreach manager for Kasich for America.

“One of the most rewarding things that I’ve been able to do in my civilian career was during my time with the chamber. I was able to really get to know some of our members and what their interests were in terms of interacting with and giving back to the community,” Pantalos said. “Then I was able to use my background working with local nonprofits to match them up. The businesses then really support the causes that are important to them, and the nonprofits are able to grow their missions.”

In addition to her professional endeavors, Pantalos has been active in nonprofit and community organizations including the John Glenn College of Public Affairs Alumni Society Board, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Omicron House Corp., Junior League of Columbus and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio.

“My time at the John Glenn College really exposed me to not only the foundations of public policy and how that applies to governance in a lot of different scenarios but also all of the different ways that leadership can present itself,” Pantalos said. “I’m also extremely grateful to the Glenn College, their faculty and staff and Dean Trevor Brown, who have supported me through the whole arc of my career. Something about the Glenn College really makes a huge school like Ohio State feel like a supportive family, and I’m very grateful for that.”