Leadership Team
Fund members have elected a leadership team to successfully guide the Fund’s day-to-day business, attract quality deal flow, and conduct due diligence on potential investments. See below to learn more about the Athens Ohio Investment Alliance leadership team.
Kerry Myford-Khoury
Co-Chair
Kerry is a Senior Finance Manager with a multinational Fortune 100 insurance company focusing on planning, operationalizing, documenting, and defending intercompany pricing for the commercial and specialty insurance operations in over 25 countries.
Prior to her current role, Kerry spent much of her career (from 1999-2022) in transfer pricing consulting for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, BDO, and Exactera. As a Senior Manager and practice leader, she served clients to develop, analyze, and prepare transfer pricing planning, documentation, and audit defense strategies. Kerry has served a broad base of clients from small inbound manufacturers to Fortune 50 companies. Such experience was tailored to accommodate each client’s unique facts, circumstances, and operational goals. Prior to entering the accounting industry, she worked as a budget and finance analyst for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission and the Department of Administrative Services.
Kerry graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science, a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA), and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Ohio University. She has also served on the American Cancer Society Board.
Neill Lane
Secretary
Neill Lane is a successful entrepreneur and start-up CEO. His currently an advisor, board member and angel investor.
Neill was the founding CEO of Stirling Ultracold, an Athens, Ohio, company that delivered the first environmentally friendly, energy efficient, ultra-low temperature cooling products to customers worldwide. Neill led four rounds of fundraising as the company established cleantech manufacturing in Appalachian Ohio. In May 2021, the company was acquired by BioLife Solutions (Nasdaq BLFS).
During 2008 and 2009, Neill was a co-founder and president of Blight to Bright LLC, a developer of large-scale solar installations, and an executive in residence with TechGrowth Ohio.
Previously Neill served for 10 years as CEO of Sunpower Inc. Under his leadership the company established its cryocooler manufacturing capability and was acquired by Ametek (NYSE AME) in 2009.
Geoffrey A. Morgan
Co-Chair & Treasurer
Geoff is the former Vice President & General Manager for Quidel’s advance manufacturing subsidiary located in Athens, Ohio (2010 to 2022). Quidel is a leading manufacturer of diagnostic medical devices and plays an industry leading role in providing testing solutions for detecting infectious diseases including SARS COV-2 (COVID-19). Prior to his role as General Manager, he served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Diagnostic Hybrids, Inc. from 2003 to 2010. He led the corporate finance group and partnered with Dave Scholl (CEO) to guide the Company through rapid growth and success. Diagnostic Hybrids was acquired by Quidel in 2010.
Geoff started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 1987 and served many of the Cincinnati office’s premier clients including the Kroger Company and Jacor Communications. After leaving PwC in 1999 as a Senior Manager, he joined Blue Chip Broadcasting based in Cincinnati as CFO and led the corporate finance team through a series of acquisitions culminating in the sale of the Company to Radio One in 2002.
Geoff graduated from Miami University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Athens County Foundation and was past board chair for BioOhio.
Kathryn Cooper
Executive Committee At-Large Member
Kathryn Cooper and her husband founded one of the first local Internet Service Providers in Southern Ohio in 1996. After a 1999 sale to a private equity firm, Kathryn stepped into a next generation broadband venture called Intelliwave. Founded in 2002, Intelliwave provided broadband fixed wireless and fiber optic Internet service to customers across 9 Counties of Southern Ohio, operating a regional network of more than 150 broadcasting tower locations as well as the construction of 65 miles of last mile fiber optic networks. As partner and CFO, Kathryn helped navigate Intelliwave through 18 years of growth to a successful sale in 2020. Intelliwave, now Point Broadband, continues to bridge the digital divide bringing broadband Internet to large under-served areas of Southern Ohio.
Today Kathryn manages family investments as lead partner in Gray Squirrel Enterprise. She also engages in various community organizations and initiatives in Athens County which includes angel investing and advising to small businesses in the region.
Michelle Greenfield
Executive Committee At-Large Member
Michelle Greenfield is the former co-owner and CEO of Third Sun Solar, which was one of the Midwest’s largest solar companies. Third Sun was purchased in 2022 by Kokosing Industrial, Inc.
Prior to Third Sun, she was a Rural Action VISTA volunteer, and chartered and managed the Appalachian Development Federal Credit Union (ADFCU). Michelle also worked with several small business development and finance non-profits in Athens County, was an organizer and board member of the Clean Energy Credit Union, past President of Green Energy Ohio, and served on the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and APAC boards. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Miami University and a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Ohio University.
Faith Knutsen
Executive Committee At-Large Member
Representing the Athens County Foundation’s John Glazer Impact Fund, Faith Knutsen is the Director of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service, where she is employed since 2008. She directs the Social Enterprise Ecosystem program, which brings venture development services, capital access and social impact measurement tools to social enterprises and impact funders in rural SE Ohio and contiguous states. She lectures at the University and to community and civic organizations on social enterprise, entrepreneurial ecosystem development, venture development toolkits, and grantwriting. Previously, she held an executive administrative role at Sunpower, Inc., an engineering R&D firm. Ms. Knutsen began her professional career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in central Africa and has since served as a periodic consultant in multiple nations on the African continent. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a master’s degree from Ohio University. Ms. Knutsen is an advisor to multiple social enterprise Boards, an amateur fiction writer and playwright, and the parent of two young adults.
Paul Mass
Executive Committee At-Large Member
Paul Mass is an “Entrepreneur-in-Residence” in Ohio University’s College of Business and serves as Associate Director of Ohio University’s Center For Entrepreneurship.
Paul has benefited from a diverse career beginning as a corporate attorney and continuing on as a successful entrepreneur and business executive helping to create, fund, manage and lead companies in the cable television, radio, information service, biotech and e-commerce industries. Paul has served as a Partner, General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer, and President and CEO, respectively, at various times throughout his more than 35 year professional career. One of the companies he helped start and manage still operates out of San Diego, CA: GovX, Inc. (www.govx.com). The other, ClosingCorp, Inc. (www.closing.com), was sold to Corelogic, Inc. in September, 2021, for more than $300 million. More recently, Paul has co-founded two new ventures: ExperienceNow, Inc. (San Diego, CA) and 1Base Pharmaceuticals, LLC (Boston, MA).
Paul received his B.A. degree in Political Science from Duke University, magna cum laude, and his J.D. degree from the Emory University School of Law, Order of the Coif and Member of the Board, Emory Law Journal.
Dan Squiller
Executive Committee At-Large Member
Dan Squiller is the CEO of Aquam Corp., a global provider of technology solutions for water and energy distribution infrastructure ensuring the health, longevity, safety and reliability of vital resources for utility & municipal, commercial & residential and industrial markets.
Previously, he has held CEO and executive positions at Verengo Solar, GT Advanced Technologies, PowerGenix, Invensys plc, St. Bernard Software, and Scientific Atlanta. Roles have spanned from venture capital backed early-stage companies to multi-national billion-dollar organizations. Public company leadership roles have included chairmanship of Densei-Lambda, a First Section Tokyo stock exchange company and Chief Operating Office at GT Advanced Technologies. Mr. Squiller also consults to venture capital and private equity firms where he specializes in technology commercialization, international expansion, turnarounds, and Asian supply chain development.
A graduate of Ohio University with a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MA in Interpersonal Communication, Mr. Squiller also completed the Executive Institute program at Stanford University. He has served on and chaired various Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards for industrial companies, trade organizations, and nonprofits. He currently serves on the boards of Aquam Corp., BrightVolt, Spear Power Systems, and Ohio University’s Cutler Scholars scholarship program.