Email Jon Simons

Board President 
Term Ends: December 31, 2027

Jon Myron Simons was elected to the Princeton Board of Education in November 2019. He attended Princeton schools K-12, received his diploma, then attended and graduated from the United States Naval Academy and received his commission in the United States Navy. After receiving his honorable discharge, Jon pursued a civilian career with General Electric as an Engineer. Subsequent roles included a managerial role with Dell Computers and Director roles with Ernst &Young and Nationwide Insurance. For the past decade, Mr. Simons has retained ownership of several businesses, including a logistics franchise, real estate, a staffing company, and a Fed Ex franchise.

As a Princeton High School student, Jon served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, which ignited his drive to serve Princeton. As the Drum Major in the high school band, Jon learned to have an appreciation of parent volunteers in the music realm. Thus, he continues his financial support and membership within the current iteration of Music Boosters.

As a graduate of the Naval Academy and Princeton alumnus, Jon also participated in the inception of the Princeton Naval Junior ROTC program. This unique high school program continues to be a positive influence for Princeton students.

With a desire to bring corporate and business knowledge and his love for Princeton together, Jon has served as a Glendale PTA member and Vice President, along with being a Princeton Education Foundation Trustee and President. He has raised substantial money for the Princeton Closet and Education Foundation, which has benefited countless Princeton students.

He continues to hold the position of President of the LS Boehm Foundation, which provides scholarships to Princeton students. He serves the greater Princeton community by being a member of the Princeton-Sharonville Kiwanis. Jon continues to serve as a youth coach in basketball and continues to support the students as they matriculate from his program.

Mr. Simons is the father to four daughters, three who have attended Princeton, and one who is currently enrolled. Jon is married to Stacey DeGraffenreid, who is also a K-12 Princeton graduate, a University of Cincinnati Law graduate, and currently a Hamilton County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.

Email Jodi Kessler

Board Vice President
Term Ends: December 31, 2025

Jodi Kessler of Evendale was elected to the Princeton Board of Education in November of 2021, and was sworn in as a member of the Princeton Board of Education at the January 4, 2022, Organizational Meeting.

Jodi is an educator of 32 years, having taught visual arts at the high school level for the majority of her career.  Jodi earned her bachelor's and master's Degrees in Art Education from Miami University. Jodi has also worked as an adjunct professor at Xavier University and as an Upward Bound instructor at Miami University.

As a parent of four Princeton Vikings, Jodi volunteered as President of the Princeton Music boosters for four years.  She also was very active with the Evendale PTA when her children attended elementary school.  Currently, she serves as an ex officio trustee for the Princeton Education Foundation.  Jodi also serves as the President of the Evendale Cultural Arts Center Commission. 

Email Mary Cleveland

Board Member
Term Ends: December 31, 2025

Mary McAlister Cleveland, elected to the Princeton City Schools Board of Education in November 2013, has over a decade of service, including as Past President. A longtime advocate and volunteer, Mary has consistently dedicated her efforts to enhancing the educational experience within Princeton City Schools. She is passionate about fostering collaboration among students, parents, faculty, staff, and the broader community to make Princeton a leader among school districts in the region.

In addition to her work with Princeton City Schools, Mary was appointed in 2014 to the Board of Directors for the Great Oaks Career Campuses, one of the largest career and technical education districts in the United States, representing 36 school districts. In 2022, she made history as the first African American elected to become Chair of the Board. Her commitment to education extends statewide through her leadership with the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). As the 2025 President-Elect of OSBA, representing all of Ohio students, Mary has held numerous key roles within OSBA, including serving on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. She also led the OSBA Southwest Region Executive Committee as its 2023 President, representing over 177 school districts and Educational Service Centers in Southwest Ohio.

Mary’s contributions to education and public service have earned widespread recognition. In 2024, she was honored as the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education Career Tech Outstanding Board Member. Additionally, she received the STAR Service Award from OSBA, underscoring her unwavering dedication to public education. Drawing from extensive experience across corporate, education, and nonprofit sectors, Mary brings innovative solutions to complex challenges. As a certified mediator, she advises nonprofits, schools and businesses on growth strategies, community engagement, optimizing relationships and increasing operational efficiencies. Cleveland is an entrepreneur alongside her husband, where they have multiple successful family-owned businesses including several ecommerce websites, and a consulting firm where Mary leverages her expertise in human resources, operations, education and facility management.

Deeply committed to community service, Cleveland has volunteered with numerous organizations, including the Great Rivers Council of the Girl Scouts of America, the American Heart Association, the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati and various public and private school districts. She also serves as an advisor to various organizations, including the Neuro Visual Institute, Maine Champion, the Preston Brown and Nuway Foundations. She has been recognized as a community leader in Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati. 

Ms. Cleveland holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Thomas More College and a Juris Doctorate from Salmon P. Chase College of Law. As a lifelong learner, Mary is a 2024 School Board Partners Fellow, having completed a year-long fellowship focused on school governance, further strengthening her knowledge and advocacy for effective school leadership. She is a graduate of the Executive Service Corps of Cincinnati’s EXCEL program and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Mary and her husband, Errol, a retired Officer with the City of Cincinnati Fire Division, reside in Sharonville. Together, they raised four children who attended Princeton City Schools, representing a range of educational experiences from gifted to special needs. Welcoming the next generation of Vikings, they currently have two young grandchildren attending Princeton with the third to hopefully follow suit when they enter school. This personal connection has reinforced Mary’s steadfast commitment to creating equitable opportunities for every student.

Email Gina Ruffin Moore

Board Member
Term Ends: December 31, 2027

Gina Ruffin Moore was elected to the PCSD Board of Education in November 2015.  She is a passionate supporter of educational social justice to ensure all students are prepared for college, a career, and life success. Her strong commitment to strengthen schools stems from a desire to continue to attract and retain top students and build on academic, fine arts and athletic programs. Her political career includes a four-year stint as an elected member of the Woodlawn Village Council.

Gina attended PCSD schools and is a graduate of Princeton High School. She attended Ohio University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism, with a concentration on broadcast news, public relations and political science. She also has a Master’s in Education with a concentration on Human Resources, Development & Training from Xavier University. She is a certified Expert On-the-Job (OJT) Trainer.

Gina has worked most of her career in training and public relations for local municipal government and at the University of Cincinnati. She was an on-air news reporter for WLW-AM, WAKW-FM, WMOH-AM, WUBE-FM, WGRR-FM and WCIN-AM. Her other leadership roles include Board memberships at Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Harriet Beecher Stowe House and the Woodview Homeowners’ Association. She is a Sunday school teacher at Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Woodlawn, active in Toastmasters International and the Greater Cincinnati Association of Training and Development.  

She also served on the Princeton Scholarship Committee and as a volunteer for the Princeton Marching Band Boosters. Gina is co-founder of the Woodlawn Historical and Preservation Society. She is the author of a book on Cincinnati titled "Cincinnati: Black America Series." 

Gina and her husband have two college-educated children who are also Princeton High School graduates. 

Email Susan Wyder

Board Member
Term Ends: December 31, 2027

Susan Wyder of Springdale was elected to the Princeton Board of Education in November 2011. She has a degree from Ohio Dominican in English and Speech/Drama, and also received an MA in English from Xavier University. Susan and her husband, Walter, a former Princeton Board member, have lived in the district for 41 years. Their four children, Gretchen (orchestra teacher), Rachael (sales executive), Jennifer (mother), and Charlie (architect/structural engineer) went entirely through Princeton, and she feels they are where they are in life, in great part, because of the incredible education they received at Springdale Elementary, Princeton Junior High School, and Princeton High School.

As a parent, she has served as PTA President as well as President of Princeton Music Boosters twice and editor of their newsletter for several years. She was an employee of Princeton, beginning in 1980, until her retirement at the end of 2011. As a teacher, she considers herself most fortunate to have had a rich career, in which she had the opportunity to work with so many dedicated, talented staff members and so many wonderful children, each one a unique gift.

As a professional, Susan has been Sharonville Intermediate Leader, a team leader at Princeton Community Middle School, director/producer of the Sharonville Renaissance, coordinator of the Sharonville Giving Tree, and organizer of the Princeton Closet. She was also lucky enough to take violin lessons for several years with her fifth graders, courtesy of the amazing Princeton Music Department, and she performed on the Princeton stage in THE SOUND OF MUSIC (a fundraiser for the Princeton Scholarship Fund) with Mrs. Sandy Leach, a former Princeton Board of Education member. 

As Susan’s teaching days were winding down, she knew that she wanted to give back to Princeton, and the opportunity to serve on the Board of Education would be one way in which that might be accomplished. She thinks that her firsthand classroom experience, working with staff and students, can be an asset in policy and decision making, and she plans to devote her efforts to ensure that all Princeton students continue to receive the depth and breadth of education that are the "Princeton Advantage."