Don Buckingham, Sr, Board President

Don joined the CCCO Board in the spring of 2020, but has practiced Non-Violent Communication (NVC) for many years. First as a pastor leading family and counseling ministries, then as an executive overseeing operations for a national brand consumer package goods company, and now as Lead Safety/Quality Improvement service line coordinator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Be it spirituality, commerce, or healthcare – Don’s use of compassionate communication has been instrumental in effective community service. Having benefited so much personally and professionally by NVC, Don enthusiastically responded to the invitation for board service and enjoys mentoring CCCO leadership in operational best practice.

Don holds two masters degrees, M. Div. (divinity) and MBOE (business operational excellence) along with two professional designations – CPHQ (professional healthcare quality) and LSSBB (operations methodology). In addition to volunteering with CCCO, Don is also an active member of the Spiritual Care Association and North Columbus Friends Meeting.

Carole Menge, Board Vice President

Carole has been a member of the nonviolent communication community since 2005. She was among the 21 community organizers who brought Dr. Marshall Rosenberg to Columbus, not once, but twice. She is a member of the Peer Development Group and has served on the Board of Directors since 2007. Professionally, she has over 40 years of experience in leadership and program development for nonprofit organizations with particular knowledge of social services, homeless issues and child welfare.

She has a personal mission to make a difference in the lives of others. As the mother of two adult children and grandmother of four granddaughters, she lives and models the principles of NVC.

Carole Menge, MSW, LISW-S, ACSW

John Henson, CMA, CPA, LSS GB, MBA, MFE, PMP, Board Treasurer

John Henson is a current Board of Trustee of the CCCO Organization. He currently serves as the Board Treasurer for the organization. He has served on the Board of Trustees for CCCO for approximately 4 years.  He has been a member of the CCCO community for the last 10 years.  

John earned his bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University (Business Management). John also holds a Master’s of Financial Economics (MFE) from Ohio University, and an MBA from Otterbein University.  John also holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and the Project Management Professional (PMP) designations. Additionally, he earned the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) from Toastmasters International.

Professionally, he is an accountant for the Federal Government. In this capacity, he is the lead over the Tax Department and is responsible for creation and distribution of millions of tax documents each year. John, also owns and operates his own real estate management business with a mission to re-stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods in the Columbus metropolitan area.  

Sheila Kapur, MA, MSW, LISW, JD, Board Secretary

Sheila is the newest member of the CCCO Board, joining in the fall of 2023. She was first introduced to NVC in an Intensive International Training (IIT) in Nairobi, Kenya and was immediately intrigued by the simplicity and ease of the NVC method to communicate effectively and to resolve both simple and complex conflicts. Sheila brings a broad range of experiences to the Board, including growing up in a large family of mixed cultural and ethnic heritage, living abroad several years as a college student, and traveling extensively. She studied law and mediation at The Ohio State University and earned her J.D. in 1988.

Her professional work at OSU includes more than 10 years as Director of Asian American Student Services and five years as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Public Programs at The Moritz College of Law. After retiring from OSU Sheila went back to school to further develop her skills in two areas that she deeply believes in, namely social justice and mental health. She earned her MSW in 2007. She trained and worked in numerous mental health settings, including OSU Harding Hospital, Columbus Suicide Prevention Hotline, community mental health agencies, a charter high school for inner-city teens and a residential home for troubled adolescents. She has been working as a mental health therapist and coach in her own private practice since 2015.

Gary Kopp, Board Member at Large

Gary has worked, trained and volunteered in the field of libraries, retail, construction, and non profits for over 40 years. Gary served as a volunteer recruiter, trainer, and coordinator (teens and adults) for Columbus Metropolitan Library branches for over 20 years. Since 2005 Gary serves as a volunteer assistant trainer, facilitator, and Practice Group leader for Compassionate Communication of Central Ohio. He received his B.S. in education from the Ohio State University.

Additionally, Gary had been a volunteer with Kobacker House, a hospice facility 1997 - 2010. Gary served on the Board of the American Council of the Blind-Columbus Chapter. He also has certifications in Aquatic exercise, Ai Chi, Life Guard, and Personal Safety. Gary has been a member of the Village Singers chorus since 2012, and began volunteering at the Grandview Heights Public Library Youth Services department in the summer of 2013. Most recently, since November 2015 he has been serving on the Board of the Compassionate Communication Center of Ohio. He is also a member of the Programming and Contract Committees of CCCO, and a member of PDG (Peer Development Group) of CCCO.