It has come to our attention that there have been allegations made regarding our Executive Director, Bryan Smith. These allegations have been put into a letter and distributed to various people by an anonymous source. Once we became aware, the matter was investigated and no wrongdoing was found. We fully support Bryan and the work he is doing for Friends of Portsmouth and the community.
Special Statement
from the Board
04-27-24
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Director & Board Members
Bryan Smith, Executive Director
Bryan is a 2000 graduate of Shawnee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and a Master’s degree in Education from Rio Grande University. Friends of Portsmouth is Bryan’s third non-profit to work for, previously working for the American Red Cross in disaster relief for the Tri-State area. Prior to that he worked for Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth as an account executive for 26 counties in Ohio. He also served in the US Army, US Active Army, Ohio National Guard and Ky National Guard for a total of 11 years. His wife Debbie is the Office Manager for Neal Hatcher Real Estate and is also part of the Friends of Portsmouth Leadership team. They are the proud parent of two sons Justin and Drew.
He serves as a board member on the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. Bryan enjoys volunteering for various community projects around the Scioto County area. A lifelong passion of Bryan’s is soccer, coaching youth, High School and College level soccer for 20 plus years. He loves to workout, run and loves to Kayak with his wife and friends.
Tia King, Board Member
Tia King joined the board of FOP in 2019. It was the mission and enthusiasm of Friends of Portsmouth that led to her desire to join.
Born and raised in Portsmouth, Tia is a 1998 graduate of Portsmouth High School. She also holds both a bachelor of nursing and a masters of science degree from The Ohio State University. She obtained her board certification as a family nurse practitioner in 2004.
Tia has worked in the Emergency Department at SOMC since 2010. She is married to husband Dale and is mother to twins Colt and Elizabeth. When not helping to take care of individuals within our community, Tia enjoys hanging out with her family, friends, working out and great food.
Maile Gerken Milsap, Board Member
Maile is a multi-generation resident of Scioto County and grew up in West Portsmouth. She attended Notre Dame Schools in Portsmouth and then went to Elon University where she graduated with honors and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, as well as Corporate Communications, and a minor in Dance. She’s a Producer for television shows and documentaries, and has worked for all of the major studios and networks in Hollywood. Her credits include: The Big Bang Theory on CBS, Disjointed on Netflix and Call Me Kat on Fox. She’s a member of the Directors Guild of America. She lives in Portsmouth with her husband Chase, daughter Luna and Frenchton dog Koa.
Maile enjoys volunteering with the Candyland Children’s Museum, Team Rubicon and the American Red Cross. She loves traveling and spending time with family and friends.
George Davis IV, Board Member
Geordie Davis is a lawyer in the firm George L. Davis, III Co., LLC, as well as an adjunct faculty member at Shawnee State University. He holds an AB degree in Government from The College of William & Mary in Virginia, a JD degree from Ohio Northern University, and studied business at the London School of Economics & Political Science. He focuses his legal practice on civil litigation, domestic relations, commercial law, real estate, and DUI defense. Geordie currently serves on the boards of The Counseling Center and Portsmouth Metropolitan Housing Authority. He is a lifelong resident of Portsmouth, where he lives with his son Penn, fiance Christina, and step-daughter Mallory.
Chris Moore, Board Member
Chris moved to Portsmouth in 2007 to coach baseball at Shawnee State University. Over the course of his career at SSU, he has had many opportunities, including his current position as Executive Director of the Shawnee State University Development Foundation since 2018. Though not a native of the region, Chris proudly calls Portsmouth home and looks forward to helping usher Portsmouth into its next phase.
Dr. Taylor Babcock, Board Member
Taylor is a fourth generation Optometrist, practicing in downtown Portsmouth, OH. He provides comprehensive primary eye health care to patients of all ages. Dr. Babcock is a 2008 graduate from Miami University. He received his doctorate at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2014. He lives in Portsmouth, OH with his wife, Kelly, and their two children. When not spending time with his family, his hobbies include; running, hunting and fishing. He is active throughout the community, as a member of Cornerstone UMC, Tri-State Habitat for Humanity, Southern Ohio Professional Partners and Friends of Portsmouth. Dr. Babcock also volunteers on several committees, and serves as a board member for the Ohio Optometric Association.
