Alumni Association Officers

Lauren Oliver ’12 is the President of the Gilmour Academy Alumni Association. After graduating from Gilmour in 2012, she attended Miami University of Ohio and received a BA in Journalism, with minors in Political Science and Latin American Studies. Lauren decided to leave Ohio for the Windy City in 2016 in order to attend Loyola University of Chicago. She graduated in 2018 with a Master of Science in Global Strategic Communications.

 

Lauren previously worked in Public Relations as an Account Manager for Hawthorne Strategy Group and Interim Marketing Director for the Women’s Business Development Center before deciding to come back home to Cleveland in 2019. Lauren is now an Editor at American Greetings in Westlake, Ohio designing, editing, and producing greeting cards.

 

When asked about her favorite memories at Gilmour, Lauren said that she most fondly remembers her life-long friendships and credits Gilmour with giving her such an outstanding education. She also remembers most vividly traveling to Honduras with Mr. Tiesl on his annual mission trip.

 

Lauren believes that giving back to Gilmour is extremely important in order for future generations of students to receive the same unique Gilmour education that we were fortunate enough to receive.

Brandon Cox ’03 has never been afraid to speak in front of a crowd and enjoys being in the spotlight. Growing up, the intersection of those characteristics led to his being apart of Gilmour’s Drama Club and Speech & Debate team. After graduation, Brandon attended Georgetown University, where he studied Business Administration. He returned to Cleveland in order to attend Cleveland-Marshall College of Law where he graduated cum laude in 2012.

 

As an attorney, Brandon has served as first- and second-chair trial counsel, he has obtained defense verdicts for clients in several nationwide cases. He is a high-energy, passionate lawyer, and thrives in the courtroom and has a unique ability to connect with jurors, capture their attention, and explain complex evidence creatively and effectively. Brandon’s trial experience and excitement for the courtroom has resulted in a national practice that focuses on complex litigation of all types, defending a variety of clients in personal injury, products liability, and pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare litigation.

 

Brandon continuously demonstrates his pay-it-forward attitude through community service and inspiring the next generation of legal professionals. Brandon coaches Gilmour students in mock trial and moot court, leading five teams to the state championship final round in the first six years that the moot court program existed. Over the years, the students have won numerous best brief and best advocate awards, and three teams have won the state championship. Additionally, as an adjunct professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, he coaches students who compete in the Thurgood Marshall Moot Court competition. Under his leadership, these students have won multiple best brief and best advocate awards, several regional championships, and the 2017 national championship. Brandon’s community service stretches beyond inspiring the next generation. Brandon represents economically disadvantaged clients with housing issues and probate disputes. He also works hard to promote diversity in the legal profession.

 

Brandon has received significant honors for his professional successes and community involvement. He is the 2019 recipient of the “Leader on the Rise” award from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law – only the second alum to receive it. In 2018, the Ohio State Bar Foundation awarded him both the Community and Statewide Service Awards for Attorneys 40 & Under. In 2017, he was selected as an Emerging Leader Cohort Member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Leadership Academy. Also in 2017, he received the “40 Under 40 – Nation’s Best Advocates” award from the National Bar Association, as well as the first-ever Outstanding Alumni Spotlight Award from the Black Law Students Association at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

 

In his spare time, Brandon enjoys traveling, exploring Cleveland’s awesome restaurants, hosting social events, and collecting vintage bowties.

 

Brandon gives back, especially in time because he recognizes that the skills he developed at Gilmour have proven invaluable to his success as a lawyer. “Coaching high school students in competitive Mock Trial and Moot Court competition ensures that I continue to provide essential stand-up skills and knowledge to our students that will enable them to be successful and productive members of society. Coaching also keeps my skills sharp—not to mention I really enjoy being around this generation of eager, thoughtful, open-minded, and super intelligent students!”

Brian Poe ’05 was born and raised in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and graduated from Gilmour Academy in 2005. After Gilmour, Brian went to Bucknell University, where he was captain of the golf team and majored in economics and sociology with a minor in mathematics. After Bucknell, he worked for a law firm in California for a year prior to attending Brooklyn Law School. While focusing on entertainment law in school, he interned at IMG and Sony Music and also clerked for former U.S. District Judge Layn R. Phillips. He later went on to practice law for five years in the field of alternative dispute resolution, focusing primarily on the mediation of complex cases at Phillips ADR. Brian assisted in the negotiation and successful settlement of over three hundred cases, generating an aggregate settlement value of over one billion dollars annually. He then transitioned out of the legal field to work at IMG in their Golf Clients division. He has now worked at IMG for almost three years and represents several professional golfers. He remains a licensed attorney in California and New Jersey. Brian lives in Hudson, Ohio with his wife and daughter.

 

Reflecting on his time at Gilmour, Brian said that he believes his involvement in Mock Trial shaped his career ambitions. He noted the number of opportunities he had at his fingertips as a student and enjoyed the exposure to a wide array of studies and the ability to pursue what interested him. “However,” he said, “my favorite thing about Gilmour will always be the people.” He continued, “From the students to the faculty, I was fortunate to be exposed to so many great people at such a young age. The Gilmour family remains a close-knit group and one that I am proud to be a part of.”

 

There were three teachers, in particular, that left a lasting impact on Brian. He said, “Mr. McCamley taught me to write a meaningful paragraph; Mr. Grejtak showed me that learning Latin could be fun; and Mrs. Kenny successfully guided me through my senior year.” He noted that he continues to embrace the notion of being a “lifelong learner” and credits it to his exceptional teachers.

 

A few of his other favorite memories from Gilmour were trips to the State Championship with the golf team, his senior year Kairos retreat, and of course grilled cheese and ice cream in the Commons.

 

Brian gives back because Gilmour provided him with a great platform in academics and athletics. He believes that we should all give back and stay connected with those that helped us get to where we are today. Wherever you go, you are always a member of the Gilmour family.