Biography

See Jennifer’s Community Involvement further down the page.

New Concord is my hometown. I grew up here, graduated from John Glenn High School, Class of ’72, and participated in many school, community and church activities.

I’m the daughter of Douglas and Carol Lyle. My parents were founding members of the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra (SEOSO), my father was Professor of Music at Muskingum College, my mother earned her bachelor’s degree from Muskingum, then became the New Concord Elementary School music teacher and later moved to the high school, where she founded the John Glenn High School Orchestra and String Sounds. My sisters Valerie (JGHS ’70) and Wendy (JGHS ’71) live in New York and California, respectively.

I lived in many other places, and even in another country (France), and spent most of my adult years after college living in New York City, where I worked in the classical music business for Columbia Artists Management Inc, the direct marketing business for Moore Business Forms and the then-fledgling internet marketing business for Cyber Dialogue. I held management positions within corporate marketing and corporate sales and frequently helped start internal start-up divisions. I graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts in music performance and have an MBA from Columbia University.

Jennifer Lyle

All roads led me back to New Concord, where I met and married my husband Jim Burson. I spent nine years with Muskingum University’s Office of Institutional Advancement where I was responsible for writing, editing and producing the alumni magazine and donor report and where I initiated the university’s first-ever email outreach to alumni. Later, Jim and I founded an online consulting company for basketball coaches called Jim Burson’s Solution-Based Basketball – www.JimBurson.com. We published two books: The Golden Whistle – Going Beyond: Journey to Coaching Success and The Daily Nugget: Daily Motivations for Basketball Coaches and Everyone Who Loves the Game. I’m a proud stepmom to Jim’s adult children Jamie (JGHS ’82) and Jay (JGHS ’85); we have five grandchildren.

I am dedicated to this community and have been active in community development ever since my return.

Community Involvement

Civic Engagement

  • Village Council Member (2014-present)
    • Safety Committee chair, Finance Committee member
  • Interconnections member (2016 – present)
  • New Concord Strategic Planning Committee (2012)
  • New Concord Dedicated Public Servant Award (2010)
  • Co-Lead in originating NextDoor in New Concord (2012)
  • Design Review Board (2011 – present)
  • RENEW President – Renew the Environment of New Concord (2002 – 2010)
    • Founded New Concord Farmers Market
    • Started annual Let’s Pick It Up New Concord
    • Community-wide forums focusing on our village’s future
  • NCAARD Board founding member – New Concord Area Arts & Recreation District
  • Muskingum County Tax Incentive Review Board (2009 – 2014)

General Activities

  • Finalizing certification for the Village of New Concord to become a Keep Ohio Beautiful/Keep America Beautiful Affiliate. This will be completed before the end of 2019.
  • Helped bring fitness classes to New Concord from Genesis and was self-appointed promoter of those classes for the 10 years they were held
  • Helped found New Concord Indoor Cycling Coop now at 5 classes/week