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Join ENC as we welcome these C-Suite leaders to their new roles, and learn how their power and positions can be a force in bringing equity now.
All are invited to this reception. The event is free, however space is limited. Registration closes at 5:00 PM on Monday, February 27.
This event will recognize the following leaders:
Sandra Brummitt
Senior Vice President, Administrative Services & Chief Procurement Officer, NiSource
Bill Jefferson
Executive Vice President, Operations, & Chief Strategy Officer, NiSource
More About the Honorees
Joy Bivens
Joy Bivens, currently the director of Job and Family Services (JFS), will begin serving in the new role of deputy county administrator for health and human services. In addition to continuing to lead JFS, the county’s largest agency and core social safety net, Bivens will also oversee the county’s Office on Aging, Child Support Enforcement Agency and Office of Justice Policy and Programs.
Joy Bivens serves as the director of Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services, the largest agency under the guidance of the Board of Commissioners. Franklin County is the largest county in the state with more than 1.3 million residents.
As director, she leads the agency under three guiding principles: Operational Excellence, Leadership and Development and Integrative Partnerships. The agency has a staff of more than 600 full-time workers who serve as the county’s first-line social safety net agency. In addition to determining eligibility for food assistance, Ohio Works First cash assistance, Medicaid and Publicly Funded Child Care, the agency also provides millions in funding for family supportive services, including youth after-school programs, health-science academies, summer employment opportunities and workforce development services. Roughly one in four Franklin County residents receives assistance from FCDJFS.
Director Bivens is leading Franklin County’s efforts to strengthen central Ohio’s childcare system ahead of the 2020 Step Up To Quality deadline. She commissioned an in-depth analysis of current system landscape and set forth a multimedia awareness campaign. In addition, she led to the offering of free, specialized training and technical assistance to help Publicly Funded Child Care providers prepare their centers or homes to become and remain star rated. She is also leading the Franklin County Poverty Assessment and Strategic Plan, a community-wide, collective impact initiative to develope and implement long-term, sustained efforts to mitigate challenges and create opportunities for our families to thrive.
Director Bivens is a dedicated public servant who devotes time every week to volunteering for and opening her home to transitional youth. She serves as vice chair of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Human Services and Education subcommittee, providing a voice for Franklin County’s most vulnerable residents on the national level. At the state level, she serves on the executive committee and as co-chair for the Metro County Directors Committee for the Ohio Jobs and Family Services Directors’ Association. She also serves on numerous local boards and workgroups, including the Franklin County Community Based Correction Facility Governing Board, the Franklin County Criminal Justice Planning Board and the Children of Incarcerated Parents Action Group, where she serves as co-chair. In 2017, she was recognized by Dress for Success - Columbus as one of Ten Women Trailblazers and in 2018 she was honored as the Greater Columbus Community Helping Hands Inc., Public Service Ambassador of the year.
Mrs. Bivens previously served as an elected member of the Whitehall City School Board, as vice president of the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce and as chair of the Board of OhioMeansJobs Columbus-Franklin County. She is a graduate of Capital University.
Mrs. Bivens lives in Whitehall with her husband, Whitehall City Attorney Michael Bivens, daughter, Mikayla, and son, Michael.
Sandra Brummitt
Senior Vice President, Administrative Services & Chief Procurement Officer, NiSource
Sandra Brummitt serves as Senior Vice President, Administrative Services and Chief Procurement Officer. She is accountable for NiSource’s Enterprise Procurement, Accounts Payable, Real Estate, and Aviation organizations.
Sandra is a senior finance executive with over 20 years of experience leading organizations through transformations in Tax, Accounting, M&A Integration, Investor Relations, Procurement and Real Estate. Prior to joining NiSource, Sandra was Senior Director, Global Tax Reporting at Walmart and led global tax accounting and forecasting. Sandra also spent over 15 years at Exelon, a Fortune 100 power & utility company, with her last role as VP Tax for Exelon’s Utilities.
Sandra currently serves as Treasurer for the Center for Healthy Families, Board member for Gladden Community House and on the Advisory Board for the African American Leadership Academy. Sandra is a member of the Taxation Committees for the Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Sandra is also a lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA).
Sandra holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Smith School at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a bachelor’s degree in business economics with an accounting emphasis from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Elaine Bryant
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant made history as CPD’s first chief from outside the division, and its first African American female Chief. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced Chief Bryant’s selection on June 2nd, 2021, after a nationwide search.
Chief Bryant came to Columbus after more than two decades with the Detroit Police Department. She started her career in law enforcement in August of 2000. In 2006, Chief Bryant was promoted to the rank of sergeant. During her tenure as sergeant, her assignments included Domestic Violence, Office of the Chief Investigator and Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator office.
In November of 2013, Chief Bryant was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. As lieutenant, she served as the Training Director for the Detroit Police Academy. Her duties included managing the Field Training Officer program, Basic Recruit Training, Firearms Training and In-Service Training. She was reassigned to Chief’s Neighborhood Liaison, where she had the opportunity to work closely with the community on many projects such as CITI (Children in Trauma Intervention) Camp, National Night Out, Chief’s Cupid Senior Valentine’s Day Dance, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and PAL’s (Police Athletic League) Team Up program just to name a few. During her time at Chief’s Neighborhood Liaison, she was responsible for the Neighborhood Police Officer program, Reservists, LGBTQ Liaison program, Junior Cadets and Explorers programs, Chaplains and Traffic Safety.
In April of 2016, Chief Bryant was promoted to captain. Her first command as captain was the Tenth Precinct, where she was responsible for the overall operation. In July of 2016, she was reassigned as the Commanding Officer of Homicide. In that role, her top priorities were to ensure that every investigation and complaint received the highest level of service, which included providing social services to victims’ families.
In September 2017, Chief Bryant was promoted to the rank of Commander. She served as the Commanding Officer of Major Crimes where she oversaw Homicide, Arson, Missing Persons, Special Victims Units (Sex Crimes, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse), Crime Scene Services, Commercial Auto Theft and General Assignment Unit. Chief Bryant was reassigned as the Commanding Officer of Professional Standards Bureau in January of 2019, which consisted of Internal Affairs, Force Investigations, Integrity Unit and Disciplinary Administration Unit.
In September 2019, Chief Bryant was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief, serving as the Deputy Chief of Neighborhood Policing Bureau-East. She also oversaw Metropolitan Division, which included Special Response Team, Tactical Services Section, Traffic Enforcement, Air Support, Canine, Harbormaster, Mounted, and Homeland Security.
Chief Bryant holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration; Community Development from Central Michigan University where she graduated with honors (Magna Cum Laude). She also holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Bowling Green State University where she graduated with honors (Summa Cum Laude). Chief Bryant is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).
The title she holds dearest is that of Mom to her two sons.
“I am deeply honored to serve as Columbus’ next police chief,” said Bryant. “This is a pivotal moment to be stepping into this role, and I am firmly committed to embracing change, diversity, and clear and open communication to improve safety, enhance accountability and rebuild trust between officers and the community.”
Angela Chapman, Ed.D.
An ambitious systems leader and innovator for change, Dr. Angela Chapman was recently appointed Interim Superintendent/CEO of Columbus City Schools.
With more than 25 years of experience in public education, she credits her success to a strong belief that all students can and want to succeed and to the strategic work of building a team of educators, students, families, and community members who believe the same.
Dr. Chapman joined CCS in June of 2019 as the Chief of Transformation and Leadership, where she served on the Superintendent’s Cabinet in charge of principal leadership and the regional support of school communities. This work included prioritizing school improvement, principal supervision, leadership development, and the administration of grant funds to support effective teaching and learning.
Upon her arrival, she also led the implementation of a new regional model that divided the District into six distinct regions, each led by an Area Superintendent, to provide an intentional focus on school leadership development and targeted regional support.
In partnership with the Ohio Department of Education, Ashland University, The Ohio State University, and the Columbus Urban League, Dr. Chapman led the implementation of an $8 million Wallace Equity-Centered Principal Pipeline grant to support redesigning a principal pipeline, ensuring an equity-centered focus. This included creating a vision and a logic model for the principal pipeline aligned with the CCS Portrait of a Graduate and establishing a Wallace Principal Pipeline Committee to serve as a district-wide steering committee for the initiative, in efforts to recruit, select, develop, and retain school leaders.
A longtime champion of supporting school leaders and communities, Dr. Chapman has been instrumental in the implementation of the District’s Strategic Plan, leading Priority #3: Strong Learning Communities in Every Region. From addressing inequitable staffing to launching a Principal Coaching Model in 2020, she has provided strategic guidance through the lens of a school leader.
Dr. Chapman has vast experience building and leading district-wide school improvement efforts as a Principal, Principal Supervisor, and Chief of Schools. Throughout her career in administration, she has been instrumental in launching several innovative district-wide programs such as Reading Recovery, Single Gender Schools, Dual Language Programming, Montessori Programming, Blended Learning, Departmentalization, and Response to Intervention which have led to increases in academic outcomes, staff retention, and student satisfaction.
Prior to CCS, she spent five years in the District of Columbia Public Schools as an Instructional Superintendent and Interim Chief of Elementary, where she was responsible for leading and managing 78 elementary schools and the Early Childhood Education Division. She also helped to implement trauma-informed practices, restorative practices, and programs to increase access to college and career readiness resources.
Prior to her tenure in DCPS, she served as the Director of Curriculum for Massillon City Schools, as a principal in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, and as an assistant principal in Euclid City Schools.
Dr. Chapman began her career in education as an elementary school teacher for five years in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from University of Akron and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Ashland University. She also holds a doctorate of education (Ed.D.) in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee State University.
Dr. Chapman is the proud parent of a current Columbus City Schools student.
Sidney Childs, Ed.D.
Erika Clark Jones
Erika Clark Jones is Chief Executive Officer of the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH), a government agency that partners with more than 30 non-profits to plan, fund and evaluate community based mental health and substance use disorder treatment, recovery, crisis and prevention programs to individuals and families in Franklin County, Ohio.
A Columbus native, Erika’s experience spans across public health, public affairs, public policy, community engagement, strategy development and management. Erika’s career includes 19 years in the Office of the Mayor for the City of Columbus including time as Deputy Director of the Community Relations Commission, Policy Director and Director of the Office of Homeless Advocacy. Additionally, Erika led the CelebrateOne initiative to reduce infant mortality in central Ohio.
Erika serves on the board of the YWCA, Capital University and the One Ohio Regional Committee to distribute opiate settlement funds.
Erika has a bachelor’s degree from Capital University and a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University.
Toni Cunningham
Toni Cunningham is an accomplished leader, motivator, workforce development professional, speaker and coach. Throughout her career, Toni has provided coaching and counsel to numerous individuals and businesses seeking to achieve their next stage of growth. As the former Managing Director with Per Scholas, Toni provided the vision, operational, and executive leadership for the Columbus team. Prior to being named the President and CEO for the Godman Guild Association, Toni was named as the State Network Director – Ohio for Unite Us; a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers. A seasoned marketing and communications expert Toni’s career includes roles with the Columbus Urban League, American Electric Power, Founder and Principal at Image Anu, LLC. In addition to growing funding, investments, and stakeholders, Toni is a highly sought after conference speaker, presenter and workshop facilitator for organizations like Dress For Success, Women for Economic and Leadership Development, National Urban League, and Women In Tech.
As a life-long resident of Columbus, Ohio, Ms. Cunningham’s community and board involvement runs deep. Most recently: Chief of Police Advisory Panel, Mayor’s Recovery and Resiliency Committee, New Directions Career Center Board of Directors, Ohio Workforce Coalition Leadership Committee, Black Tech Columbus Co-Founder, Franklin County Tax Incentive Review Commission and American Association of Blacks in Energy. Committed to excellence and continuous learning, Toni earned her Master of Science in Marketing and Communication with Franklin University and Bachelor of Science from Ohio Dominican University. She’s also an Alumni of the African American Leadership Academy, as well as a 2019 American Express Leadership Academy Fellow.
Authentic and relatable, Toni is adamant about helping others accomplish their career goals. Her journey reflects what happens when, as she puts it, we find “work in roles that match our souls”. The many awards bestowed upon Toni substantiates her leadership, impact, and results. Including the naming of Per Scholas as one of Columbus Foundation’s Top 5 Nonprofits to Watch in 2018, Women for Economic Leadership and Development 2020 Honoree, BizTech Columbus Business First 2019 Executive of the Year, and Smart Business Magazine in 2018 Smart50; an honor which “recognizes the top executives of the 50 smartest companies in the Central Ohio region for their ability to effectively build and lead successful organizations.”
Toni is a leader who believes in helping people to achieve at their highest levels. She has coached numerous individuals in both their professional and personal journeys, which often resulted in career elevation and personal success. In addition, she has counseled business leaders and provided organizational strategies for businesses that resulted in both sustainability and growth. She truly believes in living out her purpose, which is “helping people get to next” in both their personal and professional lives.
Oyauma Garrison
Oyauma Garrison serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer at Maryhaven, Inc, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals and families lead healthy lives free from addiction and mental health challenges by providing education, treatment and support.
Prior to Maryhaven, Oyauma served as the National President & CEO for A Kid Again, a nonprofit focused on providing Hope, Happiness and Healing for families raising children battling a life-threatening condition. He grew the organization from one state to all fifty (50) states plus D.C., in less than five (5) years. Oyauma is a former insurance company executive of over 20 years. He worked at State Farm, Nationwide, Allstate, and Jacobson.
Active in the community, Oyauma has received numerous awards for leadership and community service. He received an honorary doctorate degree from Franklin University in 2019. In 2021, Oyauma received the Denison University’s highest alumni honor, an Alumni Citation. Honors and recognition include, Top 50 Smart Business Leaders, CEO of the Year finalist (2020 & 2021) – Columbus CEO, a Columbus Business First Most Admired C-Suite leader (2019 & 2021) and NBMBAA Lifetime Achievement Award, and National MBA of Year. Oyauma has been featured in several publications and delivered his first TedTalk on Corporate Social Responsibility in 2016. He has been recognized with the United States of America Presidential 2014 Gold Standard Award for Service. Serves as an Executive In Residence at Franklin University and Denison University. Additionally, he has been recognized twice by the Oho General Assembly for his leadership and by Columbus City Council.
Oyauma currently serves as a Director (Vice Chair) on the Board of Buckeye Mutual Insurance Company. He has served as Board Chair for St. Vincent Family Centers, co-chair of the United Way Campaign Cabinet corporate development committee and served a two-year term as Co-Chair of the United Way of Central Ohio Tocqueville society. As an avid runner, Oyauma has completed numerous full and half marathons, along with adventure runs. A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc and St. Mark’s Lodge #7 – Prince Hall Masons.
Oyauma earned his bachelor’s degree from Denison University and his MBA from Franklin University. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Oyauma is the husband of Dr. Sacheen Garrison and the proud father of three Mya, Cameron, and Carter.
Kenny Hampton
Ange-Marie Hancock, Ph.D.
An internationally recognized scholar, Ange-Marie joins the Kirwan Institute from the University of Southern California (USC), where she was a Dean’s Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations and the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies. She also served as department chair of political science and international relations since 2020, and she directed the USC Institute for Intersectionality and Social Transformation and the university’s Center for leadership by Women of Color.
She has written numerous articles and books, which explore how the intersection of race, gender, class, sexuality, citizenship, and other categories of difference have an impact on policy. Her books include The Politics of Disgust and the Public Identity of the “Welfare Queen,” Solidarity Politics for Millennials: A Guide to Ending the Oppression Olympics, and Intersectionality: An Intellectual History. Among her many accomplishments, Ange-Marie conducted the original survey research and designed the business model for what would become the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Jacqueline Hendricks
Inspector General Jacqueline Hendricks’ law enforcement career began in April 1986, when she entered the Detroit Metropolitan Police Academy. After graduation, she was assigned as a police officer to the Fifth Precinct, Patrol Operations. During her tenure as a sworn officer she was assigned to several specialized departments such as Vice, Narcotics, Liquor License Unit, Technology Liaison Unit, and Civil Rights Integrity Bureau. IG’s Hendricks last assignment in law enforcement was with the Internal Affairs / Force Investigations Unit, where she conducted administrative and criminal investigations into allegations of excessive use of force by officers.
In January 2013, IG Hendricks retired from the Detroit Police Department. However, she was quickly hired by the City of Detroit, Office of Inspector General as an investigator in April 2013. During her tenure she investigated several high-profile cases involving fraud, waste, abuse and corruption.
On February 1, 2022, the City of Columbus Civilian Police Review Board and the mayor approved the appointment of Jacqueline Hendricks as the city’s first Inspector General. In this historic role as the first Inspector General for the City of Columbus, IG Hendricks and her staff will investigate allegations of police misconduct and excessive use of force by the sworn employees of the Columbus Division of Police.
IG Hendricks attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where she earned a B.S. in Business Administration in 1997. She subsequently attended Central Michigan University and received a Master in Public Administration in 2016. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a member with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). She is also a member with the Association of Inspectors Generals (AIG) where she qualified as a Certified Inspector General (CIG) and Certified Inspector General Investigator (CIGI). As a member of the AIG’s Peer Review Team, she has conducted peer reviews of several OIG’s offices around the country.
Marvin Hill
Chief Deputy Marvin Hill is a 1988 graduate of Thiel College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Spanish. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, Administrative Officers Management Program (AOMP 61). He holds an Executive Master of Business Administration Degree from Kent State University.
Marvin was a state trooper for nearly 30 years and has worked in law enforcement over 32 years. He started with the Ohio State Highway Patrol in May of 1992 and earned his commission the following November. Marvin was named the Warren Post Trooper of the Year, Warren District 4 Trooper of the Year, and in 1999, the agencies most prestigious award, Ohio State Highway Patrol, "State Trooper of the Year." In October of 2017, he was honored by Thiel College as the "2017 Distinguished Alumni." Marvin retired November 19, 2021, as Captain of Recruitment and Diversity with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Marvin was commissioned as a Franklin County Chief Deputy on November 7, 2022, as the Recruitment, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Commander.
Marvin has been an OPOTA certified instructor since 1996. He is very passionate about educating law enforcement and the community in the following: diversity, equity, inclusion, community diversity, procedural justice and police legitimacy, missing persons and human trafficking, crisis intervention, distracted driving, commercial vehicle safety, "ALICE" training, and Sheepdog Ministries church security training.
Marvin comes from a law enforcement and community service minded family. His father, brother, and sons all have chosen careers in law enforcement. He is the vice president of Love Charity Alms, a nonprofit organization that helps families in crisis. He is an Ordained Deacon, board member/trustee at St. John Ministries COGIC. He also serves on Thiel College Alumni Board. He is the national Chaplain of the National Black State Trooper. Coalition.
Shannon Isom
Shannon Isom, named President and CEO of Community Shelter Board in 2023, has a twenty-year track record leading strategic teams and is deeply connected to continuums of care for communities of color, especially focused on social determinants, intersectionality, gender, and race. She has expertise in science, public health, non-profit management, medicine, and business. During her nine-year tenure as President and CEO of YWCA Dayton, Shannon increased the operational budget by 196%. She secured the first $1M biennial appropriation for the Ohio Council of YWCA.
Shannon holds a master's degree in health administration from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine/biology from Spelman College. She was a MD candidate at Wright State University School of Medicine and also studied medicine at the Ohio State University.
Shannon served as a an advisory member for First Financial Bank Advisory Board, and as a board member for Dayton Downtown Partnership, Co-Op Dayton, Community Appeals Board for the City of Dayton, and Miami Valley Regional Planning Committee. She served on the executive advisory committee for the Human Rights Center at the University of Dayton and as co-chair of the Racism is a Public Health Crisis task force. Shannon served as a TEDx coach for TEDx Dayton.
Shannon received a Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton in 2022. She received a National Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2021.
With a budget of $47 million, Shannon facilitates and leads work with our community to make sure everyone in Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio has a place to call home. She brings together diverse organizations to work together as an efficient system, rather than as a fragmented set of resources.
Bill Jefferson
Executive Vice President, Operations, & Chief Strategy Officer, NiSource
William (Bill) Jefferson serves as Executive Vice President, Operations, and Chief Safety Officer for NiSource. He oversees emergency response, engineering and asset management, environmental health and safety, field operations support, major projects, operational excellence, work management and contractor support.
Bill joined NiSource from STP Nuclear Operating Company, where he served as site vice president. Prior to that, he served as plant general manager and operations director for STP. Earlier in his career, Bill served as vice president, transmission maintenance and construction at Duke Energy. Bill also served as vice president of the Harris Nuclear Plant for Progress Energy and vice president of the Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear plants for Florida Power and Light.
He held several roles of increasing responsibility with Exelon Generation Company / PECO Energy Company, including plant manager at Susquehanna Electric Company, senior manager of plant engineering at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, and manager of reactor services at PECO Nuclear.
Bill has more than 35 years of experience in the utility industry. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering from Purdue University. He attended the Duke Fuqua Advanced Management Program and earned a senior reactor operator's license from Peach Bottom nuclear plant.
Edward Johnson
Edward Johnson was appointed Assistant Health Commissioner for External Affairs at Columbus Public Health in 2022. In this role, Johnson is responsible for the Department’s Addiction Services and Environmental Health divisions, the Center for Public Health Innovation, and public health policy.
Johnson has more than 11 years of combined experience in public policy and public health. Since 2018, Johnson has served Columbus Public Health as the Policy Director. Prior to Columbus Public Health, he served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for Columbus City Council and as the Director of the Minority Leader’s Office for the Ohio House of Representatives.
Johnson holds a master’s degree in International Economics from Valparaiso University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from Xavier University.
Gary Lewis, Jr.
Kathy Owens
Director, Finance and Management, City of Columbus
Kathy Owens was appointed by Mayor Andrew J. Ginther in June 2022 to lead the Department of Finance and Management. Director Owens leads a staff of 300 employees responsible for the facilitating, crafting and monitoring the City of Columbus’ operating and capital budgets, city fleet, facilities maintenance, procurement, real estate and construction management.
Prior to being named Director of the Department of Finance and Management, Director Owens served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Operations for Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's office. Prior to the position in the Mayor's office, Director Owens served as Deputy Director of Finance and Management.
Kathy has also held roles with City Council's legislative research office, served as a City Council aide, and worked in the mayor's office during the Lashutka and Rinehart administrations.
Director Owens holds degree in business administration and MBA from Ashland University. Director Owens grew up in Columbus and is a graduate of Linden McKinley High School.
LaShanna Potts
Bernita Reese
Bernita Reese joined the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in January 2022. Bernita joined us from the Huntsville, Alabama Parks & Recreation Department, where she served as the Director.
Prior to her time in Huntsville, Bernita spent three years as Assistant Director for Columbus Recreation and Parks, overseeing the Community Recreation section. Her previous leadership experience includes 12 years as the Divisional Manager for the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department.
Bernita has a background of specialized training and experience that surpasses 25 years in the parks and recreation profession. She is a practical, problem solving, professional administrator, educator and self motivated organizer who welcomes evaluation based on performance. She is active in a diverse range of professional activities at national, state and local levels. She is currently a member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA). She is the current president of the Bridge at Austin and previously served on numerous boards including Sports DeKalb.
Bernita has experience working with public, private and military recreation. She has worked nationally and internationally in recreation, athletics and therapeutics. Her life has not only been steered to motivate people but to implement programs that have a lasting impact in the community.
Stephanie Robinson
Danielle Sydnor
Danielle Sydnor is CEO of the newly formed Rise Together Innovation Center a capstone of a larger, Franklin county-funded strategic plan to help an estimated 400,000-plus county residents find paths toward economic stability. Danielle worked in banking since 2002, including National City Bank, MBNA and Bank of America, with experience in retail banking and management experience in credit card sales, service and lending. Danielle became licensed as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch in 2011. She continues to draw from all her professional experiences to build genuine relationships where clients, partners and the community can benefit.
Danielle is the outgoing President of the Greater Cleveland Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As President, Sydnor is responsible for fighting for the equality of rights of all persons with a focus on eliminating racial hatred and racial discrimination.
Sydnor holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Phoenix. She is a proud recipient of Crain’s Cleveland 2019 40 Under 40 and a graduate of the 2020 class of Leadership Ohio. Danielle is a native of Sacramento, California. Her family moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1995. She has two sons Noah and Giles.
Gaëtane Verna
Art historian and arts administrator Gaëtane Verna is the Wexner Center's executive director.
Since 2012, Verna has been the director and artistic director of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto. She was executive director and chief curator of the Musée d’art de Joliette in Québec from 2006 to 2012. Prior to her appointment at Joliette, Verna served as curator of the Foreman Art Gallery at Bishop’s University (1999–2006) in Sherbrooke, Québec, while also teaching in the art history department of both Bishop’s University and the Université du Québec à Montréal.
Since 1998, Verna has curated and organized exhibitions by emerging, midcareer, and established Canadian and international artists, including Terry Adkins, John Akomfrah, Vasco Araújo, Miriam Cahn, Alfredo Jaar, Luis Jacob, Kimsooja, Yam Lau, Oswaldo Maciá, Mario Pfeifer, Javier Téllez, Denyse Thomasos, Bill Viola, YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES, Zineb Sedira, and Franz Erhard Walther among many others. She has also edited and contributed essays to numerous books and catalogues.
Verna serves on several boards of directors, including for the Canada Council for the Arts, TV5 Québec Canada, the Holt/Smithson Foundation, and the Sobey Art Foundation. She is the past president of the board of directors of the Toronto Arts Council and serves on the advisory committees of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora and the Mosaic Institute in Toronto. In 2017, she was appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government to spotlight and recognize her significant contribution to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.
Monica Womack
Monica L. Womack is the Chief for the Minority Business Development Division at the Ohio Department of Development (Development). In her role, Monica provides vision and leadership to support the growth and sustainability of minority, women, and disadvantaged businesses in the state of Ohio. In doing so, she engages with strategic partners at all levels of government, develops private-sector partnerships, and listens to the needs of business owners.
Prior to her newest role, Monica served as an Associate Vice President with the Columbus Urban League. She provided leadership and operations oversight to both the Financial Empowerment Services department and the Workforce and Career Services department. In this role, Monica was able to leverage resources between programs to support constituents and business owners in the Central Ohio community.
Monica has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Financial Management Services and a Master of Public Administration, both from Franklin University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in business administration with a focus on supporting the growth and sustainability of minority-owned businesses. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, and has one adult son, William Maynus II, who is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and lives in Lexington, Ky.
