NAMES IN THE NEWS
Patti Weller-Bresler
Lee Cassiere
Joe Sgro
Antwuan Harrison
Melissa Collins
Gregory DeLong
Cody Hefner
Annemarie Barnett
Judy Racadio
Kimico Atkins
Meeta Khatri
Carol Rountree
Rasheda Cromwell
Theresa L. Gonzales
Michael Link
Lauren Elyse Jones
Donna Salyers
Ken Landon Buck
Jerry Freewalt
Tessa Castner
Matthew Erkkinen
Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) welcomes one returning and two new board members. Patti Weller-Bresler, who first joined the board in 2011, returns. She is the creative director of PB Design. Lee Cassiere, vice president-audit at Kroger, has joined the board. So has Joe Sgro, practice administrator at Tri-State Centers for Sight.
Talbert House has honored Antwuan Harrison as Employee of the Year for 2020. Harrison is an operations supervisor at one of the agency’s halfway houses. Also recognized by Talbert House were Robert Hearon (Housing), Rionna Horton (Community Care), Christine Grant (Mental Health), Monica Williams (Addictions) and Karla Wilson (Central Services).
Philanthropist Melissa Collins has joined the Make-A-Wish Southern Ohio Advisory Board. Before devoting herself to philanthropic work, she was development director of Film Cincinnati, and also was senior director of digital content and marketing for Chicago Tribune.
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JULY 2021
Movers & Makers
WordPlay Cincy has named Michael Link its new chief storyteller, with Lauren Elyse Jones becoming interim director of development. Link has served various roles with WordPlay, and has been the publisher relations and events manager at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Jones has been the brand architect + engagement strategist at Architect Brand + Design Cincinnati, and has held positions with the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Public Allies Cincinnati, YWCA, United Way and Organizing for America.
Donna Salyers, founder and owner of Donna Salyers Fabulous Furs, has joined Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky’s Council of Trustees. Beginning in 1989 in the basement of her Cincinnati home, Salyers has grown Fabulous Furs into a majority asset of Salyers Group, a diversified investment company.
Gregory DeLong has been appointed assistant township administrator by Delhi Township. DeLong previously oversaw Delhi’s economic development, planning and zoning. Previously, he held planning and community development roles for Dayton, Marysville, Zanesville and Washington Township.
Cincinnati Museum Center and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center have added Cody Hefner to their leadership teams as vice president of marketing and communications. Hefner, who most recently served both organizations as senior director of marketing and communications, joined CMC in 2011 as visitor services manager.
Rasheda Cromwell is joining the Greater Cincinnati Foundation as new senior director of community strategies to help drive the organization’s philanthropic initiatives. She has served as program director at KnowledgeWorks, and as vice president of development at The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati.
The Alzheimer’s Association Greater Cincinnati Chapter has appointed Annemarie Barnett as its new executive director. Barnett has led Alzheimer’s fundraising for the organization, and as development director helped drive the Cincinnati Tri-State Walk to End Alzheimer’s to become the fourth largest walk in the nation. She also was manager of women’s leadership giving for United Way of Greater Cincinnati.
Never The Less, a non-profit organization that engages 7th-12th grade girls in the Cincinnati area, has added four board members: Judy Racadio of Madeira, Kimico Atkins of North College Hill, Meeta Khatri of Columbia Tusculum and Carol Rountree of Loveland.
Design Impact has announced Theresa L. Gonzales as its new executive director. She succeeds Kate Hanisian, who co-founded Design Impact 12 years ago. Gonzales most recently served as executive director of Centro Legal de la Raza, a comprehensive legal services and advocacy organization in the San Francisco Bay area.
Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center has named Ken Landon Buck as its first artist in residence in recent history. Buck, a distinguished mixed media artist working in watercolor, pastels and acrylics, will work out of a studio space in the renovated Scudder Building on Baker Hunt’s historic campus. He began teaching classes at Baker Hunt in 2015. Jerry Freewalt has been appointed executive director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, which is chaired by Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr. Freewalt, who has been director of social concerns for the Diocese of Columbus, succeeds Carolyn Jurkowitz, who is retiring from the conference after 34 years.
Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio has appointed two new members to its Grow PBPO Advisory Council: Tessa Castner of Frost Brown Todd LLC and Matthew Erkkinen of LexisNexis Legal & Professional. Grow PBPO supports PBPO’s mission through service, community engagement and fundraising/special events.