JESSICA TAYLOR OUTSTANDING WOMAN HONOREE
CAROLINE WELTZER OUTSTANDING WOMAN HONOREE
LAURA KOEHL HELEN CARROLL CHAMPION OF EDUCATION HONOREE
Jessica Averitt Taylor is the Director of FUEL NKU, the campus food pantry and community center at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). She also serves as an associate professor of social work in the College of Education and Human Services at NKU. Through her focus on community engagement and commitment to social justice, Dr. Taylor works to support educational access for a diverse student community. Engaging and supporting communities is a central motivation for Dr. Taylor, and her work focuses on projects including FUEL NKU (Feeding the University and Enriching Lives) that impact student persistence and empowerment. FUEL NKU recently expanded capacity through partnership with the Kroger Zero Hunger|Zero Waste initiative to offer holistic support for students. Dr. Taylor currently serves as both a board member of the Food for Thought pantry at Gateway Community and Technical College and an editorial board member for the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. Dr. Taylor completed the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development in 2018 and was selected as a “Wise Woman of NKU” that same year. She completed her PhD in social work at The University of Alabama, with a concentration on social support and public health.
Caroline Weltzer is the Vice President of finance for Viox & Viox. She has been with the civil engineering, surveying and landscape architecture firm for 19 years. As a leader within a small business, her job encompasses many different aspects, but her primary responsibility is to manage the company’s finance and human resource functions. She is also the Treasurer of the company’s Board of Directors. Being able to volunteer and contribute to the Northern Kentucky community has been an added perk of her position. Going through Leadership Northern Kentucky in 2006 ignited Caroline’s passion to get involved in the community. This newfound passion led her to accept a position on the Diocesan Catholic Children’s Home Board and eventually become chair. Hoping to steer programs to help other small business leaders such as herself, Caroline also became involved with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. She is serving her third term (non-consecutive) as a board member for the NKY Chamber. Caroline has especially enjoyed being a part of the Chamber’s Women’s Initiative program, and feels strongly about the effort to empower women to be financially independent and supported through programs and education.
An educator for 35 years, Laura Koehl is finishing her 13th year at Notre Dame Academy, currently serving as the school President. In her first four years at NDA, Laura taught biology and chemistry and then served as the Principal for five years prior to becoming the President in 2014. Laura’s professional experience also includes five years in college admissions, six years as Vice President for Student Development and three years as VP for Enrollment and Planning at Thomas More University. She has done consulting work in science education for the University for Cincinnati, Miami University and the Ohio Department of Education. Laura’s lifelong passion for education has focused especially on opportunities for young women. In her work at Notre Dame Academy, she finds great reward in working with a dedicated faculty and staff to create a supportive environment that empowers young women to embrace their gifts and become women who excel in community service, family life and professional achievement. Laura describes NDA as a mission driven institution, embracing a rich heritage as a school sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame (SND) and dedicated to educating women who will make a difference in the world.
TOURISM 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 4
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