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Table of Contents WELD WELCOMES YOU! ............................................................................................................................... 3

SPECIAL SALUTE TO WELD PITTSBURGH CHAPTER ....................................................................................... 4

2020 WELD BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ASSOCIATES ...................................................................................... 5

WELD NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL .......................................................................................................... 6

WELD CHAPTER CO-CHAIRS .......................................................................................................................... 6

CO-PRESENTING PARTNERS .......................................................................................................................... 7

“VOICES FOR EQUITY” FORUM PARTNERS ................................................................................................... 8

COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS ........................................................................................................................... 9

BLACK WOMEN’S EQUAL PAY DAY FORUM SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE ........................................................ 10

CALL TO ACTION – WHAT WILL YOU COMMIT TO DO? .............................................................................. 12

CO-PRESENTING PARTNER BIOGRAPHIES ................................................................................................... 17

Alexandria Johnson Boone ...................................................................................................................... 17

Barb Smoot ............................................................................................................................................. 18

PARTNER BIOGRAPHIES .............................................................................................................................. 20

Christie Angel .......................................................................................................................................... 20

Linda Kanney ........................................................................................................................................... 21

Keena McDowell Smith, MPA ................................................................................................................. 22

PANELIST AND MODERATOR BIOGRAPHIES ............................................................................................... 22

Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri .............................................................................................................................. 23

Paula B. Brazil .......................................................................................................................................... 24

Paul Curci ................................................................................................................................................ 25

Kitty Dooley ............................................................................................................................................. 25

Dr. Terrie Elizabeth Griffin ...................................................................................................................... 26

Annette Hazapis ...................................................................................................................................... 27

Anna E. Hollis .......................................................................................................................................... 27

Jerry MacCleary ....................................................................................................................................... 28

Toni Murphy ............................................................................................................................................ 28

Gina Smith ............................................................................................................................................... 30

Tracy Townsend ...................................................................................................................................... 30

WELD OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................................................ 32

JOIN WELD TODAY ...................................................................................................................................... 33

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WELD WELCOMES YOU!

It is our pleasure to welcome you to our 2020 Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (BWEPD) Forum, “Voices for Equity.” We have much to accomplish as we see BWEPD move from August 7th to August 13th this year, a 6-day slide after a 7-day slide the previous year. The mission of Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) is to develop and advance women’s leadership to strengthen the economic prosperity of the communities it serves. We do this by building programs, events, and a community to support leadership development and business growth. Research has proven that the prosperity of a region increases when women share leadership roles in businesses, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and government entities.

2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for the world and for Black women. Our hearts have been devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others, and we cry out for justice. A disproportionate number of African Americans have been sickened or died from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a study done by Essence earlier this year, Black women have been hit hard by COVID-19:

• 1 in 4 knew someone who died from COVID-19

• 44% knew someone who contracted it

• 63% of black women’s mental health was negatively affected

• 56% were facing a lack of access and availability of food and household essentials

• Digital divide – 85% did not have enough computers or laptops to support the educational needs of their children for remote learning

COVID-19 has laid bare the economic disparity between African Americans and whites. Recent statistics show that black unemployment is 3 percentage points higher than white unemployment. Black women were already earning just 63 cents on the dollar to white men. The number of Black-owned businesses plummeted from 1.1M in February 2020 to 640K in April, a 41% drop. The black economic divide is just as wide now as it was in 1968. A study by Brookings put white family net worth at ~$170K compared to ~$17K for black families.

We all must remain undeterred and steadfast in our collective efforts to eliminate the economic disparity families and communities face. We value the many partners and allies uniting with us to create strategies to provide health, wellness and opportunity for all. When a diverse group of voices is around the table, companies and communities produce better financial results; therefore, we must relentlessly pursue increased diversity and inclusion in our leadership ranks across the board – the private sector, public sector and nonprofit sector.

WELD volunteers and partners have created a top-notch program for the day to inspire and inform you about actionable steps you can take to eliminate health, wealth and safety disparities that Black women and families face in our communities. While much of what needs to be accomplished is not easy, there are two simple things we all can do to effect change: vote and complete the US Census forms.

Thank you for your support and partnership!

With much gratitude,

Barb Smoot President & CEO, WELD www.weldusa.org; smootb@weldoh.org

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SPECIAL SALUTE TO WELD PITTSBURGH CHAPTER

Special recognition goes to the WELD Pittsburgh chapter and its community supporters for the idea to

host the town hall. Toni Murphy, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Comcast, joined together with

the chapter on this idea and together they took the ball and ran with it. The townhall idea was the seed

that germinated into the series for the day. The women of Pittsburgh are innovative, fearless and driven

in their support of WELD’s mission. They are managing careers and businesses, taking care of family

and dealing with the added pressures of COVID-19. Yet, they still made it a priority to help plan this event

to acknowledge Black Women’s Equal Pay Day and determine what we can all do to close the gap.

These women are allies in the pursuit of gender equity and the elimination of racism.

Ladies, you ROCK!

• Meagan Bond, Readiness & Adoption/Change Management Leader, Highmark, Inc. – Chapter Co-

Chair

• Tracey Holst, Senior Director of Human Resources, Xcoal Energy and Resources – Chapter Co-

Chair

• Laurie Barkman, CEO & Growth Consultant, SmallDotBig LLC – At Large Member

• Pamela Bena, Board Member, F. N. B. Corporation and First National Bank of Pennsylvania –

Programming Co-Chair

• Astral Cambruzzi, Project/Process Advisor, FedEx Services – Keynote Co-Chair

• Melissa Caruso, Senior Business Developer, Michael Baker International – Keynote Co-Chair

• Angela (Angel) Foglia, IT Director, Howmet Structural System – Impact Co-Chair

• Gail Gloeckl – Impact Co-Chair

• Tobie Nepo, Principal, DRS Architects – Corporate Relations Co-Chair

• Debbie Ogrodnik, Tax Partner, Sisterson & Co LLP – Membership Co-Chair

• Melissa Pikul, Financial Advisor, Cetera Investors – Marketing Co-Chair

• Rachel Rzymek, Business Development Marketing Manager, DRS Architects – Corporate Relations

Co-Chair

• Colleen Schaefer, Sr. HR Generalist, South University – Membership Co-Chair

• Jennifer Stewart, Cornerstone OnDemand – Programming Co-Chair

• Kristina Wiegand, Client Director, Employee Health & Benefit, Marsh & McLennan – Finance Co-

Chair

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2020 WELD BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ASSOCIATES BOARD CHAIR - Sarah Mueller, LEED AP, Director Business Development, The Beck Group

BOARD TREASURER - Lisa G. Shuneson, CPA, PFS, Partner, Whalen & Company, CPAs

BOARD SECRETARY - Rita McNeil Danish, Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

• Beth Alloway, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Team Leader, Huntington National Bank

• Vinita Bahri-Mehra, Director + Leader + Global Business Practice, Kegler, Brown, Hill + Ritter

• Amy Bonitatibus, Managing Director, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Chase Home

Lending, Chase

• Irina Ceaparu, Senior Manager, Enterprise Information Management, Business Information Delivery,

Alliance Data

• Marsha Conaway, Partner, J L Conaway Consulting, LLC

• Aparna Dial, MS, MBA, LEED AP, WMC Senior Sustainability Consultant, The Ohio State University

Wexner Medical Center

• Joy Gallo, Chief Procurement Officer, Performance Health

• Sara Goldhardt, CPA, Director, State & Local Tax Services, GBQ Partners LLC

• Susan Barrett Harty, Partner, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

• Lori Kendall, Operating Partner, Orchid.Black; Adjunct Faculty, Case Western Reserve University &

The Ohio State University

• Michael Kiene, CPA, Partner, EY Columbus

• Purba Majumder, President, Cybervation, Inc.

• Manuel Martinez, Dean of Undergraduate Studies; Associate Professor of Spanish, Ohio Dominican

University

• Jeff Milgrom, President & CEO, Event Marketing Strategies

• Mary Sheehan, Principal Research Scientist, Battelle

• Sapna Welsh, Partner, Leverage HR

PRESIDENT & CEO - Barb Smoot, WELD

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT - Peggy Potter, Owner, The Ultimate Assistant LLC

NATIONAL MEMBER & EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES - Danielle Callaghan, WELD

NATIONAL CHAPTER MANAGEMENT OFFICER - Deepa Kellar, WELD

NATIONAL OPERATIONS OFFICER - Mindy Koenig, WELD

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WELD NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

COUNCIL CO-CHAIRS:

• Lauren Brown, Attorney at Law, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

• Jalila Dado, Account Manager, First American Title

COUNCIL MEMBERS:

• Denise Applegate, Director of Accounting, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Latashia Love, Law Clerk, Thompson Hine LLP

• Ashley Patterson, AVP - Talent & Training, Grange Insurance

• Laura Prisc, Intuitive Pathfinder Leadership & Life Potential, LLC

• Tricia Tatalick Gardner, LEED AP, Superintendent, Turner Construction Company

• Diana Westhoff, Vice President, Commercial Business Risk Office, Sr. Analyst, The Huntington

National Bank

WELD CHAPTER CO-CHAIRS

CHARLESTON:

• Amy King Condaras, Finance Attorney and Member, Frost Brown Todd LLC

• Danielle Waltz, Member, Jackson Kelly

CLEVELAND:

• Colleen Dugarte, VP, Senior Initiative Development Manager, KeyBank

• Jodi Olivo, Human Resources Business Partner, Cleveland Clinic

COLUMBUS

• Katie Morris, Senior Data Analyst, CoverMyMeds

• Diana Rife, Senior Project Manager, JobsOhio

PITTSBURGH:

• Meagan Bond, Readiness & Adoption/Change Management Leader, Highmark

• Tracey Holst, Senior Director of Human Resources, Xcoal Energy & Resources

SOUTHERN OHIO:

• Lynda Kline, VP, Store Operations, Big Lots

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CO-PRESENTING PARTNERS

C L Magazine is a quarterly, digital career and lifestyle publication for today’s women professionals, entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders and corporate executives. It provides information about topics like trends, lifestyles, pop culture, career strategies, health & wellness, politics, travel, education and food, just to name a few.

GAP Communications Group is a full-service communications, public and media relations firm with an emphasis on special events and marketing. With more than 100 years of combined staff experience, GAP Communications Group sets the new standard in client representation. Our experience has led to a broad range of industry and company clients from around the globe.

Our overall mission is to train, educate, motivate, and inspire women and girls of all colors!

C L Magazine In 2015, The Women of Color Foundation (WOCF), a

tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) foundation, launched a new

media product, C L Magazine; a quarterly, digital career

and lifestyle publication for today’s women

professionals, entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders and

corporate executives.

Thousands of women who have attended our events, expressed an interest in receiving more information from our staff, faculty and subject matter experts, outside of our normal programs, events and other activities. They wanted more information about topics like trends, lifestyles, pop culture, career strategies, health & wellness, politics, travel, education and food, just to name a few. So, C L Magazine, was conceived to further enhance our outreach, education and engagement of women and girls of all colors across the country and around the globe. With a digital circulation of more than 23,000 subscribers, C L Magazine meets these needs and beyond! Read the summer issue here! Subscribe here!

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“VOICES FOR EQUITY” FORUM PARTNERS

The Alliance for Black Businesswomen and Entrepreneurs Ohio is a newly formed and extremely committed group of Black women businessowners from across the state. We united to create the Ohio RISE Survey to measure the pandemic economic injury sustained (so far) by other Black women business owners. Why? Because we know the power of collective action synthesized into one voice, advocating for data-informed solutions rooted in our lived experiences, is an effective tool in stabilizing and continuing to grow our businesses. We represent for-profit firms and not-for profit organizations who realized the repercussions of the pandemic will last multiple years and that now is the time to join together in solidarity for the success of Black women-owned businesses in the new economy. Contact us for a chapter for your state.

NC100BW, Inc. is a nationally recognized movement of over 14 million Black women and girls in 28 states. Our mission: To advocate on behalf of black women and girls to promote leadership development and gender equity in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. We believe in gender equity, inclusion, respect, racial and social justice, integrity and accountability, economic empowerment and collaboration. Through programs and advocacy, we provide a platform for ourselves and the community to remove barriers and build partnerships and alliances to create pathways to political

engagement and economic power.

Our Mission: YWCA Columbus is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Our Goals:

• Decrease the number of people who are homeless, subject to eviction or living in shelters.

• Create policies that create mixed-income and equitable neighborhoods.

• Work with non-profits, government and businesses not just on the symptoms of poverty, but also on the causes.

• Make significant investments in young women and children to give them the skills and confidence to control their bodies, their decisions and their destinies.

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COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS

WELD thanks these organizations for their support of this event by sharing this information with their

members and stakeholders.

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BLACK WOMEN’S EQUAL PAY DAY FORUM SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

TIME ACTIVITY – ZOOM WEBINAR PLATFORM

Connect to Opening Session – WELD Pittsburgh Town Hall: “In the Pursuit of Equity”

9:00am-10:15am

Opening Message: Paula Brazil, President at Brazil Training and Consulting Panel Discussion:

• Toni Murphy, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Comcast (Moderator)

• Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania

• Paul Curci, Executive Coach & Facilitator, The Curci Group

• Dr. Terri Griffin, Co-President, PA League of Women Voters

• Anna Hollis, Executive Director, Amachi Pittsburgh

• Jerry MacCleary, Former Chairman and CEO, Covestro LLC

Connect to Lunch Session – WELD Columbus: “Your Health is Your Wealth”

11:45pm-1:00pm

Opening Message: Kitty Dooley, Owner, Dooley Law Firm, PLLC Program: Gina Smith, Certified Coach at Gina Smith Health Coach

Connect to Afternoon Coffee Chat – WELD National: “Where Do We Go from Here?”

3:00pm-4:15pm

Opening Message: Christie Angel, President and CEO, YWCA Columbus (Moderator) Panel Discussion:

• Alexandria Johnson Boone, President & CEO, GAP Communications Group; Chairwoman and Founder, Women of Color Foundation; Publisher & Chief Editorial Officer, C L Magazine

• Annette Hazapis, Head of Global Client Service Center, Alexander Mann Solutions

• Linda Kanney, President, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Central Ohio Chapter

• Tracy Townsend, News Anchor and Medical Correspondent, WBNS-TV

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Why closing the pay gap matters…

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CALL TO ACTION – WHAT WILL YOU COMMIT TO DO? Much will be shared during our time with each other. Please capture ideas you hear or think of on this

sheet and share them with us in the event surveys. We will check in with you 90 days after the event with

a gentle reminder of your commitment to eliminate the disparity in our communities. Thank you!

Session 1: In the Pursuit of Equity What are three actions you took away from this session? 1.

2.

3.

Which one of these will you commit to moving forward over the next 90 days? __________

Session 2: Your Health is Your Wealth What are three actions you took away from this session? 1.

2.

3.

Which one of these will you commit to moving forward over the next 90 days? __________

Session 3: Where Do We Go from Here? What are three actions you took away from this session? 1.

2.

3.

Which one of these will you commit to moving forward over the next 90 days? __________

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Community Call to Action Example

Work with your community, elected leaders and the private sector to create a pay equity pledge. Under the

auspices of the Mayor of Columbus, the Columbus Women’s Commission created The Columbus Commitment in

2017, which is the city’s version of their pay equity pledge. CEOs of organizations sign the pledge and commit to

four areas of work to eliminate gender and racial pay disparities. To date, over 270 CEOs in Central Ohio have

signed The Columbus Commitment.

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Company Call to Action Example

Encourage your company to sign a pay equity pledge and complete the four key areas of work needed to eliminate

gender and racial pay disparities. It is critical for companies to also look at its external practices with a gender and

equity lens. Review supplier diversity practices and track corporate spend by business ownership demographics.

Outline and launch a strategy to increase diversity of corporate spend and hold management accountable for

improving results in meaningful ways.

Personal Call to Action Example

Each of us must make the personal commitment to make a difference. This begins with consistently exercising

our right to vote and completing the US Census to ensure our communities obtain the resources they need. The

League of Women Voters is an excellent resource. Civic engagement is critical. Consider applying for a

government board or commission. Contact WELD at info@weldoh.org to find out how you can earn your

certification in government boards and commissions governance.

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Opening Message:

Paula Brazil, President at Brazil Training and Consulting

Moderator:

Toni Murphy, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Comcast

Esteemed Panelists:

Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania

Paul Curci, Executive Coach & Facilitator, The Curci Group

Dr. Terrie Griffin, Co-President, PA League of Women Voters

Anna Hollis, Executive Director, Amachi Pittsburgh

Jerry MacCleary, Former Chairman and CEO, Covestro LLC

Paula Brazil

WELD Pittsburgh Town Hall

“In the Pursuit of Equity”

9:00am-10:15am

Toni Murphy Dr. Terrie Griffin Anna Hollis Jerry MacCleary Paul Curci Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri

Join us for a national discussion on the pursuit of equity for Black women!

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Moderator:

Christie Angel, President and CEO, YWCA Columbus

Esteemed Panelists:

Alexandria Johnson Boone, President & CEO, GAP Communications Group;

Chairwoman and Founder, Women of Color Foundation;

Publisher & Chief Editorial Officer, C L Magazine

Annette Hazapis, Head of Global Client Service Center, Alexander Mann Solutions

Linda Kanney, President, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Central Ohio Chapter

Tracy Townsend, News Anchor and Medical Correspondent, WBNS-TV

See Summer Issue

Althea Gibson Kathy Johnson Maya Angelou Mary Eliza Mahoney Henrietta Lacks Alice Dunnigan Rosa Parks Coretta Scott King

Ida B. Wells Madame C. J. Walker Harriet Tubman Sojourner Truth Maggie Lena Walker Amelia Boynton Robinson Sandra Bland Breonna Taylor

Christie Angel Alexandria Johnson Boone Linda Kanney Tracy Townsend

WELD National Afternoon Coffee Chat

“Where Do We Go from Here?”

3:00pm-4:15pm

Annette Hazapis

WELD Charleston and Columbus

“Your Health is Your Wealth”

11:45am-1:00pm

Their sacrifice cannot be in vain. How do we make their dreams become reality for the next generation of Black women?

Opening Message: Kitty Dooley, Owner, Dooley Law Firm, PLLC

Program: Gina Smith, Certified Coach, Gina Smith Health Coach

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CO-PRESENTING PARTNER BIOGRAPHIES

Alexandria Johnson Boone President & CEO, GAP Communications Group

Chairwoman and Founder, Women of Color Foundation

Publisher & Chief Editorial Officer, C L Magazine

Alexandria Johnson Boone has led GAP Communications

Group, a full-service, public relations, advertising, marketing

and special events firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, since its

inception. Under her leadership, GAP has gained local,

regional and national recognition for its quality public relations,

publicity and marketing services and its creative

communications programs. With more than 31 years of communications and management experience,

she has grown and expanded GAP Communications Group into one of the most sought-after minority-

owned, special events and communications firms in the state.

She is also widely recognized and respected in the communications and public relations industry as the

architect of the LeBron James media persona.

A native Clevelander, Alex is a graduate of the Cleveland Public Schools. She also holds a master’s

degree from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University; a

Certificate from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and was a 1997 National

Fellow at Boston University’s School of Public Health Join Together Program. She was also a

member of the prestigious Leadership Cleveland Class of 1988.

Prior to founding GAP Communications Group, Alex was a Senior Vice President at a Cleveland-

based PR firm and was a Public Information Officer for the Federal government for five years. She is

also the founder of the Marcus Garvey Academy, an innovative community school with an African-

centered curriculum based in Cleveland, Ohio, that operated for 10 years.

In 2005, she founded the Women of Color Foundation, (a 501c3 organization) dedicated to the

education, training and leadership development of all women of color. Over the years, the Foundation

produced several annual personal and professional development retreats, conferences and other

special events in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.

Throughout her career, Alex has received several awards for her business and professional

achievements and community service. She has also been recognized for her numerous

communications industry accomplishments.

In 2014, she founded C L Magazine, a career and lifestyle digital magazine, published by the Women of

Color Foundation. The magazine has been continuously in publication since that time and touts a

circulation of 23,000+ around the globe.

Some of her community involvement has included serving as a member of the Board of Governors at The

Club at Key Center; the Board of Directors at the Greater Cleveland Partnership; the Board of Directors,

the YWCA of Greater Cleveland, the Board of Trustees, Urban League of Greater Cleveland, and the

Chair, Board of Trustees, Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation all located in Cleveland,

Ohio; and the Urquhart Memorial Foundation located in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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Her 2016 awards and recognitions include the following: 2016 Recipient of the “National ColorComm

Circle Award” for Outstanding Achievement by a Woman of Color in the Communications Industry; 2016

Trailblazer of the Year by the Ohio River Valley Women’s Business Council at their Annual Regional

Conference; 2016 Business Trailblazer of the Year by the Christian Business League; 2016 Recipient of

the Greater Cleveland Community Service Award by the Gloria Pointer Foundation; and was chosen to

be part of a premiere delegation of minority women entrepreneurs to Cuba. During her career, Alex has

also been selected to be part of delegations to the Soviet Union in 1989, and the United Nations

Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1994, representing the Ohio Women’s Policy & Research

Commission. At the time, Boone was chair of the Commission.

In 2017, Alex was selected for inclusion in the Inaugural “Women WELDing the Way” 2018 Business

Success Calendar by the Women for Economic and Leadership Development, Cleveland Chapter; and

was included in a local PBS television mini-documentary, highlighting Cleveland Black professional

women and their success in spite of facing racism during their careers.

Additionally, in 2018, Boone has been featured in an article in the March issue of Cleveland’s Smart

Business Magazine, highlighting her work with the Women of Color Foundation, and the Women of

Color Foundation was recognized as the “2018 Organization (in Northeast Ohio) that Empowered

Women” at the Annual Smart Business Magazine Women’s Awards Breakfast, just to highlight a few.

In 2019, Alex was offered, and accepted the opportunity to host a talk show on WOVU-FM, radio, 95.9;

was tapped as a “Smart Women” guest columnist in the May 2019 Issue of Smart Business Magazine;

was invited to attend the prestigious WELD Leadership Conference and Corporate Board Track

Program in Columbus, Ohio; was a keynote speaker for the Bowling Green State University, Women in

Leadership Conference, hosted by their College of Business; was a keynoter at the Cleveland WELD

Diversity & Inclusion Workshop; selected to receive the first-ever, Cleveland Realtist Association’s

Community Service Award; and was named a “Sheroe” by the MetroHealth System for her work on

behalf of women and girls of color in Northeast Ohio.

Barb Smoot President & CEO

WELD

Barb Smoot is the President & CEO of Women for Economic and Leadership

Development (WELD), the organization that develops and advances women’s

leadership to strengthen the economic prosperity of the communities it serves.

As WELD’s chief visionary and strategist and first president, Ms. Smoot is the

architect and driving force behind WELD’s unprecedented growth. She serves

as primary community liaison, overseeing fundraising, collaborative

partnerships and development and implementation of strategic initiatives,

including WELD’s national expansion. Under Ms. Smoot’s leadership, WELD

has grown from a single location serving the Central Ohio region to a national organization adding new

regional chapters each year. Ms. Smoot has been formally recognized for her leadership

accomplishments and contribution to the community. She is a 2020 YWCA Columbus Woman of

Achievement, Columbus CEO 2017 CEO of the Year for Small Nonprofits and a member of Columbus

Business First’s Power 100 for 2019 and 2020.

Ms. Smoot leveraged years of product development, marketing and execution experience to ideate and

launch WELD leadership programs where seats and speaker roles are coveted by a diverse group of

individuals at all levels in their careers and businesses. Combining organizational competitive strengths

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with premier partnerships, Ms. Smoot led the exciting launch of WELD’s suite of programs designed to

prepare more women and people of color for government boards and commissions, for-profit advisory

boards and private and public company boards and equip them with the skills and connections needed to

build their strategy to obtain their first seats in these boardrooms.

Ms. Smoot has a long track record of board and commission service in diverse roles and industries. She

is a member of the National Board of National Church Residences, the nation’s largest not-for-profit

provider of affordable senior housing and a national leader in supportive services with a footprint in over

340 communities and 25 states. Ms. Smoot chairs the Audit, Finance & Risk Committee and is a member

of the National Church Residences Foundation Board. As a commissioner on the Columbus Women’s

Commission, she is the Pay Equity Committee Chair, leading the development of the community strategy

to build awareness of the gender and racial pay gap and measures to help eliminate it. In 2018, Ms.

Smoot was appointed to the Westerville Board of Zoning Appeals. As Nominating Committee Chair for

the St. Joseph Montessori School Board, Ms. Smoot modernized committee processes and served on the

board at the start of a long-tenured CEO transition. From 2001-2007 up until its acquisition by Nationwide

Bank, Ms. Smoot served on the Nationwide Federal Credit Union Board with roles as a Second Vice

Chair and a member of the Nominating, Executive Compensation, Budget/Finance and Supervisory

Committees. As an ex-officio member of the WELD Board, Ms. Smoot has developed board competency

matrix analysis procedures, board and committee self-assessments, robust board member orientation

and onboarding materials and plays a key role in annual updates to organizational bylaws. Ms. Smoot

has also served on the Martin Luther King Arts Complex Board.

Ms. Smoot is a proven, versatile leader with prior executive roles in the insurance industry where she

honed extensive experience in strategic planning, profit and loss center management, line

responsibilities, product management, and business development. As Vice President of Business

Development for Nationwide Financial’s In-Retirement Division, Ms. Smoot, a past Fellow in the Society

of Actuaries, led the development and implementation of IRA rollover strategies to retain customer assets

from Nationwide’s nearly $100 billion Retirement Plans business segment and to attract new customers

to the company. Previous roles also include serving as business development head for Income Products

and product manager for the company’s individual life insurance line of business, a profit center that

generated over $80 million in pre-tax operating earnings and over $175 million in first-year premiums. As

product manager, Ms. Smoot developed the strategy to rejuvenate the fixed life insurance product line

from one with flat yearly revenue and earnings to a growth engine and led the variable life product line

from being 6th in market share to 4th in the industry.

During her financial services career, Ms. Smoot was also heavily involved in industry level strategies. She

represented Nationwide Financial on the Retirement Income Committee for the Insured Retirement

Institute and on the Long-Term Care Insurance Committee for the American Council of Life Insurers and

served on the Retirement Income Roundtable Committee of LIMRA.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts.

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PARTNER BIOGRAPHIES

Christie Angel President and CEO

YWCA Columbus

Christie Angel serves as the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Columbus,

one of the community’s most respected social justice organizations

dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women. Christie joined

YWCA Columbus in 2017 after working many years in the private and

public sectors of Columbus. It is her love of Columbus and desire to create

environments for people to thrive in—those in the community and YWCA

staff—that is the driving force behind her leading YWCA Columbus.

Prior to joining YWCA Columbus, Angel was principal of government relations and public affairs for Calfee

Strategic Solutions. She provided counsel and advisory services to businesses and non-profit organizations

on local government, business strategies, and community relations matters.

Previously, Christie was deputy chief of staff and external affairs and services director to former Columbus

Mayor Michel B. Coleman. She led the mayor’s external affairs office, served as the city’s chief government

relations officer, and was responsible for developing and retaining relationships with business and

community partners. Christie worked in corporate government and community relations field for a

telecommunications company and a boutique consulting firm. She also spent the early years of her career

working for Columbus City Council and in the non-profit sector on housing and homeless issues.

Christie prides herself on being socially conscious. She is an active and engaged member of Columbus’

civic and business communities. Christie currently serves on the boards of Campus Partners for

Community Urban Redevelopment, the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Human Service Chamber

of Franklin County. She is a member of the Ohio Council of YWCA’s where she serves as chair of the

public policy committee.

Christie and her husband, Otto Beatty, III, reside in Downtown Columbus with Betty, their Toy Fox Terrier.

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Linda Kanney President

National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Central Ohio Chapter

Linda Kanney is committed to advocacy for Black women and girls. Linda has

dedicated her adult life to the advancement and empowerment of women and

girls. First through her 32-year career at two YWCAs, dedicated to the

elimination of racism and the empowerment of women, where she served as

Director of Women’s Programs, Director of Program Operations and Vice

President of Human Resources. As Peer Reviewer and Mission Compliance

Officer for the YWCA Great Lakes Alliance Region, Linda was responsible for

conducting organizational reviews and assessments for 26 YWCAs in six

states.

As a community volunteer, Linda served as board president for IMPACTSafety, a non-profit organization

that provides self-defense programs to teach interpersonal, emotional and physical skills for women and

girls. She then helped negotiate a successful merger of IMPACTSafety with LifeCare Alliance, the largest

provider of Meals on Wheels and services to low-income seniors. She is a facilitator and trainer for Racial

Justice Dialogues.

Linda was the chartering president and current president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women,

Inc. Central Ohio Chapter (NC100BWCOC) and former president of the NC100BW Columbus Chapter.

Under Linda’s presidency with the Columbus Chapter, she coordinated the school reading program and

book-drive; served as Chapter Secretary, Membership Chair and Leadership Development Chair.

Through her community contacts and influence, the Central Ohio Chapter was awarded an OhioHealth

Health Advocacy Grant for $10,000 to address diabetes and hypertension among Black women. Linda

increased the number and levels of sponsors for the Annual Trailblazer Award & Scholarship Luncheon

and created partnerships with Molina Health, OhioHealth, the Columbus Urban League, and the Women’s

Fund of Central Ohio. She is a member of the NC100BW, Inc. Public Policy Committee.

Linda was recently appointed to the Columbus Community Relations Commission, is a member of the

Women’s Public Policy Network, Women Coming Together/International Women’s Day, Rise Sister Rise

Girls Think Tank Advisory Committee, ImpactSafety Advisory Committee, LifeCare Alliance Strategic

Planning Committee, Council of Ohio YWCAs Executive Board, Faith Ministries Clothing & Health

Ministries; and Planned Parenthood. She is the recipient of the YWCA USA Service Award for Racial

Justice, one of two awarded the first Sue Doody Alumni Award for YWCA Columbus and the Women

Coming Together Starfish Award for Women’s Equality. Linda attended West Virginia State University and

Franklin University. She and her husband reside in Pickerington, Ohio and are the proud parents of two

adult children and five grandchildren.

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Keena McDowell Smith, MPA Deputy County Commissioner

Franklin County, OH

Franklin County (OH) Deputy County Administrator Keena M. Smith, the county’s first African-American woman deputy, oversees four county agencies as well as the Small and Emerging Business Office. Prior to her county appointment in 2017, Ms. Smith worked in Columbus city government for 18 years in various leadership positions. She is committed to creating public sector spaces where all people feel a sense of belonging and can reach their highest potential. She dedicates herself to developing and funding strategies that on close the racial and gender wealth gap for African-American women.

Ms. Smith is recognized for her leadership in diversity and economic equity and inclusion. Most recently, she developed and managed Franklin County’s first economic inclusion task force. Members included the County’s most prestigious regional economic development organizations such as the Columbus Partnership. She also designed the County’s current Construction Inclusion plan for a $500 million construction project which has doubled the project’s 12% small and emerging business utilization goal to 24%.

Ms. Smith served for 5 years as Diversity Officer for the Department of Public Utilities under former Mayor Michael B. Coleman. There she developed and directed implementation of the department’s D&I platform for the 1200-member, majority union-organized staff. She is especially proud of her efforts that resulted in the promotion of women and African Americans.

A passionate minority business advocate, Ms. Smith directed the department’s small business economic inclusion program for the agency’s average annual budget of over $1 billion. Under her leadership minority- and women-owned business utilization increased by average of 25 -50% annually in contract value.

A committed economic development professional, Ms. Smith has worked at the local and national levels to reinvest in low wealth communities. In Mayor Coleman’s administration as Assistant Director for Community Development, she directed a successful multi-agency implementation of a $50M central city neighborhood Arts and Entertainment District revitalization project.

On the national level, Ms. Smith served as a subject matter expert as part of a team of national economic professionals, including a former Director of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), part of the US Treasury, to successfully obtain $40 million in extremely competitive and highly coveted federal New Markets Tax Credits for the Kroger Company (Cincinnati, OH) and the Oakland Renaissance Community Development Corporation (Oakland, CA).

Engaging her work in economic equity through her volunteer work, Ms. Smith founded and chairs The Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity, a 501c3, located in Columbus’ near southside neighborhood. Since 2014, WCEO has reached over 1,000 women of color to help them start and grow small businesses

In 2020, Ms. Smith co-founded The Alliance of Black Businesswomen and Entrepreneurs. ABBE is a coalition of Black businesswomen who created the Ohio RISE Survey to measure the impact of COVID-19 on Black women-owned businesses. ABBE’s goals are to elevate the data and the stories of Black women with policy makers to access the resources needed to survive the pandemic and thrive beyond it. We matter. Our stories matter.

She is a national Director for the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the country’s largest association of Black government and public-sector officials, located in Washington, DC. Locally, Ms. Smith serves on the YWCA Advocacy Committee. In 2016, Ms. Smith received the Outstanding Head of Diversity award from Columbus Business First newspaper in their (now) annual, regional Diversity Awards. Ms. Smith holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at OSU, where she also earned a B.A in Economics. She is a proud mom of two physicians, Keeanna M. Smith, MD and Stewart A. Smith, MD.

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PANELIST AND MODERATOR BIOGRAPHIES

Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri President and CEO

Boys& Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania

Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, PhD is a non-profit leader with 20 years of

experience who is passionate about shaping the future of learning by

designing equitable experiences that engage the heart, mind and innate

skills in youth. She was most recently the Head of School (Executive

Director) and Chief Learning Officer at Nazareth Prep, a progressive

independent school focused on bridging education to employment skill

gaps in the region for students who’ve been traditionally untapped for

STEM careers.

Lisa has been a classroom teacher, after-school program director, STEAM Coordinator, Director of

Technology (CIO) and has held positions in industry in workforce development, training and marketing a

decade before entering education and nonprofit spaces. Most importantly, she’s a champion for youth

and enjoys long-standing relationships with her past students who are now adults.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and design from Duquesne University as well as a

Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing and Master of Science in Technology. A Doctorate of Philosophy

was earned at Robert Morris University in Instructional Management and Leadership. Lisa was awarded

Non-Profit CIO of the Year by the Pittsburgh Technology Council in 2013. She was honored to join the

Deeper Learning Equity Fellows in 2016. She’s been named an ASCD Emerging Leader, Robert F.

Kennedy Urban Education Leader of the Year finalist, “Who’s Next in Education,” 40 Under 40 by

Pittsburgh Magazine, Women of Achievement and Pittsburgh Business Times Women of Influence.

A frequent collaborator within United Way’s APOST and Remake Learning Network, Lisa believes

partnerships and culturally relevant experiences launch innovative ideas and programs. She’s on

numerous advisory committees in the region and is the Senior Vice-President of Growth for the Boy

Scouts of America, Laurel Highlands Council, President of PHCSE Foundation, Advisory Board for

Rosedale Technical College, on the Queen’s Gambit Chess Institute Board and on Boys & Girls Clubs of

America Workforce Development Advisory Committee.

Lisa is married to Clayton; and they have a son, Anthony, who is in the 2nd grade. They enjoy building,

crafting together and attending Cub Scouts! She comes from a large Italian family with humble beginnings

in Pittsburgh’s Steel Mills after immigrating from the rolling hills in Abruzzo, Italy.

Dr. Abel-Palmieri expresses “I am honored to lead such an impactful organization that has been a

community partner in Western Pennsylvania for more than 130 years; even more honored to be the first

female CEO in its history. BGCWPA will continue its rich legacy of traditional programming and build new

STEM and workforce development programming to give youth the knowledge and skills to build the

futures they want. I am passionate about ensuring that equity is at the heart of all we design. We will build

new collaborations with our members, their families, business and industry, educators and the community

at large. I look forward to collaborating with the team to bring out the brilliance in the youth we serve.”

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Paula B. Brazil President

Brazil Training and Consulting

Paula Brazil is a skilled communicator who has parlayed her “gift for words” into

a successful training and speaking business, Brazil Training and Consulting. Her

certifications and programing include, Customer Service, Visioning and Mission

Building, Self-Esteem, Time Management, Training Design, Possibility Thinking

and Career Development.

For more than two decades, Paula has been designing and presenting

extraordinary training programs, keynotes, motivational talks and morale

boosting events. She has delivered her special brand of education and persuasion to numerous

organizations and industries across the public and private sector. Including, the Cleveland Clinic, South

Pointe Hospital, which resulted in an improved census. The Vitamix Corporation – improving efficiency

and reducing customer wait times in the household call center. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit

Authority resulting in the designation of Best Transit Authority in the Nation. Examples of other

organizations she has served are: The Key Foundation, The Internal Revenue Service, Case Western

Reserve University School of Medicine, The German Marshall Fund, Ohio University, Voinovich Center

for Leadership and Public Affairs, the Cleveland Foundation and The Ohio State University, John Glenn

School of Public Affairs.

Paula is a graduate of Cleveland State University where she earned her B.A. in Communication with a

Minor in Political Science and since 2001, she has been an adjunct instructor in the College of Urban

Affairs, Public Management Program.

Paula’s insights are informed by professional and life experiences which include working in public service

in the Cleveland mayoral administration of the late George Voinovich as an educational and legislative

liaison. She also represented the mayor in the community, speaking to numerous organizations and

citizen groups. She was adept at making sure that concerns were heard, and action was taken to resolve

issues. Paula also helped to launch the first Cleveland curbside recycling program. She designed

educational materials and presented how-to workshops for the 10,000 residents in the pilot

neighborhoods.

In broadcasting, Paula was the host of Shaker Square, a WOIO Channel 19, public affairs talk show. She

generated the highest ratings in the program’s history. She was a news desk assistant at WKYC Channel

3 writing direct to air news copy for the evening anchors. As a public relations assistant for WGAR 99.5

FM radio station she was instrumental in the WGARD YOUR KIDS initiative, fingerprinting and making ID

cards for over 12,000 children. While working for the Ohio Lottery in public relations, Paula was asked to

do customer service training and found her life calling. The Lottery also realized its best year-to-date

sales.

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Paul Curci Executive Coach & Facilitator

The Curci Group

Paul Curci creates value for businesses at the intersection of strategy,

human development, and organizational change. His 25 years of experience

advising businesses in the areas of strategic communications has led to his

current coaching career.

Paul supports senior executives committed to improving their interpersonal

skills, and social emotional (EQ) capacity. He also works with mid-level

executives transitioning into larger strategic roles. With over 6,000 hours of coaching over the past 14

years, Paul has delivered measurable outcomes with his clients in finance, technology, biotech,

healthcare, telecom, pharma, legal, energy & utilities and higher education.

Paul is a CTI trained and ICF certified coach and facilitator. He is also certified in the Hogan Assessment

tools, and DiSC® Assessments. Paul’s thought leadership on organizational change through self-

organizing groups is featured in Productive Workplaces: Dignity, Meaning, and Community in the 21st

Century (2012, Weisbord).

Prior to his executive coaching and team development career, Paul was Publisher of Philadelphia City

Paper, an award-winning newspaper serving the Greater Philadelphia region. From this experience, he

learned how pivotal leadership and direct communication is to driving bottom line results. In addition to

business, Paul is passionate about the arts. He is an accomplished painter and sculptor whose works

have been featured in prestigious galleries throughout the US and in Europe. Paul holds a B.F.A. from

Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. He lives in Center City Philadelphia with his wife and four

children.

Kitty Dooley Owner

Dooley Law Firm, PLLC

After completing her undergraduate degree in journalism at Marshall

University in 1980, where she was an ROTC cadet, Kitty served in the U.S.

Army for more than four years where she finished her career with the rank

of captain.

Kitty received her Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University in 1990. As

a private practice attorney in Charleston, Kitty has worked hard to better her

community. She has served as Chair of the Board of Commissioners for the

Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority, the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, as well as co-

director of the J.R. Clifford Project honoring West Virginia’s first black attorney. She serves on the Board

of Governors for West Virginia State University and is on the Board of Directors for YWCA Charleston.

Kitty is a co-chair of the YWCA Racial Justice Committee and the YWCA Endowment Campaign to End

Racism.

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Dr. Terrie Elizabeth Griffin Co-President

PA League of Women Voters

Dr. Terrie Elizabeth Griffin is a product of the Pittsburgh Public School

system. She furthered her undergraduate and graduate education at

Lincoln University and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at

Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA. She earned three graduate

degrees: Masters’ in Human Services, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of

Ministry degree. She has over forty-eight years of combined experience as

a higher education administrator, live radio talk show host, non-profit

executive, and associate professor of preventive health and practical

theology.

While living in Richmond, Virginia she served as the Minority Services Specialist for the Virginia

Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance abuse services where she staffed the

Multicultural Advisory Committee and provided cross-cultural training to 40 Community Services Boards

throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Griffin served on the Board of Directors for Habitat for

Humanity of Lynchburg, Virginia and the League of Women Voters of Lynchburg where she held several

positions including 2nd Vice President, Chair of the Voter Services Committee, member of the Statewide

Task Force on Gun Safety. In 2015 Dr. Griffin was appointed to the Virginia State Advisory Committee to

the United States Commission on Civil Rights where she served two terms through June of 2019.

Dr. Griffin serves as a consultant for non-governmental organizations in the areas of capacity building and

program planning and development. As a national and international lecturer, she addresses health

issues and social concerns. A highly sought-after health educator, Dr. Griffin traveled to the Eastern

European countries of Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, the Republic of Haiti, and the South African

countries of Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho. She worked with professional counterparts, clergy, and

lay leaders in the development of prevention education programs targeting urban and rural communities.

Dr. Griffin is a former consultant with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Faith Initiative.

Since relocating to Pittsburgh, she is an active member of the Board of Directors for the League of

Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh and serves on the Voter Services Committee and chairs the

Membership and Recruitment Committee. In June 2019 she was elected co-president of the League of

Women Voters of Pennsylvania at its 53rd Biennial Convention.

Currently, Dr. Griffin resides on the North Shore of Pittsburgh where her daughter and two grandchildren

live.

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Annette Hazapis Head of Global Client Service Center

Alexander Mann Solutions

Annette Hazapis is Head of the Global Client Service Center at

Alexander Mann Solutions, a global talent acquisition and talent

consulting company headquartered in the UK. In her current role, Annette

is responsible to drive a high-performance culture and strong employee

engagement for 200 skilled professionals in the company’s Cleveland

location.

Prior to Alexander Mann Solutions, Annette held positions of increasing

leadership responsibility for over 25 years at KeyBank. Her breadth of experience and specific roles

include executive vice president of business banking, chief administrative officer of community banking,

director of client experience, and director of commercial product management. She also held various

positions in leadership development, transformation and change management, enterprise risk

management, and banking operations.

Early in her career Annette was inspired as a participant in a leadership skills development program, and

from that point forward she’s had a passion for leading teams. She’s inspired every day by people and the

opportunity to help them learn, grow and accomplish amazing things.

Outside of work, Annette enjoys community service, traveling, entertaining, and spending time with her

two young adult daughters.

Anna E. Hollis Executive Director

Amachi Pittsburgh

Anna E. Hollis is the executive director of Amachi Pittsburgh, a unique

partnership of secular and faith-based organizations working together to

support children and families of the incarcerated. “Who knows what God

has brought us through this child?” is the English translation of “amachi” and

forms the centerpiece of the organization’s mission to empower young

minds to overcome the challenges of parental incarceration.

As a strong advocate for equity and social justice, Anna has instituted

programming that empowers youth and families to champion systems change, and her leadership in this

arena has contributed to pivotal policy and legislative reform. Anna is highly regarded for her work and

frequently sought out for her expertise, currently or formerly serving on a number of local and statewide

entities, including the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency’s Juvenile Justice &

Delinquency Prevention Committee, the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership Advisory Team and the

Executive Council at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, to name a few. She also served

on the national Advisory Board of the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Support Center during its

existence.

Anna has received a number of awards and recognition for her contributions including the PNC Women of

Legacy Award.

Anna is a mother of three, a graduate of Howard University, and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Jerry MacCleary Former Chairman & CEO

Covestro LLC

Jerry MacCleary was the Chairman and CEO of Covestro LLC. He has

since retired in 2020.

MacCleary joined Covestro (then part of Bayer) in 1979 as an accountant,

before moving into a technical sales role in the plastics division. He

continued to assume positions of increasing responsibility within sales,

marketing, general management and strategic leadership. He also

completed two international assignments in Germany.

In the Pittsburgh region, MacCleary serves on the Board of Directors for the Allegheny Conference on

Community Development, the Advanced Leadership Initiative (TALI), the United Way of Southwestern

Pennsylvania and the Imani Christian Academy. In addition, MacCleary serves as a member of the Board

of Trustees for the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.

He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from West Virginia University.

MacCleary is married, has three children, and resides in Venetia, PA., a suburb of Pittsburgh.

Toni Murphy Regional Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Keystone Region

Comcast

Toni Murphy is currently the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Comcast. In this role, Toni is responsible for customer acquisition, growth and retention for nearly 2 million customers in the Keystone Region, which encompasses the states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, eastern Ohio, and western Maryland—a $4B business segment for Comcast. Based in Pittsburgh, she leads an incredible team of 600 sales, marketing and operations professionals who delight consumers with our residential data, phone, television, home automation /

surveillance products and services. In addition to these core responsibilities, Toni leads the Keystone Region Diversity & Inclusion Council, where she is implementing strategies to hire, retain and develop the next generation of diverse leaders in the organization. Prior to this role, Toni was the Vice President of Comcast Business—a similar position as her current role but with a focus on small business and mid-market Enterprise fiber connectivity. She joined the Keystone Region in 2015 as the VP of Project Management Office and Customer Experience, where she led the organization through the transformational deployment of the Net Promoter System and the rollout of Netflix on the X1 platform. Considered one of Comcast’s brightest talents, Toni has had a storied and meteoric rise at the Company. Over the last 12 years, she has held varied positions across the Enterprise.

• Prior to Pittsburgh, Toni was the Sr. Director of Market Development in the California Region, where she was responsible for capital optimization, market expansion and sales acceleration.

29

• Prior to California, Toni was the Sr. Director of Business Support & Analytics for the Greater Chicago Region of Comcast. In that role, Toni oversaw business development, finance, strategic planning and general administration for the Business Services organization in Chicago.

• Toni began her journey with Comcast in 2008 as Manager of Financial & Strategic Planning at Comcast Corporate in Philadelphia, where she oversaw corporate budgeting, capital markets analyses and valuation of M&A opportunities.

Of her many accolades at Comcast, she is the first Executive to lead both the residential and commercial growth segments of the Comcast Cable Division. Toni was also the first African American female and millennial to own a P&L within the Comcast Business division. Finally, she was one of the first millennials to be promoted to Vice President across the enterprise. Toni began her career as an analyst at UBS Investment Bank in New York City, where she focused on the cable/satellite, broadcasting and outdoor advertising sectors. At UBS, she specialized in M&A valuations and leveraged debt buyouts, which led to her working on notable transactions such Adelphia’s $17.6B sale to Time Warner and Comcast, Clear Channel Outdoor’s $630M IPO and Patriot Media’s $483M sale to Comcast. After UBS, Toni pursued a career in private equity in Los Angeles with Glendon Partners, the operational arm of The Gores Group, LLC, where she worked alongside the management of Gores’ portfolio companies to assess monthly / quarterly performance, growth strategies and exit valuations. Toni is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in French and Economics. Toni sits on the board of Strong Women Strong Girls, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit focused on the development and mentorship of female youth and mid-level female leaders and Catalyst Connection, the premier consulting and training services not-for-profit organization focused on the manufacturing sector in southwestern Pennsylvania. She also sits on the advisory board for The Advanced Leadership Initiative (TALI), where she is helping shape the future of African American leadership in the city of Pittsburgh. Toni has received many industry awards and recognition for her professional success and her commitment to serving the community.

• December 2019, she was featured as a Woman of Excellence for the New Pittsburgh Courier newspaper.

• March 2019, she was recognized by Pittsburgh Business Times as a Woman of Influence.

• She was the 2018 recipient of the ATHENA Young Professional Award, the most coveted award recognition for professional women in the city of Pittsburgh.

• October 2018, Toni was recognized by the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) with the Luminary Award, which recognizes “up and coming” Executives in the Telecom industry.

• For the last 4 years, she has been recognized as one of Cablefax’s Most Influential Minorities in Cable

• November 2017, Toni was selected as one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s “40 under 40”. In her spare time, Toni is a jazz singer, who enjoys traveling, writing poetry and spending time with her husband, Craig

Murphy, and their three beautiful children, LilyJin, Blaise and London.

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Gina Smith Health Coach

Gina Smith Health Coach

My name is Gina Smith. If you’re anything like me you’ve come to realize that

success in life isn’t necessarily what we think it is. You see, I know what it’s

like to be caught in the corporate success trap, to be burned out, to feel

viscerally that my health is depleting, to know that I’m missing out on family

events, sacrificing social engagements and missing the ability to form deep

relationships with others. If you relate to that, then you’re in the right place

and you might want to read on. The thing that kept me most trapped was the

fact that I was the major wage earner. Not only did this place me in a different position to my partner, but

it also put an imbalanced level of responsibility on my shoulders. I felt that I couldn’t transition to another

career. It’s a double bind. What I now do is help other professional women like you to make the transition

in a safe, measured, and playful manner. We work together in a way that doesn’t compromise your

present moment safety for the sake of a better life. We work together to create a better life so you can

thrive personally in the midst of success.

I’ve been coaching all of my life in one way or another. With more than 30 years in a number of

disciplines, Human Resources, Operations, Healthcare Sales and Sales Leadership, I’m currently a

Pharmacy Systems Region Manager for B. Braun Medical, Inc. I’ve worked for Fortune 100 companies,

Cardinal Health & Owens & Minor. I’ve been leading teams, developing individuals and making an impact

on business growth throughout my career. I’m a certified Health and Master Transformational Coach. A

U.S. Air Force veteran, I hold a M.A. in Human Relations and management from Webster University in St.

Louis, Mo.

Tracy Townsend News Anchor and Medical Correspondent

WBNS-TV

Tracy Townsend is Emmy Award-winning News Anchor and Medical

Correspondent at WBNS-TV (CBS) in Columbus, Ohio. She is a graduate of

The Ohio State University.

Tracy reports on health issues affecting families including breakthroughs and

helpful strategies for families. She is a member the Association of Health Care

Journalists (AHCJ) and a 2016-2017 Fellow in the AHCJ Regional Health

Journalism Program. In addition, she works with 10TV Productions on “Toward

A Cancer Free World” which is a weekly segment featuring the world-renowned experts at The Ohio State

University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

Tracy led 10TV’s coverage of Campaign 2012: Race for the White House. She has scored interviews with

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Townsend and her team won several awards for their work including the prestigious Walter Cronkite

Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism in 2013 for their voter-education efforts preceding

the 2012 primary and general elections.

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Townsend grew up in Cincinnati and is a graduate of The Ohio State University. Before joining WBNS-

TV, Tracy worked at WBBM-TV in Chicago, KCTV in Kansas City and WKRC-TV in Cincinnati. She’s an

Emmy-Award winning news anchor, a 2016-2017 Fellow of the Association of Health Care Journalists, a

2017 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards winner.

Tracy is a Susan G. Komen Columbus Affiliate Board member. Additionally, she is an active graduate

member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

She is also active in The Links, Incorporated, an international, not-for-profit corporation that is one of the

nation’s oldest and largest volunteer women’s service organizations.

Tracy, her husband, Murvin Enders, III and their son, Ian, are proud to call Central Ohio their "adopted"

hometown.

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WELD OPPORTUNITIES

Launch a WELD E-Chapter in Your

Region Today!

WELD is excited to share that virtual

chapters are now available for your

community. If you do not live near one

of our classic in-person chapters but

would like the benefits of having a

WELD chapter, now is the perfect time

to launch an e-chapter. These chapters

provide excellent leadership

opportunities and visibility, the ability to

expand your network and a means to

pay forward your success. Contact us

at info@weldoh.org for more

information.

Interested in Speaking at a WELD

Event?

WELD offers many opportunities to

speak at our events – both locally and

at nationally. Chapters provide in

person speaking opportunities and

WELD National offers webinar speaking

opportunities that are marketed

nationally.

Each year in June, WELD hosts a

national leadership conference that

attracts an audience from multiple

regions. Speakers obtain visibility

through event marketing and through

WELD’s extensive network.

Contact us at info@weldoh.org for more

information.

33

JOIN WELD TODAY

Joining WELD helps you grow your professional and

interpersonal skills through programs, leadership

opportunities and advanced-level career

development opportunities. A WELD membership is

your key to improving your career and your skills as

well as expanding your personal/professional

network. Your membership helps support WELD

programs and initiatives to address issues of

economic development for women. Through our

programs and services, WELD provides women with

specific tools and skills needed to advance their

economic status, and we advocate for corporate

strategy and public policy supporting women’s

economic equality.

A personal WELD membership helps you learn success strategies from your industry as well as many

others. Not only do you reap personal and professional benefits by joining WELD, you also get the

opportunity to pay forward your success. We offer our members opportunities to share connections and

successes, mentor and promote powerful and economically independent women. Plus, as a member of

WELD you get to be a part of the solution to closing the gender gap in your community and beyond.

What you gain through an individual level membership to WELD:

• Programming discounts and other special opportunities for WELD members

• WELD member only meetings

• Member engagement breakfasts (free to new and renewing members)

• Opportunity to volunteer for WELD projects, committees and board positions

• Access to exclusive online content

If you join WELD as a business level member, you gain the same personal and professional opportunities

as an individual level member and more. We want to help women-owned businesses flourish, and we

want to offer you as much opportunity as we can to help your business grow. As a business level member

of WELD, you gain membership privileges for two individuals in your organization as well as the many

benefits that are available at the individual level.

What you gain through a business level membership to WELD:

• Membership privileges for two individuals

• Programming discounts and other special opportunities for WELD members

• WELD member only meetings

• Member engagement breakfasts (free to new and renewing members)

• Opportunity to volunteer for WELD projects, committees and board positions

• Access to exclusive online content

When you join WELD as a corporate member, you can participate in additional specialty programs.

Various levels of Corporate Membership in WELD provide corporations and other organizations with the

opportunity to support the organization’s mission and secure membership privileges for employees.

Investment opportunities range from $1,500 to $10,000.

Visit www.weldusa.org for more information.