Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Ohio for 2024. Ohio has an impressively diverse economy. The top industries in the state are manufacturing and financial services, and while manufacturing is also a top employer, other prominent employers are in the transportation, utilities, education, healthcare, and government sectors. With this wide range of industries, the Buckeye State is primed for skilled, talented women leaders across a variety of fields.
First, we honor marketing superstar Kym Parks. She is the Marketing Director for the Air Transport Services Group, a leading provider of aircraft leasing and air cargo transportation and the world’s largest lessor of freight aircraft. Parks has spent her career building industry-leading brands and impactful marketing teams, and she utilizes those skills in her leadership role with ATSG.
Next, we acknowledge the career of Tracey James, a leader in the healthcare sector who serves as the Chief Operating Officer for AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, one of the largest specialty and home delivery pharmacies in the US. James is an accomplished pharmacy executive with over 20 years in the healthcare industry.
Finally, we extend our honors to Katie Bradigan, the Head of Global Engagement for Defined Learning. As an executive with the country’s leading authority for career-connected project-based learning, Bradigan designs and oversees the domestic and international strategy around educational stakeholder engagement.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Ohio for 2024.
1. Ramona Hood
President & CEO, FedEx Custom Critical, FedEx
Ramona Hood is President and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical®. A leading North American Transportation provider that offers a range of transportation capabilities for expedited ground, temperature-control shipments, and industry-specific solutions. She currently serves on the board of Brinker International, one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and virtual brand: It’s Just Wings. Hood is a member of the Audit, and Talent and Compensation committees.
Hood’s company advancement and professional success span a range of areas, including sales, marketing, compliance, and operations with increasing responsibility and scope. She has managed P&Ls in numerous FedEx operating companies, including FedEx Custom Critical, FedEx Supply Chain, and FedEx Truckload Brokerage. She has consistently driven growth and improved profitability through continuous process improvements and targeted growth strategies. Her track record leveraging technology to drive the customer experience and establishing processes to enable self-regulation have improved process efficiency and effectiveness through modernization and technology deployment. Her growth strategies are diverse and include lowering costs and increasing market efforts to gain market share, targeting new market segments, and 4 integrations.
A leader in the transportation industry, Hood has received numerous recognition and awards, She is a prolific public speaker and presenter on the transportation industry and leadership. Additionally, she serves The Knight Foundation, The Kent Area Chapter (OH) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and chairs fund development, and national appointments to the Philanthropy Committee and Governance Council. Hood holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and an undergraduate degree in business management from Walsh University.
2. Katy Moeggenberg
Vice President of NA Beauty, Procter & Gamble
As Vice President of Information Technology and Digital Commerce for Procter & Gamble, Katy Moeggenberg leads digital strategy for the company’s North America Hair Care portfolio. In this role, she leads eCommerce sales and media buying, digital innovation, data, and analytics, all helping more consumers meaningfully connect with and purchase from brands like Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Aussie, and Old Spice Hair Care. Moeggenberg regularly consults on future-facing digital and data capabilities across P&G Beauty plus guides P&G’s brand and sales teams on staffing and skill integration that helps them remain at the forefront of digital innovation.
In her previous role as a senior global marketing technologist, Moeggenberg led an organization of over 100 digital commerce experts embedded across P&G’s brand teams, with a focus on digital innovation and results, skill development, and career planning. Her passion for developing the capability of those on her team enabled P&G’s 2018 recognition by an accredited industry organization OMCP for marketing technologist training excellence. Moeggenberg joined P&G in 2004 as a digital marketing manager for baby care, working since then across several of P&G’s global businesses to grow their digital commerce businesses. Her results-driven efforts and innovative approaches have resulted in her co-authoring 3 US patent approvals.
Valedictorian of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering Computer Science program, Moeggenberg lives in Cincinnati with her husband, where they share a mutual passion for fitness and wellbeing.
3. Kelly Calhoun
VP of Communications, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Kelly Calhoun is the Vice President of Communications for Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Cincinnati Children's, a nonprofit academic medical center established in 1883, offers services from well-child care to treatment for the most rare and complex conditions. It is the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and trains more than 600 residents and clinical fellows each year.
Calhoun began her professional career 23 years ago. She is a vivacious, meticulous, and proven leader in marketing, communications, and building best-in-class teams. She began her career in 2001 as a marketing assistant at St. Leonard. From there, she went on to Mercy St. Theresa, before eventually rising to assistant vice president of communications at UC Health, her most recent position before joining Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Calhoun graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Master’s degree in Marketing and from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in English.
4. Marina MacDonald
Chief Marketing Officer, Red Roof Inn
Marina MacDonald serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Red Roof®, helping Red Roof achieve its goals by leading its Sales, Marketing, Communications, ESG, and Distribution programs. She spearheads a company-wide initiative to support women in hospitality through Red Roof's Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs, for, whichAHLA awarded her the Paving the Way award.
MacDonald is Past America’s Board Chair for HSMAI, has been named among the Top 30 Most Influential Women by Hotel Management, is an AdWeek CMO Award Winner, and was named by International Hospitality Institute amongst their 25 Most Influential Women. Marina is a member of CHIEF, a network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders.
Previously, MacDonald was an SVP of sales and marketing at Remington Hotels. Before that, she was an SVP of sales and marketing at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. MacDonald earned an MBA in Business Innovation from The Aji Network in California and an undergraduate degree in business administration from Bradford School.
5. Tracey James
Chief Operating Officer, AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy
Tracey James is currently a member of the executive leadership team of AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, one of the largest specialty and home delivery pharmacies in the US. She leads the pharmacy services division as Chief Operating Officer of the company. AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy is a specialty and home delivery company that strives to provide exceptional care throughout a patient's treatment journey with the medications they need every day. Formed in 2017, the pharmacy offers tools and resources for patients, providers, and health plans to ensure optimal health outcomes.
An accomplished pharmacy leader, James has spent more than 20 years learning and excelling in various aspects of the healthcare industry. Her strong and varied background includes experience in specialty pharmacy, oncology solutions, pharmacy benefit management, pharmacy compliance, clinical practice, program start-up and implementation, and managed care.
James previously served as an SVP of pharmacy services at AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy. Earlier in her career, she was a VP of operations at Medco Health Solutions and the senior director of specialty services at Walgreens. She graduated from The Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in pharmacy.
6. Heather Oxley
Chief People Officer, GlobalLogic
Heather Oxley is the Chief People Officer at GlobalLogic, a leading digital engineering services company with over 33,000 professionals across 23 countries. She leads the global human resources function and drives the talent strategy and organizational design for the company. She is a certified Human Capital Strategist and an Organization Design Fellow with over two decades of experience in the field of HR and talent development.
Oxley is a seasoned leader with over two decades of professional experience in the industry, specializing in talent strategy, global talent/HR business partnerships, and the design and implementation of large-scale talent programs. Throughout her career, she has made significant contributions in these areas. Her passion for personal connections is evident in her role as a mentor and coach, particularly for female executives as she progresses in her career.
Before joining GlobalLogic, Oxley held leadership positions at Accenture, where she led initiatives in strategy, talent development, and HR business partner leadership. She has a wealth of international experience, having worked in various countries, such as China, Brazil, and South Africa, where she participated in a nonprofit project collaborating with the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP). Her exposure to diverse cultures and local requirements has equipped her with a global perspective in her approach to work. Oxley is an alumna of Miami University of Ohio, where she pursued studies in chemistry and zoology.
7. Stephanie Smith
SVP & Chief Inclusion Officer, Fifth Third Bank
Stephanie Smith serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Inclusion Officer for Fifth Third Bank. She is responsible for creating and executing a holistic internal and external strategy, that supports employees and partners with diverse suppliers. Smith’s oversight includes the bank’s nine enterprise and 64 regional business resource groups, 14 regional inclusion councils, Project Search, supplier diversity, volunteerism, and all other enterprise inclusion and strategic initiatives and efforts related to environmental, social, and governance reporting.
In her previous role as director of supplier diversity, Smith oversaw more than a 900% increase in Fifth Third’s spending with diverse suppliers. Over more than 20 years, she has worked in various areas of the bank, including business Banking, Mortgage Lending, Retail, Commercial, and the Foundation Office. Smith was named one of Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Executives in Diversity and Inclusion for 2023, one of the Most Influential Executives in Diversity and Inclusion, she was also honored to be recognized as one of the TOP 10 Chief Diversity Officers in the USA, in 2021 she was named a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, along with many other acknowledgments. Under her leadership, Fifth Third has been named one of America’s top corporations for women-owned companies by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, and the National Minority Supplier Development Council and was named to the Best of the Decade list by Minority Business Network magazine.
Smith is a passionate community advocate. She serves on boards for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Social Venture Partners, Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and is a member of the Executive Cabinet for the Carl Lindner School of Business and serves as a member of the Cabinet for the Rise Beyond Violence Campaign for Women Helping Women. Smith earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Wright State University and a Master’s degree in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
8. Melody Birmingham
Executive Vice President & Group President of Utilities, NiSource Inc.
Melody Birmingham serves as Executive Vice President and Group President of Utilities, at NiSource Inc. As group president, she leads NiSource’s gas and electric business segments, focusing on the energy transition of NiSource’s electric generation fleet and driving the long-term sustainability of its gas segment. Additionally, Birmingham leads sustainability, customer operations, profit and loss, strategy, planning, regulatory, federal government affairs, and public affairs for the six NiSource operating companies.
Birmingham has more than 25 years of experience in the energy industry. Previously, Birmingham served as the chief innovation officer for NiSource, where she was responsible for enterprise transformation and project management office, information technology, cyber and physical security, data analytics, supply chain, real estate, corporate aviation, enterprise communications, and customer organization. She also previously served as senior vice president and chief administrative officer for Duke Energy, where she was responsible for information technology, supply chain operations, accounts payable, corporate aviation, real estate, facilities, and enterprise security.
Birmingham serves on the board of directors for 1st Source Corporation and 1st Source Bank, the largest locally controlled financial institution headquartered in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, an organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives. Birmingham most recently served on the board of directors for the Urban League of Central Carolina, the board of directors for Charlotte Symphony and Orchestra, the board of directors for Discovery Place, and a former member of the board of trustees for Marian University in Indianapolis. Birmingham earned a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University. She also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. In 2016, Birmingham was conferred an honorary Doctor of Humanities by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, Indiana.
9. Cristina Alcalde
VP of Office of Transformational & Inclusive Excellence, Miami University
Cristina Alcalde is Vice President for Transformational and Inclusive Excellence at Miami University. She’s also a professor of global and intercultural studies. In her VP role, Alcalde provides strategic vision and leadership for a holistic, coordinated approach to inclusive excellence for faculty, staff, and students.
Before joining Miami, Alcalde served as associate dean of inclusion and internationalization in the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor in gender and women’s studies at the University of Kentucky, where she also designed and directed the Online Graduate Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion. As a scholar-practitioner, she has published widely and speaks nationally and internationally on inclusion, race and racialization, gender violence, migration, exclusion, belonging, and leadership.
In addition to dozens of journal articles and chapters, her books include Dismantling Institutional Whiteness: Emerging Forms of Leadership in Higher Education (2022); #MeToo and Beyond: Perspectives on a Global Movement (2022); Familia, exclusión y racismo de la peruanidad: la tía Eliana (2022); Peruvian Lives across Borders: Power, Exclusion, and Home (2018); Provocations: A Transnational Reader in the History of Feminist Thought (2015); La mujer en la violencia (2014); and The Woman in the Violence: Gender, Poverty, and Resistance in Peru (2010). Recent shorter pieces on women in leadership positions, re-envisioning leadership in higher ed, and women of color and burnout have appeared in Inside Higher Ed and Ms. Magazine. She is co-editor of the Navigating Careers in Higher Ed Book Series, Editorial Board Member of the Political and Legal Anthropology Review, and Editorial Board Member of Insight into Diversity.
10. Twana Young
VP of Academic Design - Mathematics, McGraw Hill
With over 25 years of experience in education, Twana Young is a visionary and innovative leader who is passionate about empowering educators, families, and students through mathematics. Over the course of her career, she has served as a district, state, and national leader. She is currently the Vice President of Academic Design - Mathematics at McGraw Hill, where she oversees the development of high-quality, engaging, and effective math curriculum and resources for students and teachers across K-12 math education.
Twana has a wealth of expertise in curriculum and assessment development, instructional design, educational leadership, product strategy, and partnering with districts to support strategic planning and implementation. Prior to joining McGraw Hill in 2023, she served as the Vice President of Curriculum and Instruction at MIND Research Institute. Collaborating with organizations like EF+Math, Digital Promise, and Beyond100Kin10, Twana has engaged in research initiatives and forged partnerships aimed at advancing mathematics education nationwide. Her contributions can be found in the Strengthening Executive Function Skills to Improve Mathematics Learning EF+Math report and the Doing the Math: Building a Foundation of Joyful and Authentic Math Learning for All Students report from Beyond 100Kin10.
Twana is a national thought leader who has shared her insights and perspectives authoring several blogs and articles. As an engaging public speaker, with hundreds of speaking engagements all over the country, she has spoken on prestigious platforms like SXSW EDU, the Gates Foundation All Hands Meeting, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics amplifying her advocacy for transformative change in education.
11. Teresa Fox
VP for Marketing & Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer, Walsh University
As the Vice President for Marketing and Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer for Walsh University, Teresa Fox brings more than 25 years of experience serving various roles in the corporate and nonprofit sectors. She is responsible for ensuring a cohesive brand identity across all sectors of the University, as well as raising the profile of the institution nationally. Under Fox’s leadership, the Walsh University marketing department has grown in the past 15 years, and under her direction, her team manages a workflow of an average of over 500 marketing projects per year from various audience constituencies within the University.
Before joining Walsh, Fox was a senior account executive in marketing and advertising for both the nonprofit and profit sectors in South Carolina and California with such clients as the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Bombardier Business Aircraft, Fisher and Paykel Appliances, Sears, and Sony. In 2017, Fox was honored with a “best of the best” Accent on Excellence marketing award at the 45th Annual National Sales & Marketing Executives awards ceremony in Akron, OH. She is a multiple Addy Award winner for her work in advertising.
Fox served on the board of the North Canton Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to 2013 and also served as a board member for the American Advertising Federation (AAF). She currently serves as the Board Chair for the Better Business Bureau of Canton and West Virginia’s Education Board and is a member of the Executive Board. She is an active member of multiple organizations, including the Canton Chamber Stark Education Committee, the American Marketing Association, PRSA Akron Chapter, and AAF. Fox is a graduate of the 34th Class of Leadership Stark County’s Signature Program. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Miami University.
12. Jill Marcotte
Chief Supply Chain Officer, Dealer Tire LLC
Jill Marcotte is a partner and part owner of the Dealer Tire enterprise of companies totaling over $3 billion. As the Chief Supply Chain Officer, she built the supply chain organization from scratch and helped create the overall corporate strategic and tactical foundation for the highly successful wholesale distribution company that Dealer Tire has become. As part of her executive role, Marcotte serves as the board chair of the enterprise’s strategic investment in distribution through digital channels, Simple Tire. Simple Tire services both B2C and B2B customers through a unique and disruptive business model with a zero-inventory approach, leveraging a nationwide network of suppliers and installers. Through Marcotte’s leadership, Simple Tire has more than tripled revenue and achieved record profitability.
In addition, Marcotte currently serves on two private boards – Crescent Electric Supply Company and Ozinga. She is currently serving on the Finance and Audit Committee, Technology and Cybersecurity Sub Committee, and HR/Compensation Committee and has previously served on the Governance and Board Member Search Committees. Marcotte also serves as an Industry Expert for Carleton McKenna Investment Banking Services based in Cleveland, Ohio. Most recently, she was named Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine and Top 100 Women in Supply Chain by B2G Consulting. Marcotte has also been named Director to Watch by Private Company Director in 2020, Inspirational Women in Supply Chain by SCM Nowin 2019, and Woman to Watch in The Tire Industry by Tire Industry Association in 2015.
With over 35 years of work experience, Marcotte has served in a variety of sectors having held leadership roles at Brach’s Confections, Inc., Andes Candies, Inc., Nestlé Foods, and General Motors. She has a wide range of successful US and international customer and supplier relationships across multiple industries and has led successful negotiations with key companies, including, Pirelli, Goodyear, Target, Walmart, Prologis, FedEx, BMW, and Toyota. As a strong executive and philanthropist, Marcotte enjoys sharing her supply chain, leadership, and board expertise to benefit the community. Throughout her career, she has served on several nonprofit boards, including most recently for the Cleveland Sight Center. She was a member of the Executive Board of Directors and chaired the Strategic Planning Committee from 2010 until May 2021. Marcotte is a sought-after conference speaker, panelist, and moderator of topics on leadership, business growth, company culture, and boardroom skills.
13. Jamie Jacobs
SVP of Strategic Partnerships & DE&I/ESG Council, TalentBurst, an Inc 5000 Company
Jamie Jacobs is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and DE&I/ESG Council of TalentBurst, an Inc 5000 Company. TalentBurst is an international system integration consultancy and staff augmentation company.
Jacobs has 13 years of experience. She manages the sales team, overseeing direct client partnership opportunities. Her responsibilities include handling discovery, research, training, market strategy, and onboarding. Additionally, she serves as a member of the newly established DE&I and ESG Council. Furthermore, she collaborates with divisional executive leadership to consistently navigate new markets and tools for business growth.
Before joining TalentBurst an Inc 5000 company, Jacobs was a manager of strategic partnerships at TechLink Systems, Inc.. Before that, she was a technical recruiter at CBTS. Earlier in her career, she worked with Dan McGuiness as an attendant and trainer. She studied business administration at Northwest Community College.
14. Brianne Rush
Vice President of Operations, Kuno Creative
Passionate about propelling growth for healthcare and B2B clients through innovative marketing strategies and on-point messaging, Rush thrives at the dynamic crossroads of creativity and strategy. With nearly two decades of experience, she has played a pivotal role in sculpting the trajectory of Kuno Creative, a leading digital marketing agency. In her current role as Vice President of Operations for Kuno Creative, Rush wears multiple hats, orchestrating sales and marketing alignment, pioneering product development endeavors, and fostering talent through strategic recruitment and developmental initiatives.
Acknowledged as a thought leader in the field, Rush has been honored to be featured as one of the "25 Journalists in Content Marketing" and included in prestigious lists like "20 Content Marketing Twitter Accounts to Follow" and "140 Super Awesome Content Marketing Twitter Accounts Every Marketer Should Follow." Her staunch belief in the power of storytelling can be seen in her favorite eBook collaboration, "Storytelling: How to Acquire Customers in Three Acts.
With a diverse portfolio boasting illustrious brands, such as Aramark, BASF, RapidAI, and more, Rush considers it an honor to serve as an informal mentor to emerging professionals, sharing invaluable insights and ideas that transcend the realm of marketing. Her journey from editorial roots in New York City to current leadership roles underscores her unyielding dedication to communication and career development guidance. Continuously driving impact and igniting change in both professional and personal realms, it is her goal to remain committed to shaping a brighter future for those around her.
15. Dawn Anderson-Butcher
Professor, College of Social Work, & Co-Executive Director, LiFEsports Initiative, The Ohio State University
Dawn Anderson-Butcher is a sports scientist by training and a licensed clinical social work worker. She has dedicated her career to promoting healthy outcomes for young people, especially those from socially vulnerable circumstances. Her current role is Professor of Social Work at The Ohio State University. At Ohio State, she serves as the Co-Executive Director of Ohio State’s LiFEsports Initiative, overseeing the research, curriculum development, and training components of this nationally recognized sports program.
Anderson-Butcher also serves as the executive director of the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute, a center focused on building the capacity of the multiple social settings that serve youth (, such as schools, afterschool programs, sports, etc.). Anderson-Butcher is an internationally renowned scholar and has amassed over 120 publications throughout her career. She served over 10 years as the chair for the Mental Health Education Integration Consortium, a national think-tank focused on school mental health practice, policy, and research. Additionally, her collaborative work has touched the lives of over 10,000 youth over the years in Central Ohio.
Her work has been honored by many. Anderson-Butcher was the first person at Ohio State to be inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. She is also a Research Fellow in both the Society of Health and Physical Educators and the Society of Social Work Researchers, as well as received the School Social Work Association of America’s Gary A. Shaffer Award for Academic Contributions to the Field of School Social Work. Anderson-Butcher earned a PhD in Exercise and Sports Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. She has a Master's degree in Exercise Science and undergraduate degrees in psychology and exercise science from Miami University of Ohio.
16. Bonnie Entler
President & CEO, Seeds of Literacy
Bonnie Entler is the President and CEO of Seeds of Literacy. Seeds of Literacy brings together people of diverse backgrounds in order to help break a root cause of poverty – illiteracy. Since 1997, Seeds has provided free, one-to-one tutoring in basic education and high school equivalency (HSE) preparation to adults in Ohio.
Entler has been an adult educator for 20 years and joined Seeds of Literacy in 2003, overseeing its transition to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2005. She has spearheaded a variety of state advocacy efforts to raise awareness of the importance of adult literacy programs and Seed’s value to the community, in particular.
As part of the Executive Leadership Team, Entler was named one of the 2023 women who inspired them by Nonprofit HR. She is among the finalists of 24 professional women who have exhibited extraordinary leadership, unwavering dedication, and impactful achievements. In 2020, Entler received the award for Local Excellence in Advocacy for the Coalition on Adult Basic Education National Awards. Entler and Seeds were honored for their advocacy on behalf of the organization’s students and adult education.
17. Madeleine Ellis
Vice President, Blueprint Interactive
Madeleine Ellis is Vice President at Blueprint and has led digital programs for senators, presidential campaigns, nonprofits, and digital agencies for almost 20 years. As VP, Ellis oversees campaigns for a variety of organizations and political campaigns, running large-scale ad or advocacy campaigns, social media programs, and multi-million dollar Independent Expenditure efforts.
Most recently, Ellis was chief operating officer at Courier Newsroom, a civic media company seeking to combat disinformation. At Courier, Ellis managed day-to-day company operations, overseeing more than 60 employees across eight states. Together with the Executive Leadership Team, she helped set and reach ambitious goals for audience growth and engagement, growing audiences across those eight states by over 350% in just seven months.
Ellis also led state and national digital advocacy campaigns at Planned Parenthood for six years as director of digital campaigns. In 2017, she was a member of the leadership team that launched Planned Parenthood's first-ever digital organizing program with the goal of combatting defunding by the Trump administration. That program and campaign received over 40M engagements, 500,000 new supporters, and 1M petition signatures across the country in fewer than 8 months. The program also received a Shorty Award. Ellis currently lives in Solon, Ohio with her husband and two children.
18. Julie Cooper
SVP of Training & Curriculum Development, Trauma Free World
Julie Cooper is the Senior Vice President of Training and Curriculum Development for Trauma Free World, a nonprofit training organization that teaches adults a trauma-informed approach to life and work. Trauma-informed practices are key to walking alongside children and adults, helping them overcome the harmful effects of trauma on the body and brain.
Cooper works in applied psychology to create and deliver world-class training on the effects of trauma, along with research-proven interventions. As a foster/adoptive parent and national and international speaker who has worked in over 30 countries, she brings personal and professional expertise to the important field of trauma-informed care. Additionally, Cooper has created specific training for organizational leaders on trauma-informed transformational leadership, which has been responding to the need for justice and socially conscious leadership training throughout various industries.
Cooper has a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Indiana University Bloomington, a Master’s degree in Divinity and Ministry from Bethel University, and a PhD in Counseling and Psychological Studies from Regent University.
19. Mónica Ramirez
Founder & President, Justice for Migrant Women
Co-Founder & President, The Latinx House
Mónica Ramírez is a Latina leader shaping both the industries of social justice and activism within entertainment and storytelling, making an impact in Hollywood, Washington DC, and so many places in between. Ramirez is the founder of the nonprofit Justice For Migrant Women, co-founder of The Latinx House, and founding principal of Poderistas. Through it all, Mónica is a leader in efforts to build a cross-sector movement to end workplace sexual violence, recently ideating and executing an event with the UN to push the U.S. to finally ratify Convention 190 (140 other countries already have) to protect laborers from gender discrimination and harassment in the workplace. She has also been recognized as a prominent voice in advancing the rights of low-paid workers, immigrants, and women in the United States.
For over two decades, Ramirez has fought for the civil and human rights of women, children, workers, Latinx communities, and immigrants. In 2003, she created the first legal project in the United States dedicated to addressing gender discrimination against farmworker women, which she scaled to create Esperanza: The Immigrant Women’s Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center. In addition to founding Justice for Migrant Women, she co-founded Alianza Nacional de Campesinos and served as the President of their Board until 2018. In her capacity as Alianza's Board President, Ramirez wrote the "Dear Sisters" letter that was published in TIME magazine from farmworker women to women in the entertainment industry. It has been credited with helping to spark the creation of the TIME’S UP movement. In 2018, she attended the Golden Globes with Laura Dern as a part of the TIME’S UP action. She followed that up in 2019 by galvanizing more than 200 artists (, includingAmerica Ferrera, Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek Pinault, Jennifer Lopez, José Andrés, and others), activists, labor and civil rights leaders to pen a public letter of support to the Latino community after the El Paso Shooting and ICE Raids. Each year, she helps elevate the national campaign for Latina Equal Pay Day to new heights.
Ramirez has worked with leaders in Washington to introduce legislation rooted in workplace protections and gender justice, including the BE HEARD Act, The CARE Act, and The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, among others). She was awarded the Smithsonian’s 2018 Ingenuity Award for Social Progress, the 2019 MAFO Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2020, was chosen as one of the few US citizens to receive the inaugural and prestigious Ford Global Fellowship to connect and support the next generation of social justice leaders. She has been recognized as a TIME100 Next Leader (class of 2021), with Harvard Kennedy School’s inaugural Gender Equity Changemaker Award, the 2022 James Beard Leadership Award, the 2022 Concordia Global Summit Leadership Award alongside former First Lady Laura Bush, the Feminist Majority’s Global Women’s Rights Award, and inclusion on Forbes Mexico's 2018 list of 100 Powerful Women, among other distinctions. Ramirez is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and Harvard Kennedy School.
20. Gina Logozar
VP of HR & Organizational Effectiveness, Core BTS
Gina Logozar is an experienced executive human resources leader with a demonstrated history of partnering with leaders and team members to create positive workplace experiences. Logozar excels in fostering a thriving workplace culture that aligns with organizational goals. She is skilled in strategy, coaching, compliance, employee relationship management, and conflict resolution.
At Core BTS, Logozar oversees the people and HR operations functions, talent acquisition and learning, and development of organizations. She is responsible for driving strategy, culture, and engagement, managing policy and compliance, total rewards and benefits, as well as implementing talent management best practices.
Logozar advocates for diversity, inclusion, and belonging by working to create inclusive workplaces that value the unique perspectives and contributions of every team member. She is known for her innovative HR strategies that enhance team member well-being and drive business success. Logozar has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a minor in business from Ohio State University, a Master’s degree in Human Resources, and an MBA from DeVry University. She has been with Core BTS since 2016.
21. Katie Bradigan
Head of Global Engagement, Defined Learning
Katie Bradigan proudly serves as the Head of Global Engagement for Defined Learning, which is the country’s leading authority for career-connected project-based learning. In her role as Head of Global Engagement, Bradigan is responsible for designing and overseeing the domestic and international strategy around educational stakeholder engagement. She frequently collaborates with state departments of education, federal and statewide elected officials, school district leadership, and industry and community partners. Having traveled to over 60 countries, visited schools on nearly every continent, and lived all around the world, Bradigan has dedicated her life to the field of education, leveraging her talents to ensure that EVERY student has equitable access to the opportunity for a meaningful future. She tirelessly embraces the core belief that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not.
Through her 15 years of executive leadership spearheading prominent educational change movements, Bradigan humbly serves as a strategic advisor to senior leaders in some of the world’s most well-known organizations and is on the board of directors for one of the largest teacher communities in the United States. Prior to joining Defined Learning, Bradigan had the privilege of serving in distinguished leadership positions at both McGraw-Hill Education and Discovery Education.
Bradigan’s career proudly began her professional career in politics, where she worked in a variety of legislative, communications, and campaign-related positions. She is an active alumnus of The Ohio State University, where she graduated summa cum laude in three years with a degree in communications and business.
22. Victoria Hayward
SVP & Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Victoria Hayward is the Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor of Morgan Stanley, a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, their firm's employees serve clients worldwide, including corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals.
Previously, Hayward was a senior vice president of wealth management at UBS Financial Services, Inc.. Before that, she was a vice president of investments at Wachovia Securities, LLC. Earlier in her career, she worked with Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor. Hayward is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
23. Sabrina Ingram
Vice President, People Operations, Relevate Health
Sabrina Ingram is a passionate advocate for people. As the Vice President of People Operations at Relevate Health, she brings over 20 years of expertise in HR Operations to the table. Ingram is a results-focused leader who excels in talent acquisition, retention, and motivation, harnessing the full potential of Relevate Health's most valuable asset – its people. Since 2019, Ingram has played a vital role in creating a positive company culture that places the employee experience at the forefront.
Dedicated to fostering a robust corporate culture, Ingram is committed to driving continuous business growth and cultivating customer loyalty by empowering and motivating employees to reach their full potential and deliver exceptional results. She possesses a deep understanding of leadership development, organizational change, employee relations, strategic planning, and acquisition management, enabling her to seamlessly align processes, initiatives, talent, and competencies to drive business performance and enhance talent development.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ingram finds joy and fulfillment in her personal life. She has been happily married to her best friend for 21 years and is the proud mother of two amazing children who share her passion for people. Ingram’s personal journey as a two-time cancer survivor has taught her the power of resilience and the limitless potential within each individual. Her mission in life is to share her story as a beacon of hope and triumph for others facing their own struggles, igniting a fire within others on the incredible journey called life.
24. Jennifer Palmieri
EVP & Chief People Officer, Westfield
Jennifer Palmieri joined the organization in 2020 as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer of Westfield, a leading U.S.-based property and casualty insurance company. With global operations, the 176-year-old company has 3,000+ employees worldwide and revenue approaching $4 billion.
With more than 25 years of experience, Jennifer is a transformational leader and passionate advocate for both employees and the company. She ensures that employees are supported and empowered to impact customers' lives positively. In her role, Jennifer sets the strategic vision for all facets of Westfield's talent strategy, total rewards programs, operations, and all people-related practices, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, the company's philanthropic, and Corporate Communications.
As a member of the Enterprise Leadership Team reporting to the CEO, Jennifer drives a close integration between business strategies and talent management capabilities. She emphasizes fostering diversity across the workforce and cultivating a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Jennifer and her team are dedicated to attracting, developing, inspiring, and rewarding talented individuals throughout the organization. Palmieri spent nearly 18 years at Cigna, a global health services company with $195 billion in revenue and 72,000 employees, operating in over 30 countries. In her most recent role at Cigna, Palmieri served as the VP of HR with the global technology team. Early in her career at a boutique HR consulting firm, Palmieri delivered talent solutions across various companies, focusing on the technology sector. She graduated from Villanova University with a master’s degree in human resources development and an undergraduate degree in human resources and marketing from Drexel University.
25. Kate Harmon
Assistant Vice President, Office of Innovation, University of Cincinnati College of Law
Kate Harmon is the Assistant Vice President for the Office of Innovation and the Executive Director and the El and Elaine Bourgraf Director of Entrepreneurial Practice for the Center for Entrepreneurship of the University of Cincinnati, where she spurs cross-campus and community entrepreneurial engagement for over 50,000 student and faculty population and dynamic alumni community. The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.
Harmon brings over 20 years of experience in higher education as both a faculty member and administrator building sustainable systems and infrastructure to support student learning and professional development. For more than 12 years, she has developed impactful entrepreneurship curricula and programming and worked to build inclusive startup communities for college students, faculty/staff, alumni, and the general public. She has mentored thousands of clients who have gone on to build sustainable ventures in the technology, PropTech, consumer product, logistics, food, retail, and nonprofit spaces and who have gone on to raise millions in venture funding and create hundreds of jobs. As a former small business and nonprofit founder, she brings a practitioner’s background to the classroom and has taught many entrepreneurship classes.
Prior to the University of Cincinnati, Harmon helped build the entrepreneurial ecosystems at the University of Oregon (Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship) and Kent State University (Blackstone Launchpad powered by Techstars). She brings prior experience working in philanthropy and has worked with regional and national foundations focused on entrepreneurship and economic development. Harmon is a trained art historian who has taught art history at the University of Akron, Youngstown State University, Ohio University, and Grand Rapids Community College. As a liberal arts graduate and self-trained entrepreneur, she makes the case daily that entrepreneurship can be taught and learned by anyone regardless of their background or focus of study.
26. Courtney Walton
Chief Learning Officer, UNDIVIDED
Courtney Walton has worked in the nonprofit ministry sector for over 14 years and currently serves in the role of Chief Learning Officer for UNDIVIDED, the movement behind the LivingUNDIVIDED and WorkingUNDIVIDED curricula.
Walton was recognized as an influential female leader receiving the Greater Cincinnati YWCA Rising Star Award. She is a part of the Harvard LIFE Convening cohort. She is a TEDx speaker, Social Impact Global Fellow with MovingWorlds, certified Trauma Competent Care trainer, and conference speaker.
Walton received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Elon University and her Master's degree in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Cincinnati. She has a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Kentucky University. She focused her dissertation research on examining anticipatory and acculturative stress in Black women and understanding how to mitigate the impact of racialized trauma and racial battle fatigue. Walton is also a proud aunt, daughter, sister, and friend.
27. Crystal Davis
VP of Policy & Strategic Engagement, Alliance for the Great Lakes
Crystal Davis joined the Alliance for the Great Lakes as Policy Director in 2016. Based in Cleveland, Davis leads the Alliance’s policy and advocacy efforts related to Lake Erie and manages the organization’s Ohio office. She has played an integral role in the Alliance’s emerging work around drinking water and developing a people-centered model for protecting the Great Lakes. Davis enjoys connecting individuals and communities to the lakes and freshwater resources we all rely on. She brings to the Alliance more than a decade of experience in government affairs, advocacy, and public policy at the local, state, and federal levels.
Before joining the Alliance, Davis spent eight years in government relations with Kent State University (KSU). She served as federal relations director for KSU’s Office of Government and Community Relations in Washington DC, where she established the university’s office on Capitol Hill. Davis has also worked for the Ohio House of Representatives, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Even as a self-proclaimed “indoor girl,” Davis has a deep appreciation for her Great Lake, Lake Erie. She is passionate about connecting urban communities with opportunities to advocate for our freshwater resources. Davis is a graduate of Kent State University and winner of the 2015 Ohio TRiO Trailblazer Award.
28. Stephanie Wolf
Vice President, Rebuttal
Stephanie Wolf is the Vice President of Rebuttal, the only communications firm dedicated to serving the plaintiffs' bar. For more than 15 years, the nation's leading plaintiff law firms have turned to the Rebuttal team to create winning communications campaigns, ranging from billion-dollar mass torts and class actions to positioning attorneys in their markets to grow their businesses and make a bigger impact. Wolf is a seasoned communications professional with a proven track record of leading teams and navigating intense media environments during high-stakes litigation.
Wolf has a deep background in plaintiff-side litigation spanning a diverse set of subject matter, including sexual abuse, environmental justice, product liability, and healthcare. She began her career at a DC strategic communications firm, where she worked on high-profile issues at the intersection of litigation and public affairs. During her time at a Columbus-based PR agency, she worked on communications strategy for law firms, B2B companies, and consumer services.
Prior to joining Rebuttal, Wolf worked at Ohio’s trial lawyer association, the Ohio Association for Justice, where she led the organization’s digital communications and marketing efforts. While she has worked in numerous communications roles on a variety of subjects, the high stakes and important social justice issues that are the core of Rebuttal’s mission have always been the work about, which she is most passionate. Wolf especially enjoys working with plaintiffs who are facing extremely difficult circumstances, getting to know them and their stories, and advising their legal representatives on a strategy to successfully navigate the court of public opinion. Wolf is a graduate of Ohio University and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
29. Jacqueline Wilkins
Professor, The Ohio State University
Jacqueline Wilkins is a Professor at The Ohio State University. She is focused on Extension scholarship, community-based education, community engagement, and mentoring the next generation of employees.
She began her career at Ohio State in 1994 as an Extension associate in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. In 2000, she became the parenting state Extension specialist. Wilkins also served as the Northeast Region director for Extension, where she provided leadership to 31 counties on personnel, finances, public relations, and business operations. In 2017, she became the Director of Operations for OSU Extension, and then in 2020, after a year as interim, was appointed as associate dean, director, and chair for OSU Extension.
Wilkins’ research interests include prevention education, family policy, and organizational capacity building. She has received more than $6.5 million in local, state, and federal funding to conduct research and provide prevention programming for Ohio's children and families. Wilkins also has experience in the public sector as the owner of a business management consulting firm, where she designed and implemented many strategic planning initiatives and organizational analyses of efficiency, compensation, workflow, attrition, communications, and IT. Her clients included city and county governments, nonprofits, court systems, United Way agencies, philanthropic entities, and for-profit businesses. Wilkins received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Ohio Dominican University, and her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Human Development and Family Science from The Ohio State University.
30. Adrianne Nittala
CEO & Principal Director, Specialized Medical Billing
Adrianne Nittala is the CEO and Principal Director of Specialized Medical Billing (SMB). Established in 2012, SMB is a medical billing and practice management consulting company committed to delivering unrivaled accuracy with the utmost integrity so that practitioners can focus on what matters most – patient care.
Nittala has demonstrated success in the healthcare field, both as an administrator of orthopedic practices and as a founder and leader of a successful Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) company. With more than 25 years of experience in billing, collections, coding, and physician practice management, Nittala brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the medical field. Before founding SMB in 2012, Nittala served as a practice administrator for a local orthopedic practice, where she was responsible for developing and implementing efficient processes, and business improvement plans, managing multiple facilities, preparing budgets, maintaining the profit and loss statements, responsible for all human resource functions, and monitoring activities for compliance in health industry regulations.
Nittala has a strong desire and passion to help others and is very interested in children’s advocacy and being a mentor to adolescents. She has served on the NovaCare Rehabilitation Advisory Board since 2012 and the Liberty Tree Elementary Parent Teacher Organization Board since 2016. She has also been a Girl Scout troop leader since 2019. Nittala graduated from
Franklin University with an undergraduate degree in human resources management and personnel administration.
31. Karla Bednar
Managing Director, Financial Services, Accenture
Karla Bednar is a Managing Director in Accenture’s Financial Services practice, with over 20 years of experience in delivering enterprise and strategic transformations, leading inclusive and diverse teams, and driving digital and business optimizations. Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments, and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth, and enhance citizen services – creating tangible value at speed and scale.
As the Midwest banking portfolio lead and client relationship leader, Bednar is responsible for connecting banking clients to the areas of Accenture that can help them achieve the greatest value. She leverages her deep industry knowledge, strong network, and innovative thinking to create and execute solutions that address complex challenges and opportunities in the financial services sector. She is also committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and learning within Accenture and with her clients. Bednar earned an undergraduate degree in computer and electrical engineering from The Ohio State University.
32. Cathann Kress
VP for Agricultural Administration & Dean, The Ohio State University
Cathann Kress has served as Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University since May 2017 and was reappointed for a second term in June 2022. The Ohio State University is a leading research university and the model for Ohio's public higher education institutes. Kress has responsibility for leadership of the college, and she is a full professor within the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership.
Kress previously served as vice president for extension and outreach at Iowa State University, overseeing the 99-county campus network for research and education, and as a full professor in the School of Education. Prior to her tenure with Iowa State, she was a senior policy analyst for Military Community & Family Policy in the Department of Defense, leading national efforts to engage land grant universities in support of military service members and their families. Before that, she served as director of youth development at the United States Department of Agriculture. She was also an assistant director at Cornell Cooperative Extension at Cornell University, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Miami University, and an academic counselor within the Women’s Athletic Department at the University of Iowa.
Kress serves on the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Board of Trustees, the State of Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, the Ohio Expositions Commission, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) Board of Trustees, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio Board of Trustees and previously served on the National 4-H Council Board. She has also served as the chair of the administrative heads section of the Board on Agriculture Assembly, Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. Kress graduated with distinction from Iowa State University, where she received her Bachelor’s degree. She received her Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Iowa, where she was an American College Testing (ACT) Special Research Fellow.
33. Judi Sobecki
Head of Legal North America, Hitachi Energy
Judi Sobecki is the Head of Legal, North America, for Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. Sobecki leads the legal team with responsibility for all legal matters for Hitachi Energy's North American operations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. She and her team provide sound advice and counsel regarding legal and governance issues for the region and offer innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to facilitate business growth.
Sobecki is also a strategic partner to North American business leaders, supporting them in developing and executing opportunities that drive business growth for Hitachi Energy as it plays a key role in the energy transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future. She sits on the Board of Hitachi Energy USA Inc. Previously, Sobecki spent 15 years holding various roles within the AES Corporation, most recently as general counsel and chief regulatory officer for AES Corporation, overseeing all legal and regulatory matters for AES’ two electric utilities and other generation assets located in the United States.
Before that, Sobecki was a partner with Flagel & Papakirk, LLC. There, she handled civil litigation and represented large and small businesses in the areas of energy, complex commercial litigation, general business matters, real estate, and insurance defense. Sobecki earned her JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and holds a Bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in Political Science from Kent State University. She is admitted to practice in Ohio and before the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
34. Catherine Tijerina
Co-Executive Director, The RIDGE Project
Catherine Tijerina is a catalyst for change. She is an author, nationally renowned speaker, and Co-Executive Director of The RIDGE Project, a nonprofit organization that she founded with her husband.
Tijerina is a passionate advocate for struggling families. This passion was born in the crucible of her own personal tragedy when her husband was convicted of a crime he did not commit. At that moment she discovered that there was little to no support for vulnerable families, especially families who had a loved one in prison – a group that she called “Forgotten Victims.”
Currently, Tijerina and her husband speak in venues across the country, carrying a message of hope for all families. Their work has resulted in numerous awards, including the SMART Marriages Impact Award, The White House’s designation as a Champion of Change, and the Director’s Award from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. Most recently, the Tijerinas have authored HIGH FIVE Love Never Fails, which presents a recipe for healthy families built on 5 time-tested principles. They regularly appear in local, state, and national print, radio, and televised media.
35. Denisha Porter
Executive Director, All-In Cincinnati – Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Denisha Porter currently serves as Executive Director of the All-In Cincinnati Equity Coalition at Greater Cincinnati Foundation. The over 150-member coalition is working to dismantle racial inequities in health, housing, education, economic mobility, and justice, with the goal to uplift Black women in Hamilton County. With over 15 years of experience in community engagement, community mobilization, and coalition building, Porter is responsible for directing policy and advocacy actions promoting the All-In Cincinnati mission; building strong relationships with local nonprofits, city officials, government agencies, and community partners; and facilitating meetings, communications, and recruitment with the All-In Cincinnati Core Team and Coalition members. With a current size of 60-90 members in attendance at monthly meetings, All-In Cincinnati leaders provide feedback on racial equity initiatives. They examine barriers that impede collaboration between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors and city and county governments to build a more equitable Hamilton County.
Porter, who has previously served as the director of health promotion and worksite wellness, as well as the director of the Creating Healthy Communities coalition for the Cincinnati Health Department since 2010, has dedicated her career to public service. She also maintained over 100 collaborative relationships between public, private, and civic entities, including schools, churches, and nonprofit agencies to promote public and population-based health. Porter worked with the United Dairy Farmers to carry fresh produce in food deserts. She assisted the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority in creating and implementing a smoke-free multi-unit housing policy that now protects over 13,000 residents from second-hand smoke.
Recently, Porter was recognized by the City Council for being an outstanding leader. In 2021, she was selected to participate in Leadership Cincinnati USA. Porter received Cincinnati’s 2019 Forty Under 40 Award from the Cincinnati Business Courier. In 2018, she was recognized by the Cincinnati Herald for her dedication to the community with the Cincinnati Herald’s Nefertiti Award. Porter is a proud graduate of Walnut Hills High School. She received her undergraduate degree in microbiology from Miami University and her MPH from Wright State University. Porter is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and her motto in life is “Do good even in the face of adversity.”
36. Jessica Miller
Senior Director of Educational Services, Workforce Opportunity Services
Jessica Miller is a trailblazing academic operations director with a wealth of experience in learning and development, particularly in the context of organizational workforce development. Her current role as the Senior Director of Educational Services at Workforce Opportunity Services (WOS), a prominent nonprofit committed to solving today’s DE&I workforce challenges, highlights her exceptional leadership in the field.
Miller oversees critical academic operations, including curriculum development, collaborations with academic institutions, and the implementation of innovative programs aimed at empowering marginalized communities. In addition to spearheading a range of live, online training programs, she leads the development and administration of the learning management system, a crucial tool that has ensured continuity during the transition to remote training.
Throughout her entire career, Miller has consistently harnessed the profound impact of education, evident in her roles at WOS and her prior dedicated work as a mentor and mathematics teacher. Her academic journey has fortified her for this leadership role. Miller holds an MA in Anthropology and Education from Teachers College of Columbia University and a BS in integrated mathematics education from Kent State University. Her dedication to education and workforce development shines as she continues to shape the future of untapped talent in underserved communities.
37. Sasha Harris
Director of Category Management - Women’s Health, CVS Health
Sasha Harris is currently the lead director for Women’s Health categories at CVS Health while supporting its enterprise-wide Women’s Health and Wellness Blue Chip and the WIC program. Sasha is a force to be reckoned with and her servant leadership shined as she navigated unprecedented, nationwide supply challenges. With a diverse background in retail, Harris specializes in crafting consumer-focused and intentional solutions that breathe new life into product categories while launching impactful campaigns.
Her career journey serves as a testament to her strategic mindset and unwavering determination. Her professional journey began as an intern in store management, steadily ascending the ranks with a burning aspiration to become a buyer. Armed with a BS from Indiana University and an MBA in Marketing, Harris gained experience in various critical roles, including merchandising, inventory planning, assortment planning, and store operations. It is at CVS that she continues her dream of curating assortments tailored to community needs and spearheading initiatives aimed at enhancing equity for underserved populations.
Throughout each chapter of her life, her heart-led, people-first approach embodies the spirit of innovation, leadership, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Her entrepreneurial spirit drives her to seek and seize opportunities, transforming them into profitable ventures. Harris is not merely a name but a unique influencer and social butterfly who thrives on relationship-building, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. Her journey remains an enduring source of inspiration, leaving an indelible mark on the world of retail and beyond.
38. Su Chang
Senior Director, Procter & Gamble
As Senior Director in P&G’s Fabric and Home Care organization, Su Chang leads a diverse organization of technical experts spearheading new product innovations for their global brands. In this role, Chang leads upstream innovation of new device technologies and delivery systems; go-to-market qualification; and current business quality production, as well as new consumer research techniques being adopted broadly by the R&D community within the company. In North America, consumers are most familiar with Febreze, Swiffer, and Dawn, whose leadership has helped create superior products that delight consumers resulting in record sales and growth while receiving internal and external recognition. Examples include Dawn PowerWash (New York Magazine; Package Magazine 2018 Product of the Year; P&G AG Lafley Game Changer Award) and Swiffer PowerMop (1st TiKTok Made Me Buy IT; Consumer Survey 2024 Product of the Year; AG Lafley Game Changer Award).
Previously, Chang has been an instrumental innovator across several of P&G’s most prestigious brands: Bounce, Secret, Old Spice, Gillette, Venus, Head&Shoulders, Herbal Essence, and Pantene. Beyond consumer insight and product innovation expertise, her strength for driving transformation and passion extends to global talent development, mentorship, diversity and inclusion, and community service. As a young engineer, Chang saw the need to create a “village” for Asian American Pacific Islanders in Cincinnati, where she partnered with local GE, 5/3 Bank, and Johnson & Johnson on initiatives connecting individuals to one another and resources that uniquely meet AAPI professional and extended family needs. She established several company systems and events to grow allyship and nurture the North America P&G AAPI network, many of, which continue to serve as the backbone of the community. Her mentorship extends beyond P&G into several regions and nationalities. Chang recently concluded Advisory Board positions for Miami University Regional and the University of Michigan College of Chemical Engineering. She is also an Ex-Onofficio Board Member of Women Walking West, whose mission is to enable foreign (to US) born women to succeed through education and professional development.
Chang is a first-generation immigrant from Incheon, South Korea. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics from the University of Kentucky. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and daughter, where they enjoy family time and sharing their Korean culture with others through food, K-pop, and K-drama.
39. Christina Browning
Global Account Director, Adobe
As a global strategy and Martech leader at Adobe, Christina Browning is a trusted partner to her customers and a strategic leader among her team who drive transformations with some of the world's largest enterprises.
Throughout her 15-year career, Browning has led massive digital transformations with her clients and worked within large, complex Fortune 100 corporations. Leveraging her expertise in account management and sales leadership, she has earned acclaim as a confidante and advisor to clients and ecosystem partners alike, dedicated to fostering substantial advancements and enhancing customer experiences.
Browning ardently champions the empowerment of women in sales leadership and technology. Her commitment extends beyond her role, as evidenced by her active engagement in Adobe's Women's Executive Shadowing Program and her volunteerism in the Adobe Role Exploration Program, where she imparts her knowledge to aspiring young women navigating their professional journeys. Furthermore, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Little Bottoms Free Store, channeling her passion toward aiding families and children in need, and remains deeply involved in philanthropic endeavors within her local community. Browning lives in Westerville with her husband and two young sons.
40. Laurajeanne Fligor
Director, KPMG
Laurajeanne Fligor is a Director in KPMG’s Advisory Services practice with more than 19 years of management advisory and business experience. She has extensive experience in business model innovation, mental health and substance abuse benefit design, care coordination, and utilization management. She also has practical knowledge of the design and implementation of next-generation healthcare solutions.
Fligor is a healthcare transformation leader focused on Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance, regulatory compliance, and operational improvement of health insurers and pharmacy organizations. She specializes in mental health compliance, care coordination, behavioral health benefit design, and value-based care. She has worked with government and private payers and providers to envision, design, and implement the next-generation, compliant health insurance solutions, and payment models that are focused on improving mental health and substance abuse, reducing the total cost of care, increasing member engagement and wellbeing, and improving operational efficiencies that lead to sustainable business outcomes.
Fligor has a BA from The College of Wooster, and she has an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
41. Andrea Oyanadel
Director of Transformation, Conduent
Andrea Oyandel began her professional career with Ernst & Young. She has a deep passion for enabling change through the implementation of new technology and processes. Today, she is a Director of Transformation at Conduent, a business services provider company that offers technology-led business process outsourcing solutions (BPO) for businesses and governments. Since joining Conduent in 2020, Oyanadel has led initiatives across various functional areas. She currently works with product strategy, sales and marketing, and technology teams to enable revenue growth objectives across the government and healthcare sectors.
Her early career success as a management consultant with CapGemini, leading large-scale, business-critical projects for client organizations across retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, and government contracting industry segments led her to a role with a major personal care brand, Bath & Body Works (BBW). Her over 10-year tenure at BBW afforded her the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of this business vertical. She takes pride in global cross-functional team building within fast-paced, changing, and ambiguous work environments.
Oyanadel is fluent in Spanish (Castilian Dialect), which has taken her to South America and Mexico for work assignments. She’s a graduate of New York University’s Stern School of Business and a native New Yorker who loves to travel.
42. Carey Spencer
National Director of Family Governance, Key Private Bank
As the National Director of Family Governance at Key Private Bank, Carey Spencer is responsible for serving as the family wealth thought leader on all family dynamic, philanthropic, and family governance issues, including strategies related to developing and preparing family members to responsibly manage generational wealth. She closely coordinates with the family wealth team to deliver exceptional family legacy, educational, and philanthropic experiences. Previously Spencer served as a family wealth strategist working exclusively with individuals and families of significant wealth across generations. She leveraged her experience and expertise to manage complex estate, tax, and integrated investment strategies. She also ensured that her clients received access to the full array of our family office capabilities.
Spencer worked closely with her clients to understand their goals and priorities. Her in-depth knowledge of investment management and trust strategies ensured that the best solutions were carefully planned and implemented. Spencer joined Key in 1986 and has been providing financial planning services for more than 30 years.
Spencer earned a BBA from Cleveland State University and an MFP from David Myers University. She holds RFP, CWS, and HDP designations, and is an award recipient of the Achiever’s Club, President’s Club, and Signature Circle. She is a member of the board of trustees for the Cleveland Institute of Art.
43. Alyssa Robinson
Director of Philanthropy, Kent State University
Alyssa Robinson currently serves as the Director Of Philanthropy for the College of Education, Health & Human Services in the Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Kent State University, a public research university in Kent, Ohio.
In this role, Robinson’s primary responsibility is to further develop strategic relationships and engagement opportunities with current and potential philanthropic partners in support of Kent State University and the College of Education, Health and Human Services mission and vision. She began working at Kent State University in 2016 as the assistant director in the Office of International Programs and Education Abroad in the College of Arts and Sciences. She continued her career serving the College of Aeronautics and Engineering as the director of strategic communications and external engagement.
Robinson is a two-time alum of Kent State, having earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and her Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Personnel. She is also currently a doctoral candidate in the Higher Education Administration program.
44. Robin Elston
Corporate Director of Strategic Improvement, Cooper Farms
Robin Elston has diverse work experience, starting with her current role as Corporate Director of Strategic Improvement at Cooper Farms since 2021. Founded in 1938 by Virgil and Virginia Cooper, Cooper Farms is still family-owned and operated. Today, with the help of their team members, Cooper Farms is a leading food supplier, selling a variety of delicious fully cooked and ready-to-cook turkey, ham, and chicken products.
Elston also served as the president of Elston Consulting since 2002, providing onsite consulting services to improve productivity. In addition, she worked as an external consultant and interim VP of human resources at Terumo Medical Corporation from 2005 to 2007. Before that, she held various roles at Procter & Gamble, including manufacturing manager, internal consultant, plant environmental manager, strategy manager, and engineering project, facilities, and maintenance manager.
Elston attended Bay City Western High School. Her education history after high school includes attending Michigan Technological University from 1981 to 1986. At Michigan Technological University, Elston completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Administration. Her coursework included studying chemistry, engineering, accounting, and business law.
45. Kym Parks
Marketing Director, Air Transport Services Group
Kym Park’s career has consisted of building industry-leading brands and impactful marketing teams. Her path to the marketing role has been a little more a jagged line than a straight one starting with her BS in agriculture from The Ohio State University. She has laid the foundation at companies, such as R+L Carriers, Crane Fencing Solutions, Airborne Maintenance, and Engineering Services, and in her current role as Director of Marketing for Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), the world’s largest lessor of freight aircraft.
Parks’ team is responsible for building a pipeline for talent starting with middle school students. The ATSG Aviation Camp has been the crown jewel of this program, which is an immersive summer camp for youth wanting to learn more about careers in aviation. They provide hands-on experience in aerospace manufacturing, aviation maintenance, safety, and flight operations, airport operations, and pilot training. Their other opportunities include their manufacturing tours that take place from October to March, Girl Scout Patch Day for Girls in Aviation Day in September, and Speakers Bureau available to colleges and school programs, which allows them to introduce aviation to nearly 2,000 students each year.
Parks has been honored for her leadership within her company and community. She was honored by the Wilmington Community for the prestigious 4C Award in two categories, the ATSG Silver Pinnacle Award, and the Farm Bureau Distinguished Member Award for her work recognizing Women in Agriculture.
46. Beth Samenuk
Head of Business Development & Marketing, Eyelation Technologies
Beth Samenuk began her professional career 13 years ago. Today, she is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Eyelation Technologies. She has become the go-to hire for up-and-comers in the eyecare industry. Building companies, teams, and strategy are at the core of her skillset.
Samenuk has a knack for seeing the big picture but also has the ability to build a precise roadmap and establish specific initiatives, creating unity and synergy between all business units. She is a natural leader and understands how to motivate a team and “unstick” roadblocks that prevent forward progress. Over the years she has worn many hats and worked many different roles and her network and connections are extensive, both of, which make her an asset to any organization. As a leader, she is an exceptional communicator who can hit the ground running and get people rallied behind her quickly.
Samenuk first got her start in 2010 as a medical sales rep at Biomet. From there, she went on to Alcon, before eventually rising to VP of business development at Waldo Contacts, her most recent position prior to joining Eyelation Technologies. Samenuk graduated from The Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in English and professional writing.
47. Jessica Thames
Owner & Chief Strategist, Thames Consulting
Jessica Thames is the Owner and Chief Strategist at Thames Consulting. As a child, Thames helped her family grow their small trophy company as the sticker-putter-onner, meaning she placed a contact sticker on the bottom of every trophy made as an initial means of growing awareness for the small company. This action helped the company grow their overall presence, and since that time, she's been hooked on finding strategic ways to help organizations scale and reach their full potential.
Thames is a skilled professional with over 10 years of experience in marketing and recruitment, specializing in higher education. She has a proven track record of success in developing and executing digital and traditional campaigns. Her approach is based on comprehensive data analysis and market research, aimed at better understanding audience perception. Thames is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and has worked in small businesses and large corporations alike to reach their full potential.
48. Bridget Redeker
President, Distinctive Details
Bridget Redeker began her professional career 13 years ago. Today, she is the President of Distinctive Details. With over 100 years of combined experience in the automotive aftermarket, the Distinctive Details team has created one of the most expansive and quality-driven reconditioning product lines in the nation. Passionate about offering their customers unparalleled service, their US plant formulates and manufactures to meet both customer needs and market trends.
Redeker started at Distinctive Details in 2019 as the director of operations, where she created and managed strategies and policies to create company growth, monitored the financial data, recommended solutions to improve profitability, ensured all systems operated smoothly, and aligned with company quality standards. She was promoted to her current position in early 2024.
Redeker is an accomplished LPGA Futures Tour Golf Professional who hung up her clubs to utilize her business management degree from Siena College to own and run a company for 10 years before successfully selling it. Coming back to her roots, Redeker became a part of the Distinctive Details family in 2019 and is valued by her peers and customers alike for her business acumen, attention to detail, and positive attitude.
49. Melanie Black Amato
Executive Director, Main Street Barberton
Melanie Black Amato is the Executive Director of Main Street Barberton, an organization focused on rehabilitating and revitalizing downtown Barberton through economic development and growth activities.
Amato is an outcome-driven professional with over 20 years of experience in both government and nonprofit sectors, as well as a business partner in the service industry. She is a dynamic leader with strong interpersonal skills in business management, fostering confidence, trust, and commitment from colleagues and stakeholders alike. Known for her dedication and diligence, she approaches leadership ambitiously, with an effective and proactive approach to coordinating tasks, deadlines, and resources.
She is also a managing partner of Goldies Restaurant and previously served as a special projects manager for Healthy Start Coalition, an association executive director for Healthy Start Coalition of Southwest Florida, and as the executive director for Drug Free Collier. Amato has a BA in Criminal Justice from Kent State University.
50. Gabi Vandermark
VP of Data Analytics and Corporate Technology Solutions, Magellan Health
Gabi Vandermark is the VP of Data Analytics and Corporate Technology Solutions of Magellan Health, a leader in managing the fastest-growing, most complex areas of health. She first joined the company in 2017 as senior director of strategy and innovation.
Vandermark is a technologist, a problem solver, and a strategic consultant leader. Her career trajectory illustrates her curiosity and desire for continuous learning. She started her career as a software developer at Nationwide Insurance, where over the course of 10 years, she moved positions, departments, and or roles roughly every two years building depth of knowledge in software development and architecture, service-oriented design; and breadth of experience in organizational change management giving her a unique view into the interworking, challenges, and opportunities familiar to most organizations.
Before Magellan Health, Vandermark started Rottie Consulting, where she focused on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Client Relationship Management (CRM) systems implementation in Latin America and project execution best practices in the US leveraging her deep systems integration background and project execution expertise. As an independent consultant, Vandermark strived to be the fearless, confident partner her clients needed to succeed. Vandermark earned an MBA from Franklin University and an undergraduate degree in computer science, business, mathematics, and economics from Muskingum University.