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CONTENTS
Welcome from WELD & Otterbein University ... 4
2021 WELD Board of Directors, Associates & Chapter Leadership ... 5
Leadership Conference Committee ... 6
Conference & Government Boards and Commissions Governance Track Sponsors ... 7
2021 National Leadership Conference Government Boards and Commissions Governance Track ... 8
Continuing Education ... 9
2021 Conference at a Glance – Government Boards and Commissions Governance Track ... 11
Opening Session Keynote Speaker Biography ... 12
Opening Session Biographies ... 13
Lunch Session Keynote Speaker Biography ... 17
Session Topics ... 18
Special Guest Speaker Biographies ... 19
Course Instructor Biographies ... 22
Join WELD or Start a Chapter Today ... 25
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WELCOME FROM WELD & OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY
We at WELD and Otterbein understand how difficult 2020 was for so many, and it is with hope and optimism that we welcome 2021 and plan our annual leadership conference with excitement. To ensure the health and safety of all, the 2021 conference will be hosted virtually on March 25, 2021. That’s right! We are hosting it earlier in the year. As in prior years, we will have the extraordinary line up of speakers and topics that you have been accustomed to and will deliver the content straight to you in your home or office. This one-day national event features over 50 accomplished speakers presenting on a variety of timely career topics. Centered on this year’s overarching theme, Level Up: Amplify Your Life, participants will spend a day on a variety of topics to help them regain their footing from 2020 and amplify those aspects of their work and home lives that bring them joy and position them for success as they define it. Register early to obtain a discount!
WELD’s mission 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.
Otterbein is an inclusive community dedicated to educating the whole person in the context of humane values. Our mission is to prepare graduates to think deeply and broadly, to engage locally and globally, and to advance their professions and communities. An Otterbein education is distinguished by the intentional blending of the liberal arts and professional studies, combined with a unique approach to integrating direct experience into all learning.
The main conference will feature over 30 breakout sessions on a variety of topics that will include elements of this year’s Conference theme Level Up: Amplify Your Life. These sessions will offer something for everyone and will provide attendees with key takeaways that they can implement in their careers and businesses to enhance their leadership efficacy.
Our corporate board specialty track will provide targeted content for those who aspire to serve on for profit boards. Please see the online brochure for more information about this dynamic offering with premier speakers and registration requirements. We are offering a new track this year – the WELD Government Boards and Commissions Skills Certification Program for those aspiring to serve on these types of boards.
We thank you for making it a priority to invest in your leadership development by choosing to spend the day with us! Make it a great day!
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2021 WELD BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ASSOCIATES & CHAPTER
LEADERSHIP
BOARD CHAIR - Sarah Mueller, LEED AP, Director Business Development, The Beck Group
CHAIR ELECT - Rita McNeil Danish, Esq., Partner, Partner, Taft Law, and Principal, JD2 Strategists, LLC
BOARD TREASURER - Lisa G. Shuneson, CPA, PFS, Partner, Whalen & Company, CPAs
BOARD SECRETARY - Sapna Welsh, Partner, Leverage HR
• Beth Alloway, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Team Leader, Huntington National Bank
• Vinita Bahri-Mehra, Esq., Director + Leader + Global Business Practice, Kegler, Brown, Hill + Ritter
• Katherine Brings Capito, Esq., Member, Frost Brown Todd LLC
• Irina Ceaparu, Senior Manager, Enterprise Information Management, Business Information Delivery, Alliance Data
• Dr. Iris Ann Cooper, Professor, Consultant, Journalist, JustAskIris!
• Anna M. Dailey, Esq., Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl
• Aparna Dial, MS, MBA, LEED AP, WMC Senior Sustainability Consultant, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
• Susan Barrett Harty, Esq., Partner, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
• Annette M. Hazapis, Head of Global Client Service Center, Alexander Mann Solutions
• Jeffrey L. Johnson, Chief, Minority Business Development Division, Ohio Development Services Agency
• Dr. Lori Kendall, Senior Lecturer, The Ohio State University and Managing Director, DIT Advisors, LLC
• Michael Kiene, CPA, Partner, EY Columbus
• Andrea Magaña Lewis, Senior Account Executive, Paul Werth Associates
• Purba Majumder, President, Cybervation, Inc.
• Jeff Milgrom, President & CEO, Event Marketing Strategies
• Cathleen Norton, Managing Director, Consumer and Community Bank Control Manager, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Mary Sheehan, Principal Research Scientist, Battelle PRESIDENT & CEO - Barb Smoot, WELD
NATIONAL CHAPTER MANAGEMENT OFFICER - Deepa Kellar, WELD
NATIONAL OPERATIONS OFFICER - Mindy Koenig, WELD
CHAPTER LEADERSHIP
• Charleston Co-Chairs: Amy Condaras and Ruby Greenhowe • Cleveland Co-Chairs: Tricia Tatalick Gardner and Jodi Olivo • Columbus Co-Chairs: Katie Morris and Sharon Robinson • Northwest Ohio Co-Chairs: Circe Krout and Melissa Stockman • Pittsburgh Co-Chairs: Meagan Bond and Tracey Holst • Southern Ohio Chair: Tracy Katz and Lynda Kline
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LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIRS
• Jennifer Borer, Manager, Store Operations Omni Channel, Big Lots • Kelly Mohr, Manager, Marketing Communications & Media, Covetrus
LOGISTICS
• Rachel Schutt-Hinsch, Junior Information Security Program Analyst, The Rubicon Advisory Group
• Alicia Maddox, Chief Communications Officer, Charles Ryan Associates
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
• Melissa Rovtar, Manager, Store Operations Divisional Program Development, Big Lots • Paula Taylor, Communications Strategy Manager, Charles Ryan Associates
SPEAKER RELATIONS
• Diana Westhoff, Speak 4 You, LLC
• Barb Utrup, Senior Management Consultant, PRADCO
• Christine Polisena, Area Vice President Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.
SPONSOR RELATIONSHIP & GIFT BAG MANAGEMENT
• Jennifer Borer, Manager, Store Operations Omni Channel, Big Lots
• Kelly Mohr, Manager, Marketing Communications & Media, Covetrus
• Monique DeMonaco, President, Coach Monique & Associates
SURVEY MEASUREMENT MANAGEMENT
• Malikah Cotton, Senior Analyst, Delivery Ops Commercial Card & Canada, Alliance Data
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CONFERENCE & GOVERNMENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
GOVERNANCE TRACK SPONSORS
WELD wishes to thank co-presenting sponsor, Otterbein University, for its support of WELD’S mission and this event. Without Otterbein’s commitment and support, this event would not have been possible.
SILVER PROGRAM SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNERS
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2021 NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE GOVERNMENT BOARDS AND
COMMISSIONS GOVERNANCE TRACK
Serving on a federal/state/county/city board or commission is an excellent way to serve your community. It provides an opportunity to have a voice in decision making and to serve as a bridge between government and the community ensuring oversight and raising awareness of important community issues. Having more women in these roles is a critical component of WELD’s mission given the positive economic impact women have when they are in leadership roles.
These positions come with high accountability and responsibility. This course will provide instruction on the governance of government boards and commissions, explain special rules on ethics, conflict of interest, conduct and parliamentary
proceedings and end with an overview of the appointment process. Leadership attributes of effective participation will also be covered. Earn your certification at this conference to strengthen your resume.
Participants are expected to complete course prework and submit resumes. Those who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion. Those individuals successfully completing this program will be able to display the certification logo in their resumes and electronic profiles.
More detailed information about the breakout sessions and the outstanding lineup of panelists and moderators is included in this brochure.
DATE: Thursday, March 25, 2021
9:00am-9:45am Opening Session and Keynote
10:30am-12:00pm Governance of Government Boards and Commissions 12:30pm-1:00pm Lunch Keynote
1:15pm-2:45pm Ethics, Conflict of Interest & Parliamentary Proceedings
3:00pm-4:30pm The Appointment Process & Effective Participation on Government Boards and Commissions
LOCATION: Online Virtual Event – via the ZOOM platform
Important Information: Submission of Board Bios
Attendees are required to submit their resumes. If you need assistance with creating or updating your resume, WELD has partnered with Nolan Brandingfor a discount for WELD members as an option that you may consider using. Information on Nolan Branding is included on our website in the board track section of the leadership conference. For guaranteed delivery by
March 12th (without expedited charges), please submit information to Nolan Branding no later than February 26th. For alternate timing needs, please contact Samantha Nolan at [email protected] to verify availability.
Please contact Barb Smoot([email protected]) for more information.
DUE DATE FOR RESUME SUBMISSION TO WELD:
March 12, 2021, 5:00pm
(We are sorry, but extensions cannot be granted under any circumstances.)
SUBMIT TO: [email protected]
FORMAT: Word document with your contact information included along with high resolution head shot
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Government Boards and Commissions Governance Track Registration Information
The number of seats is limited, and seats will be offered on a first come first served basis. These sessions are not open to general conference attendees.
* This rate is only available for those who own the corporate member slots.
Refunds are not available for this conference. Session attendees may not assign their registrations to other attendees without
express written approval from WELD. Registrations that are part of the Signature Event or Breakout Session sponsorship packages may be applied to this track for an additional fee. Contact Barb Smoot for more information.
Registration closes at midnight on March 19th!
Images from prior leadership conferences
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION (UNTIL FEBRUARY 19TH)
REGULAR REGISTRATION (CLOSES MARCH 19TH)
Corporate Member/E-Member Slot Owners* $125.00 $150.00
Regular Member Rate $150.00 $175.00
Individual/Business E-Member Rate $200.00 $225.00
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CONTINUING EDUCATION
SHRM Professional Development Credits
WELD is recognized by SHRM to offer SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP professional development credits (PDCs). This program is valid for 4.5 PDC. For more information about
certification or recertification, please visit shrmcertification.org.
SHRM Bock Alignment: HR Expertise (Corporate Social Responsibility)
Participants must be attend the webinar in order to receive PDCs. Attendance will be verified. PDCs will be offered for the time slots in the table below.
TIME SESSION
10:30am-12:00pm Governance of Government Boards and Commissions
1:15pm-2:45pm Ethics, Conflict of Interest, Conduct and Parliamentary Proceedings
3:00pm-4:30pm The Appointment Process and Effective Participation on Government Boards and Commissions
Ohio Supreme Court and West Virginia State Bar Association CLE Pending
This course has applied for a total of 4.5 hours (OH) and 5.4 hours (WV) of CLE.Accountancy Board of Ohio CPE Credits
To register for this event, go to www.weldusa.org. Select events, WELD national events, and then the event title: 2021
National Leadership Conference Government Boards & Commissions Governance Track.
In accordance with the standards of the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 5.4 CPE credit will be granted for this session based on a 50-minute hour. Certificates will be provided at the end of the session. In order to be awarded the full credit hours, you must be present, registering your attendance and departure on the attendance sheets.
Field of Study: Personal Development Prerequisites: None
Who Should Attend: Individuals considering service on government boards & commissions are recommended to attend.
Others are welcome.
Advanced Preparation: Participants are required to submit a resume by March 12th, 5:00pm (no extensions available) and
review the course pre-read by March 24th.
Program Level: Basic Delivery Method: Group Live
Refund and Cancellations: No refunds or credits are available for this session. For more information regarding the no refund
policy, complaint, and/or program cancellation notice, please contact our offices at 614-890-2586.
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2021 CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE – GOVERNMENT BOARDS AND
COMMISSIONS GOVERNANCE TRACK
TIME ACTIVITY – ZOOM WEBINAR PLATFORM
Connect to Opening Session – Sponsored by Huntington National Bank
OPENING SESSION 9:00am-9:45am
Welcome:
Sarah Mueller, LEED AP, Director Business Development Healthcare, The Beck Group; WELD National Board Chair John Comerford, Ph.D., President, Otterbein University
Speaker Introduction:
Kathy Krendl, Ph.D., President Emerita, Otterbein University Keynote Address:
Natalie Siston, Founder, Small Town Leadership, and Author of the famed book “Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have
Always Been”
Wrap Up & Conference Overview:
Jennifer Borer, Manager, Customer & In-Store Experience, Big Lots Kelly Mohr, Manager, Marketing Communications & Media, Covetrus
Connect to Morning Breakout Session BREAKOUT
SESSION
10:30am-12:00pm
Governance of Government Boards and Commissions
Connect to Lunch Keynote
LUNCH SESSION 12:30pm-1:00pm
Speaker Introduction:
Barb Smoot, President & CEO, WELD Keynote Address:
Karen Townsend, CEO, KTownsend Consulting
Connect to Afternoon Breakout Sessions BREAKOUT
SESSION 1:15pm-2:45pm
Ethics, Conflict of Interest, Conduct and Parliamentary Proceedings
Connect to Final Session BREAKOUT
SESSION 3:00pm-4:30pm
The Appointment Process and Effective Participation on Government Boards and Commissions
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OPENING SESSION KEYNOTE SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
NATALIE SISTON
FOUNDER, SPEAKER, WRITER & COACH, SMALL TOWN LEADERSHIP, AND AUTHOR OF THE FAMED BOOK LET HER OUT: RECLAIM WHO YOU HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN
The opening keynote, presented by speaker and bestselling author Natalie Siston, will get you motivated and inspired to immerse yourself in the day of personal and professional development that is ahead at the 11th Annual WELD and Otterbein University Leadership Conference. Siston will let you in on the secret to leveling up and amplifying your life. It's the message of her recently published bestselling book
Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have Always Been.
ABOUT NATALIE SISTON
Natalie’s career has taken her from Silicon Valley to the Fortune 100 and into entrepreneurship, but being raised in Republic, OH (population 600) is where she learned her greatest leadership lessons. Natalie founded Small Town Leadership in 2016 in order to share these lessons learned from small town living to help leaders and organizations create big success in the world. In a small town, each person’s work matters, everyone feels cared for, and collaboration is necessary to survive and thrive. If you are seeking a fresh way to look at your company and leadership style, think of it small town style. It’s where everyone plays an important role, working with what you have is the norm, and a culture of caring is expected.
In addition to being a 10-year 4-H member and repeat State Fair champion in public speaking, Natalie is a two-time graduate of The Ohio State University and Professional Coach accredited through the International Coach Federation. She has 20+ years of experience coaching, developing leaders, and strengthening teams in the non-profit, higher education, and corporate sectors. She works with both 1:1 and small group coaching clients to help them be more connected – to themselves, their work, families and communities. She is a frequent speaker at leadership, university and corporate events.
Natalie resides in Dublin, Ohio with her husband, Rob, and two young daughters. When she’s not writing, speaking or coaching, she enjoys mentoring students, training for endurance athletic events, and improving her golf game. Her first book, Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have Always Been, will be released November 2020.
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OPENING SESSION BIOGRAPHIES
JOHN COMERFORD, PH.D.
PRESIDENT, OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY
Dr. John Comerford joined Otterbein as president in 2018. He served as president of Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, from 2013 to 2018 and previously held high-level administrative roles with Westminster College in Missouri, University of Kansas and Missouri Western State University. Dr. Comerford holds strong values around social justice and equality, access and affordability and diversity and inclusion.
In his first year at Otterbein, he helped established a scholarship that covers full tuition for Ohio students from families of financial need. Otterbein also enrolled a record 160-plus students of color in the new class last fall. To build the student pipeline and workforce of the future, the university is partnering with a dozen local companies, Columbus State Community College and Columbus City Schools.
Dr. Comerford serves as a board member for Simon Kenton Council of Boy Scouts, Westerville Rotary Club and
Westerville Chamber of Commerce. As the father of three, he also spends time driving his children around to their many activities—Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H, soccer, tumbling, baseball and church activities. The native of Kenosha, Wisconsin, holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Kansas.
KATHY KRENDL, PH.D.
PRESIDENT EMERITA, OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY
Kathy A. Krendl joined RH Perry & Associates in 2018 after 37 years in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. She has served both large public research universities as well as small independent institutions in leadership roles as dean, provost, executive vice president, and president. Her expertise focuses on strategic planning, enrollment management, and leadership development.
Dr. Krendl began her tenure as the 20th president of Otterbein University in 2009. She
successfully led the completion of the largest fund-raising campaign in the institution’s history, exceeding the goal of $50 million. The capstone of her professional achievement, The Point, is a 61,000-square-foot collaborative innovation facility that houses business, industry, academics, and community partners. The project attracted nearly $3 million in public funding and another $3 million in private contributions. In addition, she
established Otterbein’s Women’s Leadership Network, an initiative focused on student experiences, annual leadership conferences, and partnerships with women’s groups throughout the central Ohio region with the goal of advancing leadership opportunities for women.
In her previous role as Provost and Executive Vice President at Ohio University, her responsibilities included oversight of eleven colleges and university libraries, research and creative activity, enrollment management, diversity, access and equity, international programs, and distance education. She led the process of developing the institution’s first strategic plan in its 200-year history, developed distance education programs, founded the Center for Teaching and Learning, and established the Women’s Center and the Voinovich School.
Prior to her appointment as Provost and Executive Vice President, Dr. Krendl served as Ohio University’s dean of communication, where she worked with the Scripps Foundation to establish a $15 million endowment to name the
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Scripps College of Communication. In addition, she raised $20 million as part of the institution’s Bicentennial Campaign, and founded the Games and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab.
As a faculty member and administrator, she served Indiana University for 13 years as Professor of Telecommunications. Her expertise in technology and learning won grant awards and consulting projects including Apple, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Children’s Television Workshop, and AT&T. She is the author of more than 50 publications and research reports. In 1993, she was appointed Dean of Indiana University’s School of Continuing Studies with offices on all eight campuses around the state. Her charge as dean was to design and implement the infrastructure and curriculum to provide greater access to higher education via technology.
Named one of Ohio’s Most Powerful and Influential Women, Dr. Krendl has received wide recognition for her leadership. She was the first recipient of the Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) Riveter Award. Among other recent awards she was named Progressive Woman by Smart Business Magazine, Woman of Achievement by the YWCA Columbus, Wise Woman by DeLoitte, Business Person of the Year by the Westerville Chamber of Commerce, and Columbus CEO Award finalist. In 2018, Otterbein named her Honorary Alumna and conferred the title President Emerita. Dr. Krendl has a doctoral degree in Communication from University of Michigan, a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Lawrence University. She has received honors and recognition from these institutions for her contributions in teaching, research, and administrative leadership. She resides in southwestern Virginia.
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SARAH MUELLER, LEED AP
DIRECTOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT HEALTHCARE, THE BECK GROUP & WELD NATIONAL BOARD CHAIR
Sarah Mueller is a healthcare strategist with more than 20 years of experience in helping healthcare providers streamline their operations to realize new efficiencies and improve outcomes. She spent 15 years in administration, operations and facility planning at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center before founding her own consultancy specializing in healthcare logistics and back-of house operations. She also led a healthcare operational planning consultancy, housed within a large architecture firm, before joining The Beck Group as Director Business Development – Healthcare.
Prior to joining The Beck Group, Sarah was Healthcare Practice Leader at NBBJ. At NBBJ, Sarah focused on building personal relationships and new business with the firm’s healthcare clients, as well as oversaw healthcare projects throughout the Midwest. Responsible for noticing trends and opportunities in the market and
implementing strong solutions for each client, she used a personal approach to collaboration, getting to know all stakeholders to build consensus and trust.
Sarah has served on the board of the Upper Arlington Library. She has her Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University.
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 first president, Barb is the driving force behind WELD’s rapid growth. She serves as primary community liaison, overseeing fundraising, collaborative partnerships and development and implementation of WELD’s new strategic initiatives, including WELD’s national expansion.
Barb is very active in the Columbus community in a variety of ways. Barb is on the national board of National Church Residences where she chairs the Audit, Finance & Risk Committee and serves on the National Church Residences Foundation Board. Barb is also on the City of Westerville Board of Zoning Appeals and is on The Overcomer Foundation Advisory Board. From 2017-2020, Barb served as a commissioner on the Columbus Women’s Commission where she chaired the Equity in the Workplace Committee. Barb has also served on the Board Development Committee for the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland and on the boards of the Nationwide Federal Credit Union, the Martin Luther King Arts Complex, St. Joseph Montessori School, and WELD. Barb represents WELD on the national stage in organizations such as The Women Business Collaborative and InterOrganization Network.
Barb was recognized by Smart Business as a 2021 Nonprofit Executive of the Year for Central Ohio and is a 2020 YWCA Woman of Achievement. She was also selected as Columbus CEO 2017 CEO of the Year for Small Nonprofits. Barb is one of Smart Business’ 2016 Smart 50 award winners and was recognized as the 2014 NAWBO Columbus Women’s Business Champion. Under Barb’s leadership, WELD was selected as a Columbus Business First 2019 Diversity Award winner – Outstanding Diversity Organization (Micro Category) and was featured as Community Network of the Year by The Women’s Book.
Barb has 20+ years of financial services experience and is a past Fellow in the Society of Actuaries. She is a graduate of Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics.
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JENNIFER BORER
MANAGER, CUSTOMER & IN-STORE EXPERIENCE, BIG LOTS
Returning for year two as a co-chair of the WELD and Otterbein University Leadership Conference and a six-year volunteer of WELD, Jen has played an active role in all three signature events to include The Keynote and The Calendar Reception. Honored in 2018 as the Columbus Chapter Volunteer of the Year, her willingness to “step up” mirrors her passion to give back to the community. Jen commits her time and talents to organizations like Pelotonia for 7 years in the cause to eradicate cancer and is a five-year volunteer with Flying Horse Farms and the Young Professionals Council continuing their mission of providing transformational camp experiences for children with serious illnesses and their families.
In her full-time role at the Big Lots Corporate Headquarters, Jen manages omnichannel projects as they relate to the 1,400+ stores in the organization. Her position offers her the opportunity to connect and engage with associates all over the country and bring to life new programs that continue to grow company profitability.
If Jen isn’t working at Big Lots, you may find her teaching as an instructor at barre3 Powell. Embracing the introduction of the virtual instruction world and limitations while teaching mid-pandemic, this aspect of Jen’s life has really proven to bring the balance needed to face 2020 head-on and remembering “we can do hard things”.
KELLY MOHR
MANAGER, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA, COVETRUS
Kelly Mohr, an Otterbein alum, was delighted to join the WELD Leadership Conference Committee last year and return this year as co-chair. Kelly has more than 12 years of experience working in marketing and is grateful her current role in the animal health industry allows her to work with organizations that positively impact the communities they serve. Kelly has been involved in international philanthropic work for the last five years providing assistance to those in need. She also enjoys traveling, when there isn’t a global pandemic, and expanding her horizons to new and different cultures.
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LUNCH SESSION KEYNOTE SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
DR. KAREN M.R. TOWNSEND
CEO
KTOWNSEND CONSULTING
Dr. Karen M.R. Townsend is the CEO of KTownsend Consulting—an Ohio-based training and consulting firm offering expertise in leadership development, 21stcentury diversity and
personal excellence. Dr. Karen has written a number of articles on these topics which have been featured in local, regional and national publications. Dr. Karen is also the founder of
About My Sisters—an organization “on a mission to empower one million women and girls!”
For over twenty-five years, Dr. Karen has helped women to achieve “life balance” by assisting them in discovering their true passions so that they can live and lead…confidently. In 2018, her annual empowerment conference—SISTER TO SISTER— celebrated its
twentieth anniversary—making it one of the longest running women’s conferences in the United States.
As an author and advocate for women, Dr. Karen’s first book—It All Started When I Stopped
Using Lotion: One Woman’s Journey from Chaos Calm—was inspired by her own quest to
find life balance. The Lotion Book is being used by organizations across the country to support the professional development and career advancement of high potential women leaders.
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SESSION TOPICS
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS
TIME
SESSION TITLE
TOPICS
INSTRUCTOR
10:30am-12:00pm
Governance of
Government Boards and Commissions
• Definition of governance • Governance best practices • Boards vs. commissions • Levels of boards and
commissions • Modes of governance • Characteristics of effective governance MARSHA CONAWAY 1:15pm-2:45pm Ethics, Conflict of Interest, Conduct and Parliamentary Proceedings
• Sunshine Laws • Meeting procedures • Board voting
• Ethics and conflict of interest
LINDSAY FORD ELLIS
3:00pm-4:30pm The Appointment Process
• The importance of serving • Steps to obtaining a board or
commission appointment • Key attributes of effective
board members and commissioners
LILLEANA CAVANAUGH, MBA, CPM COMMISSIONER
MARILYN BROWN
JANE HAWES COMMISSIONER
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SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
COMMISSIONER MARILYN BROWN
FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO
Commissioner Marilyn Brown knows that every resident of Franklin County deserves a high quality of life, built on the cornerstones of inclusive economic development and social justice.
Marilyn is committed to advancing policies and actions that create and retain good jobs for Franklin County residents as the surest path to a strong safety net and a solid foundation for our kids. Her focus on economic development includes workforce readiness so that these jobs are filled by Franklin County residents, including those who face challenges to sustainable-wage employment.
Marilyn works closely with the County's Department of Economic Development, Chambers of Commerce, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), and others to attract new jobs and retain existing jobs here in Franklin County. She is a former Board Chair at MORPC and serves on the Boards of Columbus 2020 and the US Global Leadership Coalition. In 2016, Marilyn was honored to receive the Ohio Minority Business Enterprise (Ohio MBE) Frank W. Watson Advocacy award.
Marilyn is taking an active leadership role in the planning of the County’s new Public Safety Center, and her work as chair of the Franklin County Reentry Coalition underscores her focus on smart and fair justice. Marilyn is Vice Chair of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio’s Justice and Public Safety Committee. At the national level, she serves as the Vice Chair for the Courts and Corrections subcommittee on Justice and Public Safety at the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Marilyn’s stewardship of the construction of Huntington Park, the Common Pleas Courthouse, and the Franklin County Dog Shelter, and the renovation of the Judicial Services Building, have led to national recognition of these projects for job creation, quality contracting and construction standards, and award-winning design, construction, sustainability, accessibility, and fiscal stewardship. She recognizes the importance of community enrichment – especially the arts and culture as it both enriches community and education for our kids and adults and provides for many jobs. She was named as one of the 25 Most Influential People by Shadowbox Live in 2014 and serves on the NACo National Arts Consortium and Large Urban Counties Caucus.
On issues of human rights and equality, Marilyn carries her family's long tradition of Tikkun Olam, or Repairing the World, with her as she works on behalf of women's rights, diversity and inclusion for all people, and open and equitable access to education, housing, and government. She is a vocal advocate for social justice and progressive issues. She has served on the Board of Directors of The Center for Family Safety & Healing and on the advisory council of CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence and is a leader against family violence in all its forms. Additionally, Marilyn is active as a leader in the movements for LGBTQ and marriage equality, for women's reproductive and educational freedoms, for the reintegration into society's fabric for ex-offenders, for protection of workers’ safety and right to organize. She leads with an ongoing commitment to the care, safety, and education of our County's most vulnerable residents because every family in our community deserves a safe, stable and nurturing place to call home.
Marilyn’s office staff takes to heart that every initiative and policy should be viewed through a lens of social justice. Her middle grandson, Max, gave the office its focus and mandate when, at age 8, he attended a staff meeting and declared, “You are doing a lot of things. You should take the good things that work and do more of that.”
Marilyn Brown has been elected by the voters of Franklin County to serve as Commissioner in 2006, 2010, and 2014. She has been selected by her colleagues to serve as Commission President in 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2015.
Prior to elected office, Marilyn had extensive experience in public service working in economic development, social justice, race relations, and fair housing. She holds a masters' degree in organizational development from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and is the author of a chapter entitled “What’s Important Now” in the book Women on Fire, vol 2. She and her husband, former Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Eric Brown, have two daughters - Beryl and her husband Andrew; and Daryn. The Browns have three grandsons, Vincent, Max and Alex. She and Eric are members of Congregation Tifereth Israel.
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JANE HAWES
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
DELAWARE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Jane Hawes, a resident of Delaware County, Ohio, since 1991, currently is the Director of Communications for the Delaware County Board of Commissioners. Previously, she worked as a reporter and an editor for the Dispatch Media Group, based in Columbus, Ohio. She is a member of the Board of Directors for The Strand Theatre and Cultural Arts Association in Delaware, Ohio, and serves as a class representative for the Georgetown University MBA alumni network. She has been active on parent boards for St. Charles Preparatory School (Columbus, Ohio) and the National Ballet School of Canada (Toronto). Hawes received her undergraduate education from Villanova University where she was also a member of the women’s track and field team. She has earned master’s degrees from the University of Michigan (Telecommunication Arts) and Georgetown University (Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing and Entrepreneurship).
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COMMISSIONER BARB LEWIS
DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO
Barb took office on January 1, 2015, following seven years’ public service as a Genoa Township Trustee, and was re-elected in November 2018 to a second four-year term. Her fellow Commissioners elected her Vice-President of the Board in 2015 and President in 2016 and 2019.
Barb holds Ph.D., M.A. and B.A. degrees in political science from The Ohio State University, where she taught hundreds of OSU students the fundamentals and ideals of American constitutional government.
Drawing on her academic background and practical experience as an elected officeholder, Barb is guided by a simple philosophy of good governance:
• Keep our taxes low, our community safe, and our infrastructure sound • Promote the private sector’s creation of well-paying jobs
• Promote sound development that respects our green space and waterways • Be mindful of the needs of our community’s less fortunate
• Collaborate openly and honestly with others
Barb emphasizes government efficiency, citizen outreach, and maintaining good working relationships with all of Delaware County’s elected officials and state and local leaders. She envisions our county as one unified, dynamic and growing community.
She is also a leader for Delaware County’s “Stepping Up Initiative,” modeled on a national program that reduces the number of non-violent offenders with mental illness in our jails and prisons while providing them with proper recovery treatment in a cost-effective manner. Towards that goal Barb serves on the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee of the National
Association of Counties, based in Washington, D.C. She also chairs the Justice and Public Safety Committee of the County Commissioners’ Association of Ohio.
Barb was raised in Genoa Township, where she attended Harlem Elementary and Big Walnut High Schools. She resides in Genoa Township with her husband of 49 years, Jim, a practicing attorney. They are active members of the Church of the Resurrection and have two grown sons, one of whom resides in Denver and the other in Columbus, with his wife and their five youngsters.
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COURSE INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHIES
LILLEANA CAVANAUGH, MBA, CPM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OHIO COMMISSION ON HISPANIC/LATINO AFFAIRS, STATE OF OHIO
Lilly Cavanaugh serves as Executive Director for the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, State of Ohio with the mandates to advise legislators and elected officials on matters related to Hispanics in Ohio, to connect the different Latino serving organizations across the state, and to build the capacity of Latino leaders and serving organizations.
Mrs. Cavanaugh has been directly engaged with the Latino community in Ohio for the last 24 years; the last twelve serving in a statewide capacity with the Commission and has played an important role in building collaboration and partnerships among government entities, community-based organizations and the private sector to improve the quality of life and opportunities for Hispanic Ohioans.
At the national level, Lilly leads a nationwide network of Latino Affairs Commissions and has been actively involved with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Ohio Chapter, UnidosUS, the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), where she serves on its national board. Lilly was recently appointed to serve on the Mount Carmel Foundation’s Board and on a regular basis provides advise to other boards and organizations on topics dealing with ethnic minorities, diversity and inclusion.
Lilly is a strong leader and a multicultural specialist who implements the knowledge and experience from working and living in Latin America, Africa, South East Asia, Europe and the United States to her professional career. She is an expert on leadership development, community engagement, cultural competence and global communications. Lilly is a Certified Public Manager and has an associate's degree in Business from Sinclair Community College, a bachelor's degree in Management from the University of Phoenix, and a master's degree in Business Administration from Capella University.
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MARSHA CONAWAY
PARTNER
J L CONAWAY CONSULTING, LLC
JL Conaway Consulting, LLC, provides consulting services to clients on effective Human Resource Strategy, Executive Coaching, impactful leadership strategies, and workshop facilitation. Specialized services for performance improvement are provided through the use of Lominger Leadership Architect; facilitation of KEPNER and FOURIE’s Problem Solving and Innovative Thinking; Achieve Global and Situational Leadership platforms. Key client services include organizational design, organizational effectiveness through workforce engagement, development of diversity and inclusion strategies aligned with organizational goals and merger/acquisition HR integration.
An experienced Human Resources Executive, she has established herself as a recognized business partner and people leader. Her broad industry experience spans telecommunications, auto/home insurance, healthcare hospital systems and electric utilities. Throughout her career, she continues to serve on non-profit boards and community committees in various leadership capacities.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business, University of Toledo, and a Masters’ Degree in Business, Indiana Northern Graduate School of Professional Management.
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LINDSAY FORD ELLIS
ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL OHIOHEALTH CORPORATION
Lindsay Ford Ellis is Assistant General Counsel for OhioHealth Corporation which she joined in October 2018. In this role, Lindsay provides comprehensive legal services to OhioHealth and its 30,000 associates, 12 hospitals, 700+ multi-specialty physician groups, and facilities and functions.
Prior to joining OhioHealth, Lindsay served as Claims Counsel and Senior Associate Counsel for the Central Ohio Transit Authority, representing COTA on a variety of litigation and business matters. Prior to COTA, she was a Judicial Attorney for Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor and began her legal career at Crabbe Brown & James LLP.
Lindsay is an active member of the Bar. She serves on the Board of Governors for the Columbus Bar Association and just completed a three-year term as a Commissioner for the Supreme Court of Ohio Board of Professional Conduct. She recently served on the Ohio State Bar Association’s Committee & Section Task Force.
Lindsay is a champion for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and is often asked to speak on the topic. She is a 2020 fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. She is a member of the Managing Partners Diversity Initiative Committee for the Columbus Bar Association, serves on the Women in Profession Section Council and the Subcommittee for Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Public Policy Coalition for the Ohio State Bar Association, and is a member of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association. She is an active member of the John Mercer Langston Bar Association and served as its president. She also served as co-chair of the Minorities in the Law Committee of the Columbus Bar Association, and former president of the Capital University Law School African American Law Alumni Association.
Lindsay believes in developing a strong pipeline of candidates for the legal profession. She is secretary of the Law and
Leadership Institute and served as a member of the Capital University Law School Alumni Board. She also serves as a mentor to a law student through the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. She has gladly taken responsibility for recruiting, training, and mentoring law clerks and externs at the organizations where she has served.
Service to the community is a driving value for Lindsay. She volunteers at the YWCA Family Center and the YMCA Shelter, previously served as a member of CATCO’s Board, and also served as an advisory board member for the Eldon & Elsie Ward Family YMCA. She is a former fellow of the African American Leadership Academy.
Lindsay is a current participant of OhioHealth’s You Belong sponsorship program, a COTA William J. Lhota Leaders of the Future graduate, Capital University Law School Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award recipient, a member of Columbus Business First’s 2018 class of 40 Under 40, and a 2018 Mass Transit Top 40 Under 40 Award recipient. She holds a Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Michigan.
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