2022-2023 Leadership
2022-2023 Board of Directors
President: Kate Fortlage
Kate joined the Junior League of Dayton in 2000 and transferred to the JLC in 2006 when she relocated after graduate school to start her brand management career. She has served on every JL Council and has been a leader on all Councils but one (New Member Vice Chair and Chair, Social Vice Chair and Chair, Nominating Committee Vice Chair and Chair). She has 7+ years of JLC Board experience.
Kate also serves on the Board of Directors for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. She is a member of NextUp (formerly Network of Executive Women) and the American Marketing Association.
Outside of her profession and volunteer work, Kate enjoys traveling internationally, scuba diving, boating, and trying new restaurants (you can find her on Yelp frequently) or recipes at home.
President Elect: René Robers
René Robers joined the Junior League of Cincinnati in 2011, seeking opportunities to serve the community and to connect with other women who share a passion for progress. She has held various leadership roles across 4 of the 6 Councils, including Vice Chair & Chair of Online, tasked with launching our new websites, New Member Advisor, Nominating, Recording Secretary on the EMT and has also sat on the Program Development committee selecting our past two programs, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank and Family Nurturing Center and most recently in a president-appointed role serving as Operations Liaison.
With more than 10 years of CPG marketing experience, René currently shares her professional time and talent with Heineken USA as Senior Manager, eCommerce Lead. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Cincinnati, with a minor in Journalism and a certificate in Public Relations in 2008. René is a voracious reader, loves to host and entertain, and actively supports women’s causes, including in board roles with NextUp Cincinnati, Heineken’s Women’s Leadership Forum and Dress for Success Cincinnati’s Portaluca Boutique. René was recognized by the Cincinnati Business Courier as a 2021 Forty Under 40 honoree.
She is a Cincinnati native and lives in Hyde Park with her husband Matt, their daughter, Mari-Kate (Marion Katherine) and Westie, Findlay.
Board Secretary: Molly Roberts
Molly Roberts is a senior director in the Product Supply division within The Procter & Gamble Company. She leads all communications for the Chief Product Supply Officer and Chief Purchasing Officer. Molly joined JLC in 2012, serving as vice-chair and then chair of Marketing and Publicity and New Member Advisor. Most recently, she served on the EMT as the Chair of Strategic Planning Process from 2018 to 2020. She received JLC’s Rising Star Leadership Award in 2015, and the Strategic Planning team won the JLC’s Transformational Team Award in 2020.
Outside of the JLC, Molly was also a member of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s C-Change Class VIII, Leadership Cincinnati Class XLIII and served as president of the C-Change Alumni Program. In 2016, she received the YWCA Rising Star Leadership Award, and in 2020, was named a Cincinnati Business Courier’s 40 under 40 honoree. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors for Women Helping Women, the Karen Wellington Foundation, and the Dan Beard Council.
Molly is a sixth-generation Cincinnatian and holds a B.A. degree in political science from Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio.
Legal Advisor: Sarah Houseman
Sarah Houseman is a Cincinnati attorney licensed in both Ohio and Kentucky. A Northern Kentucky native, Sarah is a graduate of the University of Kentucky where she received both her undergraduate and legal degrees. She currently practices at the law firm of Barron, Peck, Bennie & Schlemmer, located in Oakley. Her practice is focused primarily in the areas of general civil and commercial litigation, small businesses advising, contract drafting and review, and estate planning and litigation.
Sarah joined the Junior League of Cincinnati in 2016 in order to engage with other professional, like-minded women and become more active in the community that she calls home. In addition to her legal practice, Sarah stays active by playing golf, sand volleyball, and spending time with her rescue dog, Sawyer. She is an avid sports fan and loves to travel – even spending an entire summer in Cape Town, South Africa where she interned at the Black Sash National Headquarters. Outside of Junior League, Sarah serves on the board of directors for the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky and is a member of the Charities Guild of Northern Kentucky.
Treasurer: Allison Smith
Allison Smith works as a Director of Contract Strategy in the Strategic Customer Group at Johnson & Johnson. She is responsible for go to market contract strategies and effectiveness for Ethicon Inc. She graduated from Miami University in 2009 with a BA in accountancy.
Allison joined the Junior League of Cincinnati in 2015 and has served the organization through a variety of roles including Chair and Vice Chair of Leadership Development and on the Program Acceleration committee.
As a Cincinnati native, Allison has a long history of volunteerism in the Cincinnati community with a passion around ensuring everyone feels welcome in the city. She resides in Terrace Park with her husband, Ian, their daughters, Eliza and Campbell and two border collies, Mic and Ryn. In her spare time outside of work and family, Allison enjoys sheep herding with her dogs, traveling and taking advantage of the Cincinnati culinary scene.
Strategic Planning Director: Katie May
Katie May works as an initiative leader for the baby care division of Procter and Gamble. In her work she helps draft and deliver the strategic vision of innovation od Pampers. Through her P&G career she has held various roles, including Pampers wipes senior supply network leader and supply chain manager on P&G’s Dollar General account. She has also led multiple P&G United Way campaigns. She studied industrial engineering at Penn State and pursued a minor in leadership development.
Katie has held various leadership assignments in Leagues in Cincinnati, Wilmington, and Nashville since joining JL in 2015. Some of the most notable were the Advocacy and Education Chair of the JLC, Nominating Chair, and Kitchen Tour Vice Chair of the JLW. Katie’s favorite League experience was leading a task force to complete a community landscape assessment to identify the JLW’s new focus area, period equity, and creating their signature project, Stand Up. Period. from the ground up.
Katie grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and has lived all over with her husband, Sam and their dog, Bella. They now love living in the Hyde Park community of Cincinnati. In her free time, Katie enjoys riding her Peloton, watching reality tv, drinking craft beer, and wine tasting. She is even a certified Sommelier III!
Past President: Tara J. Mosley
Tara J. Mosley holds a Bachelor of Science from Wilberforce University and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. Currently working for The Wine Group as a Senior Insights Manger, Tara has had a long career in the consumer goods industry. Her previous organizations have included The Kroger Company where she led merchandising for the Small Format division, focused on launching new store formats & partnerships nationwide, and strategic planning & trade/brand marketing roles at Spectrum Brands and Procter & Gamble. Tara has prided herself on using her understanding of consumer behaviors and brand innovation and equity to create effective marketing and merchandising plans to benefit some of the nation’s top brands and retailers.
Tara joined JLC in 2012 and has had the pleasure of serving across several councils, ad hoc committees, signature partnerships, program development cycles in addition to sitting on the Board and Executive Management Team.
As a Cincinnati native, Tara is very involved in her community and works with several organizations within the region. She has served as a speaker, mentor, and job coach with Dress for Success Cincinnati’s Professional Women’s Group and is a current Portaluca board member. She has previously served as a mentor with Public Allies’ mentoring program, and is a member of NEW (Network of Executive Women).
Presidential Advisor: Meredith Comin
Meredith is a Vice President of Client Strategy at Empower, a Cincinnati-headquartered agency specializing in a variety of media, creative and advertising practices. She received her B.A. in Public Relations with a concentration in Marketing from Auburn University in 2006.
Prior to serving as Presidential Advisor, she was President during the JLC’s 100th year, President-Elect, a member of the Nominating Committee, Co-Chair of the Spring Fundraiser CinSation, Chair of the Cookbook Committee, in which she and the committee were responsible for the creation of the JLC’s fall fundraiser, Tour of Kitchens, VP of Communications and VP of Membership. Always up for life’s adventures, she spent time as a proud transfer member of the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach (VA) where she served as Chair of the Research & Development Committee and along with the committee cultivated and successfully launched the JLNVB’s newest fundraiser, Brunched. She was elected to the Board of Directors as VP of Fund Development before relocating back to Cincinnati.
Outside of her Junior League experience, she has been a part of non-profit leadership committees with several other organizations including Josh Cares, the National MS Society Ohio Valley and West Virginia chapters, and Alzheimer’s Association Greater Cincinnati chapter.
A fourth-generation Junior Leaguer, she has been active in the organization since 2008. She has been recognized with the Rising Star Award for her work and dedication to the JLC. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she now resides in Over-the-Rhine.
At-Large Member: Sarah Clark
After to moving to Cincinnati in 2006 from Lexington, Kentucky, Sarah Clark has been an active member of the Cincinnati Community. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and her Master’s of Business Administration from Xavier University. Sarah currently works as a Finance Manager at Ethicon, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, where she has been for 7 years. She shares her home with her husband Harrison and their French Bulldog, Belle.
Sarah joined the League in 2010 and since then has held a wide range of leadership roles: Nominating Committee Member, Leadership Development Chair, Recording Secretary. She has also served on Ad Hoc committees, including Points & Obligations and Membership Retention. Outside of the League, Sarah has served as the Chair of the United Way Emerging Leaders, Pones Board Member, YMCA Board Intern, and has volunteered with many other organizations. Outside of her volunteer and board work, Sarah loves to travel, try new restaurants and explore the city of Cincinnati.
At-Large Member: Danya Karram, CFP®
Danya started her journey as a community volunteer after the birth of her first child and that journey still continues. One of her first stops was joining the JLC which exposed her to the many volunteer opportunities in our area.
Danya has served the Cincinnati community as a board member of the Immigrant and Refugee Law Center, Cincinnati YWCA, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Red Cross, The Economic Center of University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ballet, BRIDGES for a Just Community. She has been active in many other organizations in the Cincinnati area, including Junior League of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Art Museum as a docent, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, Alzheimer Association, EquaSion and Festival of Faiths to name a few.
Danya is a co-founder and President of Brilliant Advice, a financial planning and wealth management firm. Her professional career includes working in accounting, finance, strategic planning, marketing and senior management.
Danya has coached women on how to manage their finances as they face life changes. She has given lectures and workshops on personal finance, women in business and on how to foster diverse working environments.
For her charitable work, she was chosen as one of The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Women of the Year. She has been recognized by the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission and numerous community organizations.
Danya holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Kentucky. She has received certification as an E-Commerce Manager and as a Financial Divorce Specialist and is a Certified Financial Planner™.
At-Large Member: Shelley Poffenberger
Shelley Poffenberger has been a Cincinnati resident for the past 20 years and has been a member of the JLC since 2000.
Shelley has served various roles in the JLC including JLC President in 2010-2011, President Elect and Training and Development Chair, New Member Co Chair and as a member of the Nominating Committee. Shelley won the Excellence in Training Award in 2007 as the New Member Co Chair.
Shelley received her BA in Speech Communication from Indiana University. She was the Sales Manager at Tiffany & Co in Cincinnati.
Shelley is active in her community previously serving on the Vestry Session of Indian Hill Church for five years. She has also served on the Indian Hill Exempted Village School PTO Board for two years as the Primary School Representative as well as serving two years on the IHHS Board. Shelley has also been a member of Kindervelt #50/ Indian Hill.
Shelley resides in Indian Hill with her husband Bill and children Sydney and RJ. Shelley enjoys reading, playing tennis and traveling.
At-Large Member: Megan Stacey
She resides in East Hyde Park with her husband (Drew), daughter (Emory), son (Ford) and two dogs (Murphy & Briggs). When not working or spending time with her family, Megan enjoys several hobbies including her fashion blog, Polka Dots & Pleats, paddle tennis and mentoring other entrepreneurs.
After joining the JLC in 2009, Megan has served in various leadership roles including VP Membership, Co-Chair of The Centennial Campaign, New Member Advisor, Chair of Membership Outreach & Events, and Chair of Major Gifts. She has also served on Ad Hoc Committees, including New Member Curriculum (from her years as a teacher and assistant principal) and Points & Obligations.
At-Large Member: Saralou Durham
Saralou Durham has her undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati and her master’s from Indiana University. She has worked as a teacher and a school librarian. After her children were born, she took the opportunity to change careers and have more flexible time. For over 15 years, she worked as an Interior Designer. Following that, she became a Realtor and spent 30 years helping families find their dream homes. During that time, she was a Circle of Excellence member 29 times.
Saralou joined the Junior League of Cincinnati in 1981. Her passion has always been project work. During her New Member year, she chaired the Child and Humanities Project at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Afterwards, she chaired the Family Education Center program. She was involved in the Children Having Children Conference and then chaired a program for teens to write and perform radio ads encouraging pregnancy prevention. She was Vice President of Projects.
For 6 years, Saralou was on the Headquarters search committee until we purchased Columbia Center. She signed our mortgage for the building on her last day as President of the JLC. Over the years, she has served on numerous Project Development committees. Recently, she was Vice President of Sustainer Council, serving for the second time.
Saralou has been on the Board of Directors for Easterseals, Family Education Center, Playhouse in the Park, and the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association. For UC, she served as President of the College of Education Alumni Association and edited the Cincinnati for Kids book as well as the Rainbow of Recipes cookbook. She was President of the entire Alumni Association from 1994-96. She was the recipient of the University of Cincinnati’s Distinguished Service Award.
Currently, Saralou brings her love of reading to the Academy of World Languages by volunteering in the classroom and providing children in that room with books of their own. She is currently President of the Cincinnati Women’s Club Foundation and Vice-chair of their Interior Design committee.
Saralou has been married to her husband David for 53 years. They have 3 children and 5 fabulous grandchildren. She wishes those three grandchildren in California would move to Cincinnati (they can bring their parents, too)!
At Large Member: J.J. Wales
For 25 years, J.J. Wales served as the Executive Director of Neediest Kids of All, a non-profit that provides basic necessities for the Tri-State’s needy children. Over 15,000 children are served annually in 700 schools and Head Start sites.
J.J. learned the value of community service and importance of volunteering early on from her parents as both were active in giving back and J.J.’s mother was a member of the Junior League of Toledo, OH. After joining the Junior League of Cincinnati in 1977, J.J. served in leadership roles on the Admission Committee, Columbia Center Capital Campaign, twice as Sustaining Advisor to the President and as President-Elect and President.
Outside of the JLC, J.J. was involved in the College and Career Counseling at Sycamore High School, a Magic Circle volunteer with the Mental Health Association of Cincinnati, Knox Pre-School Board member and Chairman, PTO President at Woodford Primary School, March of Dimes Board member, United Way Board of Greater Cincinnati Board and campaign cabinet member, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation Board member and Chair, and Every Child Succeeds Board member and Chair. In addition, she served in the National Council of Kappa Kappa Gamma for 16 years, including National President and NPC Delegate.
After obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Education from Ohio State University, J.J. was an educator in both Virginia and Ohio. She and her husband spend as much time as they can with their sons and their families, which include 5 granddaughters who bring constant joy.
DEIB Chair: Deanna Hillard
Before her time at Interact for Health, she worked at the National MS Society, most recently serving as Senior Manager, Volunteer Engagement. In that position, she oversaw a team of five responsible for coordinating more than 100 events annually and engaging 7,000 volunteers. Before joining the National MS Society, Deanna worked in community outreach with the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio and as an AmeriCorps Fellow.
Deanna joined the JLC in 2018 and has served on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee and as the vice chair and chair of the Leadership Development committee. Deanna is also a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and serves on the board for Impact 100. In 2022, Deanna was recognized as a YWCA Rising Star.
Nominating Chair: Katie Dulle
Katie joined the Junior League of New York City in 2016 and transferred to the JLC in 2018 where she has served on the Leadership Development and Transfer committees. In 2020 she served as the Chair of Program Development before joining the Nominating leadership team.
After graduating from the University of Missouri, her career in media and advertising technology brought her to Cincinnati, then took her to New York City where she worked in the start-up world. Her current role as Manager of Business Strategy and Operations in the Chief of Staff’s Office at Oracle marries her experience in sales, product, organizational design and people management.
Katie holds a Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communication from the University of Missouri and a Master’s of Science in Organizational Leadership from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is an International Coach Federation certified coach.
In addition to her involvement in the Junior League, Katie enjoys playing tennis, gardening, traveling, cooking and trying new restaurants. She resides in Hyde Park with her husband, daughter and their dog Maeby.
Executive Management Team
Executive Vice President: Sam Zehnder
Sam is currently the Marketing Automation Lead at Kroger Precision Marketing. Prior to her role on the KPM team, Sam has worked in various Marketing and CRM positions across diverse industries at Delta Private Jets, EyeMed Vision Care, OneSight and Fifth Third Bank. Sam graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Marketing and a minor in Business from Xavier University. In 2016, she became a Certified Salesforce Administrator.
Sam joined the Junior League of Cincinnati in 2017 and has since served as a member of the Online Committee, Chair of the Marketing and Publicity Committee and Vice President of Communications. Outside of the league, Sam is very involved with Xavier University where she is a member of Xavier University’s National Alumni Board. Sam is originally from Danville, KY but now considers Cincinnati ‘home’ and lives in Northside with her husband Tom.
Executive Vice President Elect: Erinn RM Carlson
Erinn R. M. Carlson joined the Junior League in 2013 in Norfolk – Virginia Beach, transferred to Dayton in 2017, later Riverside, CA in 2019, and has recently joined us here in Cincinnati. She has held leadership positions in her past Leagues, including roles as VP Membership, At-Large Director, Fundraising Manager, and chaired several committees and fund development events. Her passion for Junior League is rooted in her belief in the Junior League mission and organization after witnessing its profound ability to help communities and transform its members into leaders, mentors, and change makers. Erinn is excited to continue this work in Cincinnati.
Erinn grew up in a Chicago suburb and attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where she studied Communications and Cinema Studies. Her husband’s career moved them cross-country several times and with that she had several career changes. Erinn’s favorite among these roles was serving as the Executive Assistant in a boutique headhunting firm where each day was different with something new to learn. She is on the hunt for her next calling or adventure.
Mainstays in Erinn’s life, besides Junior League, are volunteerism and animal rescue work. She has fostered, transported, fundraised, networked, and assisted in rescue wherever she has lived since 2015. (A Junior League friend got her involved!) Her dream is to start a nonprofit of her own to assist rescues with medical bills. Additionally, she has two rescue dogs of her own and when Erinn’s time isn’t being spent on canines, she enjoys cooking, gardening, needlepointing, music, and entertaining. Erinn also loves to hunt for antiques and vintage treasures.
Emily first joined the JLC back in 2010. She has served on a variety of committees – from New Member to Nominating to Program Development. She is excited to be part of the EMT this year and looks forward to the new responsibilities in this role. Emily works at The Christ Hospital, where she is an outpatient dietitian and recently became a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. In her free time, she enjoys doing anything outside – walking, gardening, or just relaxing with a book. She lives in Anderson with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
VP Communications: Katie Ziegler
Katie Ziegler joined the Junior League of Cincinnati in 2020 to meet and serve with like-minded women. Previous to her current role as VP of Communications, she served as the Chair of the Perspectives Committee. Katie is currently a Sr. Associate at Cushman & Wakefield as a member of the Capital Markets Investment Sales Team. Over the last decade, Katie has worked in various marketing and communications roles including business development, digital and print marketing, process management, and team development. She is a Cincinnati native and graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2009 with a BBA in Marketing and Real Estate.
Outside of the league, Katie is active in her community by serving on her son’s school PTO, volunteering with local organizations, and serving with her church. She is also the chairperson for the community outreach group within her work organization. Katie resides in Anderson Township with her two boys, Tyler and Grant. In her personal time, Katie enjoys her morning workouts, exploring Cincinnati with her kids, listening to podcasts, and catching up with friends.
VP Community Impact: Leslie Touassi
In August of 2021, Leslie Touassi started her first school year as a Special Education Coordinator at Mt Healthy City Schools where she works with elementary buildings on their Special Education programming. A Cincinnati native, Leslie Touassi graduated from Sycamore High School and attended High Point University for undergraduate degrees in Elementary and Special Education. Upon returning to Cincinnati, she earned a Masters Degree and Administrative license from Xavier University while working as an Intervention Specialist in Fairfield City Schools for five years. Leslie started her administrative career at Cincinnati Public Schools in August of 2017 and worked for four years as a Special Services Manager prior to joining Mt Healthy City Schools.Leslie has served in several roles within the Junior League of Cincinnati since joining in 2014 including RefugeeConnect Co-Vice Chair and Co-Chair, a committee member on Nominating, as well as double placed as Chair of Online and Archives. She lives in the Deer Park area with her dog.
In her free time, Emily enjoys being active and spending time with family. Emily enjoys exploring Cincinnati staples like the Cincinnati Zoo, Museum Center, Cincinnati Parks, and more with her husband and daughter. She is also very busy in the fall/winter watching her favorite sports teams: Kentucky Wildcats, Bengals and Ohio State football!
Jacklyn is excited to re-engage with the league this year by stepping out of sustainership and into the role of Vice President of Fund Development! Since joining the League in 2009, Jacklyn has served in several leadership roles, including EMT Recording Secretary, legal advisor to the Board of Directors, vice chair of the finance committee, chair of the fall fundraiser (Tour of Kitchens) and cookbook committee chair. She has also sat on the nominating committee, Columbia Center committee, sponsorship committee and spring fundraiser committee (CINsation). Jacklyn was the 2015 recipient of The Jeanne Boyce Morrison President’s Award for her work in guiding the league through the creation of the Executive Management Team and accompanying overhaul of the Bylaws. Jacklyn is an attorney at Manley Burke LPA where her practice focuses on corporate and real estate transactions as well as representing nonprofit organizations. She earned her BA in Political Science at Miami University and her JD from the University of Dayton School of Law. Outside of the league, Jacklyn sits on the Board of Directors of GRAD Cincinnati and Alpha Xi Delta National Housing Corporation. She lives in Mt. Lookout with her husband, Brad, sons Jefferson and Michael and daughter, Charlotte.
Casey Burleigh is the Director of Marketing at Mona Dermatology. She has spent the past 8+ years working in many areas of the marketing and communications field, including freelance, in-house, and agency roles. Prior to her current role at Mona Dermatology, Casey was the owner of 513 Creative–a Marketing Strategy, Design, and Digital Marketing company focused on serving clients in the high-end lifestyle and beauty industries.
Casey is originally from Jupiter, FL and began her move north when studying for her BA in Communication Studies at Furman University in South Carolina. She moved to Cincinnati in 2018 and joined the Junior League of Cincinnati shortly after in 2019. Since then, she has served as the Vice Chair and Chair of the Membership Engagement Committee.
Casey lives in Mariemont with her husband, J.P., and dog, Murphy. Outside of work, Casey volunteers as the Executive Chapter Advisor for the Eta Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi at Miami University. In her free time, Casey enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, Pure Barre, needlepoint, and traveling.
Megan Busam earned her Bachelor in Social Work from Indiana University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati. She currently works as a Guardian ad Litem Attorney for Hamilton County, advocating for the best interests of children involved in the child welfare system.Megan joined the JLC in 2013 and has since served on the Cinsation, Tour of Kitchens, New Members, Nominating, and General Meeting Planning Committees. She has also held several leadership roles including New Members Advisor, New Members Co-Vice Chair and Co-Chair, and General Meeting Planning Chair.
Outside of the League, Megan is the Co-Chair of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation’s Emerging Leaders and a member of the Women’s Committee of Cincinnati Parks. She also volunteers as the Operations and Risk Prevention Advisors for the Gamma Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta.
Byrd Bergeron has been an enthusiastic member of the League since 2016. Most of her time is spent on the entrepreneurial path as she runs a local travel agency with a team of 28 Advisors. Travel has always been her love language and she believes deeply in the company’s motto that everyone should “Collect Great Stories!”
Byrd has served on several committees in the League, but her favorite experiences have been on the ad-hoc committees focused on the strategic direction of the League. She has also participated in Board Bank and attributes her ability to serve on the board for St. Joseph’s Orphanage directly to that experience.
In her free time, Byrd focuses on making memories with her husband and daughter. They love outdoor adventures and Byrd is consistently trying to convince her prissy daughter that a little dirt on her is a good thing!
DEIB Vice Chair: Jennifer Lindeman
Jennifer Lindeman is the CEO and lead women’s empowerment coach at Jennifer Lindeman Coaching, where she supports women in the rediscovery of their passion, purpose, strengths, and skills in order to achieve their goals. She is also the host of The Encouragement Collective podcast, and a motivational speaker on topics such as growth mindset and eliminating negative self-talk. Jennifer also holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Indiana University. Jennifer has a long history of volunteering for organizations focused on women and children. She was Vice President of Kiwanis (Broadripple chapter), program leader with Girl’s Inc. of Indianapolis, and most recently a volunteer with Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank and Family Nurturing Center. She is also a strong advocate for early intervention in children with special needs.
Jennifer joined the JLC in 2021 and was placed on the Advocacy & Education and DEI&B committees in 2022. She will sit as Vice Chair of the DEI&B committee starting in January of 2023. Jennifer grew up in Zionsville, Indiana and moved to Cincinnati in 2013 with her husband Matt and their two children, Stella and Grayson. They now reside in West Chester. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys reading books of all genres, rewatching her favorite 90s shows, and decorating her new home.
Holding true to a favorite quote: “Find something you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life,” Marty has had the opportunity to purse a “career in voluntarism” spanning more than 46 years of non-profit service, fundraising and special events…”work” she has loved… “work” that has proven to be a very satisfying and rewarding “career” choice!
Her most common position on many non-profit Boards has been in the realm of fundraising. She has chaired fundraisers for numerous organizations including: JLC Festival of Trees, JLC Capital Campaign for Columbia Center, JLC 90th Anniversary Gala; Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Kinderklaus Markt; Dress for Success “Women On The Move” Luncheon; Playhouse in the Park’s “Abracadabra” and two terms as Chair of PIP’s “Leading Ladies”; both of WCET’s major fundraisers, the “Action Auction” and “Live on CET”; two time Co-Chair of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation “Hats Off “Luncheon; “Friends of CCM” 40th Anniversary Gala of the Musical Theatre Department; and most recently, Co-Chaired a 3 year effort to raise over $500,000 for the Beta Rho Chapter House of KKG at UC.
Other non-profit positions have included: The Executive Board and Presidency of The Cincinnati Woman’s Club; Founding Co-Chair of the University of Cincinnati’s Bicentennial in 2019; Co-Chair of City Hospitality for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game; Airport Hospitality Co-Chair for the 2012 World Choir Games; and as a “Tri-Chair” of the JLC Team to manage and plan the 2020 Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) Annual Conference to be in Cincinnati in the spring of 2020. Her current League positions are Chair of Sustainer Pop-Ups and Advisor to the Fund Development Council.
Marty has been married to Tom Humes for over 48 years and lives in East Walnut Hills. They have two adult children, daughter, Jamie, and son, Scott. Marty grew up in Fort Thomas, Ky., holds a BS from Purdue University and a Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati where she taught for several years in the College of Education and DAAP’s Fashion Design Program. She enjoys her continuing membership in The Cincinnati Woman’s Club where she just organized her 7th members’ trip, this time to Washington, DC for the 2022 Cherry Blossom Festival. An avid follower of the stock market, Marty has been investing since 1998 and enjoys learning about corporate America and financial markets.
Marty is a “2008 Cincinnati Enquirer Women of the Year”, Playhouse in the Park’s “2006 Inspiring Arts Volunteer”, “2008 Charles W. Vaughan Award from WCET (PBS)”, “2018 Woman of Influence” by VENUE Magazine, “2019 University of Cincinnati Panhellenic Alumna of the Year”, and most recently named the Junior League Cookie Nowland Award winner as the JLC’s “2021 Sustainer of the Year.”
Jamie Humes serves as Vice President of Marketing for Traditions Building & Development Group, where she is responsible for developing brand strategy and directing all marketing activities for the company, as well as for the master planned communities they develop and build.
She has a strong commitment to, and passion for, her city and has a strong history of involvement in numerous community and professional organizations, where she has gained extensive leadership experience.
Professionally, Humes is a former board member of the Sales and Marketing Council for the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati (HBA). She has been a four-time chair of the organization’s annual fundraiser, Dancing for the HBA Stars, to benefit People Working cooperatively. She is also a co-founder of the Next Generation Council, the HBA’s first and highly successful initiative designed to attract and engage young professionals within the real estate industry. Humes previously served as the youngest and only female member on the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati’s Board of Trustees.
Closely aligned with her passion for real estate is her love of Cincy’s most important real estate asset, our local parks. She teamed up with her mom to Co-Chair the 12th annual Hats Off Luncheon, Cincinnati Parks Foundation’s largest fundraiser, which sold out and raised a record-breaking $641,000. She was also a founding member and chair of the Emerging Leaders Group.
Jamie is once again partnering with her mom, Marty, to serve as Co-VPs of the Sustainer Council this year. She has been a long-time member of the Junior League of Cincinnati since 2012 and served in a leadership capacity as former VP Communications and a member of the Executive Management Team. She also chaired Perspectives Magazine, the visual voice and story of the JLC. It is through the JLC Jamie continues to find rich training opportunities to further cultivate and develop strong leadership skills and experience.
Humes was awarded the Young Professional of the Year Award by the National Association of Home Builders and Marketer of the Year by the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati. She has been named of one Greater Cincinnati’s Next Generation of Leaders by LEAD Magazine. She was also named one of Cincinnati’s Forty Under 40 by The Cincinnati Business Courier, a Woman of Influence by LEAD|Venue Magazine and her personal favorite, was named as one of Cincinnati’s Successful and Single Women by CincyChic.com. She is a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati, C-Change and WE Lead, three of Greater Cincinnati USA Chamber’s intensive and highly respected leadership and professional development programs. Humes has a BA in Communications and Public Relations from Miami University.
FUN FACT: Jamie loves to dance and has been a Celebrity Dancer in three Dancing for the Stars fundraisers, where she was awarded two-time Dance Champion, First Runner-up and Fundraising Champion. Her love for dance continues and she has even competed in a few amateur dance competitions. If there is music playing, you’ll find Jamie dancing.