Tayo Clyburn serves as chief strategy officer and senior advisor to the president at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, where he plays a crucial role in advancing the foundation's mission to foster inclusive democracy. He collaborates closely with senior leadership and program leaders in his strategic role to identify innovative pathways for impactful change within the foundation's initiatives, ensuring alignment with its strategic vision. As a trusted advisor to the foundation's president, Clyburn contributes his insights on internal priorities, cultural shaping and decision-making processes that guide the organization's progress.

Clyburn has held significant leadership positions across academia, including dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at Colby College and vice president for inclusive diversity and equity at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Brenda Cummins joined the foundation in 2015 and works with donors and organizations to help them plan and achieve their philanthropic objectives. Brenda brings senior level development experience from her previous role as director of Foundation Administration and Community Engagement at Summa Health System. In her role, she advanced Summa’s priorities through philanthropy and connected the greater community to the work of the organization. Prior work includes her position as a development officer at the Akron Civic Theatre, where she was responsible for all aspects of fundraising for the 1920’s atmospheric theatre. Through her first career path as an Audiologist and her community volunteer work in social services, healthcare and the arts, her strength is connecting people to organizations that make an impact in the lives of our greater community. Brenda serves on the boards of several non-profits, including Greenleaf Family Center, 91.3 The Summit - WAPS, and Summit ArtSpace. She is a graduate of Leadership Akron, Class 2007. She serves on the American Heart Association Go Red for Women committee, and has volunteered with the Summa Medical Team for the Akron Marathon. She holds a master’s degree in Audiology from Kent State University and a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing from Bowling Green State University.

Constance Hill-Johnson (Connie) is the Owner and Managing Director of Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services in Cleveland Ohio. Visiting Angels is an in-home service provider assisting seniors and older adults to live independently in their own homes.

She recently completed her term as the first African-American woman to serve as Board Chairperson for The Cleveland Foundation, the oldest community foundation in the country. Cleveland Magazine named her one of 2024’s Most Interesting People and Crain’s Cleveland Business recognized her in 2023 as a Notable Nonprofit Board Leader. She has received the YWCA Greater Cleveland Woman of Achievement award and was a Crain’s Women of Note. Most recently she was selected as Woman of the Year by the Women’s Business Center of ECDI. She serves on the board of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and is actively involved in other community organizations. She is one of the architects of The Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland & Celebrate Those Who Give Black, exhibits which reframe how philanthropy looks in the African American community.

Tina Kimbrough serves as Executive Director of the Nord Family Foundation, where she leads the organization’s strategic initiatives, philanthropic investments, and day-to-day operations. In this role, she works closely with the Board of Trustees and the Nord family to advance the Foundation’s mission and deepen its community impact.

Prior to becoming Executive Director, Tina served as the Foundation’s Program Officer for Education, overseeing the development and implementation of grantmaking strategies focused on equitable access to quality education.

Before joining the Foundation, Tina worked in higher education, serving as Assistant Director of Admissions at Oberlin College with a focus on multicultural recruitment. Her earlier experience in admissions and college access shaped her commitment to expanding educational opportunity.

Tina is actively engaged in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. She serves on the boards of Philanthropy Ohio (statewide), Exponent Philanthropy (national), and Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital (local).

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in Education from Loyola University Chicago. She has also completed executive education programs in Leadership Principles at Harvard Business School and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace through the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.

Tina brings to her leadership a strong commitment to strategic philanthropy, community engagement, and advancing equity in all aspects of her work.

Michelle Lovely joined the Dayton Foundation in 2016, bringing 23 years of customer relationship management, business development, banking and wealth advisory experience and nine years of nonprofit experience. She was previously employed as vice president of Private Banking for The Huntington National Bank. As senior vice president of Development and Donor Services, Michelle oversees outgoing donor grant requests, fund development and gift planning activities.

A lifelong Preble County resident, Michelle earned her Bachelor of Science from Miami University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). She's also an active community volunteer and has served on numerous nonprofit boards and committees. She serves on Philanthropy Ohio's Governing Board, Leadership Dayton's Alumni Committee and Learn to Earn Dayton's Governing Board. In her spare time, Michelle can be found reading a book, cooking for her family or on her boat with friends and family. She and her husband, Travis, have a son attending The University of Dayton and two grown daughters, one of whom has blessed her with her grandchildren, Walker and Georgia.

As senior director of community impact, Sarah leverages over 12 years of experience leading the Healthy Community Partnership and representing U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown in Northeast Ohio. These experiences helped Sarah cultivate strong, diverse relationships and skills related to public policy and decision-making processes. Sarah shares her time overseeing the Partnership, a cross-sector collaborative and its work to create a healthier Mahoning Valley by addressing the region's poor health outcomes and supporting the Community Foundation's strategic community leadership initiatives by making connections between people and resources needed to make lasting, positive change.

In their role as Community Impact Coordinator, Mae works to build relationships across the Mahoning Valley, work that puts them in touch with local organizations that are leading grassroots efforts to make our community a better place to live. As part of the community impact team, Mae also works to boost community awareness of the Foundation’s work, as well as the area’s assets and challenges.

Prior to arriving at the Community Foundation, Mae spent nearly a decade as a journalist in the Valley. A native of Flint, MI, they moved to Youngstown in 2010 to attend YSU and has since made the Valley their home. Mae is a board member of The Buckeye Flame, a nonprofit news outlet by and for LGBTQ+ Ohioans. In their free time, Mae plays tabletop roleplaying games, listens to podcasts about off-the-beaten path history, and watches their cats Migi and Ana be adorable.

Kerri Mollard is the founder and CEO of Mollard Consulting based in New Albany. She is a respected authority on nonprofit board governance, planning and fundraising. Since 2003, Kerri and her team have served nearly 200 clients and thousands more through workshops and trainings. Prior to consulting, Kerri worked for nonprofits in various roles, from box office manager to interim executive director. In 2025, the company launched Board Building, a unique board matching, training and support service. She has a master's degree from Indiana University, a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University and a Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource. She is also a local elected official, serving as Plain Township Trustee since 2022.

Brittany Schultz joined the Foundation in 2017 and focuses on cultivating and strengthening relationships with individuals, families, and organizations to help them achieve their philanthropic goals.

Prior to joining the Cleveland Foundation, Brittany worked at JumpStart Inc. as a Traffic and Events Specialist where she managed marketing projects as well as event planning initiatives including their annual meeting, Startup Scaleup. Brittany served as the Assistant Director, Cleveland Project with Horizon Education Centers where she developed and managed five after-school programs and site coordinators of programs. Brittany has been actively involved with the Cleveland International Film Festival since 2012 and works as Director of Operations during the festival.

Brittany holds a Master of Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in Literary and Cultural Studies and received her Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University in English with a concentration on Film Studies and Professional Writing. Brittany is a certified trainer in Family Philanthropy through 21/64, and she is currently working on her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation. In addition to her work in the nonprofit sector, Brittany is actively involved in the community, volunteering her time and talent to support initiatives around Cleveland. She volunteers with Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamber of Commerce on their Holiday Soiree Committee and works with BorderLight Festival.

Erin joined The Columbus Foundation as the Director of Capacity Building and Community Knowledge in 2024. In this role, Erin leads The Columbus Foundation’s sector building work, supporting central Ohio nonprofits with strategic grantmaking investments that strengthen organizational infrastructure, build capacity, and improve nonprofit and community outcomes. Additionally, Erin develops and drives the Foundation’s capacity building programming, providing training, cohort-based learning, professional development, and educational resources to local nonprofit leaders.

An accomplished professional, Erin previously served as Co-Executive Director of the Ohio Women’s Alliance, an organization she co-founded, where she provided coaching, strategic planning, and relationship-building support to women-led nonprofits at no cost. She also has extensive experience as a nonprofit consultant, providing professional counsel to organizations on topics ranging from board management and succession planning to best practices for fundraising and leadership development. In addition to her professional experience as a nonprofit leader and consultant, Erin is also an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University John Glenn College of Public Affairs, where she instructs graduate and undergraduate courses on nonprofit finance, management, and governance.

Erin received a Bachelor of Science from Ohio University’s College of Health & Human Services and a Master of Public Administration from The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State.

Alex joined Clearstead in 2023 as a Director of Business Development. Alex works on business development opportunities with both institutional and private wealth clients.

Prior to joining Clearstead, Alex was a Financial Consultant for Legacy Strategic Asset Management of Wells Fargo Advisors. He also served as a development officer at Akron Children’s Hospital. Alex has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Akron, a Master’s in Business Administration from Malone University, and a Master’s of Science in Business Psychology from Franklin University.

He volunteers his time serving as Board President for Stark State College Foundation Board of Directors, former Chairman of the Finance Council for the Newman Center at Kent State University, Phi Delta Theta Ohio Epsilon Scholarship Committee’s Executive Board, Trustee for the Frank J.R. Mitchell Scroll Endowment Fund, a current member of Akron Community Foundation’s Emerging Philanthropist’s class and is a member of the Leadership Akron Class 36. Alex was recognized by the University of Akron Alumni Association in 2019 for their inaugural ‘5Under35’ and in 2022, was recognized by Phi Delta Theta in their inaugural 30 under 30.

Matthew Shannon, CIMA®, is the executive managing director and head of institutional consulting services. He joined Clearstead in 2023 as part of an eight-person team from a wealth management firm in Hudson. Matt brings extensive sales and management experience, with family roots in institutional consulting spanning 30 years.

Jamie has 20 years of experience combining philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, development, corporate marketing and public relations agency experience. She previously served as chief operating officer for the Great Lakes Science Center. She has held positions in both the public and nonprofit sectors, including an international real estate company and a public relations firm. Jamie is a graduate of Ohio University.

Travis Speice, Ph.D., is the applied research director at the Women's Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, where he leads research and advocacy initiatives focused on gender and racial equity. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Cincinnati and is dedicated to using evidence-based solutions to drive systemic change.

Ruth Swetland Eppig is president of The Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization that fosters healthy, livable communities in the Greater Cleveland area through support for environmental health, education and urban sustainability initiatives. A Cleveland native, Ruth earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Biology from Smith College. Beyond her leadership at the foundation and Western Reserve Land Conservancy, she contributes to the arts and education on the Cleveland Institute of Art Board of Directors. Ruth's commitment to community development and environmental stewardship reflects her family's longstanding tradition of civic engagement and philanthropy in the region.

Heather Clayton Terry, MPA is an advocate, career coach and philanthropist. She currently works for Dominion Energy as the Philanthropy Consultant in the Corporate Philanthropy Department for the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. Heather is responsible for the company's foundation, sponsorships and volunteer efforts across the state of Ohio. In addition, Heather leads Dominion Energy’s Social Justice Grants Initiative, a commitment of $5 million over 24 months, to address the fundamental causes of systemic racism across the companies 14 state footprint. Heather also collaborates with Central State University and Wilberforce University to honor the HBCU Promise initiative, a commitment of $25 million over six years to 11 HBCU’s across the company’s footprint.

Prior to Dominion Energy, Heather worked as the Associate Director for Women in Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Heather advised emerging women and underrepresented students in pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics/Medicine) degrees and provided individual coaching to help students navigate male dominated fields. In 2015, Heather established the Family Equity Committee at CWRU for alternative family building in collaboration with a group of individuals determined to modernize policies to address national trends in infertility insurance coverage, adoption benefits, and foster care support. Heather also established the Women of Color Series and the LGBT and Women’s Center’s Collaborative Series at CWRU to address intersectional feminism and the layers of bias which impact interaction and experience based on race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

Heather is a native Clevelander and first-generation college graduate who has worked as a Project Manager for National Institutes of Health grants as well as worked as the Francis H. Beam, Jr. Fellow for the philanthropic entity, the Saint Luke’s Foundation. Prior to her fellowship, Heather spent six years managing programming initiatives for the Cleveland Public Library as well as taught adolescents in programs such as the NASA Workforce and Economic Division - Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) Program.

Heather is a member of the Our Hope, Our Future Giving Circle administered in collaboration with the Cleveland Foundation. The initiative is led by Black and/or African American community members of Cleveland who pool their personal dollars to annually provide grants to Black-led nonprofit organizations. Terry recently received the Emerging Philanthropist 2021 Award from Philanthropy Ohio. She was also graced with the Women of Distinction Award in 2018 (Girl Scouts of North East Ohio), the Women’s Centers Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017 (National Women’s Studies Association), the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Award in 2017 (Case Western Reserve University) and the NEO 25 Under 35 Movers and Shakers Award in 2009 (The Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club & Inside Business Magazine). Heather is a wife (Brandon), a mother to fraternal twins (Harper and Braxton), a daughter (Gail and Ronald) and a lover of dogs (Duke).

Jason Weiner joined the foundation’s Advancement Team in October 2017 where he works to foster and strengthen relationships with individuals, families and organizations seeking to impact the causes and issues they care most about through philanthropy. Jason was introduced to a career in the nonprofit sector as one of the first Cleveland Foundation Summer Interns in 2001. Jason brings more than eleven years of senior level fundraising experience in arts and human services organizations to the foundation. In his most recent position as Director of Development for Beck Center for the Arts, he was responsible for developing and implementing the fundraising strategy for the organization as well as building and maintaining individual and institutional relationships. He currently serves as a board member with Ohio Citizens for the Arts and a member of the Cleveland Foundation’s Summer Internship Program Advisory Council. He earned a bachelor of arts in sociology and a master of arts in sociology both from Cleveland State University.

Dr. Renée T. Willis is the Executive Director of The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation; a private foundation committed to advancing educational excellence in Ohio’s PreK-12 public schools since 1959. Appointed in January 2024, Dr. Willis brings more than 30 years of experience in public education to her role, having served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. She is the first woman and the first African American to lead the Foundation.

A proud graduate of Cleveland Public Schools, Dr. Willis holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education from Cleveland State University, a master’s degree in educational administration from Baldwin Wallace University, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Spelman College. Her leadership at the Jennings Foundation reflects her belief that bold, equity-focused philanthropy can drive real systems change in education.

Dr. Willis is also an engaged member of Philanthropy Ohio, where she serves as Co-Chair of the Education Policy Table. Her session will highlight how funders can leverage their influence to shape education policy, support public schools through strategic grantmaking, and navigate the evolving landscape of K-12 education in Ohio. Drawing from both her practitioner and philanthropic experience, she brings a unique and actionable perspective to the conversation on how philanthropy can strengthen public education statewide.