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Our Team

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Lynanne Gutierrez

President & CEO

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Shannon Jones

Senior Advisor

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Brittany Boulton

Vice President

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Caitlin Feldman

Policy Director

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Nathaniel Grossman

Director of Communications

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Malissa Harris

Policy Associate

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Troy Hunter

Senior Policy Director

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Jacob Oates

Program Manager

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Elijah Smith

Communications Associate

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Becca Thomas

Managing Director of Communications

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Our Board Leadership

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Mary Augsburger

Board Member

Mary Amos Augsburger holds the distinction of being the first female CEO of the Ohio State Bar Association and only the fourth leader in the organization’s 143-year history. Augsburger leads and directs this $10 million professional membership association that represents more than 25,000 Ohio lawyers, judges, and law students. Pursuing her passion to give back to her community, Augsburger also serves on a number of boards and professional organizations.

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Lisa A. Gray

Board Member

Lisa is the president of Ohio Excels. Her career has been dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of ALL of Ohio’s students. Prior to leading Ohio Excels, Lisa had her own consulting practice specializing in public policy development, government relations, advocacy, strategic planning, and project management—with emphasis on public education.

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David Melin

Board Member

David is regional president for PNC Bank in Dayton, Ohio. Melin has overall client, community and employee responsibilities, which include Corporate & Institutional Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management covering a 12-county territory across the Miami Valley area. He has over 30 years of executive leadership experience.

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Laura DiCola

Board Member

Laura is the Senior Program Officer for Education for the GAR Foundation. As such, Laura's role is to refine and lead the implementation of the Foundation’s education strategy, rooted in collaborative, interconnected grantmaking work and systems-level change initiatives. Most recently, Laura served as Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Strategic Partnerships at the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health. Prior to that, she led strategic and policy initiatives at Summit Education Initiative. Laura also practiced law in the private sector for nearly 20 years, becoming a national expert on state & local taxation and litigating matters in more than 35 states and the US Supreme Court.

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Eric Kearney

Board Member

Eric is President/CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce and has had a career in law, business, and politics. As a state senator, Eric served as Ohio Senate Minority Leader. On a national level, Eric was a member of President Barack Obama's national finance committee when he ran for U.S. Senate and President. Eric has been a leader in Ohio's legal community and is a managing partner of Kearney & Kearney, LPA.

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Ron Rees

Board Member

Ron Rees is a retired social justice advocate who most recently served as the Executive Director for COAD, the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development, in Athens, Ohio. He also served as the Executive Director of the Washington County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Board for nearly 18 years. Prior to that, Ron spent time in San Diego as part of the Department of Social Services.

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Dr. Rebekah Dorman

Board Member

Dr. Dorman is a Developmental Psychologist who has been working on behalf of children and families for the past 40 years. Her positions have spanned the academic, nonprofit, philanthropic, and government sectors and always included a special focus on families at risk. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Brandeis University and received her doctorate from Cornell.

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Robyn Lightcap

Board Chair

Robyn is Executive Director at Preschool Promise. Robyn also serves on the Governor's Early Childhood Advisory Council. She has led complex projects in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, including at IBM, Chicago's Willow Creek Community Church and Evenflo. Robyn has a business degree from Wake Forest University.

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Cheryl Rose

Board Member

Cheryl is a partner with Constellation Wealth Advisors, advising business owners and families of significant wealth. Prior to Constellation, Cheryl spent over 20 years leading investment management and wealth businesses for 5/3 and PNC Banks. Cheryl is a passionate advocate for expanding early childhood access in our communities. After serving on the board of Success by 6, Cheryl helped lead the effort to make the Cincinnati Preschool Promise become a reality and was an inaugural Trustee and its Treasurer.

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