CEO, Heuser Hearing Institute

I have had the pleasure of serving as CEO of Heuser Hearing Institute for the past nine years. Since coming to HHI, I have overseen the doubling of the size of the Heuser Hearing and Language Academy and created a unique program where the school’s deaf and hard of hearing students learn alongside their hearing peers, creating a richer educational experience. I have also focused on expanding HHI’s reach as Louisville’s only nonprofit hearing center with the expansion to five clinic locations in Louisville and Southern Indiana and increasing the number of patients treated.

Since its inception, Heuser Hearing & Language Academy has provided early intervention and education for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Our goal is to impart in each of our students with strong and lasting foundation on which they can build a promising and successful future.

Executive Director

Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana

Leslea began working for this agency in February 2020 but have been involved with this agency from inception in 2016 as the Board Chair. Before working at the Coalition, Cronin spent her career advocating for those who are vulnerable. She worked at St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities as the Social Services Director, Seven Counties as the State Director of Community Based Services and at Family and Children’s Place providing therapy and advocacy for abused and neglected children. 

In addition to working in social services she also teaches at the Kent School of Social work as Field Faculty and Sociology at Ivy Tech. Cronin has a master’s degree in Social Work and Bachelors in Sociology, both from the University of Louisville. After receiving her my masters, she went on to gain my Licensed Clinical Social Work license where she opened her own small private practice for therapy services. She enjoys working with new social workers and advocates who will be our next world advocates.

Business Manager

ImpactV, LLC

Tim is currently leading the start-up efforts for ImpactV, LLC Shared Services, a partnership created by four local nonprofits agencies with a major focus to help address nonprofits’ demand for reliable accounting and finance functions. ImpactV, LLC serves to remove the worry of managing back-office personnel and allowing the CEO or executive director to focus on the mission of the organization.

Tim has over 25 years of executive leadership and financial management experience in various organizations and industries. Most recently held positions included Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer with large closely held logistic company and professional service firms, including a large Am Law 200 law firm in Richmond, Virginia. Additionally, Tim has been Adjunct Accounting instructor for over 20 years. He is currently an Adjunct instructor with Sullivan University and Indiana Wesleyan University here in Louisville.

Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Wilmington University, a master’s degree in Taxation from Widener University and an Executive MBA from Temple University. His professional certifications are in the accounting and finance areas with CPA and Certified Global Management Accountant designations.

CEO

Wellspring

Katherine is responsible for guiding Wellspring toward the fulfillment of its mission to promote mental health recovery and support individuals in building healthy & hopeful lives through behavioral health, housing, and employment services. Dobbins has served as Wellspring’s CEO since 2009, having previously served as the organization’s Director of Programs and Associate Director. During her tenure as CEO, Wellspring has experienced significant growth by more than tripling its clients served, budget, programs and employees. Other accomplishments include, leading the agency through national accreditation and licensure as a Behavioral Health Services Association. She has also co-authored several journal articles on supportive housing and psychiatric rehabilitation. 

Dobbins is a licensed clinical social worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Louisville and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Randolph College. She has served on numerous boards and committees and currently serves as Treasurer of the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund. She received the 2019 HealthCare Hero Award in Management from Business First and is a recipient of the Frank M. Gaines Professional award from the Kentucky Mental Health Association. 

CEO

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana

Gary is entering his second year as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana. He brings a lifelong passion for helping young people achieve their potential, and a family motto of “Planting seeds of service” to the organization.

Friedman shares a long time vision of “bringing people together” in every community he has resided, including living in Louisville for over 20 years.

His previous professional experiences include working in college athletics for 26 years, ten of which at the University of Louisville. He also brings experiences from Learfield Sports and the KFC Yum! Center, Kentucky Venues, and St. Joseph Children’s Home.

Friedman is a widower, raising two boys ages 14 and 12, and is very involved in a diverse community of family and friends.

Executive Director

Coalition for the Homeless

Natalie joined The Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization committed to advocacy, education and collaboration on the issues of homelessness in April of 2010. The Coalition is a member agency of over 30 homeless shelter and service providers serving Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. They have a staff of 25 and a budget of over $5 million, much of it pass-through funding to homeless service providers. Natalie was responsible for working to create Rx: Housing/Louisville and effort to end both veteran and chronic homelessness in Louisville.

For four and a half years before that, Natalie was the Chief Executive Officer of Miami Valley Housing Opportunities, a nonprofit supportive housing provider in Dayton, Ohio. MVHO manages almost 600 units of supportive housing throughout Montgomery County. Before joining MVHO, Natalie was a partner at The Partnership Center, Ltd in Cincinnati where she served as a HUD technical assistance provider and nonprofit grant writer. 

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. 

President

The Housing Partnership Inc.

The Housing Partnership, Inc. is a nonprofit affordable housing development corporation with a diversified real estate portfolio and multiple lines of business, including real estate acquisition and development, development consulting, asset management, property management, and home buyer education programming to serve HPI’s mission – to create, promote, and sustain affordable housing opportunities.

Andrew is an experienced affordable housing professional with over 25 years of leadership experience in real estate, policy and finance. As HPI’s President & CEO, Andrew oversees the administration and strategic planning of the corporation, including real estate development, financing, HPI construction and asset management.

Andrew came to The Housing Partnership in January 2016 as Vice President, Director of Housing Production, following a lengthy career with the Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC).

During his 18-year tenure with KHC, Andrew held various leadership positions within the single-family homeownership and multifamily programs, moving from Director of Single-Family Homeownership to Managing Director of Multifamily Programs.

A licensed attorney, Andrew holds a B.A. from McKendree College and received a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

President

New Hope Services, Inc.

Jody has served as President of New Hope Services since 2020 and Chief Operating Officer since 2013. Before that, she served as Vice President/Director of Social Services 2011-2013, and Director of Adult Services 2004-2011.

In this position she partners with the Executive Management Team to implement aggressive management and successful growth; works to identify gaps in services and conduct market analysis and needs assessments that provide opportunity and direction for the organization. She is also certified as a Rental Housing Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council and Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDO) Executive Training. 

Jody is responsible for the leadership, management, and fiscal stability of New Hope Services, Inc. and New Hope Development Services, Inc. She directs the divisions of Ability Services, Family Services, Housing & Community Development, Fund Development/Public Relations, and Administration.

She previously served as an Administrative & Program Surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), 2011-2016. Before joining New Hope Services, Jody worked for Community Connections, Inc. in Durango, Colorado in Quality Assurance.

President and CEO

Waterfront Botanical Gardens

Since 2013, Kasey Maier has been working with Waterfront Botanical Gardens to raise awareness, raise money, develop programs and build the business. Before Waterfront Botanical Gardens, Kasey worked with several start-ups and non-profits. Kasey worked in banking and finance for 25 years, until the crash in 2008 when she found her true passion, helping non-profits get off the ground. She is a Louisville native with two grown children.

Director

Louisville Zoo

Dan has made his passion for wildlife his career, serving some of the world’s top zoos. He comes to Louisville from Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens where he was Deputy Director. Dan has also served as GM for Life Sciences at Australia’s Melbourne Zoo, a Curator for the Wildlife Conservation Society and General Curator for the New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo, where he led the crew who remained behind during Hurricane Katrina. A proud Rotarian, he served as president of the West Jacksonville club. Dan is thrilled to be Louisville Zoo’s fifth director, and he and his wife Laura have already put down roots by purchasing a fixer-upper in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood.

President / CEO 

Zoom Group

Melissa joined Zoom Group in May of 2015. Before joining Zoom Group, she was the CEO of Appro Therapeutics, LLC, whereby she utilized CFO and CEO skills, leading the start-up biotech, pre-clinical (oncology drug and companion diagnostic) development company, from licensing technology, regulatory requirements, commercialization plan to seeking venture capital. Heavy emphasis placed on business valuation, decision modeling, and stage-gate processes. Appro Therapeutics, LLC competed in the Global Venture Labs Investment Competition circuit Spring 2014. Before her work with start-ups, Marvel served as a Chief Financial Officer for more than 18 years. She possesses Fortune 500, nonprofit, public and private business experience. 

She has over a decade of wide-ranging experience with Kosair Charities, a nonprofit organization. Her contributions included implementing new financial systems, strategic plans, budget processes, internal controls, cost containment and efficiencies, contract negotiations, merger & acquisition (including implementation and valuation), and project management. Asset management exceeded $200M for 10 of those years.

Executive Director

Speed Art Museum

Raphaela joined the Speed Art Museum on August 30, 2021 and came to the Speed from a 14-year tenure as the Alice & Harris Weston Director and Chief Curator at the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati, where she oversaw a number of initiatives that ultimately led to a 400% increase in attendance and a doubling of the museum’s annual operating budget. In 2016, she also drove the initiative to make admission to the museum free of charge, and in 2015 she oversaw a renovation to its Zaha Hadid-designed lobby. Before her work at the CAC, Platow was chief curator and acting director of the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, and she held positions at the Kunstforum Munich and Projektraum Berlin in her native Germany.

President & CEO

Jewish Community of Louisville

Sarah has been honored to serve as the President and CEO of the Jewish Community of Louisville (JCL) since 2015. A Louisville native, she joined the JCL’s predecessor, the Jewish Community Federation, in 1990 as the Community Relations and Young Women's Campaign Director. Over her 31-year career here, she has served as Federation Associate Campaign Director and JCL Senior Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, which included responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the JCC. She has overseen Planning and Allocations, Women's Philanthropy, Israel Emergency Campaigns and leadership development programs, and has planned and led many missions to Israel.

Wagner received a B.A. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University. 

Most recently, Sara has been working with the JCL board, staff and volunteers to raise $43 million as part of a Capital Campaign for a new JCC building on the existing JCC campus. The Trager Family Jewish Community Center will open in Spring 2022 as a place of inclusiveness and togetherness for the entire Louisville community.

President/CEO

The Center for Women and Families

The Center serves victims of domestic, intimate partner, and sexual violence in seven counties in Kentucky and two counties in Southern Indiana. Elizabeth has an extensive career history in senior management developing programs and expanding services to meet the needs of children and families who have suffered trauma related to violence, oppression, racism, and poverty throughout Kentucky. She is a graduate of U of L’s Kent School of Social Work where she earned a master’s in the science of social work. She began her social work career in 1987 at Northern KY Comprehensive Care center where she served on the planning team developing community-based programs, and later worked with children and adolescents on the inpatient unit.

Before joining The Center for Women and Families, Elizabeth held leadership positions at Uspiritus, where she expanded psychiatric and residential services and developed a full continuum of care for boys ages 6-18. She then joined Sunrise Children’s Services as the first Vice President of Foster Care and Community Based Services, leading the way in expanding foster care services to rural Kentucky. In addition to her leadership roles in organizations, Elizabeth developed a successful behavioral health private practice specializing in women’s issues, sexual and physical abuse of children and youth as well as working with the correctional and judicial system completing assessments for adult male sex offenders. Most recently she was Vice President of Business Development and Community Programs at Hosparus Health where she launched a community-based program for adult palliative care and dramatically increased census for children and their families while serving as Interim Director of the Kourageous Kids pediatric hospice and palliative care program.

CEO and Principal Consultant, Michele Shelton, LLC

Michele L. Shelton, CDP, CPC, is CEO and Principal Consultant of Michele Shelton LLC, a DEI management consulting firm based in Louisville. An international speaker, author, executive coach, and thought leader on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Michele guides courageous organizational leaders beyond barriers that impede DEI success. She is respected for empowering others to confront and conquer the -ism’s that impact our humanity and the bottom line at work and beyond. Along with her team, Michele is on a mission to support communities and organizations committed to creating inclusive, equitable cultures that acknowledge, affirm, and add value to the total experience of every person under their influence.

Michele has been featured in Who’s Who publications, The Louisville Defender, the Courier-Journal, Today’s Woman magazine, on radio, and on television. An alumna of the University of Louisville and Louisville Seminary, Michele also holds multiple certifications for diversity, leadership training, and coaching. She is a member of the Dean’s Council for the UofL College of Arts & Sciences, National Speakers Association, Society for Human Resource Management, National Association for Female Executives, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, and Leadership Louisville.

Michele was recognized as a Top 100 Diversity Trailblazer in 2020 by Talenya, Ltd. She is a former and current member of the advisory board and board of directors for several organizations promoting equity in employment, education, and entrepreneurship. A contributing author to three international anthologies, she is currently working on her fourth and solo title, The Simplicity of Diversity.