2024 Northern Ohio Women in Leadership Symposium
March 20, 2024
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM (ET)
Theme
Leading With Heart: Empathy, Ethics & Excellence
Sponsored By
The Women in Leadership Symposium is a dedicated event that brings together accomplished women leaders, aspiring leaders, and advocates for gender diversity in various industries. The primary objectives of the symposium are to inspire, educate, and empower women to thrive in leadership roles and to promote gender equity and inclusivity in the workplace. This year's symposium theme is, Leading with Heart: Empathy, Ethics & Excellence," which celebrates and explores the importance of compassion, ethics, and excellence in leadership, particularly as they relate to women leaders. Attendees will gain valuable insights, advice, and connections, making the Women in Leadership Symposium an essential platform for advancing women's representation and influence in leadership positions.
Panelists
Dreyfuss-Wells
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is a regional entity providing sanitary and stormwater management services to Cleveland and 61 suburban communities in Northeast Ohio. As CEO, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells oversees the operation of one of the largest clean-water agencies in Ohio, a district that treats 90 billion gallons of water every year thanks to the work of more than 750 employees. She works closely with seven Trustees and nine directors to ensure efficient management of hundreds of miles of sewer and stream networks, a multi-billion-dollar 25-year Project Clean Lake program, and a regional wet-weather strategy for the health of Lake Erie and more than one million residents. Before becoming CEO, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells coordinated the District’s watershed management, including the Regional Stormwater Management Program and the application of stormwater control measures to reduce combined sewer overflows under the District’s Green Infrastructure Policy. She is past chair of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Stormwater Management Committee and the One Water Council of the US Water Alliance. She serves on the NACWA Board and chairs the District 1 Natural Resources Assistance Council for the Ohio Public Works Commission’s Clean Ohio Conservation Program. In 2012, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells received the Stormwater Professional of the Year award from the Ohio Stormwater Association and the NACWA President’s Award. Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She earned master’s degrees with honors in both Public Affairs and Environmental Science at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Samoa. Before joining the District, she was Director of the Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc.
Good
Monique Good an accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in Human Resources and Labor Relations in public and private sector organizations. Along with holding a Master's degree in Labor Relations and Human Resources from Cleveland State University, Monique’s professional experiences include executive level management, strategic plan development and execution, project management, training and development, and labor and employee relations. Monique serves as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL). Prior to her role as CHRO, she was a Labor and Employee Relations Specialist at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), where her responsibilities included responding to employee grievances, providing guidance on interpretation and application of GCRTA policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements; conducting internal investigations and serving on the collective bargaining negotiations team. Monique’s early professional career experience includes teaching middle school math and science and managing a mortgage company. She was able to use the experiences gained in these positions to segue into Human Resources as a Corporate Trainer for Smithfield Packing Company in Smithfield, VA. That position led to her being offered a position that focused on Labor and Employee Relations at Smithfield’s 5,000-employee plant in Tar Heel, NC. Monique prides herself on her strong interpersonal skills and the ability to thrive in challenging, fast-paced work environments while fostering a culture of creativity and inclusion. Monique is passionate about today’s youth population and volunteers time supporting the youth who frequent CCPL. Monique also enjoys traveling internationally, reading, and caring for her two dogs. She resides in Middleburg Heights.
Haynes-Carter
Helena Haynes-Carter is the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Officer for KeyBank, responsible for driving the diversity, equity and inclusion strategy across the bank. In this role, she leads the strategy and tactics to improve the acquisition, development and retention of diverse talent and suppliers. Helena has more than 30 years of business and DE&I experience, spanning the healthcare, financial services, energy, and public sector industries. She has a track record of success in workforce, community, customer, and supplier diversity. Previously, Helena served as senior director, global DE&I for UnitedHealth Group. In this role, she led enterprise-wide DE&I strategic and business initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she orchestrated a $14 million response with community-based organizations throughout the U.S., deploying over 30,000 COVID-19 tests, wrap-around services, and care referrals. She has also held business and DE&I leadership roles at organizations, including U.S. Bank, Rocky Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council (RMMSDC), Xcel Energy, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, and Colorado’s Regional Transportation District. From 2011 to 2016, Helena served as the Executive Director of the Denver MBDA Business Center, part of the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency and operated by the RMMSDC. The $1.3 million operation facilitated contract awards totaling over $565 million, $333 million in capital financing plus the creation and retention of over 6,650 jobs. Helena’s mantra of “real work delivers real results” is reflected in her 25 years of board service in communities and non-profit organizations, including serving as a gubernatorial appointee to the State of Colorado’s Minority Business Office. She currently serves on the board of the Diversity Center for Northeast Ohio and National INROADS, the nation's largest non-profit source of paid internships for undergraduate, diverse youth. Helena earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing Management from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MBA in Change Management and Leadership from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. KeyCorp is based in Cleveland, OH ,and is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial service companies, with assets of approximately $190 billion.
Sanchez
In the bustling city of Cleveland, Ohio, Margaret D. Sanchez, Vice President of Development at the YWCA of Greater Cleveland, is making waves in the nonprofit sector and beyond. A trailblazer and philanthropist, she has dedicated her career to empowering marginalized communities and enhancing the lives of individuals nationwide. From her impressive accolades to her commitment to social justice, Margaret's story deserves recognition as one of the Top 50 Women in Non-Profit and recognized as One of 100 Latinos to know in Cleveland in 2023. A Life of Excellence and Achievement. Margaret's story is one of determination and perseverance, with a solid academic background from the University of Wisconsin, Sustainable Business Management studies, and an entrepreneurial spirit. She founded MagnifyFund LLC. and has paved her path in the nonprofit world, assessing over 150 nonprofits. Holding prestigious positions at renowned organizations, including Hispanic Unity of Florida and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, Margaret's expertise and leadership have been instrumental in advancing the causes she is passionate about. A champion in Women's Rights. At the heart of Margaret's work lies her unrelenting commitment to supporting the most vulnerable society and empowering women. She spearheads all fundraising initiatives in her role at the YWCA of Greater Cleveland. Margaret is the co-founder of Latin Women Empowering Women in Florida. During National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Broward County Proclamation recognized her selfless volunteerism as the Co-founder of the Hispanic Heritage Chamber of Commerce. She received the Silver Medallion from the National Conference for Community and Justice, the March of Dimes Women of Distinction Award, the Hispanic Women of Distinction Award, and the Local Hero Award by Bank of America. Margaret serves on the Latin American Presidential Mission board and the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Business Center's Board of Trustees. In her spare time is passionate about assisting the most vulnerable and enjoys cooking and exploring her new home state, Ohio. Margaret takes pride in her two children, Natalia and Juan Carlos Sanchez IV.
Sigg
Naomi Sigg is the Vice President for Student Experience and Campus Belonging at John Carroll University. In her role, she oversees, the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI), the Student Accessibility Services Office, Title IX initiatives, and faculty and staff DEIB training, development, and programming. Naomi has more than 15 years of progressive experience in higher education, with a specialization in leadership, diversity and inclusion, and student development. Most recently, she served as senior associate dean of students and director of Multicultural Affairs at Case Western Reserve University. Naomi has been invited to share her expertise in the DEIB field through presentations at various conferences including the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, the International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Education, and the American College Personnel Association. Naomi holds a B.A. in Political Science and a M.S. in College Student Personnel from Miami University. She lives in northeast Ohio with her partner and three children.
Moderator
Mack
Clotea was born in Cleveland, Ohio to a single mother who raised her with a passion for education, reading and writing. After becoming a teenage mother at 16, she later pursued a Bachelor of Arts in English from Case Western Reserve University to become a Language Arts teacher, a calling she still loves today after 28 years. She also received her Master’s degree as a Reading Specialist from Kent State University. Clotea is also an adjunct professor at Lake Erie College and a writing consultant at Tri-C Community College. As the founder and CEO of Lifted in Love, LLC, whose mission is to “Empower people to live their BEST lives NOW!" Clotea does public speaking engagements in both the religious and secular arenas. As the founder and CEO of Lifted in Love, LLC, whose mission is to “Empower women to live their BEST lives NOW!” Clotea presents workshops on the freedom of forgiveness, the power of journaling and self-love, as well as other pertinent topics, to various audiences of different ages and cultures. She also teaches church leadership and organizational principles to help companies, churches, and organizations thrive. She has facilitated workshops for companies and organizations such as the Timken Company, Sigma Gamma Rho, Phi Delta Kappa Sororities, Josiah’s House, and various schools in the Cleveland Public and Warrensville City School Districts, to name a few. She was honored with the Lady of Legacy Award for her work with the youth in the community, and she created a mentoring program and was awarded a grant for- The Village Vibe- for female high school students at the school where she teaches. She is also the founder and Executive Director of A.S.P.I.R.E. Academy, a non-profit organization for young parents whose mission is “Building Families, Building Lives, Building Futures.” Clotea has served as a moderator for the Ohio Diversity Council, Women in Leadership Symposium, a Mental Health Matters Symposium, the Great Lakes Black Authors Expo and Writer’s Conference, and being a guest co-host on TCT Network’s Christian show Julie and Friends. Being a busy entrepreneur and mom to four amazing children does not stop Clotea from leading small group Bible study facilitators at her church and helping others to write and edit their books. Her goal is to ensure that she leaves the earth having touched and impacted as many lives as possible. Her favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Awardee
Rice
Charmaine D. Rice is a collaborative and energetic leader who believes that diversity and inclusion inspire innovation and sustainable success. Charmaine helps individuals, teams, and organizations optimize performance using her experience in human resources, instructional design and facilitation, leadership and organizational development, mentoring, change management, and team building. Charmaine lives just outside of Cleveland Ohio with her husband Kelly. Between them, they have three adult sons – an entrepreneur, a middleware engineer, and a third-year college student studying industrial engineering technology. Charmaine earned a master’s degree from Cleveland State University in Psychology with a specialization in Diversity Management and Organizational Leadership and a bachelor’s degree from Wright State University in Communications with a specialization in Public Relations. She serves as the Senior Vice President, Learning, Development & Diversity for AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. Charmaine supports Heart to Heart Leadership in Akron, Ohio as a facilitator and coach, the Northern Ohio chapter of the Ohio Diversity Council as a member of the Education Committee, the Cleveland chapter of the National African American Insurance Agency as a Program Chair and is the Board President of the Rekindle Fellowship. Co-founded by Charmaine and Matt Fieldman, Rekindle is a deliberate way to bring two diverse communities together for structured dialogue and to inspire action.
Sponsorship Information
$3 Transaction Fee Will Be Added