CINCINNATI – July 25, 2025 – The Cincinnati Regional Chamber is proud to announce the honorees for its Annual Leadership Center Celebration, an event that recognizes individuals whose leadership, service, and civic impact are helping shape a growing, thriving Cincinnati region. The celebration honors both accomplished alumni and rising leaders from the Chamber’s robust leadership programs.
This year’s Nelson Schwab, Jr. Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Carl Satterwhite, President & Owner of RCF Group, and Rick Greiwe, Principal of Greiwe Development. These esteemed leaders join a growing list of trailblazing alumni who have demonstrated long-term leadership and a deep commitment to advancing the Cincinnati region through both business and civic engagement.
Receiving the Civic Quotient Award, which honors emerging leaders who exemplify the knowledge, action, and the “up and coming” cohort of civic leaders, are Emily Cashell, Attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, and Angelica M. Hardee, Vice President, Community Impact at the American Heart Association.
“The Leadership Center Celebration is one of our most meaningful moments of the year,” said Brendon Cull, President & CEO of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber. “It allows us to recognize leaders—seasoned and emerging—who are putting values into action and helping us build a growing, thriving region where everyone belongs.”
The Nelson Schwab, Jr. Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor given to graduates of the Chamber’s leadership programs, celebrating those who have made significant contributions to our region’s progress and civic life over time and are “Leaders Among Leaders.” Since 1985, the Cincinnati Regional Chamber has been proud to hand out this award to 44 deserving individuals. Both Carl Satterwhite and Rick Greiwe have demonstrated exceptional dedication to strengthening Greater Cincinnati through visionary leadership, entrepreneurship, and community impact.
Now in its second year, the Civic Quotient Award reflects a blend of civic awareness, community engagement, and leadership potential. These individuals demonstrate a clear understanding of the state of our region, its culture and history, the relationships and structures that guide decision making, and aspire to act and improve the public good. Emily Cashell and Angelica Hardee have each emerged as respected changemakers, using their talents to collaborate, build bridges and advocate for a better community for all.
“These honorees represent the very best of what civic leadership looks like in action,” said Sean Comer, Vice President of the Leadership Center at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber. “Their work is not only impressive—it’s inspiring, and it’s a reminder of how individuals across our community can lead with purpose and heart.”
The Leadership Center Celebration brings together alumni, community partners, and civic leaders to honor those who are creating positive change and a lasting impact in our community. The event will take place on September 10th at Memorial Hall. More information and registration for the event can be found here.
Honoree Bios:
Nelson Schwab Jr. Distinguished Alumni Award:
- Rick Greiwe | Principal, Greiwe Development | Leadership Cincinnati Class 8
Leadership Cincinnati Class 8 alum Rick Greiwe is a visionary entrepreneur, community builder, and tireless civic leader whose influence can be seen across Greater Cincinnati over the past four decades. Rick has not only built vibrant neighborhood centers through his work as founder of Greiwe Development, but he has also shaped the cultural fabric of the region in ways few others have.
Rick’s leadership has brought bold ideas to life. As Executive Director of Cincinnati Bicentennial in 1988, the Commission led the development of Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Point, the Riverwalk and initial tax levee to create Cincinnati Museum Center. The Commission was also the driving force behind Tall Stacks, hosted six times, to attract international media and visitors to our world class riverfront. An expanded festival, America’s River Roots will celebrate river culture, cuisine, music and cruises to kick off for our nation’s 250th anniversary this October. Rick and several other community leaders formed a nonprofit to lead this effort.
In addition, Rick served as the first Executive Director of Downtown Cincinnati Inc., setting the stage for much of what we see downtown today. He was a founding member of Ohio River Way which recently secured National Park Service designation for 308 miles of the Ohio River as a National Water Trail. Rick was on the leadership team that developed the plan and managed the fundraising for The Crown, a 34-mile urban trail loop.
Rick’s accomplishments are matched by his character. Known as a collaborative and humble leader, he inspires those around him with his creativity and determination. He brings people together across sectors and generations, moving leaders and forming teams that achieve the unthinkable. His love for Cincinnati is infectious, and his ability to see possibility has made him a force of positive change in our community.
For his enduring impact, his ability to make big ideas reality and his commitment to create a vibrant connected region, Rick Greiwe exemplifies the spirit of civic leadership we celebrate with this award.
- Carl Satterwhite | RCF Group President & Owner | Leadership Cincinnati Class 28
Carl Satterwhite of Leadership Cincinnati Class 28 has spent his career building not just a successful business, but opportunities and pathways for others to thrive. As President and Owner of RCF Group, Carl has grown the company into one of the region’s largest minority-owned businesses, with nearly $100 million in revenue and over 100 employees. Under his leadership, RCF Group became the first company to join the Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator after the city’s civil unrest, paving the way for countless other businesses to follow.
Carl’s influence extends far beyond the walls of his company. He is the originator and co-creator of “Touchdown for HOPE,” an annual fundraiser for the Lindner Center of HOPE that has raised over $2 million to support mental health initiatives. His commitment to diversity and inclusion has been highlighted in a Harvard Business School case study exploring Cincinnati’s corporate MBE efforts and supplier diversity.
For over 15 years, Carl has mentored and championed minority-owned businesses through his role as Vice Chair of the Cincinnati Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee and as President of the Cincinnati African American CEO Roundtable. He is also a minority owner of the Cincinnati Reds through the AACE Group led by Ed Rigaud.
With a leadership philosophy centered on “Making Others Realize Extra” (MORE), Carl has created a legacy of economic growth, mentorship, and community impact. His vision, determination, and generosity have touched lives across the region, making him a true force for positive change and a deserving recipient of this award.
CQ (Civic Quotient) Award:
- Emily Cashell | Attorney, Taft Stettinius & Hollister | Cincy Next Class 10
Emily Cashell Cincy Next Class 10 alum, is an Attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister whose practice mainly focuses on business immigration, including advising on temporary work visas as well as permanent solutions for bringing the global workforce and experts to the Cincinnati region for a wide range of clients including doctors and medical experts for numerous local hospital systems, technology and engineering companies, and many others. Emily’s work has been critical on attracting and retaining talent to move Cincinnati forward, and facilitating the employment of that talent to many of our prestigious organizations that are headquartered in Cincinnati.
Emily is also a Board Member and Volunteer attorney with the Immigrant & Refugee Law Center where she has helped refugee and exploited immigrant youth settle into the Cincinnati area. Through this pro bono work, Emily advocates for one of the most vulnerable populations of resettlers in our region – Special Immigrant Juveniles. Emily has argued these cases in the Hamilton County Juvenile Court as well as with the United States Citizenship and Immigrant Service in order to support these children on their path for residency in the Cincinnati region.
In addition, Emily serves on the Young Professional Catalyst Board for the Cincinnati Art Museum, a role she has taken on to continue her commitment to diversifying key cultural asses in our region and increase access to all.
Prior to joining Taft, Emily practiced immigration law in Toronto, Canada. She earned her J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and received her B.S., magna cum laude, in psychology from The Ohio State University.
- Angelica M. Hardee, Ph.D., MCHES | Vice President, Community Impact, American Heart Association | C-Change Class 16
An alumna of C-Change Class 16, Dr. Angelica Hardee serves as Vice President of Community Impact at the American Heart Association, leading Greater Cincinnati/NKY’s strategies and community health initiatives related to hypertension, e-cigarette/tobacco use, and healthy food access.
Dr. Hardee is a committed leader and advocate for access to health care and health-related social needs for populations across the Cincinnati region. In addition to her role at the American Heart Association, Dr. Hardee has served on many local boards including the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Southwestern Ohio, the City of Cincinnati Primary Care, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio, Cancer Justice Network Board, UC CECH Dean’s Community Advisory Board, Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training Community Partner Council, and Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council. Her impact is also felt nationally as she is the Chair-Elect and a former 3-term Governing Councilor for the Community Health Planning and Policy Development section of the American Public Health Association.
Previously, Dr. Hardee led the Greater Cincinnati/NKY population health agenda with 35 hospitals, 28 local health departments, and the 25-county Regional Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Implementation Plan. She began her career at UC, completing her doctorate while teaching Epidemiology, Global Health, Environmental Health, and currently serves as an Adjunct Profession at the University. She is also the Applied Practice Experience Co-Director of the DrPH program at Tulane University, focusing on public health program planning, policy development, and evaluation.
Dr. Hardee is a native of Cleveland, OH, and a three-time alumna of the University of Cincinnati. She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in public health, health policy, and global health systems.
The Annual Leadership Center Celebration is supported by our Supporting Investors Medical Mutual and Sheakley, and our Media Partner, the Cincinnati Business Courier.
About the Cincinnati Regional Chamber
The Cincinnati Regional Chamber is the premier business and civic organization dedicated to growing the vibrancy and economic prosperity of the Cincinnati region. To achieve its vision that Cincinnati is a growing, thriving region where everyone belongs, the Chamber seeks to grow our economy, grow our population, and grow our cultural vibrancy — with the foundation of a strong business community — to foster a welcoming environment for all. The Chamber’s membership offerings, signature leadership programs, government and regional advocacy efforts, community events such as BLINK and Oktoberfest as well as key partnerships with organizations like Cincinnati Experience, Cincinnati Compass, Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator, and the Workforce Innovation Center lead the way in making that vision a reality. For more information, visit cincinnatichamber.com.
For media inquiries, contact:
Amy Fitzgibbons, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Cincinnati Regional Chamber; afitzgibbons@cincinnatichamber.com; 646.369.5406
