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CINCINNATI – September 10, 2025 – fifty-one leaders from a variety of organizations in the Cincinnati region have been accepted for WE Lead Class 20.
WE Lead is the flagship program of the Women Excel platform at the Leadership Center WE Lead is a 10-month leadership development that focuses on the whole person. Participants have space to invest in themselves by tapping into multiple angles of growth, including engaging with other leaders, developing career, life, and personal goals, and putting those aspirations into action. WE Lead leans into issues women in our community face such as diversity and inclusion through its programming, facilitators, experiences, and cohorts. This year’s presenting investor is BT Rise.
“WE Lead is more than a leadership program — it’s a transformative experience that equips women with the tools, connections, and confidence to lead with authenticity in every area of their lives,” said Devona Stripling, Director, Women Excel & Everyone Belongs Here, Cincinnati Regional Chamber, “Each cohort strengthens our community by lifting up women leaders who not only excel in their careers but also make a lasting impact across Greater Cincinnati.”
Class 20 includes leaders from a diverse group of industries, companies, and backgrounds across the Cincinnati region. In its 20-year history, almost 1,000 women have graduated from WE Lead.
Members of WE Lead Class 20 include:
- Emily Ahouse, Deputy Director Department of City Planning and Engagement and Zoning Administrator, City of Cincinnati
- Katherine Anderson, Assistant Vice President, Private Relationship Manager, Merrill Private Wealth
- Annette Barnes, Financial Education, WealthWave
- Beth Blakely, Marketing Manager, Cintas
- Kimberly Bolden, Community Engagement Manager, LADD Inc.
- Jessica Broxterman, VP, Director Consumer Ops Business Support, Fifth Third Bank
- Becca Callen, Accounting Director, 3CDC
- Laura Chrysler, Senior Director, Sponsorship & Investment, Cincinnati Regional Chamber
- Lindsay Cline, Director Public Safety Communications, UC Health
- Rebecca Desch, Creative Marketing Manager, Johnson Investment Counsel
- Lauren Doyle, Partner, Wordsworth Communications
- Sarah Eingle, Principal, Senior Director of Interior Design, MSA Design
- Stephanie Glueck, Police Lieutenant, Cincinnati Police Department
- Whitney Hawkins, Brand Manager, Kroger
- Barbara Hicks, Therapist, Uniquely Centered Therapeutic Services, LLC
- Maggie Hobbs, Portfolio Manager, North American Properties
- Audrey Holtzman, Diversity and Inclusion Program Manager, Network for Hope
- Laurie Hoppenjans, Director, Court and Corrections, Talbert House
- Tonya Horton, Director-Revenue Cycle-Patient Access, TriHealth
- Barbie Imm, Inside Sales Manager, Fecon
- Olivia King, Associate Attorney, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
- Kim Koehne, Sr. Manager Finance, Gorilla Glue
- Bethany Lahmann, Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
- Jennifer Laugle, Global Grooming Care R&D Group Head, P&G
- Vicki Lorenz, Director of Vision Services, Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired
- Mary Maune, Program Administrator, Hamilton County Commission on Women & Girls, Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
- Stephanie Mealy, Risk Management Executive, Messer Construction Co.
- Laura Menge, Associate Director, Donor Stewardship, Greater Cincinnati Foundation
- Brittany Norman, Director, Finance and Operations, REDI Cincinnati
- Emily North, Marketing & Internal Communications Manager, The Christ Hospital Health Network
- Jackie O’Connell, Executive Director, Metroparks of Butler County
- Megan O’Keefe, Sustainability Project Manager, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- Angela Padial, Sr. Digital Product Analyst, First Financial Bank
- Sydney Prochazka, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Mount St. Joseph University
- Melissa Rauen, Operations Manager, Sorta/Metro
- Amy Reineke, Chief of Staff, Greater Cincinnati Water Works
- Julie Ross, Project Accountant, The Model Group
- Sierra Roundtree, Association Teen Director, YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
- Amanda Schilling, Director of Human Resources, Great Parks
- Jessica Shrewsbury, Sr. Director, Marketing, The Cincinnati Insurance Company
- Brittany Smith, Youth Housing Opportunity Director, Lighthouse Youth Services
- Olivia Smitherman, Employee Development and Retention Manager, Jostin Construction
- April Stephens, Retiree, Southwestern Transit Authority
- Nyota Stoker, Project Management Consultant, RedeemWell
- Dezeray Stoughton, Recruiter, Medical Solutions
- Angela Thompson, Nursing Supervisor, Cincinnati Health Department
- Theresa Tran, Director Program Management, 84.51°
- Kim Webb, Chief Executive Officer, Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky
- Jasmine Whitfield, Business Development, Turner Construction Company
- Christina Wolnitzek, Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Easterseals Redwood
- Carmen Zerhusen, Senior Director of Ticket Sales, Cincinnati Reds
To inquire about future WE Lead classes, please contact Devona Stripling, dstripling@cincinnatichamber.com. More information about the program can be found at WE Lead – Cincinnati Regional Chamber
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.
Media Contact:
Amy Fitzgibbons, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Cincinnati Regional Chamber afitzgibbons@cincinnatichamber.com | 513.579.3106