Executive Women's Council

Ashley Bethard is the Editor and Chief Content Officer for the Dayton Daily News and Cox First Media. She has spent more than 15 years in journalism, and 11 of them have been in Dayton. She got her start in media as an intern at the Sandusky Register in Sandusky, Ohio.

She has had a variety of roles at Cox since 2012, most recently as Digital Director. In 2015, she was tapped to launch the Dayton.com brand in the market, overseeing the content and engagement strategy. In 2016, she was named to News Media Alliance’s “30 Under 30” list for her work on that project.

Ashley is also a writer, primarily focused on essays and creative nonfiction. Her essays, stories and poems have been published in VIDA Review, The Rumpus, PANK Magazine, Hobart, Fanzine, Catapult, and others. In 2022, she received an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. That same year, she was the recipient of the American Society of Journalists and Authors Writing Award for First-Person Essay.

She was an attendee of the 2019 Tin House Writers Workshop. In 2017, she was awarded the Ohioana Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and for the Dzanc Books “Best of the Web.”

A two-time graduate of Ashland University, she holds a BA in English and Creative Writing (’08) and an MFA in Creative Writing – Nonfiction (’10).

Kandise Bobo, an accomplished leader in business education and community engagement, serves as the Executive Director of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at Sinclair Community College. With a steadfast commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth, Kandise brings a unique blend of expertise and passion to her role.

Armed with an MBA and years of experience in both academia and the business world, Kandise provides small business owners with the resources and support they need to succeed. Her strategic vision and innovative approach to program development have propelled the 10,000 Small Businesses Program to new heights, making a lasting impact on countless entrepreneurs and their ventures.

In addition to her role at Sinclair Community College, Kandise is actively involved in various community initiatives, including her position as a board member of the Dayton Foodbank. Through her leadership and advocacy, she strives to address food insecurity and promote equitable access to nutritious food for all members of the community.

Kandise's unwavering dedication to education, entrepreneurship, and community service serves as an inspiration to those around her, driving positive change and creating opportunities for success in the Dayton area and beyond.

Licensed Attorney in Ohio

MBA from Xavier University

Executive Director at Faruki PLL

Amy Houghting is a second-generation Cox champion. While growing up, she heard stories from her aunt and uncle about their experiences working at the Dayton Daily News. She demonstrates her dedication to supporting the community through local journalism by creating healthy multi-media advertising campaigns for local, regional, and national businesses and developing confident sales talent.

Amy is an accomplished digital sales leader and coach with a laser focus on achieving strategic revenue growth. She leads through collaborative partnerships, building a high-performing team and aligning with the mission of her organization. She has successfully spearheaded the launch and development of highly profitable digital agencies for Paxton Media Group (Paducah, KY), the Toledo Blade and Cox First Media, delivering exceptional revenue growth and EBITDA performance.

Throughout her 28-year career, she has consistently introduced innovative digital marketing solutions, surpassing sales goals and growing revenue for sellers and clients. Amy fosters collaboration across markets and sales organizations to drive strategic revenue growth. She is passionate about ensuring that her clients succeed.

With a results-oriented and collaborative approach with both internal and external resources, she is a motivated leader who excels at problem-solving and exceeding objectives—and seeing that others do so as well.

Amy is a lifelong Daytonian. She attended Wright State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with dual majors in Management Information Systems and Management Operations.

For fun, Amy loves to play cards. She will play euchre, spades, hearts, but she mostly loves playing poker. If she has free time and a poker room is near, that is where you will find her.

Barbara Marsh, DSW, MSW, LISW-S, LICDC-CS

Director, Counseling and Wellness Serivces

I have worked in the mental health and substance use disorder field, as well as within the public health sector since 1993. I have extensive clinical care and executive leadership experience. I value community collaboration and I have spent my career working on improving access to care for underserved populations as well as coordinating community responses to the drug epidemic through various task forces and coalitions.

I received my Doctorate Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California, a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Wright State University. 

I have served on several advisory boards and published articles on juvenile justice initiatives and the impact of the drug epidemic.

My passion lies in working with others who are devoted to the betterment of our communities. I value diversity, equity, and inclusion and I am committed to developing and implementing innovative solutions to improve community outcomes.

Shanda McKinney has over 20 years HR experience leading HR teams and supporting the firm to successfully navigated the acquisition process, institute inclusion and diversity programs and refine a high-performance culture. She is currently the Global Head of People & Culture for Woolpert. She joined Woolpert in 2016, was made Chief Human Resources Officer in 2018 and was promoted to Vice President Shareholder in 2020. Her focus is to maintain a positive work culture through growth, strategic planning and retaining the firm’s Great Place to Work designation. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a master’s in human resource administration. Under her leadership Woolpert has received Dayton Business Journal Diversity Award in 2021, was awarded the Healthiest Employer Award from Dayton Business Journal from 2019-2021 and has been certified as a Great Place to Work nine times. McKinney, a married mother of two, also services on the board of the Dayton Business Chamber, Omega Community Development Corporation, and Young Ladies Aspiring Greatness, she is a former board member of the YWCA and former Board Chair of the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton.

Lindsay [Communication, Responsibility, Woo, Discipline, Positivity] founded Moxie by Nature to use her designations as a Gallup Certified CliftonStrengths Coach & a NACE Certified Career Coach, as well as professional experience in corporate recruiting and staffing, and various functional areas of higher education (including admissions, new student orientation, career development/exploration, student leadership and institutional accreditation initiatives), to connect talent to purpose by challenging clients to own what’s RIGHT with them. She brings both structure and vulnerability to conversations around personal and professional growth, living authentically, employee performance, engagement and motivation, and overall wellbeing. 

As a coach, Lindsay partners with organizations to maximize individual and team performance, inform coaching and decision making, encourage intentional collaboration and improve employee engagement and retention, as well as coaches individual clients for clarity, confidence and accountability, often in areas of personal and professional goals, career growth and transition and business development.

Lindsay has professional experience in corporate recruiting and staffing as well as various functional areas of higher education including admissions, new student orientation, career development, student leadership and institutional accreditation initiatives. Currently, she works for one of the largest community colleges in the world (Sinclair Community College), connecting high school students in career technical education programs to post-secondary paths, scholarships and credit opportunities.

Diane Pleiman is President & CEO of the Premier Physician Network –the largest multi-specialty in Southwest Ohio including 1000+ physicians and APPs.  Since being named to this position in January 2018 she has focused on transforming the group from an acquisition focused to an operating focused organization with an emphasis on access and providing an outstanding experience to grow the business. 

Her previous executive roles included Chief Operating Officer at Upper Valley Medical Center, Vice President of Neuroscience and Oncology Service Lines for Premier Health, Vice President of Operation at Miami Valley Hospital.  Diane joined Premier Health in February,1999.

Mrs. Pleiman holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Wright State University and a Bachelor of Arts in nuclear medicine technology from the University of Findlay.

Her current community service work includes Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and vice chair, and Dayton Live board member.  Past volunteer services include serving on the Fort Loramie School Board of Education holding offices of both President and Vice President, member of the Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors, New Choices, Inc. Board of Directors and the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio Board, 2021 chair of the Women of Influence, as well as holding memberships and positions on church and school committees. 

 She was the recipient of the Dayton Business Journal 's Power 50 as well as earning Dayton Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award.  Diane was also named the Wright State University School of Graduate Studies Outstanding Alumni of the Year.

Diane and her husband, Mark, reside in Tipp City.  They have two adult children, Elizabeth and Caleb.

Experienced Human Resources Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the metal recycling industry. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Coaching, Sales, Team Building, and Management. Strong human resources professional focused in Business Administration and Management, alumni of Southern New Hampshire University. 

I am a true Daytonian through and through having lived my entire life in roughly four square miles in Belmont or Beavercreek. I love my community! 

I have two boys, Ben who is 11 and Will who is 9, that I simply adore! They are so different but so amazingly sweet! Together we play with our two BIG dogs, who are the biggest babies but would scare the pants off anyone!

One of my most recent hobbies is discovering succulents. I love plants that need little care but look great! I am enjoying finding creative ways to display them inside my patio and house. Let's hope the green thumb keeps going!

Outside of my family, two of my true loves are history and politics. In fact, I graduated from Wright State with a BA in History and a Minor in Political Science. While I enjoy those things, I have been lucky enough to parlay skills into the business world yet I am happy lounging on the couch watching documentaries all day. 

Account Executive at Elements IV Interiors