Leadership Dayton Program Graduates

Mérida E. Allen, M.Ed.  

Providing students with support, resources and strategies for college and career success, is the dream role for Mérida Allen. Prior to current appointment as Associate Dean of Students and Executive Director  of the University of Dayton’s (UD) Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center, she served as Associate Director for Leadership Initiatives, and Director for Multi-Ethnic Education in the Center. At her alma mater, at the University of Toledo, she served for 13 years as Associate Director for TOLEDO EXCEL, a scholarship-incentive program, and the Office of Excellence and Multicultural Student Success. 

Merida has worked directly with students and families from their point of access to the university, beyond graduation, providing educational resources, mentoring, leadership development and student success coaching.  She has provided leadership in working with campus partners, coordinating dialogue facilitator trainings, workshops, and programs on campus, developing the UD Diversity Peer Educators Program, a cohort of students that impact campus, addressing diversity, equity and inclusion. She has served on numerous committees and work groups such as the Institutional Bias Response Advisory Committee (Chair), Advancing Religious Diversity and Inclusion, and President’s Task Force for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Student Development’s Strategic Planning Co-Curricular Learning 2022 (Co-Chair) and Diversity Action Team and Strategic Planning (Co-Chair). Merida presents and facilitates workshops at UD for students, faculty and staff related to inclusive leadership, dialogue and Intergroup Communication, in efforts to increase understanding across difference, promote identity development, explore concepts of power and privilege, leadership, and provide useful tools for strengthened communication. She convenes a monthly affinity group for Black women on campus, to assist in fostering a sense of belonging for faculty and staff. 

A University of Toledo alumna, Merida earned a Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Higher Education Administration and Graduate Certificate in Communication Studies, from The University of Toledo.  Now, as doctoral candidate at the University of Dayton, she is currently dissertating about research related to Intergroup Communication and diverse learning environments, in the Educational Leadership Program, concentrating on Higher Education, at UD. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Dayton, serves on the Board of Directors for her alma mater St. Ursula Academy (Toledo, OH) and on the Dayton Public Schools Foundation (Dayton, OH). She was named a Women of UD, and Merida is a 2013 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award by National City Bank and African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio and nominee for Toledo’s Top 20 Under 40 Award. Allen formerly served as Board of DIrectors for WGTE TV-Toledo, and United Way’s African American Leadership Council. She was named Faculty Member of the Year by the student organization, Black Action Through Unity (BATU) at UD for the 2017-18 academic year. She is a staff champion, mentor and advisor to numerous students and student organizations such as UD’s BATU, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and House of UD. Merida is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Sigma Omega Chapter a continues to serve as a mentor, and contributor to building thriving living and learning environments for students and youth. 

Dance is her first  and lasting love, and over 40 years has dwelled in living out lessons from her formal training in classical ballet, technical jazz, contemporary, modern and advanced urban line dance, maintaining membership in organized groups. Pedagogically, dance allows Merida to educate and empower others to value self-expression and wellbeing, as a form of communication. Merida resides in Tipp City, OH with her partner Jermaine, son, Jordan Eugene, and furbabies Jiji and Jyro. 

#

As a Group Benefits Consultant, my goal is to bring a positive change to every organization and in the lives of their employees by implementing health insurance benefits that are useful, attractive and affordable.  We help companies save money and keep and recruit good employees.  We provide them with exceptional service and educate their employees on using their benefits.

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.

https://lowndes-law.com/people-detail/client/jyllian-bradshaw

Decades in broadcast media sales/sales mgmt - University of Dayton grad- Leadership Dayton Class of 2003- currently volunteer Community Leader for UD's Dayton Alumni Community

Mr. George Dalton is a Vice President at CFD Research. He holds a B.S. in Electronic Engineering Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), an MS in Computer Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), an MBA from The Ohio State University, and All-But-Dissertation in an Electrical Engineering PhD at AFIT. Mr. Dalton is a retired Air Force Officer with 37 years of experience in the military and defense industry, including 24 years on active duty. Prior to joining CFD Research, he was the Deputy Director of the Air and Space Systems Division at KeyW Corporation/Jacobs, and previously a Department of Defense acquisition corps member serving in multiple roles for U.S. Air Force acquisition. Mr. Dalton has also held several roles in the aerospace and defense industry relating to the design, development and operational deployment of Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), Air Support Operations, and Space Battle Management Systems. He has been supporting Air and Space intelligence research and development for the Air Force Research Lab, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center for the past 12 years. He is also an officer and founding member of the Open Group’s Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA) Consortium.

Brandi Davis-Handy has nearly 20 years of communications, marketing, and stakeholder engagement experience. Since starting her career as a broadcast journalist. Brandi has used the tools of storytelling and narrative to connect audiences moving toward a shared goal. Today, Brandi leads communications and community efforts for AES’ utilities in Indiana and Ohio. Prior to AES, she served as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Project Lead The Way and has also led communications teams at OneAmerica Financial Partners, Indianapolis Power & Light Company, and the American Cancer Society.

Brandi is an active community leader having served on the boards of the 500 Festival, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Dress for Success of Indianapolis, Women’s Fund of Central Indiana and Lynx Capital Corporation. She is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series. Brandi is also a founding member of the African American Legacy Fund of Indianapolis which is focused on raising awareness and advocating on issues affecting the African American community.

Brandi has been recognized as a Center for Leadership Development Minority Achiever in Media and Communications in 2018 and was the recipient of the Breakthrough Woman in Leadership Development Award for 2018 from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

Brandi received her B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University. 

An established leader in the public sector, I currently serve as chief legal counsel for the City of Dayton. As Director of Law I manage both the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the Department of Law. As a member of the City's executive leadership team, I act as a thoughtful advisor who anticipates problems across the organization and looks for innovative solutions. Prior to working for the City, I held positions with the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender and Green & Green Lawyers. 

My commitment and passion for our local community is evident in the numerous volunteer roles I have held. I currently serve as a board member for the Dayton Bar Foundation at the Dayton Bar Association. Most recently I served as Vice-Chair for the YWCA Board of Trustees, Chair of the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Council, and served two terms on the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project board. 

I am a 2020 graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Previous leadership opportunities include Secretary of the Dayton Bar Association, 2nd District Representative of the Ohio Magistrate's Association, and  Chair of the Dayton Bar Association's Diversity Committee. 

Pamela Ellis, MBA, PhD—The Education Doctor®— is an award-winning educational consultant whose experience includes advising school districts, community organizations, and institutes of higher education.

She is the host of “Keep C.A.L.M. for Moms” – a show to discuss what it means to educate the next generation of leaders with grace and ease.

She has visited more than 500 colleges and universities internationally to gain insight into their varying cultures and to explore the range of academic and social opportunities available to students on campus. Her research areas include high school to college transition, parent engagement, African-American males in education, and college completion.

She is a highly sought-after speaker and author of the best-selling book What to Know Before They Go: College Edition, which helps school leaders, counselors, mentors and parents/caregivers support teens toward higher education success.

Dr. Pamela graduated from Stanford University and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and earned a doctorate from the Stanford University School of Education.

Attorney at Law.  

https://www.daytonohio.gov/244/Deputy-Director-Assistant-Chief

"If you are afraid to fail; then you do not deserve to be successful"

After graduating from Wright State University - Raj Soin College of Business I began my career with U.S. Bank, as a member of the Leadership Development Program and have held progressively responsible leadership positions since 2011.

I have been with U.S. Bank for all 9+ years of my career assisting c-suite executives through financial, operational and people transformations across industries including; Retail, Services, CPG, DTC, Real-Estate, Manufacturing, Utilities, Financial Services/Insurance, Healthcare, Restaurant, and NPO.

I am vehemently dedicated to creating unparalleled experiences for my clients and employees. I pride myself on the commitment to understand my clients, their priorities, goals, and timelines to deliver the right disruptive solution(s). As a leader and engager of people, I take great joy in mentorship, development, and connecting people to their passions.

Community:
With an unyielding belief that you are only as strong as the community around you. For that, I sit on multiple advisory Boards and Committees, including Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, Intercommunity Justice, and Peace Center (IJPC), WordPlay Cincinnati, and Wright State University, Alumni Association. I am also a previous, founding board member of Future Leaders Over-The-Rhine.

Specialties & Technical Areas:
- Finance & Operational Consulting
- Product Strategy / Product Management
- Project Mapping and Management
- Data Analysis
- Process Improvement
- Digital Transformation
- Business Strategy and Operations
- ERP and Custom Solution Evaluation & Implementation
- Working Capital Analysis / Engagement
- New Business Sales Generation
- Sales Strategy and Leadership
- Corporate and Commercial Lending (C&I, D&I, SBA, CRE, Term, Leasing, Equipment, M&A)
- Treasury Management Instruments (including Corporate & Retail Payments)
- Payment Acceptance (FinTech, Acquiring, Gateway, Middleware, Integration, Pricing, Optimization, Security etc.)


Interests:
Spending time with my family & friends
Orange Theory Fitness #OTF
Personally titled 'Foodie'
Hiking (Getting Outside)
Sports (Basketball, Football, Golf)

Suresh Iyer is Chief Technology Officer of Henny Penny, a position he has held since September 2022. As CTO, Suresh leads Henny Penny’s end-to-end data and product innovation strategies to build digital capabilities and accelerate growth.

An accomplished executive and transformational leader, Suresh leads enterprise-wide strategies to generate data-driven insights that promote effectiveness and develop intelligent, connected solutions and automation that maximizes customer experience and value. He also provides strategic counsel for the company’s digital transformation efforts.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the manufacturing, business process and technology sector, Suresh has the expertise and a proven track record of delivering global business services, process and digital transformation, plant automation, client management, strategy, and practice development.

Suresh is passionate about building businesses on innovation, technology, data, ideas, and imagination. A Lean Six Sigma Practitioner and Supply Chain Domain expert, Suresh believes in transformation that combines domain knowledge, data analytics, and digital solutions.

Over the last two decades, he has helped shape the supply chain and procurement digital transformation, Industry 4.0 at large enterprises across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific region.

Prior to Henny Penny, Suresh served as Chief Growth & Digital Officer with Centum Group. Before that, he was President & CEO of Corbus, LLC, where he was instrumental in transforming the business into a leading supply chain and digital transformation enterprise. Suresh spent 18 years at GE and Genpact in key leadership roles across supply chain analytics, process, and digital transformation. He was instrumental in building Genpact’s Supply Chain and Procurement Analytics and industrial internet of things (IIoT) business into a $700M P&L across Aerospace, Manufacturing, CPG and Healthcare.

Caitlin Jacob, AICP, is a Project Manager for CityWide Development, in Dayton, Ohio, where she works on holistic, long-term community development projects and innovative fund development strategies. Caitlin is passionate about working collaboratively with community to plan and implement change in neighborhoods and strives to bring together community and economic development strategies in an effort to build strong, vibrant, inclusive communities. She holds Masters in both Public Policy and Urban Planning from the University of Michigan and has a Bachelors in English and Human Rights Studies from the University of Dayton. Caitlin currently serves on the board of the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center.

Lisa Japs is a driven and accomplished individual with a diverse range of experiences. For close to 20 years, Lisa has worked with Dayton Live. She started in the Ticket Office, where she developed a deep understanding of customer service and theatre operations. Lisa currently serves as Chief Operating Officer, where she is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization's operations.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, from the University of Dayton which has provided her with a strong foundation in human behavior and has been invaluable in her professional and personal pursuits.

Outside of work, Lisa is a proud "dog mom" and enjoys spending time with her furry friends. She loves to garden and is an active volunteer with two local organizations: Levitt Pavilion Dayton and Friends of the Library. Through her volunteer work, she has been able to give back to her community and make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Adele joined Dayton Children’s Hospital on August 16, 2021. Adele is a Human Resources and Operations Management professional with a proactive leadership style, significant experience within all HR functional areas, and a passion for creating and accelerating workforce strategies that positively impact clinical excellence and advance key talent competencies. In her role as VPHR/CHRO, Adele serves as a strategic human resource leader and member of the Senior Leadership Team. She provides high quality service to all levels of the organization in the areas of leadership and organizational development, compensation and benefits, talent attraction, development and retention, policy development, and employee relations. In her prior role, Adele served as a System Human Resources Director and Strategic Partner-Medical Group and Physician Services with Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH). In this role, she engaged with and supported executive and operational leaders at the system level, driving HR and operational strategies into execution. She directed and led efforts in setting HR strategy, structures and process improvements across 800 physician practices within the Medical Group service line. Her efforts delivered critical people solutions and key system workforce results. 

Prior to her work with BSMH, Adele worked with HCA Healthcare, based in Nashville, Tennessee and served as a Regional HR Director - Physician Services Group. In this role, Adele partnered with national, regional, and local operations management and HR leadership to implement HR initiatives. Adele’s approachable style and servant leadership are also demonstrated by her community service work. Adele is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and enjoys opportunities to give back via volunteer community and social service partnerships. After living over five years in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee for her successful career with HCA Healthcare, Adele returned to her hometown Cincinnati in 2019 with her husband and teenage son, and enjoys travel, reading, and spending time with family and friends. 

AJ Kessler (he/him) is a husband to a husband and the proud parent of two fur babies and zero human children. He holds a BA from Wittenberg University and a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University. AJ is the Southwest Ohio Manager of CareSource Life Services, where he oversees a team of Life Coaches who assist CareSource members navigate the social determinants of health. He serves on the Board of the Miami Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, leading the DEI Committee. Additionally, AJ consults with NCCJ of Greater Dayton, presenting their Diversity 101 series to local organizations.