THANK YOU SELLING BEE JUDGES!
Appearing in Alphabetical Order
Dr. Yvonne Allen
Dr. Allen earned her Bachelor and Master of Arts [English, Education respectively] degrees at Allegheny College and completed doctoral studies at Columbia University. During her extensive career affiliations with Shaker, Mentor Exempted Village, CMSD, and institutions of higher education, she has earned national, state, and local recognition for excellence in teaching and major contributions to Professional Learning Communities. These awards include the following: Teacher of the Year [Mentor Exempted Village Schools], Jennings Scholar, Fulbright Scholar, National Endowment of the Humanities Scholar, Ohio Teacher of the Year [finalist], Excellence in Teaching, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, Outstanding Educator [Faculty Nominated] Award, Outstanding Instructor [Case Western Reserve University, Upward Bound: SPPSH] and Kent State University’s Phi Delta Kappa Research in Education Award. She currently serves as Chair of the Division of Professional Education at Notre Dame College of Ohio. Dr. Allen has been a member of the Distribution Advisory Committee of the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation for 12 years.
Melany Anastasia Castro
Melany is the Community Development Specialist at the Beachwood Place Microsoft Store. A recent graduate of Cleveland State University with degrees in Political Science and International Relations, Melany has brought her passion for technology with her throughout her career. After honing her skills selling and fixing computers, Melany now focuses on bringing Microsoft’s hardware and software to the Greater Cleveland area through extensive community outreach and programming. Altogether, Melany’s work with Microsoft has resulted in over 200 hours of volunteerism and has impacted countless Cleveland youth. In addition to her interest in technology, Melany has focused much of her time on Latin American studies and continues to take Spanish lessons on the weekends.
Angela Kwallek Evans
Angela is Senior Program Officer with Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson, Ohio. Since joining the Foundation in 2014, she has worked with the Foundation’s grantees in youth, collegiate, and adult entrepreneurship to review and refine their proposals and enhance the impact of their programs. Angela obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish from Youngstown State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo.
Jessica Hakes, M.A. Ed
Jessica is an Academic Advisor in the College of Business at Cleveland State University. I received my undergraduate degree from Ohio Northern University and my graduate degree from Baldwin Wallace University. In my free time, I like to bake.
William Holdipp Jr.,
William is the Executive Director of the Consortium of African American Organizations (CAAO) and is a firm believer that everyone should have access to opportunities and the importance of reaching back to help others. He has dedicated his talents and training to helping others. Born and raised on the island of Bermuda, his passion for helping others came about in his early 20’s when he was volunteering for Amnesty International, a human rights organization. During this time, William had the opportunity to advocate for people around the world that were suffering from various human right violations. William eventually got more involved with Amnesty International when he joined the board of AI Bermuda. During this time, William got the opportunity to organize international campaigns for various countries including Cuba, China, Sierra Leone, and the United States. In his role as Interim Executive Director of CAAO, William oversees the various areas including marketing, fundraising, program development, recruiting of member organizations, HR management, and accounting for the organization. Among his notable accomplishments includes being part of an international selection committee to hire an Executive Director for the Caribbean region of Amnesty International, graduating from Bermuda College, founding member of the Tibet Interest Group of Bermuda, graduating from Cleveland Bridge Builders and Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland. William is also a published author with Smart Business Cleveland Magazine. Mr. Holdipp currently serves on various committees in Cleveland which includes the Global Cleveland African American Committee (Vice Chair), Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland Alumni Committee (Co-Chair), and the Cleveland State Diversity Advisory Group. William is also a certified life coach working with people from the various neighborhoods in Cleveland.
Deborah D. Hoover
Deborah has served since 2007 as President and CEO of The Burton D. Morgan Foundation, a private foundation based in Hudson, Ohio, with a mission to champion the entrepreneurial spirit. Ms. Hoover was instrumental in establishing the Foundation’s Northeast Ohio Collegiate Entrepreneurship Program, a Kauffman CampusesSM Initiative, to spread entrepreneurship across liberal arts campuses; and in bringing the Blackstone LaunchPad Program to the Northeast Ohio region in partnership with the Blackstone Charitable Foundation.
She spearheaded the Morgan Foundation’s decision to establish the Entrepreneurship Education Experiment, a research institute that advances the field of entrepreneurship education through leading edge research projects and programs. Ms. Hoover received the Northeast Ohio EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2014 in the Educational Services & Nonprofit category.
Ms. Hoover served from 2013-2015 as Chair of the Fund for Our Economic Future, a philanthropic collaborative created in 2004 to advance the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio and she continues to represent the Fund on the Team NEO Board of Directors. She is Chair of the Advisory Council for the Foundation Center – Cleveland and in April, 2014 was elected to the national Board of The Foundation Center, the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Ms. Hoover serves on the Board of Trustees of Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio and on the Board of Trustees of The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Ms. Hoover earned her B. A. from Williams College and a Masters in the History of Art from the University of Chicago. She continued graduate studies at George Washington University National Law Center where she earned a J.D. degree and was a member of the Law Review. She is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, and Ohio. In 2004, Ms. Hoover completed the “Governing for Non-Profit Excellence Executive Education Program”, and in 2010 she completed the Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations, both held at Harvard Business School. Ms. Hoover holds an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Baldwin Wallace University.
Jarryd Huntley, Entrepreneur
Jarryd, a Software Engineer at PNC Financial Services, is a leader and entrepreneur in Cleveland's growing video game industry, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Computer Gaming and Simulation at Lorain County Community College. As the head organizer for the Cleveland Game Developers Group, Jarryd has presented at multiple expos, taught workshops, and organized hackathons/ game jams for the group. Driven by his successes and the growing community, Jarryd is continuing to expand his entrepreneurial ventures by developing a new game: Art Club Challenge (available soon for Apple and Android mobile devices).
Dr. Daniel J. Keenan, Jr.
Dr. Keenan became the Executive Director of the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio in August of 2014, after serving as superintendent of the Westlake City Schools for seven years. His 21-year tenure in public schools included teaching and coaching in three school districts in Indiana and Ohio and serving as an administrator in three NE Ohio school districts. In 2012, Dr. Keenan was the recipient of Cleveland State University’s Distinguished Alumni Award for his contributions to public education and in 2014 he was honored by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators as Ohio’s School Superintendent of the Year.
Lesley Koskey
Lesley is an Academic Advisor in the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. I have been with CSU since January 2013 and work mostly with our accounting and finance students. I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Strategic Communication & Marketing at The Ohio State University and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration at the University of Pittsburgh. I love working in education because no two days are ever alike and my students constantly inspire me to never stop learning!
Michele Merkel
Michele is the president of Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley, serving Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula and Columbiana counties. Prior to her presidency Michele served ten years as Senior Program Manager. During Michele’s eighteen years with Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley, JA has expanded its program offerings from one after-school company program to 20 in- school and after- school programs. During the 2015-2016 school year Junior Achievement partnered with 500 educators in 75 schools educating and inspiring over 10,000 young people in the Mahoning Valley to succeed in a global economy. Under her leadership as president, the organization has received the highest national recognition by Junior Achievement USA for financial solvency, program impact, program quality and overall managerial effectiveness.
Michele has maintained active roles on many boards and
committees in our community. She has served as President of the Youngstown
Kiwanis Club, Treasurer for the
November of 2006 Michele was honored at the “40 under 40” as one of the top five young professionals of the Mahoning Valley and a 2007 Athena Nominee.
Anne Nelson
Anne is the assistant dean of
undergraduate programs and student services of the Monte Ahuja College of
Business at Cleveland State University. She is responsible for developing
and implementing strategies for generating and maintaining enrollment for all
College undergraduate academic programs and working with faculty to enhance the
business education curriculum; oversees the College’s undergraduate student
engagement services from leading the Undergraduate Academic Advisement Office, to
creating career development - exploration programs, and administering the College’s Scholarship Program
and Petitions – Academic Standard Program.
In addition, she supports and develops funding opportunities to enhance
student engagement programs and scholarship needs. Currently, undergraduate enrollment has grown
by 7 to 10 percent each year over the last three years.
Nelson has developed many initiatives to help the College of Business undergraduate programs grow and provide innovative student engagement programs, including the Focus Center which received the 2006 Innovative Higher Education Program Award from the Ohio College Personnel Association.
Nelson graduated from Notre Dame College of Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Business. She received a Master’s of Education in Adult Learning and Development from Cleveland State University. Finally, Nelson is a proud spirited football fan and loves the Pittsburgh Steelers and has attended three Super Bowls to cheer on her Steelers.
Jennifer A. Redmon, M.Ed
Jennifer is currently serving as the Coordinator for Undergraduate Programs and Student Services for the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. I have over nine years of professional experience in academic advsiing and student services. Prior to working in academic advising. I was a CSU Admissions Recruiter. In that role, Imet with prospective first-year and transfer students from Cleveland and the surrounding nine-county area. I have my Master of Education in Adult Learning and Development and my Bachelor of Arts in Communication, both from CSU. In my free time I enjoy traveling and spending time with my husband and two children, Penelope and James.
Cecilia H. Render, M.Ed.
Cecilia is the Executive Director of the Nordson Corporation Foundation. She has been at the Foundation since 1999 starting as the Program Officer. Prior to Nordson, Cecilia was employed in the field of education. She is actively involved in the Philanthropy Ohio Education Advisory Committee and Corporate Funders group, ReacHigher, the Lorain County P-16 council and the STEM education workgroup with the Association of Corporate Contribution Professionals. She has worked as an advisor for Cleveland Scholarship Programs and the Educational Opportunity Program at Tri-C. Cecilia has also been a part-time instructor at Cleveland State University in the School of Education. She holds a M.Ed. from CSU with a concentration in Adult Learning and Development and a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Child Development from Smith College. Cecilia is the 2015 Leadership Lorain County Eric Nord Award for Excellence in Leadership awardee. She has also just joined the board of Philanthropy Ohio.
Sarah Rosenberg
Sarah is an Academic Advisor at the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. She is a licensed Ohio teacher who has over nine years of experience between K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. She completed her B.A. in English Literature from Seton Hill University and her M.A.Ed. from Baldwin Wallace University, and she loves working with students of all ages.
Alex Mulac
Alex is an academic advisor in the Undergraduate Programs and Student Services office in the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland and I earned my master’s degree in Higher Education from Kent State University. In my free time, I love to play and coach softball.
