Current Members
Chris Ash
FSM '72, MGT '81
Chris Ash earned a history degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1972 and holds an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management. Throughout her four-plus decades at CWRU, Ash has seen incredible change, from groundbreaking discoveries, to campus and neighborhood development, to the comings and goings of thousands of students, faculty and staff. She started in the geology department, served the Dean’s Office of Case Institute of Technology (science and engineering) as an administrative manager and then a budget manager. She led the business office for the colleges, which joined Case Institute of Technology with Western Reserve College under one dean. She became associate dean of administration and finance for the school. Ash became vice president of financial planning and budget in 2004 and vice president of university planning and institutional research four years later. She retired in 2015. She loves to cook and enjoys reading.
Alexandria J. Boone
Alexandria Johnson Boone, a nationally recognized businesswoman and community activist, is the Chairwoman and Founder of the Women of Color Foundation, a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to the education, training and leadership development of women and girls of all colors. Boone is also President and CEO of GAP Communications Group, a full-service public relations, advertising, marketing, community outreach and special events firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, since May 1994. Under her leadership, GAP has gained local, regional and national recognition for its quality public relations, special events and marketing services and its creative and unique communications programs. With more than 32 years of communications and management experience, Alex has grown and expanded GAP Communications Group to one of the largest minority-owned communications firms in the state of Ohio. She is also widely recognized and respected in the communications and public relations industry as the architect of the LeBron James media persona. Ms. Boone, a native of Cleveland, is a proud graduate of the Cleveland Public Schools. She also holds a Master’s Degree from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Organization Development and Analysis; Certificates from the Minority Business Executive Program (MBEP) and the Advanced Minority Business Executive Program (AMBEP) at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (1987-1991); and was a 1997 National Fellow in the Boston University School of Public Health’s Join Together Program. Alex was also a member of the prestigious Leadership Cleveland Class of 1987-88.
Prior to founding GAP Communications Group, Ms. Boone was a Senior Vice President at a Cleveland-based P R firm and was a Senior Public Information Officer for the Federal government for five years. She was also the founder of the Marcus Garvey Academy, an innovative community school with an African-centered curriculum, serving grades K-8, based in Cleveland, Ohio, from 2002-2012. In 2014, she founded C L Magazine, a career and lifestyle digital magazine for women and girls of color. The magazine has been continuously in publication since that time. Some of her community involvement has included serving as a member of the Board of Governors at The Club at Key Center; and the Board of Directors at the Greater Cleveland Partnership, both located in Cleveland, Ohio; and the Urquhart Memorial Foundation located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Throughout her career, Alex has received several awards for her business and professional achievements and has been recognized for a number of communications industry accomplishments. Already In 2017, Alex was selected for inclusion in the Inaugural “Women WELDing the Way” 2018 Business Success Calendar by the Women for Economic and Leadership Development, Cleveland Chapter; and was included in a local PBS television mini-documentary, highlighting Cleveland Black professional women and their success in spite of facing racism during their careers.
Kathryn Bryan, Ph.D.
Kathryn Bryan, Ph.D. a native of Medina, Ohio, graduated with a B.S. in psychology from Baldwin-Wallace College in 2000 and went on to receive her M.A. and Ph.D. from Kent State University in behavioral neuroscience. Having spent several years as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland VA Medical Center ‘Katy’ made the decision to make a career change. Skylight Financial Group was the beneficiary of this when she decided to become a financial planner. Katy is a registered representative of and offers securities and investments advisory services through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. www.SIPC.org. 2012 W.25th Street, Suite 900, Cleveland OH 44113. 216.621.5680 www.skylightfinancialgroup.com/license/. Case Western Reserve is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC or its affiliated companies. Katy has a vast knowledge of different planning groups and works with a diverse array of clients such as physicians, research scientists, families with special needs, businesses in transition, and with families and businesses in the LGBTQ community.
She has been a recipient of Skylight’s Rising Leader award in 2012 and 2014 and is very active in the community, and has served or is currently serving on the boards of Medina Creative Housing, the Renee Jones Empowerment Center for human trafficking, and A place for Us housing. In addition, she currently is on the Executive board for the Benjamin Rose Institute of Aging and Connecting for Kids. Her latest venture is the launch of a new young professionals networking group, called FLARE, focused on LGBTQ and ally rising entrepreneurs to build strong business, community and leadership connections in the Cleveland area. She is currently President of Case Western Reserve’s Cleveland Alumni Chapter, and most recently she was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business as a 2016 “Forty Under 40” Honoree.
Maria J. Cashy
Jennifer Davis
Jennifer M. Davis joined Cuyahoga Community College as a Staff Assistant in the Office of Student Affairs in March 2000. She held the role of Manager of Community Relations for eight years and was charged with developing strategies and programming for campus and community engagement through partnerships with external organizations in the public, private and business sectors. She has served Tri-C in the roles of Assistant Dean, Student Affairs; Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs; Director, Career Services; and as Manager of the Enrollment Center. Since 2014, she has served as Director of Student Life, Athletics and Recreation at the Metropolitan Campus. Prior to joining Tri-C, Jennifer was employed as the Community Affairs Assistant in the Cleveland Office of Turner Construction Company for over seven years and held several managerial and customer service positions in the travel and hospitality industry and received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Air Force.
She is a member of the Advisory Council at the YWCA of Greater Cleveland. She’s a former committee member for the Youth Planning Committee at the YMCA of Cleveland and board member of the Artist Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) and Effective Leadership Academy. She received the 2014 Peer to Peer Recognition Award. In 2006 she received the Cuyahoga Community College Professional Excellence Award for her outstanding professional competence in and for the College and community engagement.
Jennifer holds a MBA from Myers University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BSBA from Tiffin University. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Cuyahoga Community College.
Fatima Karriem
Fatima was born in South Africa and immigrated with her family to Beachwood, Ohio in 1999. She holds a BA Social Work and Psychology, Executive MBA from Ashland University- scholarship awarded by the Institute for International Education and Fulbright. She holds an Associates degree and post-graduate diplomas in Business, Human Resources and Training and various professional certifications in Training and Facilitation. She is currently enrolled in Doctorate of Psychology program at California Southern University. In South Africa, Fatima worked as a social worker and community social investment including the design and construction of two community centers in disadvantaged communities in SA. During the last 25+ years, Fatima worked in Training and Development and Business Consulting with women entrepreneurs across various industries and three continents. This includes working at CWRU as Director of Training and Development from 2004 and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2008 as Senior Director Training and Education and a project team member to design and build the $2.7 billion 400-bed hospital; the largest healthcare project in the Middle East. She lives between Ohio and Abu Dhabi and enjoys traveling the world and exploring different cultures - including a historical expedition with 12 international breast cancer survivors to Antarctica in 2012 as part of her advocacy to reinforce the notion that “there is a life after cancer”!
Lynn Heiligenthal-Showalter
Lynn spent a forty year career in psychiatric nursing at the renowned Menninger Clinic and at the VA Mental Health Clinic in Topeka Kansas. She is a graduate of Edinboro State University and attended nursing school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After a lifetime in Kansas and upon retirement she returned to Cleveland where her family had an art gallery originating from the early 1920's. Lynn has a deep interest in the arts and in issues that involve women, those disabled and veterans. She volunteers at the Cleveland Sight Center in the Adult Literacy Program and serves on several Sight Center committees. Her other interests include gourmet cooking, design, art, music, standard schnauzers, horses, and travel.
Jessica L. Malone, MPH, President
Jessica Lauren Malone (CAS’10) holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, with a concentration in management, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology, with a minor in public policy and concentration in regulatory policy from Case Western Reserve University.
Her professional background lies in Institutional Advancement and Government Affairs. She currently works as the Development Officer for University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. In addition to direct fundraising work, Jessica assists with program development and design, special events, and physician training programs. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Cleveland’s Association of Fundraising Professionals, with a continued role in the coordination of their education programs for young and emerging professionals, and past Steering Committee member for Cleveland Clinic’s Group of Aspiring Leaders.
With a passion for community service and Northeast Ohio, Jessica also serves on boards for Malachi Center, a community and family resource center on Cleveland’s west side, and the Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University.
Audrey Morris
Audrey Morris is Vice President of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland and served as the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland Shaker Heights Chapter Chair from 2015-2017. She has a long history of involvement with nonprofit organizations starting with community activism in her native NY, NY and then at the Women’s Institute for Economic Progress in Boston, MA. There she worked to secure housing for women and children with AIDS. As a member of the Belmont, Massachusetts Fair Housing Committee, she worked to mediate race related issues in her community and evaluated and recommended housing development policy that achieved the anti-discrimination purposes of Massachusetts fair housing laws, orienting housing development towards fostering greater inclusion. She has a B.A. in economics from Harvard University and has worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as a writer, managing editor and art director for a variety of publications. The focus of her work has been in public service where she has sought to protect the interests of women and children, and make them aware of the education, public benefits and legal services available to them.
Neeti Sundaresh, Vice President
Neeti Sundaresh is a co-founder and managing partner of the employment law firm, Granovsky & Sundaresh LLC. Her firm represents clients in all areas of employment law including improper wage payment, gender, race, disability and sexual orientation based discrimination and various employment contract related matters. Neeti was born and raised in the Cleveland area and recently returned after living in New York City for over a decade. Neeti is passionate about supporting, empowering and advocating for women as part of her career and generally in her community and is excited to bring this passion to the Center for Women. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Brown University and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School. Neeti and her husband, Alex, live in Shaker Heights with their two little girls. In her spare time Neeti enjoys hanging out with her family and friends, traveling, reading fiction, exercising and crafting with her daughters.
Honorary Members
Susan (Sue) T. Berlin
Library Science ‘67
Sue is a retired, professional librarian, having served as Adult/Young Adult Materials Selection manager for the Cuyahoga County Public Library and most recently, as Director of the Upper School Library at Hawken School. She co-authored the original publication of Outstanding Books for the College Bound, published by the American Library Association, was a book reviewer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and was a yearly contributor to University Press Books Selected for Public and Secondary School Libraries. She served on a number of Boards of Trustees, one of them, the Women’s Community Foundation, leading to a position as Interim Executive Director for a year. Sue currently serves on the Community Advisory Board of the Kelvin Smith Library at CWRU and the Board of Preterm.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Library Science degree from Western Reserve University. She has two sons and two grandsons, all of whom live in NY. Born in Manhattan and raised in New Jersey, Sue has lived in the Cleveland area for all of her adult life. Her passions are reading, film, theatre, and fine dining.
Lynne B. Alfred-Hanson
LAW '76
Lynne B. Alfred-Hanson is a retired tax attorney and owner of The Dancing Sheep. Early jobs in community development (with both the federal government and City of Cleveland) were followed by law school, managing BP's tax appeals and litigation, and serving as Board President of the Neighborhood Centers Association and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. After retirement, Lynne opened a retail shop on Cleveland's Larchmere Boulevard, focusing on wearable art, contemporary craft, and unique gifts. She has also served on various University Hospital advisory committees and continues to play many roles with the Center’s Community Advisory Board, CWRU's National Youth Sports Program, the Shaker Square Area Development Corporation, the Larchmere Merchants Association and diverse projects relating to the Larchmere area, which she adores. Lynne is married to Robert Hanson, a retired, 43-year high school English teacher and 16-year head of the Shaker Heights High School English Department. Between them, they have 6 children, 2 daughters-in-law, 1 son-in-law, and 10 grandchildren, all of whom Lynne adores.
Beth Embrescia
Senior Director of Fund Development
Past President / SAS '94
beth.embrescia@case.edu
Beth Embrescia is a social worker, community advocate, governance enthusiast and passionate participant in the lives of non-profit organizations. In addition to her role at the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women, she is the current Chair of the Board of Trustees of Laurel School, an independent PK-12 girls school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Over twenty years, Beth has been involved in many nonprofit organizations in a variety of capacities. She started her career as a clinician working with adolescents and their families facing mental health and drug and alcohol problems. She later worked in development and community relations at Benjamin Rose, a 108 year old agency that addresses issues on aging through policy and practice. Still dedicated to the social work profession, Beth has worked as a social work preceptor at the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland and as a Field Instructor for social work students from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at CWRU. At the Mandel School, Beth sits on the Dean’s Visiting Committee and is an active member of the Capital Campaign and Centennial Committees. Beth is a member of the Chagrin Falls Educational Foundation Board.
Lin Emmons, PhD, RD, LD
GRS '81, '89
Dr. Lin Emmons is a retired nutritional anthropologist. She is a Partner in Cleveland Social Venture Partners, a Lifetime Trustee of Cleveland Restoration Society and Board Member of the Western Reserve Historical Society. She is a Friend of National Youth Sports Program at CWRU. Dr. Emmons holds a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology and a M.Sc. in Health Sciences Education from Case Western Reserve University and a M.Sc. with major in Nutrition and a minor in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Nutrition with a minor in Public Health from the University of Minnesota. She previously served as Nutritionist at Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, Inc.,working with eating disordered patients and was Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Cleveland State University. She was Honorary Chairwoman of Hats Off to Zonta and was awarded the Creative Philanthropy Award from the Women’s Community Foundation in 1997 and the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award "for outstanding volunteer service in 1985. Dr. Emmons was Trustee of the Women's Community Foundation for six years and served as President from 1992-1993.
Edith Fellinger Hirsch
FSM '59
Edith Fellinger Hirsch is a retired fundraising professional who dedicated her professional and volunteer life to the success of nonprofit organizations in northeast Ohio. She thoughtfully and strategically worked with numerous organizations to develop their financial resources. She is an enthusiastic champion of the benefit of philanthropy for individuals as much as for organizations. Edie has been involved with the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women for twenty years and was a founding member of its Community Advisory Board. Edie attended Wellesley College for three years and graduated from Flora Stone Mather College in 1959. She is an avid world traveler and has a strong interest in Cleveland history.
Ka-Pi Hoh, PhD
CIT 1984, GRS 1987, 1989
Ka-Pi Hoh is Operations Manager in the Finished Products team at The Lubrizol Corporation. Dr. Hoh joined Lubrizol in 1988 as a Research Chemist. At Lubrizol, she has held a variety of leadership positions involving research technology, commercial development and resource management including an expatriate assignment in the United Kingdom. She was Head of Research, Development and Testing for Lubrizol Additives China. Dr. Hoh is actively involved with Lubrizol’s diversity initiatives; she has been a member of Lubrizol’s Corporate Inclusion Steering Committee and is a founding member of the Asia-Pacific Resource Group as well as Women in Lubrizol Leadership. Dr. Hoh graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a B.S. in Polymer Engineering and a minor in Economics. She received an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science from CWRU. She sits on the Case Advisory Board and is an Alumni Association emeriti board member. She chaired the Industry Advisory Board for the Department of Macromolecular Science and is a professional mentor for WISER (Women in Science and Engineering Roundtable). Dr. Hoh sits on the Board of Directors for The Lakeland Foundation at Lakeland Community College and is a director for the Andy Nowacki Memorial Scholarship. She is also a member of Leadership Lake County, Class of 2008. She received the YWCA Woman of Professional Excellence award in 2008.
April Galda Joyce
MGT '99
April is a senior operational leader with more than 15 years’ experience in the design and delivery of major strategic initiatives for top-tier banking and insurance businesses in the US, Bermuda and the UK. She is Co-CEO of Commonwealth Annuity and Life Reinsurance. She has been the driving force behind the successful execution of transformational business enterprises, which span commercial, operational, financial and regulatory programs. She spent 14 years at Goldman Sachs and was later COO of Ariel Re. She is a graduate of the Weatherhead School (BA + MBA). She is competitive road cyclist and has cycled across the US and beyond. She is a member of the Madison Digicel cycling team in Bermuda. She is passionate about providing women and girls opportunities in sports and is a Coach for the Bermuda Cycling Academy. She is leading an effort to get more women into bike racing in Bermuda and launching Ace Girls Foundation to provide girls with more opportunities and role models in sports. She resides in Bermuda with her husband Michael.
Kathryn (Kathy) Karipides
GRS '59
Kathryn Karipides is the Samuel B. and Virginia C. Knight Professor Emerita of Humanities at Case Western Reserve University. She began her teaching career at Flora Stone Mather College for Women in 1956 and retired from her faculty position at CWRU in 1998. She devoted a lifetime of leadership and creativity to virtually every aspect of dance, principally modern dance, as performer, choreographer, teacher and leader. From 1969 to 1979, she was co-director, choreographer and principal dancer for the Dance Theater of Kathryn Karipides and Henry Kurth. Through her vision, the old Mather Gymnasium evolved into the Mather Dance Center of CWRU where she and her colleague Kelly Holt nurtured and trained several generations of dancers and choreographers. In Fall 2003 she was invited to return to CWRU as Associate Provost, a position she held through 2008. Since her retirement, she has continued her advocacy of dance locally, regionally and nationally. She serves on the Boards of DANCECleveland and GroundWorks DanceTheater, on the Review Panel for Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation Inc., is an Emeriti Trustee of the Cleveland Arts Prize (CAP) and an Honorary Board member of Gibney Dance, New York City. She is the recipient of many awards including the 1998 NOLive Award of Achievement for Dance, the 1993 DIONYSIAN AWARD by the Cleveland chapter of the Order of A.H.E.P.A. for lifetime of outstanding contribution to the Arts and the 1974 Recipient of CLEVELAND ARTS PRIZE for Dance.
Patricia Kilpatrick
FSM '49, GRS '51
An influential member of the Case Western Reserve community for more than 60 years, Kilpatrick was an inspirational teacher, mentor and counselor. She served the university in many key positions, including Dean of Mather College, secretary of the university, director of Thwing Center, university marshal and the first female vice president of the university.
As a stalwart advocate for Flora Stone Mather alumnae, Pat also served on numerous alumni committees and boards and was a walking encyclopedia of university history. She was a constant presence supporting campus events and was instrumental in garnering financial support for the Center for Women during its Mather Challenge Campaign. As a Flora Stone Mather College for Women student, she competed in basketball, volleyball, field hockey and riding, and graduated in 1949 with a bachelor’s degree in history. After being inducted into the university’s athletics hall of fame in 2000, Kilpatrick received the Daniel Clancy Alumni Service Award in 2011. In 2013, she received another award from the Center for Women as Notable Woman of the Year. Pat passed away in 2016. Her university portrait hangs in Adelbert Hall.
Sue Friedman Klarreich, PhD
GRS '64, '73
Sue Klarreich, M.A., Ph.D. (CWRU) dedicated a major portion of her professional life to the educational and economic equity for girls and women. Before empowering women in STEM was popular and at the forefront of discussion, Sue was championing girls and young women thinking about STEM related careers. As a scientist she understood the challenges that many women faced in juggling their careers and other personal obligations. As a long time resident of California she served as AAUW (American Association of University Women) Developer/Project Director for TECH TIME: After school, hands-on Science Club for 4-6th grade girls, TEAM ( Technical Experience and Mentoring): Summer internship for high school girls at tech companies, THE XX FACTOR; WHY AREN'T THERE MORE WOMEN IN SCIENCE: A Community-wide Conference for educators, parents and community leaders. Before returning to her native Cleveland, she received the AAUW Status of Women Award. She was particularly dedicated to the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women’s WISER program and started the SUE (STEM Undergraduate Education) Fund which supports grants for women STEM students who have an entrepreneurial idea.
Deb Nash
GRS ‘75
Deb Nash is a retired Hathaway Brown School and University School counselor and administrator. She has deep and wide experience serving on nonprofit boards including: Big Brothers/BIg Sisters, Cleveland Institute of Music, Andrews School, Hathaway Brown School, Planned Parenthood, he Chagrin River Land Conservancy, Gates Mills Land Conservancy, American Suicide Foundation, The Ohio Bank and The Garden Club of Cleveland. She holds a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in political science and English and M.A. from CWRU’s Graduate Studies in Education/Counseling. She resides in Boca Grande, Florida and Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Her hobbies include tennis, golf, bridge and books.
Susan Troia, Founding President
FSM ‘65
Susan Troia has a long history of serving non profit organizations, first as a social worker, and later as a fundraiser, event planner, strategist and board member. She has a long affiliation with Case Western Reserve University. Susan is a Flora Stone Mather College for Women alumna. She served on the Mather Alumnae Association Board and was its President. She was on the front end of developing and producing Woman2000, a conference held at CWRU in 1999, created to share the status of women at the turn of the century. She was among the women who advocated for a Center for Women to be established on campus. She was the founding President of the Center’s Community Advisory Board and has been a board member since 2005. She served as a consultant to many organizations including University School, the Alzheimers Association, Laurel School and Hathaway Brown. She has served on the boards of the Shaker League of Women Voters, including as President and Friends of Shaker Square, presently known as the Shaker Square Area Development Corp., also as President and currently sits on the board of Apollo's Fire Baroque Orchestra. Susan feels deeply about community whether it is her neighborhood or her belief in improving the lives of women through the work done at the FSM Center for Women.
Sandra Vodanoff
FSM ‘59
Sandra Vodanoff is a retired teacher and the final President of the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association. She served on the FSM Center for Women Community advisory Board when the Center was becoming established. Under her leadership, the FSM Alumnae Association thoughtfully disbursed its remaining funds to those organization on campus and off that were connected to Flora Stone Mather herself. She is also a docent at Lake View Cemetery, Dunham Tavern, and the birthplace of President James A. Garfield in Moreland HIlls, Ohio. She and her husband Nick, a retired architect and Adelbert College alumnus, spend time with family and friends in their free time.
Christina R. Welter, DrPH
CAS ‘98
Dr. Christina Welter is a clinical assistant professor of community health sciences of the UIC School of Public Health and director of the MidAmerica Center for Public Health Practice. She also is associate director of the school’s DrPH Program in Leadership and an IHRP Fellow. She leads the training core of the Illinois Prevention Research Center, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prior to joining UIC faculty, she was deputy director of Cook County Department of Public Health’s Prevention Services Unit. She earned her doctorate in public health leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2010 and holds an MPH degree from the University of Michigan.