Members Tapped for City's New Wellness Foundation Planning Task Force

LAKEWOOD, OH — The city of Lakewood is beginning the process to form a new Wellness Foundation. At Monday night's city council meeting, Mayor Michael Summers and Lakewood City Council announced the appointment of 17 residents to a task force that will set the framework for how the foundation will function.

Among the decisions the task force will be charged with are determining the structure of the foundation; establishing the mission as well as the criteria for selecting trustees; and creating and adopting its bylaws.

“This new foundation will be yet another tool to be used to reach our goal of become the healthiest community in Northeast Ohio — if not the country,” said Summers.

Below are the names and bios of the new task force appointees.

• Daniel J. Cohn, B.A. Public Health
  Current Position: Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, Program Officer
  • Published author and presenter on public health and diversity issues
  • Non-profit and Foundation grant and program management and leadership
• Katherine Collin, J.D.
  Current Position: The Cleveland Foundation, Gift Planning Officer, Advancement
  • 6 plus years foundation experience
  • 10 plus years of development and grant writing experience
  • Experience with Medicaid and estate administration
  • Past Positions: Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Legal Aid Society
• Bryan deBoer, B.A. Communications and Master of Business Administration
  Current Position: Akron Art Museum, Director of Advancement
  • Expert in strategic planning
  • Past Positions: The Cleveland Orchestra, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • 20 years’ experience with non-profits and health care; former LakewoodAlive Board President
• Phyllis Dykes, B.A., Graduate Work in Group Dynamics and Business Administration
  Current Position: Phyllis Dykes & Associates, President – Strategic Assessment and Planning Consultant
  • 20 plus years’ experience planning and implementing management, communications and resource development strategies for non-profits, small businesses and public agencies.
  • Significant work with and counseling of organizations which advocate for and assist at-risk populations in matters of health care, education, housing, senior issues, and employment and work training. Study and presentation on at-risk children.
  • Consulting on matters of transportation, planning, board training, strategic planning
• Chuck Garven, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.
  Current Position: North Coast Health, Medical Director and Family Physician
  • Non-profit Public health and business management experience
  • Experience working with at-risk populations
• Jeanine Gergel, B.A., MBA
  Current Position: Foundation Management Services, Associate and Program Officer
  • Consultant for foundations including grant-making strategy
  • Experience raising funding for at-risk population health services
  • Experience with non-profit board development and management
  • Consulting experience in health care, insurance and financial services
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Ladder to Leadership Fellow
  • Past Positions: Girls Scouts of NE Ohio, North Coast Health, Growth Solutions, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Cleveland Clinic
• Martha Halko, B.A. Sports Management and Master of Science in Nutrition
  Current Position: Cuyahoga County Board of Health, Deputy Director
  • 19 years’ experience in public health
  • Graduate of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center for Creative Leadership and Cleveland Foundation Ladder to Leadership Program
• George Hillow, CPA, MBA, CFF, CrFA
  Current Position: Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation, Executive Director
  • Significant experience in business and civic leadership
  • Foundation and board member experience
  • Federal, County and local Government advisory and consulting experience
  • Strategic planning
  • Past Positions: Ernst & Young
• George Khuri, M.D.
  Current Position: Premier Physicians, Physician - Internal Medicine
  • Hospital Board and Executive Committee experience
  • Trustee for Cotabish Charitable Foundation, Private Foundation
• Benjamin Miladin, B.A., M.S.W., LISW-S
  Current Position: United Way of Greater Cleveland, Director of Health
  • Oversees health-related funding portfolio; ensures accountability for agency dollars; monitors data collection and analysis to make well informed funding decisions
  • Non-profit board experience including leadership, strategic planning and fundraising
  • Extensive work with seniors and issues of aging. Counseling for issues of mental health and substance abuse and coordination of ancillary services
• Erin Murphy, B.A. Psychology; Master of Public Health
  Current Position: Lorain County General Health District, Program Manager, Chronic Disease Prevention
  • Grant Management;
  • Strategic planning with communities for a health and wellness collaborative
  • Volunteer training and management
• Brittany O’Connor, B.S. Community Health Education
  Current Position: Citizens Bank, Public Affairs Manager
  • Manages the Citizens Bank charitable giving programs in Ohio and Michigan
  • Creates and implements annual giving strategy ; collaborates with community initiatives and promotes employee engagement through volunteerism
  • Advocate for at-risk populations
  • Past: The Centers for Families and Children, NARAL Ohio, Preterm, Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland Leadership training, non-profit board experience and proficiency in grant management
• Dawn Pyne, Master of Science Integrated Marketing Communications
  Current Position: Embrace Pet Insurance, Marketing Manager
  • Past: Privia Health; Cleveland Clinic, Brokaw Advertising, American Greetings
  • Non-profit board experienc
• Laura Rodriguez-Carbone, B.A. Political Science; Masters Public Administration
  Current Position: Lifebanc, Administrative Assistant
  • Grant writing; grant administration; Raiser’s Edge and DonorPerfect software trained
  • Donor stewardship; data collection
• Vicki Smigelski, B.S. Business, Graduate Studies in Labor Relations
  Current Position: KKSG & Associates, Manager, Self-Insurance
  • Extensive non-profit leadership and fundraising experience in the Lakewood community
  • Program work for at-risk families
  • Significant strategic planning for organizations and non-profits
• Kristin Warzocha, B.S. Communications
  Current Position: Cleveland Food Bank, President and CEO
  • Expert in nonprofit organizational management
  • Past: American Red Cross, Harvest for Hunger
• Judith Wright, B.S Education and Social Policy, M.Ed. Adult Learning & Development
  Current Position: Ohio Transformation Fund, Executive Director
  • Significant direct program work with at-risk populations and fundraising to support that work
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Ladder to Leadership Fellow and Rockwood Leadership Institute, The Art of Leadership for Philanthropic Leaders
  • Extensive volunteer work in the Hispanic community and for health care issues.
  • Published and presented on issues of education, diversity and leadership
  • Past Positions: Brush Foundation, Ohio Organizing Collaborative

Photo by Rick Uldricks/Patch