Jenny Spencer is the Managing Director of Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO) and Cudell Improvement, Inc. These two community development corporations use an equity lens to catalyze the physical and social development of the Detroit Shoreway, Cudell, and Edgewater neighborhoods on Cleveland’s near west side.
Prior to her current role at DSCDO and Cudell Improvement, Jenny worked at Team NEO as a project manager to drive business attraction in the Northeast Ohio region. From 2008-2012, she served as the DSCDO project manager for the nationally recognized Gordon Square Arts District and oversaw the re-opening of the historic Capitol Theatre.
Jenny was a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay and is fluent in Spanish. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.A. in political science from The Ohio State University. She is an Economic Development Finance Professional with certification from the National Development Council.
Jenny and her husband Mario happily reside in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood.
Read MoreDoris Pitcher is 93 years old, now living in a senior complex in Grand Haven, Michigan where she has lived for 85 years. Doris is the only Republican who spoke to me for this project. I am ever-grateful to her for that.
Read MoreChristine McIntosh serves as the Ward 5 Councilwoman for the city of Euclid, an inner ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. She is a 2020 Walking College Fellow, certified EcoDistricts Accredited Professional, and serves as chairperson on Council’s Sustainability Committee and the city’s Domestic Violence Task Force. Christine strives to lead by example and is involved with many organizations that place an importance on being of service to others including Keep Euclid Beautiful, the Euclid Shade Tree Commission, Bike Euclid, Awesome Foundation Cleveland and the Greater Euclid Kiwanis Club. She is also a member of 40U, a collaboration of City Councilpersons throughout Cuyahoga County aged 40 and under who advocate for policies that will benefit local governments. Christine works collaboratively with residents, stakeholders, and city administrators to better their community and believes in the power of positivity, activism and volunteerism to shape one’s city, neighborhood and local policy.
Read MoreLife-long Clevelander, Michele Sommerfelt is a community-minded resident, a campaign volunteer for Democratic causes and candidates, an unabashed Cleveland enthusiast and a social justice advocate.
She has worked in the Health Education field, in community organizing, as a literacy building home visitor, at the Children’s department of Lakewood Library, taught preschool, and served as a classroom aide for students with special needs.
Michele graduated from Cleveland State with a Social Work degree with a concentration in community organizing. She currently is working on the Ward 15 efforts to elect Joe Biden and other Democrats up and down the ticket in the November 2020 election. She serves as the Governance Committee chair on the EDEN Inc. Board of Directors. She facilitates the Franklin Block Club Google Group, an informal connection of over 140 neighbors and friends of the area that seeks to build networks and friendships among those living together in this little piece of the planet. She is a regular lead volunteer with the Cleveland Kids Book Bank and stewards 8 Little Free Libraries on the West side of Cleveland.
Past affiliations include the Commission on Catholic Community Action, The Catholic Hunger and Shelter fund, The Campaign for Human Development allocations committee, WVIZ televised auction, the Detroit Shoreway Schools Advisory committee and numerous other agencies working to make this a better place for each and every person to live.
Michele has been married to Rob Sommerfelt for 37 years and has raised 2 successful, community-minded children to adulthood—her proudest achievement.
Read MoreJasmine A. Golphin is a filmmaker, artist and producer with an intense obsession with the craft of storytelling. Professionally, she’s spent the last 10 years managing film education and community outreach programs for nonprofit organizations such as MyCom, the Cleveland International Film Festival, and SPACES. Creatively, Jasmine's writing has been published in The Vindicator, HitRecord's Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Shadow And Act and Alturus and her film work has been recognized by Octavia Spencer’s Short Film competition and the Short. Sweet. Film Fest. This year Jasmine joined Maelstrom Collaborative Arts as a cadre member and launched the abolitionist task force organization Black Spring CLE. Also, we’re in the middle of a pandemic?? How wild is that?
Read MoreErika Hood was born and reared in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a graduate of Cleveland State University and is currently working at the Case Center for Reducing Health Disparities, managing Community Research and Dissemination activities. She has years of experience leading a variety of resident-led initiatives that address public health issues and related disparities. In communities riddled with gun violence, poverty, and poor health outcomes, she is determined to help communities change the narrative and begin to reflect on the greatness that resides within.
With her mother and sister, she co-founded a youth organization, SYATT, which offers relief, exposure, and a chance to be great, to area youth. Originally designed to expose youth to sports and activities where they are underrepresented, 10 years later, SYATT does that and so much more. The organization has changed the lives of so many youth, but most importantly, changed the lives of its founders.
She also is busy raising young men, Evan and Duke. She loves to travel, snowboard, and is a huge advocate for self-care.
Read MoreDiana Hildebrand is a mom, activist, advocate, and a bike enthusiast with the goal to "Chang Lives Two wheels at a Time". Diana is the founder of DevahD Cycling a business that encompasses everything cycling while providing education, health, wellness and support to bike organizations and companies, she is also the Shero for the Cleveland chapter of Black Girls Do Bike a national bike organization geared to get more women on bikes and provide a platform for WOC. Ambassador for Trek Bikes and advocate for Bike Cleveland. Diana host a range of bike activities throughout Cleveland and Ohio. For more information or to connect with Diana visit www.devahdcycling.com
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