Welcome to the Dream Makers Celebration: Forging the Future Together – Bright Futures Blooming!
Tonight, we celebrate the recipients of the Outstanding Student Awards. These graduating seniors are leaders whose resilience, determination, and vision exemplify CYC’s core values.
We also proudly honor our Hall of Fame Inductees, Mr. Chuck Ackerman and Dr. Eugene Blalock Jr. for their lasting impact and commitment to empowering young people.
Together, let’s continue building a future where every CYC student has the opportunity to succeed.
Agenda
5:30 p.m.
Evening begins with cocktails and dinner by the bite
7:00 p.m.
Bright Futures Blooming program starts
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Roots and Bloom Conversation
CYC in Full Bloom
Hall of Fame Inductions
Bids and Blossoms: Live Auction
Outstanding Student Recognition
Cultivating Bright Futures: Paddle Raise
Closing Remarks
Dessert is served
9:00 p.m.
Celebration Concludes
Hall of Fame
Outstanding Students
Live Auction
Live Auction
Our four live auction packages are an unique opportunity to make a difference! Get your bidder cards ready and raise them high during tonight’s exciting live auction with professional auctioneer, Susan Johnson.
Auction Packages
Sponsors
Gold
Silver
39Forward
Bahl & Gaynor
BHDP Architecture
Bricker Graydon Wyatt
Cincinnati State
The Gade Family
Fifth Third Bank
Paychex
PNC Bank
Western & Southern Financial Group
Bronze
A-List Transportation
BSI Engineering
Coworth Financial Services
Duke Energy
Grant Ally
Hamilton County Sheriff's Department
Interact for Health
ITA Audio Visual Solutions
Magnified Giving
Mellott & Mellott
Metro
Netherland Rubber Company
Neals Design Remodel
Northpoint Development
Promark
Skanska
The Kleingers Group
Terrex
USI Insurance Services LLC
Tonight's Impact
Your Impact Tonight: Dream Makers in Action
Your impact tonight at Dream Makers matters to so many young people and programs at CYC. Your generous donations will support programs and resources for over 4,000 young people this school year alone. Thank you for your support at any level during tonight’s exciting paddle raise.
Thanks for being a Dream Maker
- $2,500 will change outcomes for FOUR young people by providing life-changing support of CYC’s mentoring programs.
- $1,000 empowers a field trip to a college campus for an entire classroom of CYC students.
- $500 provides nourishing meals to CYC programs for over 100 young people.
- $250 empowers career success by providing hands-on field trips to Greater Cincinnati area employers.
- $100 helps prepare mentors by covering the cost of 7 mentor background checks.
Staff and Board
CYC Staff
Christina Black
JCG Senior Program Manager, Central Office
Lamont Bohannon
Next Level Pathways Senior Manager, N. College Hill HS
Neil Choudhury
Workforce Engagement Manager, N. College Hill HS
Donial Curry
Development Director, Central Office
Michael Davis
High School Career Specialist, Shroder MS
Dubonna Dawkins
Sr. Director of HR & Risk Management, Central Office
Rondale Dixon
Next Level Pathways Advisor, N. College Hill HS
Anita Felton
JCG Program Coordinator, Central Office
William Greene
High School Career Specialist, Oyler HS
Recua Gunn
High School Career Specialist, Aiken HS
Genard Hassell
Middle School Career Specialist, Shroder MS
Malik Jackson
High School Career Specialist, Western Hills HS
Cheri Jordan
Campus Success Coach, Mt. Healthy HS
Jimmie Lake
Chief Program Officer, Central Office
Cameron Lane
Saturday Hoops Program Manager, Central Office
Kamari Larkin
High School Career Specialist, Hughes HS
Chris Lipscombe
IT Manager, Central Office
Keniah McCants
Next Level Pathways Advisor, Mt. Healthy HS
Gregory Myles II
High School Career Specialist, Taft HS
Marie Nicks
Director of Mentoring & Partnerships, Central Office
Stephanie Parker
Middle School Career Specialist Team Lead – Career Association, Central Office
Victoria Perkins
High School Career Specialist, Western Hills HS
Seth Petersen
Youth Experiences Manager, Central Office
Azaria Pittman-Carter
Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Central Office
Tamara Richardson
High School Career Specialist, Dater HS
Marie Rusincovitch
Chief Advancement Officer, Central Office
Kimberly Schmahl
Resource Coordinator, Gamble Montessori HS
Patti Shepard
Executive Assistant to President/CEO, Central Office
Carmen Sneed
Next Level Pathways Advisor, N. College Hill HS
William Taylor
Career Exploration Manager, Central Office
Amy Thompson
President/CEO, Central Office
Tia Wallace
High School Career Specialist, Woodward Career Tech. HS
Greg Williams
Resource Coordinator, Woodward Career Tech. HS
Kanece Williams
Volunteer Services Coordinator, Central Office
James Williams II
High School Career Specialist Team Lead – Training, Winton Woods HS
Reggie Williams
Middle School Career Specialist, Western Hills HS
Amber Woody
High School Career Specialist, Woodward Career Tech. HS
CYC Board
CHAIR
Tom Marth
GTM Advisor
Cloverleaf
CHAIR ELECT
Pam Webb
Principal
Integral Ops
TREASURER
Kevin Gade
Chief Operating Officer
Bahl & Gaynor Investment Counsel
SECRETARY
Ellie J. Reiser
Senior Sales Vice President
Comey and Shepherd Realtors
Ryan Bergstrom
Chief Product Officer
Paychex
Terence Daniels
Senior eCommerce Relationship Manager
Worldpay
Joe DelVecchio
Senior Vice President
Relationship Manager
PNC Bank
Ashleigh DuBois
Outreach Manager
Skanska USA
Debbie Gingrich
Chief Program Officer
Best Point Education and Behavioral Health
DeJuan Gossett
VP/Employee Benefits Consultant
USI Insurance
Jesse Grissom
Retired
Kao USA inc.
Robbin Hoopes
Provost
Cincinnati State
David Johnson
President & COO
BHDP Architecture
Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
Vice Mayor
City Council
Alicia Bond Lewis
Associate General Counsel – Health Equity
Children’s Hospital
Kevin Lindsey
Regional Director, HR
Kroger
Patrick Longo
President & CEO
Alloy Development Company
Terry McManus
Director
Fifth Third Private Bank
Amanda Penick
Partner
Bricker Graydon
Laura Phillips
President and Partner
Vehr Communications
Travis Schraffenberger
Western & Southern
VP, Marketing Support & Execution
Erica Shaw
P&G
Product Supply Director
Hammad Siddiqi
VP Community Impact Mgr
Fifth Third Bank
Brittany Speed
COO & CFO
Beech Acres
Jesse Turner
Retired Senior Director of Supply Chain
Kroger Company
YP Board
Kabrella Clark, President
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
Taylor Young, Vice President
Crayons to Computers
Calvin Davis, Secretary
Cincinnati Art Museum
Wesley Alspaugh
Bahl & Gaynor
Josh Blankenship
AMEND Consulting
Austin Brown
Deloitte
Vanessa Carey
Ignite Philanthropy
Abby Cira
Home City Ice
Michael (Deuces) Cunningham
Film/Music Creator & Musician
Armand Etienne
Jordan Finley
First Stop Health
Natalie Hesford
Foxx Construction
Andrew Jacob
Colliers International
Will Lampkin
E.W. Scripps
Paige Messmer
OneDigital
Jake McGinty
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati
Kelsey Tippett
University of Cincinnati
Sam Veeneman
TQL
Marie Rusincovitch (CYC Staff)
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
CYC Programs
Mentoring
Matches caring adults with students (grades 2-16) to help them attend school regularly, improve their self-esteem and interpersonal relationships, and encourage post-secondary employment. Options include one-on-one mentoring, group mentoring, worksite mentoring, and college mentoring.
One-to-one Mentoring: Matches caring adult mentors with students on a one-to-one basis; grades 2-12 and students within their first two years of college. Program offerings include PNC Scholars, P&G Business Leaders of Tomorrow, UC Med Mentors, Saturday Hoops, and One-to-One mentoring.
College and Career Success
Beginning in middle school, CYC provides comprehensive career and college guidance to partner schools. Programs supply individualized support and mentoring to ensure graduation and a successful post-secondary education transition. Next Level Pathways provide:
- ACT/SAT test prep support
- Financial aid (FAFSA), college application support, scholarships and grants
- College visits and college application support
- Career exploration and planning
- 12-month follow-up services to support the transition from high school
Resource Coordination
CYC Resource Coordinators support local school districts in implementing the Community Learning Center (CLC), a nationally recognized model of engaging school and community stakeholders to align resources to impact student success and promote vibrant communities.
Work Readiness
The CYC Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates (JCG) Program is a nationally accredited year-round in-school program that prepares students for post-secondary career pursuits through career awareness, exploration, guidance, and placement. Specific focus areas include:
- Classroom experiences for both middle- and high school students via a 1-credit hour class
- Leadership and self-development via the JCG Career Association, the Career Development Conference
- Summer work experiences for high school seniors that builds employability skills and career learning through on-site experiences
- 12-month follow-up services to support the transition after high school
In-Kind Donations
The American Sign Museum