2022 Southwestern Ohio Women in Leadership Symposium
March 23, 2022
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM (ET)
Theme
Paragon of Womanhood: Restoration, Reintegration & Reemergence
Sponsored By
Panelists
Alcalde
M. Cristina Alcalde is Vice President of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion at Miami University, where she also holds an appointment as a professor of global and intercultural studies. She works collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff to lead and support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the university. As a scholar-practitioner, she regularly speaks on these topics and she has published widely, including single-authored books, edited collections, journal articles, and chapters on her research areas of gender violence, migration, exclusion, race and racialization, and leadership. Her writing on the experiences of women of color and leadership has recently appeared in Ms. Magazine and Inside Higher Ed. Her latest co- edited book, Dismantling Institutional Whiteness: Emerging Forms of Leadership in Higher Education is forthcoming in 2022. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and an MA in Latin American Studies from Indiana University.
Bahri-Mehra
Vinita serves as leader of the firm’s Global Business practice and is qualified and licensed to practice law in both Ohio and India. She counsels corporate clients regarding a broad range of complex national and international corporate transactions and intellectual property issues. Vinita represents U.S. companies in international transactions on a wide variety of legal issues, including outsourcing agreements, joint ventures, logistics, and distribution restructuring, exporting overseas, tax structuring, mergers and acquisitions, project finance, licensing, intellectual property protection, and management and operational strategies. Vinita counsels non-U.S. companies on the legal and tax issues pertaining to undertaking expanding business operations in the U.S. Vinita also advises companies on federal trade compliance issues such as export control regulations, FCPA, and more. As the leader of the firm’s Global Education practice initiative, Vinita has led dozens of education projects for institutions across the country, doing business in nearly twenty of the world’s leading markets and guiding public universities through the complex regulatory and funding process involved in global expansion. While addressing the complex regulatory, tax, and contractual issues at play, Vinita works with educational leaders and university counsel to devise and execute new market strategies, implement project development initiatives, and establish education support services and recruiting initiatives. Vinita maintains a diverse domestic corporate practice, including matters related to business formation and structuring, M+A, and contract drafting and negotiation. Vinita is trusted by clients with international franchising concerns to negotiate and draft master franchise and license agreements, prepare franchise disclosure documents, where applicable, and manage relationships and agreements across borders. Besides handling initial offerings and mediating the relationship between franchisor and franchisee, Vinita focuses on compliance with the franchise and intellectual property registrations along with other filing requirements in foreign jurisdictions. Her practice also emphasizes international brand positioning and protection, as well as dispute resolution in foreign jurisdictions.
Cavanaugh
Lilly serves as Executive Director for the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/LatinoAffairs, State of Ohio. Mrs. Cavanaugh has been directly engaged with the Latinocommunity in Ohio for 24 years; the last thirteen serving in a statewide capacitywith the Commission. She has played a key role in building collaboration andpartnerships among government entities, community-based organizations and theprivate sector to improve the quality of life and opportunities for Hispanic Ohioansand other ethnic minorities. She is originally from Costa Rica and has lived andworked in Latin America, Africa, South East Asia, Europe, and the United States.Lilly is a Certified Public Manager and has an associates degree in Business fromSinclair Community College, a bachelor's degree in Management from theUniversity of Phoenix, and a masters degree in Business Administration fromCapella University.
Johnson
Ohlinger
Lanell Ohlinger leads the Human Resources Business Partners for the supermarket divisions, retail operations and corporate administrative teams. She serves as the Vice President of Human Resources and is a connector to create a holistic people strategy to the overall Human Resources strategy and enable the business strategy. Lanell began her career with Kroger in 2000 as a co-manager in the Michigan Division. Since then, she has held many leadership roles within the division, including Grocery coordinator, store manager and Labor Relations manager. She was promoted to HR Leader for the Michigan Division in 2011 and relocated to Cincinnati to take on her role as director of Human Resources at General Office in 2014 and later promoted to Vice President, Business Units Human Resources. As of September 1, 2017, Lanell was promoted to Vice President, Talent Development, and was promoted to her current position in 2020. Lanell is the recipient of the Progressive Grocer Top Women in Grocery Senior-level Executive Award in 2021 and Progressive Grocer Top Women in Grocery Rising Star Award in 2014. She also received the 2004 President Award from, Michigan Division. Lanell is an alumnus of Leadership Cincinnati through the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves as a Board member for the Cincinnati American Red Cross and serves on the Diversity & Inclusion committee. Lanell also served as a Board member for the Wayne State External Advisory Labor Board, UFCW 951 Foundation, Chairman of the trust for the MI UFCW Union and Employers Joint Prepaid Legal Fund, and trustee on the Health &Welfare; Fund for MI UFCW Unions and Employers Health and Welfare Plan. Lanell earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Adrian College. Lanell’s husband, Jason, is also an employee of the Kroger Company and they have two children, Makella and Brandt.
Moderator
Howard
Sharon D. Howard currently serves as System Director, Community & Government Relations and Site Communications for the Premier Health system. She is a professional with over 25 years of experience in broadcast media and community and public relations. Areas of expertise include: healthcare communications, community development and engagement, marketing, strategic communications, communications consultation and special event planning. She is a member of Tau Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a member of the sorority’s International Connection/Social Action Committee; member of The Dayton Chapter of The Links, Incorporated; and served 10 years on the Ohio Arts Council. From 2017-2019, Howard was elected to serve on the Ohio Citizens for the Arts Board of Directors. Howard has been recognized for her journalistic work by receiving the “Regional Communicator of the Year Award by the International Communications Training Institute and multiple National “Communicator” and “Telly” Awards. Her work in the community has garnered several recognitions including: “Central Region Volunteer of the Year’’ from the National Urban League, Dayton YWCA “Women of Influence Award” and “Distinguished Ambassador Award.” Howard has received the “Coretta Scott King Award’’ by the National Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, the “Ten Top Women Award,” given by the Dayton Daily News, Sinclair Community College Distinguished Community Service Award, the Mary Scott Legacy Award and was named a “Top Ten African American Woman,” by the African American CEO’s organization. Howard is inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame and the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame. She is a past recipient of the University of Dayton National Alumni Association “Special Achievement Award.” In 2018, Howard was honored by Believers Christian Fellowship Church “Phenomenal Woman” award.
Awardee
Otabil
Tashawna Thomas Otabil currently serves as Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Managed Care for TriHealth, a $2B Health System in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has nearly 20 years of management experience and proven performance leadership with Managed Care Payer Contracting and Strategies. Tashawna is responsible for contractual relationship management valued at over 1.5 billion dollars in revenue. In addition to her managed care responsibilities as the CDO, she has been instrumental in leading the growth and development of the system’s diversity efforts to build and sustain a more inclusive and equitable culture to advance the organization’s mission and business objectives. Tashawna received a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Business Administration from DeVry University. She always strives for excellence which is evident in her recognition as one of the 2021 YWCA Career Women of Achievement, Cincinnati Business Courier’s – Healthcare Hero finalist ( 2021), Ohio’s National Diversity Top 15 Businesswomen (2018), TriHealth Pillar Performance (2018), Healthcare Financial Management Association Bronze Medal (2019) and several other leadership awards. In addition to those recognitions, Tashawna is also an Amazon bestselling author of four books. Her most recent publication “Unprecedented Times” provides strategies and tactics to help leaders during the pandemic. Her other publications are dedicated to assisting women in excelling in their personal and professional endeavors. Tashawna is deeply committed to public service and community service. She is actively involved in the community and serves as a board member for the Executive Board of Directors for the Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio, Karen Wellington Foundation and St. Aloysius. She is also a proud member of the Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. Lastly; she is the Co-Founder of Black Art Speaks – a collective group of community artists who shares their voices through the power of art. This group was responsible for creating the Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Cincinnati in which Tashawna was instrumental in leading.
We are proud to partner with Dress For Success Cincinnati. Please help us impact the lives of everyday women.
Attendees are encouraged to donate clothes to the Dress For Success on Monday, March 28th from 8:00am – 5:00pm:
Dress For Success Cincinnati
4623 Wesley Ave., Ste. H
Norwood, OH 45212
If you rather make a monetary donation please click this link to donate: https://dfscincy.org/support-get-involved/donate-money/donation-form/
$3 Transaction Fee Will Be Added