--MENTORSHIP NONPROFIT ANNOUNCES NEW AND CONTINUING STRATEGIC LEADERS.--
LOS ANGELES (February 20, 2024) - Mentorship nonprofit Step Up today announced the newest members of its board of directors, along with its new regional board members and chairs.
Board of Directors
Andrya Smith (partner, PwC), Maria Salcedo (senior vice president of merchandising, Ulta Beauty), Tara Farnsworth (chief financial officer, Bayshore Global Management) and Suzanne Norr (chief operating officer, AvatarLabs, Inc.) will continue as officers, serving as chair, vice chair, treasurer and secretary of the board of directors, respectively.
Joining Smith, Farnsworth, Norr and Salcedo will be new additions Melanie Barr (CEO, She Built It®), Celina Blanks (vice president, Lockton), April Carr (senior director innovation platforms, PepsiCo), Tiffany Chow (SVP, strategy and business development, NBCU News Group at NBCUniversal Media, LLC), Garnesha CrawfordEzediaro (portfolio lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies), Katie Mayne (executive consultant), and Monique Saunders Patrick (chief operating officer, CDC Foundation).
Midwestern Region Board
Charity Johns (CEO, llinois Cafe & Service Company) continues to chair the Midwestern region board. Baaba Holland (founder and CEO, Baaba Holland Agency), remains theMidwestern region board’s vice chair.
Joining Johns and Holland will be new additions Ashley Kwateng (senior sales strategy manager, Club Channel-Quaker Oats, PepsiCo), Leila Shin, (principal, advisory, KPMG), Tonya Gauff (finance partner, DLA Piper LLP) and Kelly Hougom (director of specialty products, BMO).
Eastern Region Board
Tonya Garrett (director, LinkedIn marketing solutions) and Usheen Davar (senior director/team lead, digital ad sales, pharmaceutical category, Healthline Media) continue to serve as chair and vice chair of the Eastern Region Board.
Joining Garrett and Davar on the Eastern Region board will be new addition Stacey Jenkins (vice president of people and culture, GSTQ).
Western Region Board
Jenny Dinh Safransky (founder, head of partnerships and talent management, JDS Projects) and Camille Rustia (business affairs executive, Apple TV+) continue to serve as chair and vice chair of the Western Region Board.
Joining Safransky and Rustia on the Western Region board will be new additions Monica Cooper (treasury management office, CTP, JPMorgan Chase & Co.), Gina McIntosh (senior vice president, financial planning & analysis, Universal Pictures), Nyanza Shaw (managing attorney + owner, Shaw Esquire), Hali Resnick (business and legal affairs executive, Roku), Kim Richardson (vice president, Chief Privacy Officer, Tandem Diabetes Care) and Stacey Mendoza (senior team lead, brand partnerships – Hulu, Disney Streaming).
Southern Region Board
Blanks will follow Carr as chair of the Southern Region Board. Tamara Beverly (senior strategy and transformation associate, Daimler Truck Financial Services) will now serve as vice chair.
Board of Directors and Regional Board Members
These leaders will guide the nonprofit as it expands this year from six markets to eight with Houston and the San Francisco Bay Area joining current markets Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York. Step Up offers free mentorship programs in person, online, and on demand that concentrate on supporting girls, and those who identify with girlhood, on their path to success. With structured programs, focused support, and inspiring connections, Step Up has established a multi-generational community that shares the resources and relationships needed for individual and collective success.
“Step Up believes mentorship is a critical ingredient for individual success,” Step Up CEO Delores Druilhet Morton said. “It’s no different for Step Up as an organization. Board members are our mentors and provide invaluable guidance for the organization as we work toward our vision of a world where all girls are able to define and achieve their unique visions of success. I thank our new and continuing board members for their dedication to Step Up and their enthusiasm for our movement of mentorship.”
Many of the board members also serve as mentors to Step Up girls and help the organization access resources on both national and local levels. In addition to the board, the organization relies on nearly 1,500 members who share their time, talents and resources in support of the next generation of leaders. To inquire about board service or involvement, please email morgan@suwn.org. A full roster of national and regional board members may be found below and on the organization’s website here.
About Step Up
Through structured mentorship programs, focused support, and inspiring connections, Step Up helps girls, and those who identify with girlhood, define and achieve their unique visions of success. Connect at suwn.org.
Media Contact: Alissa Zito Cruz, Step Up
alissa@suwn.org | 310.880.9049
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Andrya Smith, partner, PwC, chair
- Maria Salcedo, senior vice president, merchandising, Ulta Beauty, vice chair
- Tara Farnsworth, CFO, Bayshore Global Management, treasurer
- Suzanne Norr, COO, AvatarLabs, Inc., secretary
- Melanie Barr, CEO, She Built It®
- Vanessa Salinas Beckstrom, investigation + forensics partner, PwC
- Celina Blanks, vice president, Lockton, Southern chair
- April Carr, senior director innovation platforms, PepsiCo
- Tiffany Chow, SVP, strategy & business development, NBCU News Group at NBCUniversal Media, LLC
- Garnesha Crawford Ezediaro, portfolio lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
- Bernadette Fitzpatrick, full stack marketer
- Tonya Garrett, director, agency development North America, LinkedIn, Eastern chair
- Minda Harts, founder and CEO, The Memo LLC
- Charity Johns, CEO, Illinois Cafe & Service Company, Midwest chair
- Marnie Kain, VP brand marketing, Grub Hub
- Katie Mayne, executive consultant
- Kaye Poposfky Kramer, founder, Step Up
- Delores Druilhet Morton, CEO, Step Up
- Mark O. Page, retired executive, AT&T
- Beth Radichel, partner, Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
- Barri Rafferty, CEO, Americas, Morrow Sodali
- Jenny Dinh Safransky, founder, head of partnerships and talent management, JDS Projects, Western chair
- Monique Saunders Patrick, chief operating officer, CDC Foundation
- Tara Simon, global brand president, Too Faced Cosmetics
- Maggie Stockdale, global enterprise sales director, Double Verify
- Judie Verb, executive vice president, west region small business and branch banking, U.S. Bank
EASTERN REGION BOARD
- Tonya Garrett, director, LinkedIn marketing solutions | agency development, LinkedIn ,chair
- Usheen Davar, senior director(team lead), digital ad sales (pharmaceutical category), Healthline Media, vice chair
- Quincy Evans, principal-investment analyst, Davidson Kempner Capital Management
- Cori Fernandez, global platforms account executive, Google
- Taylor Foxman, founder + CEO, The Industry Collective
- Stacey Jenkins, VP of people and culture, GSTQ
MIDWESTERN REGION BOARD
- Charity Johns, CEO, Illinois Cafe & Service Company, chair
- Baaba Holland, founder and CEO, Baaba Holland Agency, vice chair
- Rose Ann Abraham, partner, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
- Lisa Hamer, senior vice president, Marsh & McLennan Companies
- Jennifer Kobus, VP transportation & logistics, Ulta Beauty
- Ashley Kwateng, senior sales strategy manager, Club Channel-Quaker Oats, PepsiCo
- Leila Shin, principal, Advisory, KPMG
- Tonya Gauff, finance partner, DLA Piper LLP
- Kelly Hougom, director of specialty products, BMO
SOUTHERN REGION BOARD
- Celina Blanks, vice president, Lockton, chair
- Tamara Beverly, senior strategy & transformation associate, Daimler Truck Financial Services, vice chair
- Bridget Biagas, vice president, partner relations and business diversity, Hudson Group
- LaKeysha Brooks, general manager, global sales, Delta Airlines
- Kimberly S. Clay, CEO + founder, Play Like a Girl!
- Kimberly Cockrell, chief human resources officer, Toyota Financial Services
- Lisa Crawford, managing director, Accenture
- Lawrencina Mason Oramalu, managing director of center for student leadership, Texas Woman's University, Jane Nelson Institute for Women's Leadership
- Ashley Miller, diversity programs manager, Goldman Sachs
- Briana Torres, director for healthcare providers, Microsoft
- Claire Walters, senior vice president human resources, Private Health Management
- Tamera Woodard, vice president/associate general counsel, AT&T
WESTERN REGION BOARD
- Jenny Dinh Safransky, founder, head of partnerships and talent management, JDS Projects, chair
- Camille Rustia, business affairs executive, Apple TV+, vice chair
- Meghan Birmingham Leader, strategic business executive
- Monica Cooper, treasury management officer, CTP, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Brieanne Gershick, managing director, strategy and consulting, health industry, Accenture
- Beth Helmstetter, creative director, Beth Helmstetter Events | founder, The Good Beginning
- Gina McIntosh, senior vice president, financial planning & analysis, Universal Pictures
- Stacey Mendoza, senior team lead, brand partnerships, Hulu, Disney Streaming
- Nyanza Shaw, managing attorney + owner, Shaw Esquire
- Hali Resnick, business and legal affairs executive, Roku
- Kim Richardson, VP, chief privacy officer, Tandem Diabetes Care
- Helen Textor, director, program management; diversity, equity & inclusion, Google
- Deborah Thomas, senior vice president, entertainment publicity, NBCUniversal
