Step Up Names 2023 Board of Directors and Regional Board Leaders

//News

--Mentorship nonprofit announces new and continuing strategic leaders.--

LOS ANGELES (February 6, 2023) – National mentorship nonprofit Step Up 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), Tara Farnsworth (chief financial officer, Bayshore Global Management) and Suzanne Norr (chief operating officer, AvatarLabs, Inc.) will continue as officers, serving as chair, treasurer and secretary of the board of directors, respectively. Beth Radichel, partner at Neal Gerber Eisenberg, now serves as the governance committee chair.

Joining Smith, Farnsworth, Norr and Radichel will be new additions Minda Harts (founder and CEO, The Memo LLC), Tonya Garrett (director, LinkedIn marketing solutions and agency development, LinkedIn), Charity Johns (CEO, Illinois Cafe & Service Company), Jenny Dinh Safransky(founder, head of partnerships and talent management, JDS Projects), Maria Salcedo (senior vice president, merchandising, Ulta Beauty), Tara Simon (global brand president, Too Faced Cosmetics), and Maggie Stockdale (senior marketing, media, and technology executive).

Midwestern Region Board

Johnsnow chairs the Midwestern region board. She assumes the chair position from Salcedo, who helmed the board for the past two years. Baaba Holland, founder and CEO of Baaba Holland Agency, now serves as vice chair on the Midwestern region board.

Joining Johns and Holland will be new additions Jennifer Kobus (vice president, transportation + logistics, Ulta Beauty) and Aneysha Pearce (chief marketing officer, Prudential Private Capital).

Eastern Region Board

Garrett now chairs the Eastern region board. She assumes the chair position from Stockdale, who helmed the board for the past two years. Usheen Davar, vice president digital sales & strategic partnerships, now serves as vice chair on the Eastern region board.

Joining Garrett and Davar on the Eastern Region board will be new addition Nichole Thompson (CEO, Altum Solutions).

Western Region Board

Dinh Safransky now chairs the Western Region board. She assumes the chair position from Rachel Begun, founder and CEO of Rachel Begun Coaching and Culture, who helmed the board for the past two years. Camille Rustia, business affairs executive for Apple TV+, now serves as vice chair on the Western region board.

Joining Safransky and Rustia on the Western Region board will be new addition Kendra Tyler (senior manager, talent development partner, West region, Tory Burch).

Southern Region Board

April Carr (sr. director of sales technology innovation platforms, PepsiCo) and Celina Blanks (vice president, Lockton) will continue as leaders, serving as chair and vice chair of the Southern Region board, respectively.

Joining Carr and Blanks on the Southern Region board will be new additions Kimberly S. Clay (CEO & founder, Play Like a Girl!), Lisa Crawford (managing director, Accenture)and Lawrencina Mason Oramalu (director of center for student leadership, Texas Woman's University, Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership).

These leaders will guide the nonprofit as it celebrates 25 years of service this year. 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.

“This is a critical moment for mentorship in our communities,” Step Up CEO Delores Druilhet Morton said. “I’m grateful to these leaders for guiding Step Up as we mark our 25th year of service and look to grow our movement of mentorship within our current regions and beyond.”

Many of the board members serve as mentors for the 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 1,000 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. Below is Step Up’s full roster of 2023 national board of directors and regional board members.

Board of Directors

Andrya Smith, partner, PwC, CHAIR

Tara Farnsworth, CFO, Bayshore Global Management , TREASURER

Suzanne Norr, COO, AvatarLabs, Inc., SECRETARY

Vanessa Salinas Beckstrom, investigation & forensics partner, PwC

T'Wana Brown, VP - DMM, men's/young men's, Bealls, Inc.

April Carr, sr. director of sales technology innovation platforms, PepsiCo

Tamika L. Chambers, vice president of international and national accounts, NWEA - Northwest Evaluation Association

Cat Chen, founder and CEO, Skylar

Bernadette Fitzpatrick, full stack marketer

Heather J. Foster, senior director, head of government affairs, Lyft Inc.

Tonya Garrett, Director, LinkedIn marketing solutions | agency development, LinkedIn 

Minda Harts, founder and CEO, The Memo LLC

Charity Johns, CEO, Illinois Cafe & Service Company

Marnie Kain, partner, Grey Group

Dawn Kohler, founder and master level executive coach, Kohler & Company

Kaye Popofsky Kramer, founder, Step Up

Delores Druilhet Morton, CEO, Step Up

Mark O. Page, executive, AT&T (retired)

Beth Radichel, partner, Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP

Barri Rafferty, Interim CEO, C200

Jenny Dinh Safransky, founder, head of partnerships and talent management, JDS Projects

Maria Salcedo, senior vice president, merchandising, Ulta Beauty

Tara Simon, global brand president, Too Faced Cosmetics

Hilary Smith, executive vice president, corporate social responsibility, Comcast NBCUniversal

Maggie Stockdale, senior marketing, media, and technology executive

Judie Verb, executive vice president, west region small business and banking, U.S. Bank

Eastern Region Board

Tonya Garrett, director, LinkedIn marketing solutions | agency development, LinkedIn CHAIR

Usheen Davar, Vice President Digital Sales & Strategic Partnerships, VICE CHAIR

Elizabeth Cohen, associate general counsel, Crunchyroll

Quincy Evans, principal-investment analyst, Davidson Kempner Capital Management

Garnesha Crawford Ezediaro, portfolio lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies

Jessica Federer, venture partner, Boston Millennia Partners

Michele Fenice, vice president, EPLI claim leader, financial lines claims Chubb

JoAnna Foyle, business development leader

Taylor Foxman, founder & CEO, The Industry Collective

Maureen Lippe, founder & CEO, Lippe Taylor

Alicia Richardson, vice president, sales, Essence Communications Inc.

Nichole Thompson, CEO, Altum Solutions

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

Christy DeMott, associate general counsel and vice president, BMO Financial Group

Jennifer Kobus, VP transportation & logistics, Ulta Beauty

Lisa Hamer, senior vice president, Marsh & McLennan Companies

Ellie McCabe, MBA Candidate, Harvard Business School

Nicole Durham, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Baker Hughes

Aneysha Pearce, CMO, Prudential Private Capital

Beth Perry, leadership coach & consultant, Perry Consulting

Ashley Taylor, senior scientist in multicultural haircare, Procter & Gamble

Southern Region Board

April Carr, sr. director of sales technology innovation platforms, PepsiCo Foods North America, CHAIR

Celina Blanks, vice president, Lockton, VICE CHAIR

Tamara Beverly, senior strategy & transformation associate, Daimler Truck Financial Services

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

Meredith Hampton, vice president compliance officer, associate general counsel, assistant secretary, At Home Group

Steve Idoux, president & partner, Lockton Dunning Benefits

Lawrencina Mason Oramalu, 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

Jana Augsberger, SVP, content & innovation, Filmaka

Meghan Birmingham Leader, executive vice president, head of transaction banking, corporate and commercial banking bank of the west, BNP Paribas

Tara Crimin, regional client manager, entertainment/media industry, Clarative

Jeanne Elfant Festa, co-president, White Horse Pictures

Jessica Goodman, entertainment executive

Brittany A. Hveem, head of business affairs, Originals, Hulu

Carlotta Mast, senior vice president and market leader, New Hope Network, a division of informa markets

Christine Mcguan, vice president business development asset based finance, US Bank

Paul Nelson, manager, Mosaic Media Group

Liz O'Connor, founder and managing director, Element Growth Management

Amanda Silverman, entrepreneur & philanthropist

Stephanie Streeter, vice president music, AXS (part of AEG)

Helen Textor, director, program management; diversity, equity & inclusion, Google

Deborah Thomas, senior vice president, entertainment publicity, NBCU

Kendra Tyler, sr. manager, talent development partner, west region, Tory Burch

Alissa Vradenburg, managing partner, Untitled Entertainment

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

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