February 2022

ARTS & CULTURE | COMMUNITY | PHILANTHROPY

February 2022

A path to Life. racial equity Changing.

TriVersity CEO & Heart Ball chair Art. Melvin Gravely Lorena Molina at the CAC Cincinnati’s Hieronymus: Tom Towhey

Pitch, pitch, pitch …

Two local PR pros dish on the job

Season of singing!

Choirs return with new faces, holiday concerts

A

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CINCY’S #1 AGENT

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MLS Greater Cincinnati compilation of broker members 01/01/15–12/31/2021.

CABR Circle of Excellence 2015-21. Ohio Realtors® President's Sales Club 2017–2021.

Informed. Inspired. Involved.

Movers&Makers February 2022

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Publishers’ Letter 4 Arts/Culture 5 Special exhibits from Black artists at CAM 5 Choirs unite to celebrate singer-composer Barnwell 6 Artist Thomas Hieronymus Towhey | By Ann Stewart 8 The A/C List: Music, theater, visual art and more 10

Perspective 14 Tips from two PR pros: Ann Stewart and Alyson Best

The Datebook 16 Dragonfly gala honors Children’s workers 16 Pete Rose in lineup for battle against cancer 17 Chamber to honor Great Living Cincinnatians 18 PWC’s ToolBelt Ball hammers out help for seniors 19

Profile 20 Melvin Gravely: A path to racial equity | By Gail Paul

In the News 22 Names in the News 22 GreenLight, partners support pre-K literacy 23

Snapshots 24 National Philanthropy Day toasted at Rhinegeist 24 Spirit of Construction honors Smitherman, Taulbee 25 Wine Over Water features sips on the bridge 26 Gala in the Grove honors Shannon Jones 27 Cancer Family Care celebrates 50th anniversary 28 New Life helps families furnish homes 29 Make Camp Possible fulfills mission for kids 30 CancerFree KIDS celebrates champions 30 Dining in the Dark helps people with vision loss 31

Fine art photography

Aeqai fundraiser honors memory of editor Brown 33

The Last Word 34 Recycling hub shows virtue of reuse | By Polly Campbell EXTRA! More Snapshots in our Digital Edition 37 On the cover: Melvin Gravely by Tina Gutierrez for Movers & Makers, ©2022

Tina Gutierrez Arts Photography tinagutierrezartsphotography.com tinagutierrezarts.photoshelter.com/portfolio tinagutierrez8@gmail.com | 513.446.1903

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PUBLISHERS’ LETTER

“N

ow is the winter of our discontent…”

It’s time to move on already, right?

No doubt most of us feel a great need to move past this persistent pandemic and get back to a more predictable pattern of social behavings. We at M&M cannot wait. In the meantime, life does continue, and that includes a wide range of activities and events across this intrepid nonprofit sector of ours.

More than a year ago, Mel Gravely was suggested to us as a possible profile subject. As we typically do, we began paying attention. Then, in the summer, came his book, “Dear White Friend.”

We took further notice, especially when the book began to take on a life of its own. Then, in the fall, we learned Mel was named as chair of the February Heart Ball, one of the largest fundraising events in the region each year. And about the same time, writer Gail Paul included him on a short list of people she would like to interview for us.

The cumulative good news made

choosing Mel as our February cover profile an easy decision. Gail shares her perspective on page 20.

Another profile was pitched to us last fall by a friend of and frequent PR supplier to our publication, Ann Stewart. She was intrigued by the work of local artist Tom Towhey and the story behind his unique style. With a retrospective of Tom’s work scheduled for February at Oakley’s Caza Sikes Gallery, the timing was perfect for this piece about him. Besides, who couldn’t use a jolt of vivid color and imagination in the month of February. Learn more on page 8.

Coincidentally, Ann was in the process of deciding to move on from her two-plus decades at the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, where she was its primary storyteller. And another longtime PR contact, Alyson Best, was announcing her retirement from OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence.

We have taken advantage of these two experienced promoters’ generosity by having them share PR tips and industry perspective based on

decades of prodding media organizations like ours. See what they have to share on page 14.

A heartfelt thanks As most of you may know by now, M&M began operating as a nonprofit organization at the beginning of 2021, under the fiscal sponsorship of national nonprofit Inspiring Service and its local affiliate Cincinnati Cares. We are proud and honored to share our first additional sponsorship commitment, which has come from the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. We are so grateful, Otto, for your enthusiasm and confidence in our joint mission – to inform, inspire and involve people in helping create a greater Greater Cincinnati.

Hang in there, everybody. Here’s hoping our current discontent doth evolve into a most glorious spring and summer. And thanks, as always, for reading.

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For their work on this issue, our gratitude to: • Ray Cooklis, managing editor • Phil Fisher, copy editor • The volunteers who helped write, edit and proofread: Tamara Behrens, Carmen Lawrence-Bille, Leah Boehner, Nyla Boney, William Dinnan, Shasta Taber and Rebecca Vachon • Doug Bolton, Cincinnati Cares CEO Thank you to our sponsors:

Thom & Elizabeth Mariner, co-publishers

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www.MoversMakers.org Social media @moversmakerscincinnati @moversmakerscin Movers & Makers Magazine @moversmakers Advertising & distribution Thom Mariner, 513-543-0890 or tmariner@moversmakers.org Creative & accounting Elizabeth Mariner, 513-771-5088 or emariner@moversmakers.org Editorial/calendar submissions editor@moversmakers.org

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Publishing schedule Issue Deadline Available MARCH JAN 28 FEB 23 APRIL FEB 25 MAR 23 MAY MAR 25 APR 20 JUNE APR 29 MAY 25 JULY MAY 27 JUN 22 AUGUST JUN 24 JUL 20 SEPTEMBER JUL 29 AUG 24 OCTOBER AUG 26 SEP 21 NOVEMBER SEP 30 OCT 26 DEC ’22/JAN ’23 OCT 28 NOV 22 www.moversmakers.org/publishing-schedule © Copyright 2022 Movers & Makers Publishing We make every effort to verify information submitted for publication (print and online), but are not responsible for incorrect information or misidentified photos provided to us.

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Arts/Culture David Driskell, “Self-Portrait as Beni (‘I Dream Again of Benin’),” July 13, 1974, egg tempera, gouache and collage, High Museum of Art, Atlanta

Ming Smith, “America seen through Stars and Stripes, New York City, New York,” printed circa 1976, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Special exhibits from Black artists on display at Cincinnati Art Museum Feb. 25-May 15, Cincinnati Art Museum The Cincinnati Art Museum is presenting two new special exhibitions from Black artists; “David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History” and “Working Together: The Photographers of the Kamoinge Workshop.” Though the artists worked with different artistic practices, the exhibitions explore several common themes.

“David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History” pays tribute to his legacy as an American artist and educator. This exhibition brings together more than 50 highlights from his distinguished career, surveying the artist’s painterly practice from the 1950s forward.

“Working Together: The Photographers of the Kamoinge Workshop” is the first major exhibition about the groundbreaking African

American photographers’ collective. The exhibit features more than 150 photographs by 14 of the group’s early members, as well as photographer Roy DeCarava, a key mentor in the workshop’s first years.

Tickets are $12 for general admission, with discounts for students, children and seniors.

Admission is free for members.  www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org

City’s former poet laureate named library’s Writer-in-Residence The Library Foundation of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library has named Pauletta Hansel its 2022 Writer-in-Residence.

The writer-in-residence serves as ambassador to the local literary arts scene, fosters engagement between the library and local writers, and teaches the craft of writing, online and in person. The writer-in-residence program is supported by Naomi Tucker Gerwin and The Library Foundation.

Hansel served as the inaugural poet laureate of Cincinnati from 2016 to 2018 and has been writer-in-residence at Thomas More University and WordPlay. Hansel is a poet, memoirist, teacher, editor and author of nine poetry collections, including “Heartbreak Tree,” coming this year. She has lived in Cincinnati since 1979.  www.cincinnatiLibrary.org/ writer-in-residence

Pauletta Hansel

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ARTS/CULTURE

CSO introduces concert series, internship program honoring Brady The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will launch its Andrew J. Brady Neighborhood Concert Series in community hubs across Cincinnati and the Andrew J. Brady Internship Program for students pursuing careers in orchestra administration to honor the legacy of the noted local music educator.

To further honor Brady, the name of the music venue recently opened at The Banks will now be The Andrew J. Brady Music Center, dropping the word “ICON” from its name.

An Arkansas native and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music graduate, Brady taught music at Rothenberg Elementary School in Over-the-Rhine before moving to Western Hills High School. Brady also performed in area jazz bands on weekends and led popular band concerts at parks across Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The CSO/Pops summer concert series will include at least five free public concerts, four of which have been scheduled: • Sunday, June 19, Maple Ridge Lodge • Thursday, July 14, St. Aloysius • Saturday, July 16, Laurel Park • Saturday, Aug. 6, Owl’s Nest Park  www.cincinnatisymphony.org  www.bradymusiccenter.com

Choirs unite to celebrate singer-composer Barnwell Saturday, Feb. 26, 3:30 p.m., House of Joy Christian Ministries, 3220 Central Parkway Singer-composer Ysaye Maria Barnwell will be honored at The House of Joy, with nine choirs from Southwest Ohio performing pieces she composed.

Barnwell is a composer, arranger, author, actress and former member of the African American female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock. She is a vocalist with a range of over three octaves and is trained in violin. Ysaye Maria Barnwell For almost 30 years and on three continents, Barnwell has led the workshop “Building a Vocal Community: Singing In the African American Tradition,” which utilizes oral tradition, an African worldview and African American history, values, and cultural and vocal traditions to build communities of song.

In addition, she holds degrees in speech pathology, craniofacial studies and public health. In Washington, D.C., she worked with Howard University and Gallaudet University, as well as the Children’s Hospital National Medical Center.

The concert, hosted by Cincinnati Vice-Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, is open to the public. Tickets are free, but must be reserved at www.eventbrite.com, search: Barnwell.  www.alivenarts.org

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Andrew J. Brady

The Class of 2021-22 Andrew J. Brady interns: Liz Donges, Olivia Cleri, D’Ante McNeal, Camryn Morrow and Jamie Sharp

Boychoir Festival Choir performing at Memorial Hall Saturday, Feb. 26, choir activities noon-5 p.m., free public concert 5:30 p.m., Memorial Hall The Cincinnati Boychoir Festival Choir will assemble for a day of musical activities at Memorial Hall, ending with a free public concert.

This event features music from composers Sherry Blevins and Curtis Mayfield, with a performance by a choir of boys from throughout Greater Cincinnati. Guest composerThe festival also includes bucket conductor Sherry Blevins drumming with Nick Rose-Stamey of Band in a Bus and a song composition workshop guided by Blevins, as well as rehearsals and team-building activities.

Festival Choir offers boys in grades three to six the opportunity to practice their musicality with other children in the community, including current members of the Cincinnati Boychoir.

The event is sponsored by the Andrew Jergens Foundation, William O. Purdy Jr. Foundation, Principle Business Enterprises Foundation, Matinee Musicale, Greater Cincinnati Foundation and Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation.  www.cincinnatiboychoir.org

CINCINNATI’S BEST

Are Getting Even Better!

2022 will be a monumental year of progress for the Sharonville Convention Center and the Northern Lights District. With our upcoming $21 million expansion set to begin this year, the City of Sharonville continues to grow our amenities. The new Todd Portune Hall will accommodate up to 2,000 people for our large galas while our Northern Lights Ballroom will continue to accommodate events up to 700. With the new Delta by Marriott Hotel, our connected Hyatt Place hotel and the award winning Third Eye Brewery all just steps away, your guests will truly enjoy a one-of-a kind experience.

Get Inspired. To learn more contact us at 513.771.7744 or at sccinfo@cityofsharonville.com sharonvilleconventioncenter.com

ARTS/CULTURE

The fantastical world of

Thomas Hieronymus Towhey

By Ann Stewart

T

om Towhey has spent a lifetime steadfastly marching to his own singular drum and richly kaleidoscopic view of the world.

With his long, wavy hair tumbling down his back, he may look like he would prefer to be living in the 1960s, but his artistic vision is not defined by time. His vivid and sometimes humorous paintings encourage us to look beyond the surface, and remind us of what is beautiful and expressive about life and the world around us.

But now it’s time for a retrospective of his work, opening Feb. 4 at Caza Sikes Gallery.

From the moment you push open the wooden gate to Tom Towhey’s property in Norwood you have the distinct feeling you’ve entered an Alice in Wonderland world. Shade trees and bushes and bamboo are the backdrop for his historic Victorian home with its large carriage house, which is his studio.

Garden paths lead you through a variety of sculpture, hostas, a gazebo (which doubles as an outdoor painting space) and seating areas, where you can sit by a fire pit and lose yourself in his peaceful urban oasis of art and nature.

Thomas Hieronymus Towhey, aka “2E,” grew up in Milford, raised by a single mom, with two sisters and one brother.

He was highly competitive from an early age, but his aspirations as an athlete ended when he was injured in a car accident at the age of 16.

From that day onward his full attention and passion focused on creating art in different mediums. As a young man, he even legally changed his name in honor of one of his artistic heroes, Hieronymus Bosch, the Dutch painter (c. 14501516) often called the first surrealist.

After graduation from Milford High School, he studied at the Art Academy and the University of Cincinnati, but left school after a short time because “I quickly realized art school was not for me. Surrendering my individuality to learn to think and create like any other human seemed counterintuitive.”

His career path led him to designing cards with Gibson Greetings for a while, and he traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he maintained a studio for a year so he could work in the desert’s pure light and immerse himself in what he described as the first “real art scene” he had experienced. The intense light inspired him to use a wider palette of bright colors in his paintings, as he tried to capture the vibrancy of hues. “I saw what pure light really is.

It heightens your senses.”

Upon his return to Cincinnati in 1991, Towhey became a founding member of

Thomas Hieronymus Towhey

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FEBRUARY 2022

Movers & Makers

Tom Towhey, “Bastard and Bitches” 2000, 44”x60,” oil on canvas

Maintraum, a shared studio space on Main Street, with fellow artists Robert Morris, Steve Geddes and Dana Tindall. Maintraum (a reference to the street name but also “main dream”) helped establish Main Street as a local hub of creativity in the 1990s, and Towhey created what he described as abstract expressionist paintings.

He also began creating works of sculpture during this time, usually constructed of metal or wood with various found objects. His artistic partnership with Denny Wallace has produced wondrous pieces of various sizes and shapes. A large outdoor metal piece they created 24 years ago, titled “Miracle Grow,” has been selected for an exhibit at the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum in Hamilton in the spring of 2023.

Towhey is well known for his teapot paintings. Shortly after the wake for his beloved Irish grandmother, he found himself staring at a canvas, wondering what to put on it. She had been a tea drinker, and as thoughts of her filled his mind he was inspired to paint a teapot. Since then, he has incorporated many teapots into his artworks.

Since settling into his home in Norwood in 2000, Towhey has created some of Cincinnati’s most colorful and expressive works of art. His paintings bring to life unique characters and fanciful landscapes because Towhey, a selfdescribed loner, has been a lifelong student of nature and human nature. “I don’t just paint a landscape, I paint the feeling of the landscape,” he said. “The people in my paintings are characters, not portraits, and are often placed in surrealist situations. I want people to read their own meanings into the works.”

ARTS/CULTURE Another element of his work is humor, both in concepts for the paintings and in their titles. He is known for often hiding objects in his paintings, so the viewer can discover new things over time.

His works challenge the viewer to see things in a new light, and his extraordinary use of vibrant colors invites you to share his artistic vision. “Color unlocks the imagination, and saturated color demands attention,” he said.

According to friend and fellow artist Saad Ghosn, “Tom Towhey’s art is unique in both its aesthetic quality and in its content. His colorful images are complex, yet carry the viewer to a deep and secret world that begs to be discovered,

Tom Towhey, “Sockie Lock Key,” 2021, 60” diameter, oil on canvas

Tom Towhey, “Buster,” 2019, 24”x18”x16,” ceramic and stainless steel

and in which many recognizable elements connect to nature, to living beings, and to fragments of his subconscious. The result is magical and surrealistic, shapes and colors metamorphosing into each other, surrounding and engulfing the viewer.”

Towhey, now 63, has been a guest lecturer at the Taft Museum and the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. He also helped develop the after-school art programs for Cincinnati YMCA and its outreach to Children’s Hospital. He was a volunteer art teacher for St. Rita’s School for the Deaf, and often is a contributing artist with SOS Cincinnati, a group of artists founded by Ghosn working to encourage peace and justice.

Towhey’s array of work (line drawings, sculpture, fantasy landscape and surreal paintings) has been widely exhibited, including shows at the University of Cincinnati, Art Academy, Springfield Museum of Art, Atlanta Art Expo, Art EXPO (NYC), Andrew Vincent Galleries (Australia) and notable solo shows at Miller Gallery and Carnegie Arts Center (Kentucky).

But perhaps the most exciting exhibit of his work is the show that will be held at Caza Sikes Gallery.

“We are thrilled to present the work of Thomas Hieronymus Towhey in his retrospective exhibit ‘Breaking out the Magic Monkey,’ ” said gallery owner Evan Sikes. “Tom is a true

artist, one who has been dedicated to his work for the better part of his life. In today’s world, this is truly a rarity and a great accomplishment.

The vast amount of work compiled over 40 years by Mr. Towhey displays not only a highly skillful painter, but also an individual with great imagination and humor.”

“It has been a trip going back 40 years to look over the art I created,” Towhey said. “It’s hard to believe I’m this old and have spent my entire life doing one thing.”  www.tomtowhey.com

Tom Towhey, “Mighty Testy Tina,” 18”x14”x16,” stainless steel

Thomas Hieronymus Towhey: “Breaking out the Magic Monkey, a 40 Year Retrospective” Feb. 4-April 9. Caza Sikes, 3078 Madison Road, Oakley.

Opening reception: Feb. 4, 5-9 p.m. www.cazasikes.com

Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist

Jazzmeia Horn April 1-2, 8:00 p.m.

ARONOFF CENTER J A R S O N - K A P L A N T H E AT E R

Tickets:

ar tswave.org/jaz z & A S S O C I AT E S

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ARTS/CULTURE | The List

Cultural Exhibits/Tours American Legacy Tours | 859-9518560. www.americanlegacytours.com Historic tours in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky American Sign Museum | Camp Washington. 513-541-6366. www.americansignmuseum.org Permanent collection The Archaeological Research Institute | Lawrenceburg.

812-290-2966. www.exploreari.org Hands-on educational experiences in Southeast Indiana, Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

Behringer-Crawford Museum | Devou Park, Covington. 859-491-4003. www.bcmuseum.org Artifacts and history of Northern Kentucky Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Center | ​513-604-9812. www.brewingheritagetrail.com 3rd Sunday, 11 a.m. Brunch, Beer, and Breweries Tour (from Moerlein Lager House) Cincinnati Fire Museum | Downtown.

513-621-5553. www.cincyfiremuseum.com Permanent collection Cincinnati Food Tours | Findlay Market, Over-the-Rhine. 513-602-5602. www.cincinnatifoodtours.com Saturdays, 3 p.m. “The Original Findlay Market Tour,” Fridays, 1 p.m. “The All-American Food Tour in Pendleton” Cincinnati Museum Center | Union Terminal, Queensgate. 513-287-7000. www.cincymuseum.org Current exhibits: “A Year on the Edge” • “An Unfinished Revolution: Women and the Vote” • “Inspired by Nature: The Art and Activism of Charley Harper” Thru April 24. “The Science Behind Pixar” Cincinnati Type & Print Museum | E. Price Hill. www.cincinnatitypeprintmuseum.org Permanent collection of equipment, tools and artifacts

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Friends of Music Hall | Music Hall, Over-the-Rhine. 513-621-2787. www.friendsofmusichall.org Indoor tours German Heritage Museum | Green Twp. 513-598-5732. www.gacl.org Artifacts and records of contributions of German-Americans to Cincinnati Greater Cincinnati Police Museum | Pendleton. 513-300-3664. www.police-museum.org Permanent collection Harriet Beecher Stowe House | Walnut Hills. 513-751-0651. www.stowehousecincy.org Current exhibits: “Our Neighborhood Story: A Tour of this Walnut Hills Block” • “The Cause Dearer to Me Than Any Other in the World”: Isabella Beecher Hooker and Suffrage • “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence” Holocaust & Humanity Center | Cincinnati Museum Center, Union Terminal. 513-487-3055. www.holocaustandhumanity.org Permanent exhibit: Media, artifacts, art, and interactive exhibitions regarding the Holocaust Current exhibit: “Dimensions in Testimony” Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati | West Chester. www.icgc.us First Saturday, 11 a.m. “Know Your Neighbors” (KYN) Lloyd Library and Museum | Downtown. 513-721-3707. www.lloydlibrary.org Permanent exhibit: George Rieveschl Jr.: History of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Milford Historical Society | Milford.

513-248-0324. www.milfordhistory.net Permanent exhibit: Historical displays of art, artifacts and more.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center | The Banks, Downtown. 513-333-7500. www.freedomcenter.org Permanent collection exploring themes of individual freedom Skirball Museum | Hebrew Union College, Clifton. 513-221-1875. www.csm.huc.edu Permanent exhibit: “An Eternal People: The Jewish Experience”

Dance Cincinnati Ballet | Walnut Hills.

513-621-5219. www.cballet.org Feb. 17-27. “Cinderella” Revolution Dance Theatre | Jarson-Kaplan Theater, Aronoff Center. www.revodance.com Feb. 4-5, 8 p.m. “Curves, Curls & Choreography” Shen Yun | Procter & Gamble Hall, Aronoff Center. 877-818-8029. www.shenyunperformingarts.org/cincinnati Feb 25-27. Classic Chinese dance and music

Fairs/Festivals/Markets Northminster Fine Arts Fair | Finneytown. www.facebook.com Feb. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Washington Park | Over-the-Rhine. www.washingtonpark.org/events Feb. 19-20, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mittenfest

Film Cincinnati World Cinema | Garfield Theatre, Downtown. 859-957-3456. www.cincyworldcinema.org Feb. 4-5 & 11-12, 7 p.m. “British Arrows” Feb. 6 & 13, 3:30 p.m. “British Arrows” Mayerson JCC | Amberley Village.

513-761-7500. www.mayersonjcc.org Thru Feb. 18. Jewish & Israeli Film Festival. Virtual Memorial Hall | Over-the-Rhine.

513-977-8838. www.memorialhallotr.com Feb. 3, 8 p.m. Found Footage Festival: Vol. 9

Literary/Lectures Fitton Center | Hamilton. 513-863-8873. www.fittoncenter.org Feb. 2, 11:30 a.m. Interview with Evan Millward, WCPO Joseph-Beth Booksellers | Norwood.

513-396-8960. www.josephbeth.com Feb. 2, 7 p.m. Discussion: Eva Jurczyk “The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections” (virtual) Feb. 3, 7 p.m. Discussion: Drew Hastings “Chasing Drew Hastings: A Memoir” Feb. 5, 2 p.m. Discussion: Susan Lindsey “Liberty Brought Us Here: The True Story

of American Slaves Who Migrated to Liberia” (virtual) Feb. 7, 7 p.m. Discussion: Julie Bogart “Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parent’s Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age” Feb. 12, 2 p.m. Discussion: Brandon T. Snider w/ Ed Steckley and Jennifer George “Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines” (virtual) Feb. 14, 2 p.m. Discussion: Eliza Reid “Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World” Feb. 28, 7 p.m. Discussion: Kathy Merchant “Answering the Call of the Wild: The Remarkable Life of Cathryn Hosea Hilker” Lindner Center of HOPE | www.lindnercenterofhope.org Feb. 1, 6 p.m. “Depression and Bipolar: The Two Ends of The Mood Pole and Everything In-between” (Manor House)

Music AlivenArts | The House of Joy Christian Ministries, Camp Washington. www.alivenarts.org Feb. 26, 3:30 p.m. “Building a Choral Community: Celebrating the Voice and Vision of Dr. Ysaye Maria Barnwell” Athenaeum of Ohio | Bartlett Center, Mt. Washington. www.athenaeum.edu Feb. 6, 7 p.m. Solemn Vespers Bach Ensemble of St. Thomas | St. Thomas Episcopal, Terrace Park.

513-831-2052. www.bachensemble.org Feb. 20, 5 p.m. Bach Vespers: BWV 227 Brady Music Center | The Banks, Downtown. www.bradymusiccenter.com Regular rock, pop and hip-hop concerts Butler Philharmonic | 513-844-5151. www.butlerphil.org Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. “Classics on Parade” (Fitton Center) Caffe Vivace | Walnut Hills. 513-601-9897. www.caffevivace.com Most evenings, live jazz performances The Carnegie | Covington. 859-957-1940. www. thecarnegie.com Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. “Cheaper Than Therapy” Sara Mackie & Matthew Umphreys

ARTS/CULTURE | The List Christ Church Cathedral | Downtown.

513-621-1817. www.cincinnaticathedral.com Feb. 6, 5 p.m. Choral Evensong Feb. 20, 3 p.m. Nathan Laube, organ: “Fantasies and Fugues” Tuesdays, 12:10 p.m. Music Live@Lunch Christ Church Glendale | Glendale. 513771-1544. www.christchurchglendale.org Feb. 9, 12:05 p.m. Queen City Sisters Cincinnati Boychoir | 513-396-7664. www.cincinnatiboychoir.org Feb. 26, 5:30 p.m. Festival Choir: “Interlocking Rhythms” (Memorial Hall) Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | 513-280-8181. www.cincinnatijazz.org Feb. 6, 2 p.m. Jazz@First Series: “Queen City Vintage Vibe: Sally + Joe Lukasik” (First Unitarian Church, Avondale) Feb. 17, 7 p.m. Big Band Series: “A Tribute to Genius: Phil DeGreg Plays Chick Corea + McCoy Tyner” (The Redmoor, Mt. Lookout) Cincinnati Symphony & Pops | Music Hall, Over-the-Rhine. 513-381-3300. www.cincinnatisymphony.org Feb. 4-6. (Pops) “Music of John Williams” Damon Gupton, conductor Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. (Chamber Players) “Mozart, Beethoven & Piazzola” Feb. 13-14. (CSO) “Tango & City Noir” John Storgårds, conductor; Ksenjia Sidorova, accordion Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra | Music Hall. www.cincinnatisymphony.org/csyo Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. (Philharmonic Orchestra) ”Radiance” Classical Revolution | 216-407-4194. www.classicalrevolutioncincinnati.com Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. Chamber music in casual bar setting (Listing Loon, Northside) College-Conservatory of Music | University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. www.ccm.uc.edu Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m. Faculty Artist Series: Alan Rafferty, cello (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 2, 7 p.m. Guest Artist Series: Army Field Band Clarinet Quartet (Mary Emery Hall) Feb. 3, 7:30 p.m. CCM Chamber Orchestra “Chinatown V” (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 7, 8 p.m. Guest Artist Series: Karl Pituch, horn (Mary Emery Hall) Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. CCM Concert Orchestra “From Heaven II” (Corbett Auditorium)

Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. Piano Studio “Celebrating Sofia Gubaidulina” (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. CCM Wind Ensemble “Innovations” (Corbett Auditorium) Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m. CCM Jazz Lab Band “Composer’s Concert” (Corbett Auditorium) Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. CCM Chamber Winds “Classics Old and New” (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m. CCM Brass Choir “Brass Showcase” (Corbett Auditorium) Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m. CCM Student Composers (Corbett Theater) Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. CCM Philharmonia “Carnival!” (Corbett Auditorium) Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. CCM Wind Symphony “Pops: Summon the Heroes” (Corbett Auditorium) Feb. 19, 5 p.m. Starling Showcase (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 20, 2 p.m. Faculty Artist Series: Michael Mergen, trumpet (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 20, 3 p.m. Musical Tribute to the Bicentennial of Jewish Life in Cincinnati (Corbett Theater) Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. Ariel Quartet (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. CCM Chamber Orchestra “The Music of Iris ter Schiphorst” (Corbett Theater) Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. CCM Chamber Orchestra “Iris ter Schiphorst and Composers” (Cohen Family Studio Theater) Feb. 26, 2 p.m. Guest Artist Series: Icarus Quartet (Corbett Theater) Feb. 26, 7 p.m. Starling Chamber Orchestra (Werner Recital Hall) Feb. 27, 2 p.m. Faculty Artist Series: Alexandra Kazovsky, violin (Werner Recital Hall)

Feb. 17, 8 p.m. Hillbilly Herald Feb. 19, 8:30 p.m. A Weezer & The Smashing Pumpkins Tribute Feb. 23, 8 p.m. Ripe

Hard Rock Casino | Downtown. www.hardrockcasinocincinnati.com Feb. 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Kathy Wade’s Jammin’ Jazz Brunch: “Sisters Who Swing”

Mayerson JCC | Amberley Village.

513-761-7500. www.mayersonjcc.org Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. Ensemble Intercontemporain accompanies silent film, “Die Stadt ohne Juden”

Heritage Bank Center | Downtown. www.heritagebankcenter.com Feb. 11, 8 p.m. ’70s Love Jam feat.

The Emotions Feb. 17, 7 p.m. MercyMe Feb. 19, 7 p.m. Ghost & Volbeat Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church | Hyde Park.

513-871-1345. www.hydeparkchurch.org Feb. 13, 4 p.m. Aaron David Miller, organ Linton Chamber Music | 513-381-6868. www.lintonmusic.org Feb. 20, 4 p.m. The Debut of Demarre McGill: Demarre McGill, flute; Christopher Pell, clarinet; Stefani Matsuo, violin; Jan Grüning, viola; Ilya Finkelshteyn, cello (First Unitarian Church, Avondale) Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m. Encore of previous (Congregation Beth Adam, Loveland) Madison Theater | Covington.

859-491-2444. www.madisontheater.com Feb. 12, 9 p.m. Rhy!

Memorial Hall | Over-the-Rhine.

513-977-8838. www.memorialhallotr.com Feb. 7, 7 p.m. Jazz at the Memo: The Music of Dave Brubeck feat. Rick Van Matre and Phil DeGreg Trio Feb. 8, 8 p.m. Longworth-Anderson Series: Anaïs Mitchell + Bonny Light Horseman Feb. 9, 8 p.m. Cincinnati Bell RiseUp Women’s Series: The Wailin’ Jennys Feb. 14, 7 p.m. Jazz at the Memo: Valentines Mambo at the Memo feat.

Mambo Combo Feb. 21, 7 p.m. Jazz at the Memo: Billie, Nancy, and Ella: Mandy Gaines and Brad Myers Trio Feb. 22, 8 p.m. The You & Me Tour: “An Evening with Drew and Ellie Holcomb” Feb. 24, 8 p.m. Allison Russell with SistaStrings

COMMUNITY UMC

Concert series

Covenant-First Presbyterian Church | Downtown. www.covfirstchurch.org Feb. 27, 4-6 p.m. Fourth Annual Organ Festival Fairfield Community Arts Center | Fairfield. 513-867-5348. www.fairfield-city.org Feb. 4, 8 p.m. Dudley Taft Feb. 12, 8 p.m. Robin Spielberg Fitton Center for Creative Arts | Hamilton. 513-863-8873. www.fittoncenter.org Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m. Professor Dan, Rio Van & the Eclectic Jazz Co-op Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. Butler Philharmonic “Classics on Parade”

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ARTS/CULTURE | The List Memorial Hall (Continued) Feb. 28, 7 p.m. Jazz at the Memo: Mardi Gras Mambo feat. Kris Keith and the NOLA-tet PromoWest Pavilion at Ovation | 101 W 4th St., Newport. www.promowestlive.com Regular rock, pop and hip-hop performances The Redmoor | Mt. Lookout Square. www.theredmoor.com Feb. 4, 6 p.m. Scarlet Fire Live Feb. 5, 6 p.m. Tom The Torpedoes (music of Tom Petty) Feb. 6, 5 p.m. Blue Wisp Big Band 40th Anniversary CD Release Feb. 11, 6 p.m. Natural Progression Feb. 25, 6 p.m. Soul Pocket St. Peter in Chains Cathedral | Downtown. 513-421-5354. www.stpeterinchainscathedral.org Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m. St. Olaf Choir Schwartz’s Point | Over-the-Rhine. www.thepoint.club Most Thursdays, every Friday & Saturday. Live Jazz Taft Theatre | Downtown. www.tafttheatre.org Feb. 12, 8 p.m The Regrettes Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. Beth Hart Feb. 27, 8 p.m. Gaelic Storm Trinity Episcopal Church | Covington.

859-431-1786. www.trinitycovington.org Feb. 27, 5 p.m. Evensong 3rd Wednesday, 12:15 p.m. Midday Musical Menu: Feb. 16. CCM Students of the Organ Department Westwood First Presbyterian | Westwood. 513-661-6846. www.wfpc.org/music Feb. 20, 2:30 p.m. Phil DeGreg Quartet

Opera College-Conservatory of Music | University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. www.ccm.uc.edu Feb. 4-6. Offenbach: “Orpheus in the Underworld” Feb. 17-20. Joseph Bologne: “L’amant Anonyme” (The Anonymous Lover)

Theater Beechmont Players | Anderson Center.

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Feb. 4-12. “The Odd Couple” (Female Version) Broadway Across America | Procter & Gamble Hall, Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St. 513-721-3344. https://cincinnati.broadway.com Feb. 8-20. “My Fair Lady” The Carnegie | Covington.

859-491-2030. www.thecarnegie.com Thru Feb. 13. “The Sound of Music” CenterStage Players | Lockland High School. 513-558-4910. www.centerstageplayersinc.com Feb. 18-27. “Incorrigible” Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati | Taft Theatre, Downtown. 513-569-8080 x10. www.thechildrenstheatre.com Feb. 5-14. “Matilda the Musical Jr.” Cincinnati Arts Association | Aronoff Center, Downtown. 513-621-2787. www.cincinnatiarts.org Feb. 15-26. “Menopause The Musical” Cincinnati Landmark Productions | 513-241-6550. www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com Thru Feb. 20. “Beehive - The Musical” (Covedale Theater) Feb. 24-March 13. “The Last Five Years” (Incline Theatre) Cincinnati Music Theatre | Fifth Third Theater, Aronoff Center. 513-621-2787. www.cincinnatimusictheatre.org Feb. 4-12. “Between the Lines, Outside the Margins” Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative | Fifth Third Bank Theater, Aronoff Center.

513-621-ARTS. www.cincyplaywrights.org Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. “Here’s to Living,”

by Leo Bradley Cincinnati Shakespeare Company | Over-the-Rhine. 513-381-2273. www.cincyshakes.com Thru Feb. 12. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Feb. 25-March 26. “Hamlet” College-Conservatory of Music | University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. www.ccm.uc.edu Feb. 9-13. “Blue Stockings” (Patricia Corbett Theater)

Ensemble Theatre | Over-the-Rhine. 513-421-3555. www.ensemblecincinnati.org Feb. 19-March 19. “Queen”

Taft Theatre | Downtown. www.tafttheatre.org Feb. 10, 7 p.m. Whitney Cummings, comedian

Fairfield Footlighters | Fairfield. 513867-5348. www.fairfieldfootlighters.org Feb. 25-27. “The Sunshine Boys”

Tri-County Players | Bell Tower Arts Pavilion, Evendale. 513-471-2030. www.facebook.com Feb. 25-March 6. “The Women of Lockerbie”

Falcon Theatre | Monmouth Theatre, Newport. 513-479-6783. www.falcontheater.net Feb. 11-26. “Red Speedo” Footlighters | Stained Glass Theatre, Newport. 859-291-7464. www.footlighters.org Thru Feb. 6. “Bonnie & Clyde” Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre | Parrish Auditorium, Hamilton.

513-737-PLAY. www.ghctplay.com Feb. 10-13. “Amour” Know Theatre | Over-the-Rhine.

513-300-5669. www.knowtheatre.com Thru March 14. Serials! 12 Thunderdome Mason Community Players | Theatre 42, Lebanon. 513-398-7804. www.masonplayers.org Feb. 11-13. “Gender Bender Revue” Memorial Hall | Over-the-Rhine. www.memorialhallotr.com Feb. 10-11, 7:30 p.m. “The Moth Mainstage” Northern Kentucky University | NKU Corbett Theatre. 859-572-5464. www.theatre.nku.edu Feb. 25-March 6. “The Lightning Thief” Playhouse in the Park | Mt. Adams.

513-421-3888. www.cincyplay.com Thru Feb. 27. “Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help” (Marx Theatre) Feb. 12-March 20. “Rooted” (Shelterhouse Theatre) Queen City Vaudevillians | Monmouth Theatre, Newport. www.queencityvaudevillians.com Feb. 26, 7 p.m. Season Closer Show School for Creative & Performing Arts | Over-the-Rhine. 513-363-8100. www.scpa.cps-k12.org Feb. 4-6. “The Island of Doctor Moreau” Sunset Players | Art Center at Dunham, Price Hill. 513-588-4988. www.sunsetplayers.org Feb. 18-March 5. “Drinking Habits”

Village Players | Ft. Thomas.

859-392-0500. www.villageplayers.org Feb. 25-March 5. “You Can’t Take It With You” Xavier University | Gallagher Theater. 513-745-3939 www.xavier.edu/theatre-program Feb. 11-20. “Eurydice” • “A Doll’s House Part 2” • “Proof”

Visual Art 1628 Ltd. | Downtown. 513-320-2596. www.1628ltd.com Thru Feb. 25. “Queen City Visual Narrative: An Exploration of Cincinnati’s Iconography” Feb. 25-May 20. “Upon Further Reflection: A Celebration of Women Artists and Introspection” The Annex Gallery | Pendleton Arts Center, Pendleton. www.facebook.com Feb. 1-26. “New Woman: A juried art exhibition” Reception: Feb. 5, 3-5 p.m.

Art Academy of Cincinnati | Over-theRhine. 513-562-6262. www.artacademy.edu Feb. 5, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Open House Art Design Consultants East | O’Bryonville. 513-723-1222. www. adcfineart.com Opening Feb. 4, 4-7 p.m. Melissa Mason ArtWorks | Walnut Hills. 513-333-0388. www.artworkscincinnati.org Feb. 25-April 16. “Carving Out Your Own Path” The Barn | Mariemont. 513-272-3700. www.artatthebarn.org Thru Feb. 13. Signature Member Exhibition Basketshop Gallery | Westwood. www.basketshopgallery.com Thru Feb. 19. Megan Bickel: “Again I Put All My Hope In Dirt & Wood”

ARTS/CULTURE | The List Carl Solway Gallery | West End. 513-621-0069. www.solwaygallery.com Thru Feb. 25. “Action & Sculptures” Caza Sikes | Oakley. 513-290-3127. www.cazasikes.com Feb. 4-April 9. Thomas Hieronymus Towhey: “Breaking out the Magic Monkey, a 40 Year Retrospective” Reception: Feb. 4, 5-9 p.m.

Cincinnati Art Museum | Eden Park.

513-721-2787. www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org Thru Feb. 6. “Simply Brilliant: ArtistJewelers of the 1960s and 1970s” Feb. 25-May 15. “Working Together: The Photographers of the Kamoinge Workshop” • David Driskell: “Icons of Nature and History” Cincinnati Museum Center | Union Terminal, Queensgate. 513-287-7000. www.cincymuseum.org Thru Feb. 21. “Borrowed Gems from the Taft Museum of Art” Clifton Cultural Arts Center | Short Vine, Corryville. 513-497-2860. www.cliftonculturalarts.org Feb. 1-26. “New Woman: A juried art exhibition” Reception: Feb. 5, 3-5 p.m.

(Annex Gallery, The Pendlton) Feb. 11-25. “Summerfair Cincinnati: Emerging Artists”

Thru March 12. “The Teachers’ Lounge: Works by Art Instructors Past & Present” Manifest Gallery | E. Walnut Hills. 513861-3638. www.manifestgallery.com Thru Feb. 18. Five Themes Project: “Wilderness” • “Rural” • “Suburban” • “Urban” • “Post-Urban”

Off Ludlow Gallery | Clifton.

513-201-7153. www.facebook.com Thru Feb. 25. Barb Smucker & Chris Thalgott

Thru Feb. 13. MSJ Art & Design Faculty Exhibition Feb. 27-April 1. Alan deCourcy: Interdisciplinary photography exhibition

Pendleton Art Center | Pendleton. 513421-4339. www.pendeltonartcenter.com Feb. 25, 6-10 p.m., open studios

Taft Museum of Art | Lytle Park, Downtown. 513-241-0343. www.taftmuseum.org Thru May 1. “In a New Light | Treasures from the Taft”

The Mohawk Gallery | Over-the-Rhine.

513-381-5116. www.robinimaging.com Thru Feb. 25. Stephen Albert: “Over the Rhine in the 1970s - A Journey into a Unique Cincinnati Neighborhood”

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum | Hamilton. 513-868-1234. www.pyramidhill.org Thru September. “Leverage” Large Scale Sculpture by Brett Price

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center | The Banks, Downtown. 513-333-7500. www.freedomcenter.org Thru March 22. Luba Lukova: “Designing Justice”

Skirball Museum | Hebrew Union College, Clifton. www.csm.huc.edu Feb. 10-May 30. Mark Powdal: “A Collage of Customs” Feb. 24-May 8. “From Darkness to Light: Mosaics inspired by tragedy”

Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights. 859-572-5148. www.nku.edu/gallery Thru Feb. 18. FE22: Full and Part-time Faculty Exhibition • Featured Faculty: Candice van Loveren Geis. Reception: Feb. 17, 5-7 p.m.

Studio Kroner | Downtown. www.studiokroner.com Feb. 17-March 12. Emily Kaelin Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery | Mount St. Joseph University, Delhi. www.msj.edu

Warren County Historical Museum | Lebanon. www.wchsmuseum.org Thru March 12. “Genius of the Needle – Women’s Creations in the Victorian Era (1830-1900)” Wave Pool Gallery and The Welcome Project | Camp Washington. www.wavepoolgallery.org Thru Feb. 26. “Critical Mass” Thru March 31: 2022 “Welcome (M)Art,” Art/Food Residency – Rouyi Shi: “Food Envelopes” Weston Art Gallery | Aronoff Center.

513-977-4165. www.cincinnatiarts.org/ weston-art-gallery Thru March 13. Summerfair Select 

Contemporary Arts Center | Downtown. 513-345-8400. www.contemporaryartscenter.org Thru Feb. 27. Sreshta Rit Premnath: “Grave/Grove” • Marwa Arsanios: “Who Is Afraid of Ideology?”

Thru March 20. “The Regional” Fitton Center | Hamilton. 513-863-8873. www.fittoncenter.org Thru March 11. Saad Ghosn: “Human Rights: Derechos Humanos” Feb. 5-March 11. “Collision” Indian Hill Gallery | Indian Hill. 513984-6024. www.indianhillgallery.com Thru March 13. “The River and the Thread: Fiber and Woven Forms from the Ohio Valley” Iris BookCafe and Gallery | Over-the-Rhine. 513-260-8434. www.irisbookcafeotr.com Thru March. Casey LeClair: “Seven Cities” Kennedy Heights Arts Center | Kennedy Heights. 513-631-4278. www.kennedyarts.org

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PERSPECTIVE

PR TIPS from the PROS Pitch: Two respected public relations professionals dish on the job

W

hen we learned that two of our favorite public relations managers in the nonprofit sector were stepping aside to try something new, we saw an opportunity for them to share some perspective and pointers.

Ann Stewart and Alyson Best have provided a level of excellence that we in the publishing industry value most highly. We wish them both the very best in whatever comes next. Thanks for making our jobs more pleasant and much easier!

– Movers & Makers staff

Norma Petersen with Ann Stewart at Memorial Hall in September 2006 – Stewart’s first concert as a CCO employee

Ann Stewart is a Cincinnati native and graduate of the University of Cincinnati. Her initial career after graduation was as a therapist at Shriners Burns Institute. Later, during her 10-year hiatus from working while her children were young, Ann discovered her passion for promoting the arts and social causes. She has had a lifelong love affair with music, and tried to incorporate music into every job she has held.

She was the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra PR and marketing manager from 2006-2012 and served as communications director from 2014 until December of 2021.

Alyson Best is currently manager, marketing and communications at OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the only nonprofit resource center in the region. The award-winning communicator has combined a love of storytelling, design and event planning into a career touching volunteer, nonprofit and 14

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business sectors – often dragging family and friends into her “good ideas” for the betterment of the community.  How did you get into public relations/marketing?

Stewart: As a board member for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati in the early ’90s I worked with Gina Martin, a PR professional and fellow AVOC board member. I am grateful to her for mentoring me as I learned new skills in communications and marketing. I met Norma Petersen through my work for AVOC and she asked me to do some volunteer PR work for the CCO, starting in 1995. So, it has been a long relationship with the CCO. Best: I have loved to write since a young age but knew there were limited jobs in journalism.

I went to the University of Iowa, which was one of the few accredited journalism schools at the time, knowing a strong writing program was key to success. I was one of the few in my class who planned to go into PR. I combined my journalism degree with business and fine arts classes to give me background in this profession and then tried to score as many internships as I could for “hands on” experience. I had a full resume when I graduated and landed a coveted PR job in the Washington, D.C., area because of this.  What was the best or worst piece of advice you ever received in relation to your work?

Stewart: Every PR person has their own style … but I think mine was born out of something a former boss said to me 21 years ago that was hurtful. She chastised me for wanting to be friends with my coworkers. I believe a person becomes successful by being supportive to the people they work with. PR is about building relationships and gaining trust … with your coworkers, with other organizations, and with members of the media.

Best: Know your audience(s) and have a plan.

I learned this from Cynthia Hardie, my boss at Northlich, who had a newspaper background and was very wise. She was the master at pitching a story and “working the editor desk.”

A good strategic PR plan is broad reaching, covering many audiences and situations – the community, internal communications, how you

handle a crisis and your online and social media communications as well.  What do you wish you had learned long ago?

Stewart: I wish that I had learned to be assertive with my suggestions and ideas much earlier in my career. It took decades to find my voice.

And now I am probably too opinionated for my own good. That’s what comes of seeing “how the sausage gets made” for such a long time.

Best: I only know how to do things one way, and that is to do it to the best of my ability. I wish I had been able to step away and not put in that extra time to make things perfect – but I still haven’t learned how to do that. This weakness has kept me away from home a few too many hours, but in the end I was able to go to sleep at night knowing I gave it my best effort.  What one piece of advice would you give someone just entering the PR field or wanting to up their game?

Stewart: I would tell them not to use hyperbole – not everything is worthy of a press release. Provide authentic reasons for people to care about whatever you are promoting. Go into this line of work knowing that you will be on-call 24/7 – especially if you work for a small organization. Do not ignore traditional forms of media, and mistakenly think that only social media is important and relevant these days.

And, always show gratitude towards members of the media … even if you didn’t get the coverage you hoped for.

Alyson Best and Stacy Sims toast to the event’s success at the 1985 Cincinnati Automobile Club’s “Great Pretender’s Mix-Off,” promoting the safe use of nonalcoholic drinks during the holidays for driving guests.

PERSPECTIVE  What are you most proud of during your career?

At last summer’s Unplug and Play event at TQL Stadium: OneSource CEO Christie Brown, FC Cincinnati Foundation Executive Director Kate Solomon, reporter Clancy Burke of Local 12 with Alyson Best

Best: Students wanting to go into PR need to strengthen their writing and put themselves in as many writing situations as possible. A strong writing foundation is key to success – get on the student newspaper; take advanced reporting classes. And don’t stop there! Take a photojournalism class and learn how to use Excel and Powerpoint and Adobe products. Get as many internships as you can. Join student associations for PRSA or IABC or AMA. And read the newspaper, paying attention to what trends are important in your community. I can’t tell you the number of internship applications I have seen where students haven’t done these things and their resumes don’t warrant a second glance. You can’t expect to learn all these things on the job.

marketing and PR and knowing what is of interest to your audience. It’s important to document your organization’s journey and the stories that set it apart. Sometimes you can use these, sometimes not – but it is always good to have these in your tool kit. My staff has learned to just “go with it” when I pull out my camera and start asking questions. “There she goes again!”

I have had great success at placing stories because I don’t give up when I know I have a good story to share. Editors are busy people with lots of information coming over their desk, so often you have to pursue them.

 What strategy or tool has proved most successful for you over the years?

Best: PR professionals can be seen as fact spinners, focused on embellishing or obscuring the truth. In fact, good PR is based on cultivating lasting relationships with the media or other targeted audiences based on trust and credibility. This doesn’t just happen. If a story isn’t worth repeating, good reporters and editors see right through that. If you are working for a quality organization putting out solid work – there is an audience for that message.

Ann Stewart and Eckart Preu at Seasongood Pavilion at a CCO concert in August 2021

Photo by Phil Groshong

Stewart: Pitch story ideas that will engage readers. Strategize to create stories whenever possible. An example of this took place during our 2018 Summermusik season. We needed a cellist to perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto, and I told our music director that we should hire Coleman Itzkoff, son of our principal violist Heidi Yenney. I knew that he was an outstanding musician who deserved this solo spot. I also knew what a great story it would make, having Coleman return to Cincinnati and perform on stage with his mother playing in the orchestra behind him. We sold a lot of tickets to that concert to fans of Coleman and Heidi, and every arts writer loved the mother/son musician story.

Best: When I started in this field, it was all about having media tours and a press kit full of ad slicks and collateral. Now the focus is on having a developed website and an elevator speech and repurposing your succinct message for different outlets. There is an emphasis on sharing real-life stories and I love that trend.

Tenacity and enthusiasm are key to

 What do you see as the biggest misconception about the role of a PR professional?

Stewart: I’m most proud of the work I did for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati. I created a concert in 1995 called Artists for AIDS Awareness that took place at Music Hall and brought together performers from the CCO, CSO, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Men’s Chorus, MUSE, Drums for Peace, VAE, Pamela Myers and Cleo Laine. Keith Lockhart served as music director and we closed the concert with all the artists on stage singing Elton John’s “Circle of Life.” AVOC clients were offered free tickets to attend the event and after the concert ended several of them hugged me, overcome with tears of joy. Moments like that stay with you forever.

Best: My work at OneSource Center has been extremely rewarding because the organization’s business model gives nonprofit leaders the tools they need to strengthen and build programs that help others. It is that ripple effect where growth supports growth. Anytime you can lift someone up – that is a “win” for me. I have been blessed to work with this organization in its developmental years and helped strengthen a foundation that others can build on. The organization has a staff and volunteer pool of incredible, talented people who believe in sharing their talent and treasure for the betterment of our community – who couldn’t love this work?  What’s next for you?

Stewart: I will enjoy having free time in the summer, and I won’t miss the stress of worrying about ticket sales. I have a few writing projects that I’ve already started working on. I will do some pro bono work for people and organizations that I want to support. The R word is not in my vocabulary.

Best: I have a lot of “spinning plates” in my life and I don’t want to let anyone down if I can’t give it 100%. This nonprofit work is too important to do part way. But, I don’t envision not being involved and engaged – just in a different capacity. I plan to be a consultant for OneSource Center, assisting with internal projects. I am deeply involved in outreach efforts at my church and have an interest in organizations that address hunger. Then there are grandbabies to spoil, a daughter’s wedding to plan, and many hiking trails and national parks still to be explored! I told my family I thought I would take up knitting when I retired and they all laughed hysterically, “You know you have to sit still to do that, right?” I don’t plan to be idle. 

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16 The Datebook DATEBOOK

FEB. 8, TUESDAY

With a Spotlight on the Movers and Makers behind Greater Cincinnati’s Fundraisers, Friend-Raisers and Community Events

FEB. 23, WEDNESDAY

Stepping Stones, Open Your Heart Dinner | 6-9 p.m.

Eddie Merlot’s & At Home (hybrid event).  STORY, this page.

FEB. 10, THURSDAY Cincinnati Cancer Foundation, An Evening with Pete Rose | 6-9 p.m. Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.  STORY, page 17.

HCDC, Economic Development Achievement Awards Luncheon and Expo | 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sharonville Convention Center DETAILS: Business expo and luncheon will recognize award recipients and showcase the innovation of HCDC’s startup clients. Premier sponsor is Wood + Lamping. ¼www.hcdc.com FEB. 24, THURSDAY

FEB. 11, FRIDAY Clermont Chamber, Annual Meeting and Small Business Excellence Awards | 11:30 a.m.

Holiday Inn & Suites East. DETAILS: The Ohio Small Business Development Center (Clermont SBDC) and the Clermont Chamber will present seven awards during the annual meeting recognizing local businesses and individuals. ¼www.clermontchamber.com/ annual-meeting-sbdc-awards FEB. 12-13, SATURDAY-SUNDAY My Furry Valentine | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sharonville Convention Center.

DETAILS: Hundreds of adoptable pets (dogs, cats, puppies, kittens and other small critters) from dozens of different rescue and shelter groups from around the Greater Cincinnati area. Every pet adopted will go home with swag and Adopters can enter to win an Adopter Raffle Basket. ¼www.myfurryvalentine.com FEB. 12, SATURDAY Dragonfly, Grand Gala | 5:30-11 p.m. Music Hall Ballroom.  STORY, this page.

Ohio Valley Voices, Annual Gala | 5:30-11 p.m. Hilton Netherland Plaza.  STORY, page 17.

FEB. 18, FRIDAY

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FEBRUARY 2022

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Annual Dinner, Legacy & Promise: A Celebration of Leadership | 5-8:30 p.m. Duke Energy Center Grand Ballroom.  STORY, page 18.

MARCH 4, FRIDAY Redwood, Redwood Express 2022 | 6-11 p.m. Music Hall Ballroom.  STORY, page 19.

Chatfield College, Chatfield of Dreams Celebration | 6 p.m. 1544 Central Pkwy.  STORY, page 19.

Movers & Makers

Stepping Stones goes hybrid for Open Your Heart Dinner Tuesday, Feb. 8, Eddie Merlot’s or online Stepping Stones, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities build pathways to independence, is hosting its 14th annual Open Your Heart Dinner at Eddie Merlot’s.

The dinner includes a cocktail hour, raffle, art by Stepping Stones participants and more. COVIDwary supporters can have takeand-bake meals delivered directly to their homes. The raffle and

other initiatives will be available online.

Elizabeth Rogers, a Stepping Stones board member, said she hopes this year’s hybrid format will let all supporters “find an option they are comfortable with given the current health environment.”

Tickets are $185 per person.  www.cincyopenyourheart.org, Sara.Schaser@SteppingStonesOhio.org or 513-965-5103

MARCH 26, SATURDAY People Working Cooperatively, Annual ToolBelt Ball | Hard Rock Casino.  STORY, page 19.

APRIL 2, SATURDAY Beechwood Home, Annual Gala | 6-10 p.m. Kenwood Country Club. DETAILS: Gala with cocktails, dinner and dancing to Soul Pocket.

Honorees: Rev. Earl Fernandez and neurologist Robert Neel, MD. Proceeds support programs and services for Beechwood Home’s 80 residents, ages 20s to 80s, with neurological conditions. ¼melder@beechwoodhome.com APRIL 7, THURSDAY

Midwest Chinese Chamber of Commerce (M3C), Lunar New Year Gala | 5-8:30 p.m.

3 E. 4th St. Suite 100, Cincinnati.  STORY, page 19.

Rob Zesch and 2022 Open Your Heart event chair Patti Zesch

UC Advancement and Transition Services, Red & Black Blast | 6-9 p.m. University of Cincinnati, Fifth Third Arena. DETAILS: TBA

Dragonfly’s Grand Gala honors Children’s Hospital workers Saturday, Feb. 12, 5:30-11 p.m., Music Hall The Dragonfly Foundation’s Grand Gala will honor Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s child life specialists and social workers.

The foundation provides help and comfort to young cancer patients and their families.

The gala, presented by The Markley Foundation, includes dinner catered by Jeff Thomas, open bar, music, entertainment from Endless Summer Band and a silent auction. A raffle includes two tickets to “Hamilton,” dinner at Sotto and a stay at 21C Hotel. The event is formal, black tie optional.

The gala director is Mary Tignor; emcees are Mary Tignor, WLWT meteorologist Randi Rico and anchor Grand Gala director Kelly Rippin. Tickets are $175.  m.tignor@dragonfly.org or www.dragonfly.org/gala

DATEBOOK

Pete Rose

Pete Rose goes to bat in fight against cancer Thursday, Feb. 10, 6-9 p.m., Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, Downtown The Cincinnati Cancer Foundation will host an Evening with Pete Rose at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. The event will raise funds to support Cincinnati Cancer Advisors, a free, second-opinion oncology clinic that provides help to more than 300 Greater Cincinnati cancer patients each year.

“Like nearly all of us, Pete has lost loved ones to cancer and is eager to come back home to help us combat this unforgiving disease,” said Dr. Bill Barrett, co-director of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and founder of the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation.

The event includes a cocktail hour featuring heavy appetizers and open bar, a seated dinner, and a conversation between Rose and Fran Barrett, a local attorney and avid sports aficionado.

Individual tickets are $250. Tables are $5,000 and include premium seating for eight, signage and social media recognition, and a baseball signed by Rose. Attendance will be limited to 200 people.  www.cincinnaticanceradvisors.org/peterose

Celebrate positive outcomes with Ohio Valley Voices Saturday, Feb. 12, 6-11 p.m., Netherland Hilton Plaza, Downtown The 14th Annual Ohio Valley Voices Gala is a music-themed evening featuring Emmy-award winning jazz singer Kathy Wade as emcee and musical guest.

The night begins with cocktail hour and hors d’oeurves, with more than 50 silent auction items from which to choose. During dinner, award winners Jack Wild and Shane DiGiovanna will be honored. Kathy Wade In addition to Wade, last year’s Ohio Valley Voices Got Talent winner Lailah Sellers will perform. WCPO’s chief meteorologist Steve Raleigh will serve as auctioneer. The night will conclude with music by Naked Karate Girls.

The Netherland Hilton has offered a block of rooms at a discounted rate – call 513-421-9100.

All money raised directly supports students and Steve Raleigh programs at OVV, an early intervention program that teaches children with hearing loss to listen and speak through the use of hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Tickets start at $150. Registration is open until Feb. 4.  www.ohiovalleyvoices.org Movers & Makers

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DATEBOOK ¼https://cech.uc.edu/schools/ education/ats/events.html APRIL 9, SATURDAY Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, The Beacon of Light Humanitarian Awards Gala | 6:30-11 p.m. Hyatt Regency.

DETAILS: Gala with cocktails, dinner and dancing to the Ultra Sonics.

Honorees: Phillip and Gail Holloman, Moira Weir and Barbara Weyand. ¼513-487-6775 or tcuevas@lys.org Purcell Marian High School, Grand Event | 6:30 p.m. DETAILS: Open bar, catered plated dinner and entertainment. Tickets $150/person. ¼www.purcellmarian.org/events/ grand-event-2022 APRIL 21, THURSDAY

APRIL 23, SATURDAY DePaul Cristo Rey, Rey of Light | DETAILS: Guests will gather in-person for this year's Rey of Light after two years of virtual events and it will be held on campus, for the first time in the new Student Center. ¼www.depaulcristorey.org APRIL 30, SATURDAY Jewish Hospital, A Night with Dionne Warwick | Hyatt Regency.

DETAILS: Six-time Grammy Award-winner Dionne Warwick will entertain. Honoring key figures in Jewish Hospital’s history and its legacy of medical excellence and compassionate care delivery. ¼513-686-4127 or SMRutherford@mercy.com Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, Jeans and Jewels Gala | 6 p.m. Receptions of Fairfield. DETAILS: Cocktails, four food stations, dessert and wine with dinner. Activities include: silent FEBRUARY 2022

MAY 6, FRIDAY American Heart Association, Heart Ball | 6:30 p.m.-1 a.m.

Duke Energy Convention Center.  STORY, page 20.

MAY 18-20, MONDAY-WEDNESDAY Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, Light Up with Art! | Peterloon Estate. DETAILS: More than 35 artists will display and sell a diverse collection of creations. Free admission.

Hours: May 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 19, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. May 20, 10 a.m.-noon. ¼513-487-6775 or tcuevas@lys.org MAY 19, TUESDAY

Tristate Trauma Network, Northern Kentucky Take Back the Night | 5-9 p.m. Goebel Park, Covington.

DETAILS: Keynote speaker, live music, T-shirt making, T-shirt sales, local artistry, resource booths, speak-out on open mic for survivors, candle light vigil and lots of fun in the park for adults and children. No entry fee to attend; open to the public. Vendor sale items available.

Paid parking in local city garages and lots. ¼Madamchik@tristatetraumanetwork.org

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and live auction, split the pot, wine pull and jewelry raffle. ¼https://OCGala2022.givesmart.com

Movers & Makers

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Annual REVEL Gala | 6-10 p.m. Otto M. Budig Theater. DETAILS: Black-tie benefit performance of “Pride and Prejudice” with cocktails and dinnerby-the-bite. Tickets: $250. Sponsorship and host opportunities available. ¼www.cincyshakes.com/event/ pride-and-prejudice MAY 21, THURSDAY Christ Hospital, 2020 Gala | 6:30 p.m. Duke Energy Convention Center.

DETAILS: Black-tie gala with cocktails, dinner and dancing. ¼513-585-0657 or Dianne.Fisk@thechristhospital.com Good Samaritan Foundation, Annual Gala: Dancing Through the Decades | 6-11:30 p.m. Hyatt Regency. DETAILS: Black-tie gala with cocktails, dinner and dancing. Proceeds benefit creation of Cellular Therapy Program at TriHealth Cancer Institute, Good Samaritan Hospital. ¼www.gshfoundation.com/gala SATURDAY, SEPT. 17 Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, Annual Teal Power 3K Walk - 5k Run | 9 a.m. Summit Park of Blue Ash. DETAILS: Bringing families, survivors and friends together. Teal store, vendor booths, raffle and fun for all. Parking is easy. ¼www.runsignup.com/tealpower5k 

The 2022 Great Living Cincinnatians: Jean-Robert de Cavel, Dr. Charles O. Dillard, Donna Jones Baker and Roger Howe

Photos by Ross Van Pelt/Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

Chamber to honor latest class of Great Living Cincinnatians Thursday, Feb. 24, 5 p.m., Duke Energy Center Grand Ballroom The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber annual gala will honor the 2022 class of Great Living Cincinnatians: social work leader Donna Jones Baker; chef and advocate Jean-Robert de Cavel; physician Dr. Charles O. Dillard; and business leader and philanthropist Roger Howe.

“Their invaluable contributions to their respective fields of social work, culinary arts, medicine and civic service exemplify what it means to be a Great Living Cincinnatian,” said Leigh R. Fox, president and CEO of Cincinnati

Bell and board chair of the chamber.

The new inductees join 163 previous awardees, all of whom have made lasting and significant contributions to the Cincinnati region.

The 2021 honorees will be installed as Great Living Cincinnatians at the 2021 Cincinnati Chamber Annual Dinner at the Duke Energy Center Grand Ballroom. Table and individual reservations are available.  513-579-3111 or cincinnatichamber.com/ annualdinner

There is more Datebook online . . .

Make sure your fundraiser, friend-raiser or community event is listed at www.moversmakers.org/datebook Listings are free.* NPOs may send event details and photos to: editor@moversmakers.org Stand out

Consider advertising. Contact Thom Mariner at tmariner@moversmakers.org for digital and print options. *See Page 4 for print deadlines. Events must meet our editorial standards.

Featured content is chosen at the discretion of editorial staff.

DATEBOOK

Rhonda Whitaker Hurtt and David Hurtt, ToolBelt Ball co-chairs  John Redden with Ben-Gals cheerleaders at Redwood Express 2020

Redwood Express 2022 fundraiser set for Music Hall Friday, March 4, 6-11 p.m., Music Hall Redwood holds its 40th annual Redwood Express fundraising gala featuring live music by The Sly Band, live and silent auctions, dinner, an open bar and various raffles.

The Grand Adventure Raffle will allow the winner to choose among five travel adventures.

JonJon, on-air personality of KISS 107.1, will emcee the gala.

Donna Bloemer is event chair.

Redwood, based in Fort Mitchell, is dedicated to helping children and adults with severe and multiple disabilities. Redwood Express raises money for the organization to continue providing services and support.

Tickets are $150. Corporate sponsorships are also available.  859-409-8424, sfusco@ redwoodnky.org  bit.ly/RedwoodExpress2022

PWC helps seniors modify homes through ToolBelt Ball Saturday, March 26, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati People Working Cooperatively will host its fifth annual fundraiser, the ToolBelt Ball, at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati.

The event will raise money for home modifications for elderly homeowners and people with disabilities in the Tristate who have mobility limitations.

The black-tie affair will include

a cocktail reception, auctions, entertainment and a gourmet dinner. All proceeds benefit PWC’s Modifications for Mobility program.

Event co-chairs are Rhonda Whitaker Hurtt and David Hurtt.

Tickets for ToolBelt Ball are $175 and table sponsorships are $2,500.  www.pwchomerepairs.org/ toolbeltball

Chatfield College lifts students with annual celebration

FC Cincinnati Co-CEO Jeff Berding is a keynote speaker at the gala.

Friday, March 4, 6 p.m., Chatfield College Cincinnati Campus, 1544 Central Parkway Chatfield College will host the annual ChatField of Dreams Celebration to fund tuition assistance, tutoring, childcare, counseling and more to empower students to achieve a better future.

The evening will feature food by local restaurateur Marvin Smith of Ollie’s Trolley, Chatfield board of trustees member and instructor.

Tickets include drinks, desserts, live music, auctions and raffles.

The planning committee includes Anne Castleberry, Linda Holthaus, Rosemary Schlachter, Marcie Taylor, Brad East, Deb Barber, Robert Elmore, Lynn Hanson, Alex Eby, Christina Mullis, Kimberly Monaco, Tory Parlin, Marvin

Lunar New Year Gala provides evening of Chinese cultural treats Chatfield College board member and instructor Marvin Smith owns Ollie’s Trolley Restaurant & Catering and will cater the Chatfield of Dreams event.

Smith, Katie Wittich and Kelly Watson.

Tickets for the event are $75. The auction will also be held virtually.  www.chatfield.edu/give/ chatfield-of-dreams

Friday, Feb. 18, 5-8:30 p.m., TQL Stadium The Lunar New Year Gala, hosted by the Midwest USA Chinese Chamber of Commerce, will include dance and musical performances, speeches and presentations, an awards ceremony, raffles, dinner and more.

The emcee is David Winter, an award-winning reporter and TV news anchor.

Keynote speakers: Jeff Berding,

co-CEO of FC Cincinnati andformer Cincinnati City Council member; Lee Wong, chamber trustee and former special agent in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division; Erika Moritsugu, vice president at the National Partnership for Women & Families; Leila Kubesch, founder/director of Parents 2 Partners and the 2020 Ohio Teacher of the Year.  www.china-midwest.com

Movers & Makers

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PROFILE

Building a path to racial equity The specific and intentional plans of Melvin Gravely

By Gail Paul

“I

have a Ph.D., so sometimes I disparities, such as Center for Closing just have to put up a graphic.” the Health Gap. Melvin J. Gravely II recently joked to “Two things are my unique role 600 business leaders at a diversity leadin this,” Gravely said, “intentionalership symposium as he illustrated root ity and specificity. We have been causes of racial disparities in America very intentional about changing the and devastating economic and social executive leadership team to be more outcomes of systemic racism. inclusive. We have emphasized friendGravely is a civic leader and author raising at the same level of fundraisof books on business strategy, leadering. Specificity is around things like ship and minority entrepreneurship.

‘Let’s go meet Renee Mahaffey Harris His latest book, “Dear White Friend: (president and CEO of the Center for The Realities of Race, the Power of Closing the Health Gap). Let’s ask Relationships and Our Path to Equity,” how we can be uplifting to sororities draws deeply on experiences of a in our town, because that’s where lifetime as a Black man making accoma lot of Black professionals hang modations to participate and succeed out. Usually when you say ‘equity,’ in a white business world. the response is yeah!, but there’s no The support “Dear White Friend” specificity. We are not measuring has received since its July 2021 release anything. It’s been critical to me that has surprised Gravely, who said books that change.” are stacked everywhere at the head“I am honored to be asked, and quarters of TriVersity Construction that’s the truth, because the Heart Co., where he is majority owner and Ball is one of those signature events CEO. “We were a bit unprepared for in town,” Gravely said. “It is broadly such a positive response.” So far, “Dear supported. It’s a net gain to our White Friend” is creating new convercity – we receive more money from sations about race. The book continues national American Heart than we to gain media coverage, and speaking raise (locally).” invitations for Gravely keep rolling in.

“Mel is a terrific leader and supMelvin Gravely Concerned about the nation’s negaporter of the community at large,” Photo by Tina Gutierrez for Movers & Makers tive soundbites about race, Gravely Grant said. “His leadership chairing felt moved to offer a roadmap to help the Heart Ball enables the message of people talk productively about the topic. He health care equity and what’s required to get us community connector who has been asked to intends to motivate readers to examine their there in Cincinnati to be heard.” help solve key community challenges. This year, beliefs and to encourage collaboration and ideaGravely was a successful author, speaker, as chair of the 29th annual Greater Cincinnati sharing. The book offers solutions and hope. entrepreneur and business owner when Strange Heart Ball, Gravely has led efforts to accelerate Its positivity, however, did not ease Gravely’s introduced him to the opportunity to buy the American Heart Association’s impact on apprehension about how his frank assessment of women’s health and equitable healthcare, and to TriVersity Construction in 2009. the race gap would be received and how it might raise funds to support its work.

“Our personal connection goes back a long affect his friendships or his livelihood. way,” Gravely said of Strange. “It was Pete who The participation of Gravely’s friend, Beverly “I knew people were sensitive around this offered me the opportunity to buy TriVersity, A. Grant, in planning the May 6 celebration topic,” he said. “I am not sure I knew the extent and it has changed my life. Then he stayed and cinched his decision to accept the chair; the fact of the sensitivity.” gave me advice and counsel. He changed the that his friend Pete Strange, chairman emeritus game on the expectation for inclusion in our inof Messer Construction, is being honored at the dustry and beyond. All of that came from Pete.” event is also meaningful.

Gravely met his wife, Dr. Chandra Webb, Gravely has enacted “friendraising” as part in Canton. They moved to Cincinnati in 1993.

A native of Canton, Ohio, Gravely has of the strategy to exceed the $1.5 million goal Gravely had completed his MBA at Kent State steadily established a reputation in the reand help the organization foster new partnergion as an accomplished business leader and ships with groups focused on eliminating health University and was working as a sales leader

Bridging the health care gap

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Movers & Makers

PROFILE with IBM. The couple chose Cincinnati from about seven options, Gravely said. “We did not know anyone here at the time.”

Building a foundation For Gravely, 2009 was a uniquely “beautiful year.” After the real estate meltdown and construction downturn, Gravely and a partner acquired ownership interest in TriVersity. Part of Gravely’s vision was expansion, which would allow a minority-led company to create jobs, contribute to a diverse business environment, and help Cincinnati corporations meet supplier diversity objectives.

“I wanted to be a player in this,” Gravely said, “to be able to create jobs and have an impact. To do that, you have to scale your company.”

At the time, Messer Construction was TriVersity Construction’s majority owner and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center was its sole client. “If you can’t grow a company with a partner like Messer and a customer like Children’s, you don’t deserve to play in the game,” Gravely said. “They gave me a great foundation upon which to build the company.”

TriVersity Construction is now among the largest commercial construction companies in the Tristate. Gravely has built a leadership team that has expanded the company from 30 employees to 115, adding operational divisions and clients including Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), Duke Energy, Procter & Gamble, UC Health and Fifth Third Bank. In April 2021, company ownership expanded to include President James Watkins.

Gravely calls Watkins, a 30-year veteran of commercial construction, a friend whose impact on TriVersity has been integral.

In 2021, TriVersity managed $105 million of construction for projects including Bethany House’s new shelter in Bond Hill, the Urban League’s Center for Social Justice in Avondale, and a significant renovation of Fifth Third’s office tower downtown. In July, TriVersity held a public groundbreaking for its own headquarters on Curtis Street in Walnut Hills. The facility represents TriVersity’s commitment to continually refine how it creates value for customers, empowers people to develop and thrive as professionals, and serves as a good community steward.

Accelerator, a program created and funded following 2001’s civil unrest after a Cincinnati police officer killed an unarmed Black youth in Over-the-Rhine.

Gravely was asked by Michael Fisher, then president of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, to write the business plan for an accelerator that would address racial disparities in business ownership and drive a strategy for growing African American businesses. Gravely then led the MBA for 18 months. He also served on the chamber’s board and became chair in 2014.

“What I care about is, are we growing African American and Hispanic businesses that will create wealth in our community?” Gravely said of the MBA’s impact. “Who will be philanthropic givers that will sit on boards of directors, so we can have more diverse decisions being made, employ more people of color that will rise to the executive levels and will support ArtsWave and United Way?” His credibility for capable and inclusive leadership has grown as he has demonstrated influence leading to sustainable solutions. The Regional Economic Development Initiative, or REDI Cincinnati, is one. In its seventh year, REDI is the region’s biggest economic development agency with 317 project wins for the region through 2020, representing nearly $4 billion in capital investment and 31,294 new jobs. Gravely, a founding board member, helped shape REDI’s strategy.

He co-chairs the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, a group of 100 middle market CEOs working toward meaningful civic action. He is vice chair of ArtsWave, the largest community arts fund in the nation. Gravely leads a number of ArtsWave initiatives, including Flow, an African American Arts Experience

Heart Ball to honor Pete Strange Mel Gravely, CEO of TriVersity Construction, chairs the American Heart Association’s annual Heart Ball, set for Friday, May 6 at Duke Energy Convention Center, Downtown.

St. Elizabeth Healthcare is the presenting sponsor of the event, which honors Pete Strange, chairman emeritus of Messer Construction and longtime advocate for diversity, inclusion and equitable change.

The event, scheduled for 6:30-10 p.m., includes a reception, live and silent auctions, and mission appeal and is followed by a Young Professional After Party, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.  http://cincinnatiheartball.heart.org

Accelerating business, philanthropy “Dear White Friend” is not a Cincinnati story. However, Gravely’s immense personal contributions to the region’s civic and economic leadership over the past two decades inform its narrative. He devotes a portion of one chapter to Cincinnati’s Minority Business

established in 2019.

Flow represents a profound intersection of diverse entrepreneurial opportunity and philanthropy for Gravely. Without TriVersity, “I wouldn’t be at the table (for Flow). I wouldn’t be able to put our money in it. And I wouldn’t be able to call on my relationships with Greater Cincinnati Foundation and Fifth Third Bank (founding sponsors of Flow). That’s the change I am talking about. It sounds like I’m taking credit, but it’s an example of how I hope there’s Flow 25 years from now. It’s still great African American art. And we have forgotten about who started it – it is something we have just gotten used to. It doesn’t happen unless we have diverse philanthropy in our town.”

Gravely is wearing a custom tuxedo to the Heart Ball, created by his long-time tailor Red Door Apparel of Canton. He is donating another custom tux to be auctioned off at the gala auction.

He expects that 2022 will bring more exposure to “Dear White Friend” and require more of his time.

“I thought I would write this book, get it off my chest, we would sell 1,200 copies and I’d move on with my life,” he told his December diversity leadership symposium audience, only partly kidding. “Au contraire.” 

Pete Strange

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NAMES IN THE NEWS

Tricia Watts

Christie Kuhns

Chad Zender

Stuart Skelton

Mary Pat Raupach

Brittany Speed

Antoine T. Clark

Kelly Leon

Rachel Chrastil

Jenny Spring

Thuy Kolik

Ben Owen

Ariella Cohen

Yvonne Cuffy

Dean Johns

Eddie Koen

Lauren Legette

Holly Mott

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WAVE Foundation, a charitable organization that works with Newport Aquarium, has announced the hiring of Tricia Watts as its new executive director. Watts has been dedicated to nonprofit work for over 10 years, serving most recently as executive director of Gorman Heritage Farm in Evendale.

The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio has named attorney Christie Kuhns as interim president and CEO, following the resignation of Eddie Koen from that post. A former Ohio state representative, Kuhns has been board chair for the African American Chamber of Commerce, has been on numerous nonprofit boards and has served in key roles at UC Health.



UC Health has named Chad Zender, M.D., as the system’s first senior vice president, chief of physician practices, in partnership with UC Physicians. Zender will work with the UC College of Medicine clinical department chairs and other leaders to direct UC Health’s ambulatory care practices. He has been a practicing physician at UC Health and professor of otolaryngology at the UC College of Medicine since 2019.

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Grammy nominee and 2014 International Opera Awards Male Singer of the Year Stuart Skelton has been selected to lead the UC College-Conservatory of Music's opera department. A CCM alumnus, Skelton joined the faculty in August 2021. A heldentenor, he was the featured soloist in Last Night at the Proms with the BBC Symphony at London's Royal Albert Hall.

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Saint Francis Seraph Ministries has named Mary Pat Raupach as its executive director. A non-profit professional with extensive experience, Raupach comes to SFSM from Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, where she was director of workforce development and support.

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Movers & Makers

Beech Acres Parenting Center has welcomed Brittany Speed as its new chief financial officer, a role in which she will be responsible for developing financial strategy.

Speed was vice president of finance and administration with StriveTogether Inc. She is board chair for Cancer Family Care and Ault Park Advisory Council.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announced Antoine T. Clark as its 2022 MAC Music Innovator. Clark, assistant conductor of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, is founding artistic and music director of the McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra.

The MAC Music Innovator is a one-year residency that highlights leading African American classical musicians.

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WordPlay Cincy, the Northside nonprofit dedicated to helping young people discover their voices, welcomes communications and community engagement professional Kelly Leon to its board of trustees. Leon has been writing professionally for more than 35 years, starting in print and broadcast journalism before moving to public relations and corporate communications.

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Xavier University has appointed Rachel Chrastil as the next provost and chief academic officer. Chrastil is a scholar of modern Europe, author of “Organizing for War” and “The Siege of Strasbourg.” Her latest book, “How to Be Childless,” examines childlessness in Western countries. As director of accreditation, Chrastil served as Xavier's liaison to the Higher Learning Commission and to the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Also, Ivy K. Banks has joined Xavier as vice president for institutional diversity and inclusion. An attorney, Banks comes from the University of Arizona, where she served as associate vice provost for diversity and inclusion.

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Young Professionals Choral Collective has named Jenny Spring as its executive director. Spring joined YPCC in 2011 and was one of the original choir managers. She is a veteran of the Cincinnati music scene, having spent many years booking, promoting and performing in rock bands. She is the founder of The Denny Buehler Memorial Foundation, focused on eliminating medical debt for people in financial need.

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Lighthouse Youth & Family Services welcomed Thuy Kolik as vice president and CFO. Kolik spent almost 20 years in accounting and finance management at DAV (Disabled American Veterans) in Erlanger, Ky.

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Cincinnati Camerata, a local choral ensemble, has announced the appointment of Ben Owen as artistic director. Owen is also music director and choir master at Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church. He has a master’s conducting and pedagogy from the University of Iowa, where he founded and conducted the Canticum Novum Choral Ensemble.

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Cincinnati Country Day School has named six new members to its board of trustees: Ariella “Ari” Cohen, who has a master’s in social work from the University of Cincinnati, has worked as a children’s behavioral therapist and has served on several boards; Yvonne Cuffy is an adjunct assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center; Dean Johns is executive vice president and director of financial planning for a wealth management firm in Blue Ash; attorney Eddie Koen was president and CEO for the Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio, and earlier was chief impact officer for Mile High United Way; Lauren Legette is the business lead of product marketing at Facebook; Holly Mott, with the Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services. 

GreenLight, partners infuse $4.6M to support area pre-K literacy An innovative public-private partnership has secured $4.6 million in funding to help combat educational inequality among Cincinnati’s youngest students.

The program will train more than 100 young men of color to be paid literacy tutors in pre-K classrooms over the next five years.

The funds will allow national nonprofit The Literacy Lab to expand its Leading Men Fellowship program to Greater Cincinnati. The program recruits, trains and places men ages 18-24 to provide evidence-based literacy support.

GreenLight Clare Zlatic Fund Cincinnati Blankemeyer, conducted executive director of GreenLight a rigorous, Fund Cincinnati yearlong effort to identify an initiative with a proven track record of accelerating student achievement and increasing educator workforce diversity.

“By recruiting young men of color to support kindergarten readiness, the Fellowship brings critically needed representation into the educator workforce,” said Clare Zlatic Blankemeyer, GreenLight executive director. “Research shows that Black students from low-income communities are significantly

more likely to attend college when they have been taught by at least one Black educator.”

Each Fellow is paid $15 per hour, receives a monthly transportation stipend, a uniform, and a $2,500 scholarship.

The Literacy Lab will start recruiting to place 20 Fellows at the start of the 2022-23 school year in preschools with the greatest needs, including in Cincinnati Public Schools. The program will grow to 130 Fellows over the next five years, aiming to improve kindergarten readiness among 2,500 children.

A robust, multiyear funding model will help sustain Leading Men Fellowship.

The Ohio General Assembly approved, and Gov. Mike DeWine signed, a bill that appropriates $3 million for the Leading Men Fellowship in Greater Cincinnati.

GreenLight is providing start-up technical assistance, local coalition building and $600,000 in earlystage funding.

Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation awarded The Literacy Lab $500,000 as part of a multiyear investment for Leading Men Fellowship in Cincinnati.

The expansion is also supported

by Accelerate Great Schools and the Gladys and Ralph Lazarus Education Fund at Greater Cincinnati Foundation.  www.greenlightfund.org/ sites/cincinnati

The Baking Journal New episodes of The Baking Journal are available to stream and they are all about pies! Watch the series on YouTube or the PBS Video App.

www.CETconnect.org/baking/

SATURDAY 6:30PM CET SUNDAY 8:30PM CET ARTS Join Barbara Kellar as she showcases artists and cultural leaders from the Greater Cincinnati community.

Artswave adds VP for equitable arts advancement

Janice Liebenberg

ArtsWave has announced the promotion of Janice Liebenberg to the newly created role of vice president for equitable arts advancement. Since joining ArtsWave in 2014, Liebenberg has helped develop relationships with African American artists and donors. She has grown ArtsWave’s Circle of African American Leaders for the Arts into a campaign group of 125 members contributing more than $250,000 each year, and she helped launch the Circle’s grantmaking program. Prior to joining ArtsWave, Liebenberg served the Scripps National Spelling Bee in a business development capacity.

www.CETconnect.org www.CETconnect.org

Emmy Award Winner Regional - Interview/Discussion Program

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Snapshots

Who, what, where & why

National Philanthropy Day celebrated at Rhinegeist The Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day for the Cincinnati Chapter was held at Rhinegeist Brewery in OTR. Fifth Third Bank was the presenting sponsor with 35 other businesses and organizations also providing sponsorship.

Speakers included Fifth Third Bank’s Heidi Jark and event co-chairs Moira Weir and Jorge Perez.

Award presenters were AFP’s president Kila Hanrahan and lifetime achievement winner Suzy Doward.

Planning is already underway for 2022 with a call for nominations announced in April.  www.afpcincinnati.org

Heidi Jark of Fifth Third Bank Foundation, presenting sponsor

Kila Hanrahan, Philantropists of the Year Mark and Rosemary Schlacter, and Suzy Doward Event co-chairs Moira Weir and Jorge Perez

Suzy Doward received the Lifetime Acheivement in Fundraising award

NPD committee: (back row) Troy Fedders, Carol Rountree and Matt Gellin; (front row) Kila Hanrahan, Emily Nikolas, Analisa Condon, Lauren Frooman, Rita DiBello, Stephanie Eldred, Joelle Gilbert and Spencer Mapes

Volunteer of the Year Debbie Brant

Nick Stone accepted the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award for his late brother, Mitch.

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From Champions for Change, Innovator of the Year: Retina Carter, Terri Hurdle, Edita Dolan-Mayo and Kendra Davis

Carter Randolph accepted the Organization of the Year award for the Legacy Foundations of Louis & Louise Nippert.

Movers & Makers

Barbara Kellar, Dr. Stephanie Amlung, Kitty Lensman, Sue Ellen Stuebing, Larry Kellar, Rosemary Schlacter, Mark Schlacter, Helen Rindsberg, Steve Rindsberg and Dan Virzi

Debbie Dorward, Michelle Dorward Jones, Maripat Price, Suzy Dorward and Pat Dorward (seated)

SNAPSHOTS

Spirit of Construction gala honors contractors Smitherman, Taulbee

Honorees Marcus Taulbee and Albert Smitherman

The Spirit of Construction Foundation of Greater Cincinnati raised more than $475,000 at its 25th annual Celebration of Construction Gala. The event, which celebrates the construction industry, was held at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

SOC recognized Albert Smitherman of Jostin Construction and Marcus Taulbee of Valley Interior Systems with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Smitherman attributed his award to “The God I believe in, the shoulders I’ve stood on, the arms I’ve linked with, and the momentum I’ve gained from the constant millennial push.” He said the construction industry should become more inclusive and equitable.

Taulbee thanked SOC for its “continued effort, dedication, and investment in the youth.” Since 1995, SOC has distributed more than $2 million to outreach initiatives. www.spiritofconstruction.org

Margaret Strawser is recognized for her $250,000 donation to new SOC Endowment SOC Executive Director Tony Brunsman, gala chair Greg Herrin, SOC Vice President Michele O’Rourke and SOC trustee John Strawser

Event chair Greg Herrin with 2021 scholarship recipients Christopher Taylor, Benjamin LaJoye, Timothy Strohofer, Mitchell Hoff, Rebekah Smith, Melissa Scheel, Jacky Romo, Nage Samuel, Molly Denton, Autumn Maher, Lucia Rice, Fleet Fangman and Ron Lesch, Cincinnati office manager of Terracon, the event’s presenting sponsor

For 25+ years, Movers & Makers has promoted the activities of Greater Cincinnati’s nonprofit community.

For 4+ years, Cincinnati Cares has brought innovation to the volunteer ecosystem in Greater Cincinnati through an online hub that matches the skills and passions of volunteers with ways they can help 700+ nonprofit organizations.

Now, together, through digital and print products, we are working to create a Greater Cincinnati.

Two Forces, Now One

Stay informed and inspired at www.MoversMakers.org Get involved at www.CincinnatiCares.org

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SNAPSHOTS

Creating opportunities, one sip at a time The 14th annual Wine Over Water, Brighton Center’s premier tasting event on the Purple People Bridge, raised $40,000 to provide transformational programming to individuals and families on their path to self-sufficiency.

Duke, Ernst & Young, Truist, and Newport Racing and Gaming were among many sponsors who supported this event. Seanti-Aeris provided live musical entertainment.  www.brightoncenter.org

Brighton Center board member Mike Lakin and Erin Lakin

El Frey, past Brighton Center president and CEO Tammy Weidinger and Ken Weidinger Food service manager Erica Owens (bottom left) and women from Brighton Recovery Center for Women who are a part of CENTER TABLE, Catering With a Purpose

Don Frey, El Frey and Becky Timberlake Stephanie Bogenschutz and Murphy Stephens, Brighton Center junior board members who led the VIP section

PWC’s Prepare Affair assists more than 600 households Walt Lunsford, Margaret Lunsford, Tammy Anderson, Steve Scherzinger and Kim Beach

Talbert House presents award to Hatton Foundation The Hatton Foundation was presented the Richard Shenk Visionary Award for its dedication to philanthropy by the Foundation for Talbert House. The luncheon also celebrated 21st Century Society members for their commitment to Talbert House.

The luncheon was held at the Kenwood Country Club.

The Foundation for Talbert House was established to ensure the agency’s services would be available in the future. The 21st Century Society recognizes those who have made this commitment to Talbert House. Since 2016, the Hatton Foundation has been presenting sponsor of the Fatherhood Project Luncheon, which directly supports fathers and families through the Fatherhood Project.  www.talberthouse.org 26

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Movers & Makers

People Working Cooperatively’s 1,500 volunteers provided 6,000 hours for its annual Prepare Affair. Volunteers provided fall cleanup services for low-income seniors, veterans and people with disabilities throughout Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

At more than 600 households, leaves were raked and gutters cleaned, keeping them safe and livable throughout the winter season. The nonprofit provides professional, critical home repair, weatherization and modification services.  www.pwchomerepairs.org From Grisak and Associates: (back row) Jessica Grisak, Joe Shults, Tim Kamp, Therese Shumate and Bryan Grisak; (front row) Leo Kamp and Ronan Kamp

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Learning Grove’s gala raises funds, presents Charity in Action Award The Learning Grove’s Gala in the Grove generated $200,000 in 2021. The evening also saw Shannon Jones, president and CEO of Groundwork Ohio, named Learning Grove’s 2021 Charity in Action Award winner for her advocacy on behalf of Ohio’s youngest children. The gala, held at Paul Brown Stadium and presented by PNC, supports Learning Grove’s mission to develop innovative learning experiences that empower children, youth and families.  www.learning-grove.org

Brandy Jones and John Jones

David Zombek and Lori Zombek Kathy Burkhart, Stephanie Layton, Shannon StarkeyTaylor, Megan Alexander and Cara Brooks

Charity in Action Award winner Shannon Jones of Groundwork Ohio

Shawntay Mallory and Tiffany Kelly

Final Days!

Open through March 22 Michael Gieske and Catherine Gieske Hugh McManus and Susan Cranley

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SNAPSHOTS

Cancer Family Care celebrates 50 years of service to community

CFC board member Dr. Burns Blaxall, Dr. Marialena Mouzaki and Christ Hospital President/CEO Deborah Hayes

Cancer Family Care celebrated 50 years of service to the community at its annual Wine Tasting & Auction. The event raised nearly $360,000 to support CFC’s mission and the clients it serves.

Guests were treated to wine tastings curated by The Wine Merchant, bourbon tastings and a three-course dinner with silent and live auctions. Twenty-six past CFC board presidents were recognized for their service, leadership and passion for serving children, adults and families with cancer.  www.cancerfamilycare.org

CFC board president Brittany Speed

Honorary lifetime board members Barbara Weinberg and Irwin Weinberg with Donna Weinberg Meredith Friedman and past CFC board president Jim Friedman, son of founding board president Justin Friedman Amy Lane, Jamie Lehman, Bryan McNamara, Faith McNamara and Austin Perry CFCare board member Nick Riordan and Christine Handy Dr. Jaclyn Jansen and CFC YP Katie Butler Clint Haynes, Graig Smith and Jan Smith

Honorary lifetime board member Sara M. Vance Waddell and Tyra Patterson

North Star Soirée brings in $40K to support services for seniors North Star Soirée, 55 North’s largest annual fundraiser, was held at an outdoor kick-off party at Maketewah Country Club. Chaired by Dan Hendricks, the event thanked more than 50 hosts and sponsors, followed by the virtual main event. The online Soirée included jazz music, organization updates, guest speakers and an auction.

The fundraiser supports 55 North’s essential services for adults aged 55 years and older. This year’s event focused on the need for a handicappedaccessible van to transport program participants to and from doctor appointments, social outings and grocery shopping. More than $40,000 was raised to support Cincinnati’s most vulnerable seniors. www.55north.org 28

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Movers & Makers

Dan Hendricks, North Star Soirée chair

55 North board chair Tony Fenno, CEO Shelley Goering and board member Michael Schwartz

SNAPSHOTS

Party exceeds $50K to help furnish homes for families in need New Life Furniture Bank hosted its fourth annual fundraiser, Party in the House, at High St. Design Studio. NLFB is a nonprofit furniture bank that furnishes the homes of families in need.

The event raised more than the $50,000 goal. The proceeds go directly toward the nonprofit’s mission.

The 2021 Party in the House featured a Design Challenge in which 20 of Cincinnati’s top designers reimagined furniture pieces from items in the NLFB warehouse.  www.nlfurniture.org

Event co-chairs Matt Knotts of High St. Design Studio and Tricia Reynolds

People’s Choice Award winners Julie Anne Baur and Chandler Dektas, Winding Lane Interiors

Sponsors Barbie and Beau Presnell from Rug Gallery

Sponsors Micheal Montag, Hayley Shellman, Leslie Neal and Gerald Neal

Moe Rouse, sponsor/caterer Jeff Thomas and Lucy Allen

Sponsors Jerry Freed, Spiros Sarakatsannis, Alex Smith and Rick Robertson

Kristal Miller with designers Christie Crawford, Kent Shaw and Ann Linck Emcee Joe Rigotti and NLFB Executive Director Dana Saxton Designers Lara Roller and Aubrie Welsh from Welsh Interiors

Lunch raises $150K for Master Provisions Master Provisions raised more than $150,000 at its eighth annual MPower lunch, exceeding its fundraising goal. The funds will help feed 67,000 people monthly, support sustainability projects in seven nations, and train students with special needs.

The theme for the lunch, presented by Vivitec, was Uplift Your Community & Impact the World. The event featured keynote speaker Chuck Mingo, CEO and founder of Courageous Love. Carri Chandler, vice president of St. Elizabeth Foundation, served as the emcee.

Master Provisions is a faith-based nonprofit located in Florence that connects resources to needs. The organization distributes nearly 4 million pounds of rescued surplus food to over 230 partner agencies annually, in addition to feeding individuals each month.  www.masterprovisions.org

Speakers at MPower lunch: (back row) Roger Babik, founder/president, Master Provisions; Chuck Mingo, CEO/founder, Courageous Love; Darin Mirante, lead pastor, First Church; (front row) Vinny Rey, team chaplain, Cincinnati Bengals; Carri Chandler, vice president, St. Elizabeth Foundation; Ryan Turner, board chairman, Master Provisions; Megan Jackson, development director, Master Provisions

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SNAPSHOTS

Camp Possible made possible for more than 60 children Talbert House’s annual fundraiser Make Camp Possible generated over $90,000 to benefit Camp Possible, a summer program for children who struggle with behavioral health challenges. With the money raised, more than 60 children can attend Camp Possible at no cost.

Camp Possible is a safe, structured environment when school is out of session. Campers participate in traditional and non-traditional group therapy sessions and learn skills such as anger management, self-esteem, peer relations and more.

The cost is $1,500 per child to attend camp, but families are never charged since over 96% of attendees come from low-income households.

Diamond Sponsors were Fifth Third Bank and USI Insurance Services; Platinum Sponsor was Mrs. Robert D. Stern; and event chairs were Kristin O’Brien and Nick Tepe.  www.talberthouse.org Ali Kathman and Travis Downing

Co-chairs Kristin O’Brien and Nick Tepe Gerry Greene and Jim Chalfie

Alex Scharfetter and Josh Burton

Kamaria Tyehimba and Vincent Harris Carol Baden and Tina Ernst

The scene at Point/Arc’s JOY-50

Photo by Jill R ankin May

Point/Arc hosts two events to support people with disabilities The Point/Arc recently held two events, Pottery with a Purpose and JOY-50, to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Pottery with a Purpose included pottery firing, apple cider and cookies, and photos in front of a fall scene. Money raised went to support the Point/Arc’s Zembrodt Education Center, which was created to give people with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities to reach their highest potential.

Close to 500 people attended JOY-50, held this year at Hotel Covington. The event featured food, drink, music and a silent auction. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the annual dinner.

The Point/Arc is a social service organization dedicated to providing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  www.thepointarc.org Dustin Brown was one of 85 attendees at Pottery with a Purpose 30

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CancerFree KIDS celebrates champions and supporters CancerFree KIDS hosted a virtual Celebration of Champions event, raising $574,379 for childhood cancer research. Cincinnati Bell and CBTS were this year’s presenting sponsors.

More than 400 donors contributed to the event, which raised nearly 28% more than 2020’s Celebration of Champions and 34% more than in 2019.

The event recognized two champions: Samantha Timmons, a pediatric cancer survivor who has dedicated her career to helping other ill children; and Eliana Boerner, the top fundraiser for CancerFree KIDS’ Night for the Fight event and sister to a victim of pediatric cancer, Jonathan Boerner.

“We commend Samantha and Jonathan for the strength and perseverance they demonstrated during each of their battles with pediatric cancer,” said Executive Director Jill Brinck.  www.cancerfreekids.org Samantha Timmons and her daughter Matilda

Jonathan Boerner

SNAPSHOTS

Hanna Firestone, Erin Reardon and Alex Eby, event committee members Jim Sheff and Jen DuBois eating with blindfolds

CABVI dazzles during annual Dining in the Dark event The Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired held its fifth annual Dining in the Dark Wonderland event with Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati as presenting sponsor. The association raised over $150,000 to help individuals adapt to vision loss. All proceeds support CABVI’s mission of empowering people who are blind or visually impaired with opportunities to be independent.

CABVI honored 2021 Barney H. Kroger Humanitarian Award winner Marta Bowling and highlighted the story of Lillie Baldwin, Here’s where who shared how CABVI’s services have helped her achieve indepento find him. dence. Guests learned about the challenges of vision loss by eating dinner while wearing blindfolds.

Since 1911, CABVI has provided counseling, rehabilitation, information and employment services to people of all ages in Greater Cincinnati. www.cincyblind.org

CABVI President/CEO Teri Shirk, award winner Marta Bowling and board chair Glen Vogel

Exhibit open through April 24 cincymuseum.org/pixar

CABVI volunteers Tasha Stapleton and Robert Harris

Produced by

The Science Behind Pixar was developed by the Museum of Science, Boston in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios. © Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

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SNAPSHOTS

Working in Neighborhoods’ Hall of Fame adds three honorees during fundraiser Working in Neighborhoods hosted its 13th Hall of Fame event at the Hyatt Regency. Interact for Health was inducted into the WIN Hall of Fame as Catalyst for Health Equity; Robert Killins Jr. as Leader for Racial and Housing Justice; and Sunny Reelhorn Parr as Advocate for Food Security. WIN has been dedicated to building sustainable communities in low- and moderate-income Cincinnati neighborhoods since 1978.

Bob Herzog of WKRC-TV hosted, directing raffles and auctions.

Guests included Royce Sutton, senior vice president at Fifth Third Bank, and Blake Johnson of the WIN board of directors. The event raised $205,000. Lead sponsors of the Hall of Fame Event were Fifth Third Bank, PNC Bank and Sisters of Charity Cincinnati.  www.wincincy.org

Randy Kuvin from Flagel Huber Flagel; Ron Christian from Taft Law; Blake Johnson from Taft Law; WIN Hall of Fame event chair Ellen Frankenberg; WIN Executive Director Sister Barbara Busch Ross Meyer, representing Interact for Health; Sunny Reelhorn Parr, Kroger Co. Zero Hunger/Zero Waste Foundation; Robert Killins Jr., Greater Cincinnati Foundation Affordable Housing Initiatives

Event at Richter & Phillips raises funds for Dragonfly Richter & Phillips hosted its annual Whiskey & Watches fundraiser for The Dragonfly Foundation, generating $5,000 through ticket and merchandise sales, plus $700 in additional donations. Guests had a chance to taste some of the best bourbon on the market while seeing Richter & Phillips’ extensive watch and jewelry collection.

Among those in attendance were longtime Dragonfly supporters and emeritus board members Marty and Amanda Brennaman. Richter & Phillips donated the entry fee to the event and a portion of the sales to Dragonfly.  www.dragonfly.org

Dragonfly Community Relations Manager Mary Tignor, Richter & Phillips staffer Eric Fehr, Richter & Phillips President Rick Fehr and Richter & Phillips staffers Christy Vigil, Kim Herthel, George Kiniyalocts, Sara Ritze and Rebecca Schaeper

Covington Business Council celebrates 50 years, honors Milburns

Covington Business Council Executive Director Pat Frew, Founders Award winners Amy Milburn and Tony Milburn, and Rhonda Whitaker, vice president for community relations with Duke Energy, award sponsor 32

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Movers & Makers

The Covington Business Council celebrated its 50th anniversary, honoring Amy and Tony Milburn with the CBC Founder’s Award at the council’s annual dinner at the Madison Events Center.

The award is given to individuals who show meritorious service in helping Covington grow. Tony Milburn owns many properties in Covington and helped modernize and remake the Madison Avenue corridor with several projects, while Amy Milburn helped to start the Community Montessori School in the city.  www.cbcky.com

SNAPSHOTS

Aeqai, a Cincinnati-based art journal, held its annual fundraiser at The Annex Gallery in Pendleton, where Marlene Steele was named interim editor and Jens G. Rosenkrantz Jr. joined the board as treasurer.

The fundraiser was in honor of former editor Daniel Brown, who died in August 2021. Several selections from his extensive collection were featured.

Phillip Long, former director of the Taft Museum of Art, presented a challenge grant in which he provided $1 for every $2 donated.  www.aeqai.com Art collectors Lennell and Pamela Myricks with artist Cedric Michael Cox in front of Cox’s “Getting in Tune,” giclée on canvas.

Photos by L aura A. Hobson

Aeqai fundraiser honors former editor, names interim editor and treasurer

Artist M. Katherine Hurley, her husband and aeqai board member/ treasurer Jens G. Rosenkrantz Jr., and interim editor Marlene Steele in front of several images of former editor Daniel Brown, who died in August

Phillip and Whitney Long, who issued a challenge grant at aeqai’s fundraiser

Blues, brass bands rock Memorial Hall for Longworth-Anderson The fourth season of the multi-genre, contemporary music Longworth-Anderson Series concluded with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer John Hiatt performing with 14-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas, followed by Shake & Holla Tour featuring North Mississippi Allstars & Rebirth Brass Band with special guest Cedric Burnside.

Complimentary pre-concert receptions included light bites from local restaurants, craft beer tastings, as well as live music from regional artists George Simon and Young Heirlooms.  www.longworth-andersonseries.com

Shona Miller, Joel Miller, Kevin Braun, Todd Quincy, Gina Rust, Jason Rust, Jeff Miller, Sheri Bechan, James Bechan and Crystal Quincy Bill Baumann, Kevin Ott, Libby Ott, Sarah Bahlman, Drew Gores, George Warrington and Ward Bahlman

Rebirth Brass Band

Cedric Burnside

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THE LAST WORD | By Polly Campbell

Recycling hub finds a place for things with nowhere else to go

I

consider myself a pretty dedicated recycler. I would no more throw a plastic bottle or a can in the trash than toss it in the woods. I lug food scraps from the kitchen to the compost heap even in the winter, and I try to find appropriate places to give away items I no longer use.

But if you want to see recycling as it should be done, practiced by a master, check out my husband, Neil. Like me, he’s a recycler by conviction, but for him it’s deeper: It’s simply not possible for him to waste things. So he interacts with the reduce, reuse and recycle triangle on every side. He’s one tiny disruptor of the system of always-growing production and consumption that has gotten the environment into the perilous state it’s now in.

He won’t buy something new if he can buy it used, though he

makes exceptions for new things that are more energy-efficient, like our highly satisfactory electric lawn mower or new energy-efficient windows. He won’t throw anything out if he can fix it and he does, sometimes wearing the socks our daughters gave him for Christmas that say “I said I could fix it!”

He has a hierarchy of how to give things away: If it’s worth money and not too big, it goes on eBay. You should try this: It can be a real thrill. He was encouraged by an early experience of getting several hundred dollars for a 10-year-old electronic dog collar and receiver.

If it’s bulky, Craigslist. Not too valuable, it goes on our neighborhood Buy Nothing list. Clothing goes to Goodwill. Plastic bags go to the grocery store. He collects egg cartons for someone who keeps chickens, eyeglasses to eyeglass drives, etc.

Mixology Classes AT THE SUMMIT HOTEL February 8th & 10th March 8th & 10th

WWW.THESUMMITHOTEL.COM 34

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Movers & Makers

​​Polly Campbell

Anything Rumpke takes, goes in the green bin, clean and sorted.

And plenty still goes in the trash.

Neil isn’t some kind of freegan outsider. We live a perfectly comfortable life, though I will admit to sometimes being irritated when he takes something out of the trash that I just put in.

plastic lumber. And they take No. 2, 4, 5, 7 and no-number plastic, and send it to Bright Mark in Indiana where they use pyrolysis to break it down into diesel fuel, industrial wax and, in the gold standard of recycling, a closed loop, into new plastic.

So you don’t have to sort all your stuff by where it goes, and add a lot of stops to your to-do list, you can combine quite a bit of it and make one stop to get it to places it So what a great thing for him – will be used. You can help further and all other recyclers – that there by volunteering, which is essential is now the Cincinnati Reuse And to the Hub’s work. It’s not a bad Recycling Hub, a nonprofit with a volunteer gig if you like something warehouse in the West End where simple and hands-on like sorting they accept all kinds of things that straws by color or packing office have nowhere else to go. They take binders in boxes.

Styrofoam and old shoes, glue I|think of recycling as simply sticks and toothpasteWEDDINGS tubes, old MEETINGS | DINING denim and aerosol cans, no-number cleaning up after yourself. I wish it was more of an automatic impulse plastic and a lot more. in more people. McSwiggin knows The three women who got it what they do is a drop in the bucket started were each involved in parwhen she thinks of the looming ticular kinds of recycling. Colleen deadline of 2030, when climate McSwiggin worked on electronchange will be too far gone to fix. ics recycling drives at Mount St. Recycling is just one small part Joseph; Carrie Harms spearheaded of fighting that inevitability. It’s not the recycling of design samples like about diverting items from landfills wallpaper books and leather samfor its own sake, it’s about the prodples; and Erin Fay collected chip ucts people don’t buy, the resources bags and more through Terracycle. saved, the energy not burned by Those all started as time-limited re-using existing materials. drives, but the demand was yearShe and the other people round, and all the projects needed involved in the Hub put a lot of more space. So they opened their work into it. But, says McSwiggin, warehouse on April 1, 2021.

“When I’m exhausted at the end of Like Neil on a bigger scale, they the day, and I see people lining up, have places to send everything doing their part, I do feel hope.”  where it can have its next highest purpose. Early on, someone asked if they took silica packets. He was a caver, and needed them to keep Polly Campbell covered restaurants and food for The Cincinnati Enquirer food stashed in caves dry. The Hub now has one box in their warehouse from 1996 until 2020. She lives in Pleasant Ridge with her husband and for saving silica packets. since retiring does a lot of reading, cookBut that’s just a small example. ing and gardening, if that’s what you call More than half of what they take is pulling up weeds. During the pandemic, electronics. They take small pieces she has missed the theater, live music of PVC materials to recycle into and, most especially, going to parties.

A new option

Greater Cincinnati Heart Ball Saturday, February 26, 2022 Duke Energy Convention Center

6:30 pm – Cocktails, silent auction 7:30 pm – Dinner, live auction, heartfelt story 9:30 pm – Young Professionals’ After Party Chair: Mel Gravely, CEO of TriVersity Construction Honoree: Pete Strange, Chairman Emeritus of Messer Construction Master of Ceremonies: Colin Mayfield, WLWT News Presented by:

cincinnatiheartball.heart.org

Matinée Musicale Cincinnati Sounds Grand This Spring!

Sunday, March 6, 2022 • 3 PM Memorial Hall OTR

(Masks are required AND either proof of Covid vaccination OR a negative Covid test within the past 72 hours.)

2019 International Tchaikovsky Cello Competition First Prize Winner—the first American in four decades and youngest musician ever to win this prestigious event ••• Selected as a 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholar for the Arts ••• Featured on NPR’s Performance Today and has appeared on From the Top six times ••• “[Fung] showed a mastery of his instrument that was truly a thing to behold…He executed his pure talent…”

Zlatomir Fung CELLO

Dina Vainshtein • PIANO

Benicia Herald

Upcoming Recitals Ryan Speedo Green

BASS-BARITONE Bradley Moore • PIANO

Sunday, March 27, 2022 3 PM First Unitarian Church 536 Linton Street

Ticket information and purchase: Memorial Hall Box Office: 513-977-8838

www.matineemusicalecincinnati.org Visit us on Facebook.

Rachel Barton Pine

VIOLIN Michael Hagle • PIANO

Sunday, April 3, 2022 3 PM Memorial Hall OTR

Lighthouse’s luncheon supports residential treatment program Lighthouse Youth & Family Services raised over $135,000 with its Live, Love, Laugh luncheon. The funds raised from the event benefited A New Home for New Beginnings, a project expanding Lighthouse’s residential treatment program for youth.

Rhonda Sheakley and Lisa O’Brien co-chaired the luncheon, which was held at the home of Rhonda and Larry Sheakley. The event featured lunch by the bite, wine by the glass, a raffle and silent auction. Ginger Warner was the Grand Benefactor and Fifth Third Bank and Julia S. Heidt were Gold sponsors. More than 200 guests attended.

Lighthouse provides a wide range of services to young people and families in need.  www.lys.org Nicole Sienen, Kristie Sheanshang and Jenny Rosenfield Candie Simmons and Barbara Gould

Online Extra! SNAPSHOTS

Friday, March 4, 2022 6-11 PM

Music Hall

1241 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Valet Parking Available

Ticket Price: $150 (advance tickets only)

LIVE BAND – PLATED DINNER AUCTIONS – RAFFLES Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities Available

Purchase tickets online at: bit.ly/RedwoodExpress2022

Rebecca Homes, Tara Vigran and Robin Sheakley

Presenting Sponsor

Rhonda Sheakley and Lisa O’Brien Amy Peterson, Carolyn Hough, Ammie Klotter and LeAnn Quinlan

Perf ming Band www.theslyband.com

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Online Extra! SNAPSHOTS

Big Brothers Big Sisters toast supporters, big goals Leaders of two Fortune 500 companies headlined The Big Breakfast, a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.

David Taylor, retired chairman, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble, joined Rodney McMullen, chairman and CEO of The Kroger Company, for a sold-out event highlighting their personal and professional experiences involving mentoring.

The event raised more than $280,000, with support from Procter & Gamble, Kroger, Kraft Heinz, Ernst & Young, Total Quality Logistics, Sycamore Capital and more.

During the event, the organization launched a fundraising campaign to provide funds needed to match children with a Big Brother or Big Sister. The $1.44 million campaign has raised $876,000 to date and includes the grandchildren of Cincinnatian Irv Westheimer, one of the founders of the Big Brothers Big Sisters movement in America, as inaugural donors.  www.bigsforkids.org

Rodney McMullen, chairman & CEO, The Kroger Co., and David Taylor, retired chairman, president and CEO, Procter & Gamble

Pete Williams, Ann Williams, Sallie Westheimer and Greg Rhodes. Ann Williams and Sallie Westheimer are granddaughters of Irv Westheimer, who founded the American BBBS movement in Cincinnati in 1903.

Barrett golf tournament raises funds for hospital Mercy Health Foundation’s 33rd Annual Charles M. Barrett Memorial Golf Tournament raised $152,000 for Anderson Hospital. The tournament at Coldstream Country Club hosted 27 teams, with 108 golfers and many volunteers participating. Funds will support the Graduate Medical Education program, “which works to train and retain top physician talent for the Anderson community,” said Ken James, Anderson Hospital president.

Dell Technologies won first place with a team made up of Tony Briede, Brandon Schweitzer, Brian Quattlebaum and Philip Tucker. Western and Southern Financial Group was the presenting sponsor this year.  foundation.mercy.com/cincinnati.aspx

The first-place team from Dell Technologies: Tony Briede, Brandon Schweitzer, Brian Quattlebaum and Philip Tucker Mercy Health’s “stretch tent” at the golf outing

Among the volunteers at the event were Nicole Barnett, Mercy Health-Anderson Hospital chief nursing officer, and Chris Woodside, Mercy HealthCincinnati Foundation senior gift officer.

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Thanksgiving Mitzvah feeds families for holiday The Thanksgiving Mitzvah was held by the Women's Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Volunteers came together at the Jewish Family Service Heldman Family Food Pantry to prepare 120 Thanksgiving meals for families in the Cincinnati community.

Participants included event organizer Marcia Barsman, and this year's event chairs Vallie Freeman, Emily Werbel, Jessica Kuresman, Shari Schulhoff and Carrie Goldhoff. Women's Philanthropy chairs Jessica Kuresman and Carrie Goldhoff also joined the effort.  www.jewishcincinnati.org

Jessica Kuresman

Jessica Kuresman, Vallie Freeman and Miriam Hodesh Marci Bachrach and Michele Kohn

Emily Werbel, Whitney Schulhoff and Shari Schulhoff

Emily Werbel, Shari Schulhoff, Marsha Barsman and Whitney Schulhoff Lisa Rosner

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Rotary holiday party is tradition for students in need For the Rotary Club of Cincinnati, the Roselawn Condon School holiday party is the beginning of the Christmas season.

Rotary members decorate the Roselawn Condon cafeteria, help children with craft projects and everyone feasts on cookies and ice cream. The centerpiece is Santa, who arrives with gifts chosen especially for each child. ‘‘This is the most joyous way to start off your holiday season,” said Brad Green of Evendale, who chaired the party this year with Terri Boeing of Anderson Township.

Weeks before the party, teachers help prepare wish lists that often include serious needs like coats and boots, as well as toys. Rotary members fill those wishes.

“More than 95% are on the free and reduced lunch program,” said Roselawn Condon interim principal Randy Yunker. “For a lot of these children, their parents don’t have the means to provide a nice gift.

This is their big event.”

Mohammad Faye gets a hug from Elf Ali Hubbard. Rotarian Terri Boeing with Tre’Vaughn Carter

Speech/language pathologist Sara Vank helps Grayson Keith say “Thank you.”

Garryon Franklin ready to unwrap his gift

Rotarian Nancy Riesz with Santa, Rotarian Bob McElroy Roz Ashack helps Sir Abernathy decorate his Christmas tree.

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Fatou Sylla and Alyssa Wolfe

Rotary members gather to take on the role of Santa’s elves at Roselawn Condon School.