March 2025

March 2025

FOCUS ON Disability Services

Seeing through limitations at CABVI

LADD’s OTR

Film Festival

Polly Campbell: Curbing the urge to correct

Movers &Makers

March 2025

Publishers’ Letter 4

Arts & Culture 5

MoversMakers.org

Summermusik ‘Water’ celebrates indigenous cultures 5

concertnova’s ‘Memory Box’ examines identity and more 5

OTR Film Festival and its director challenge norms to focus on growth | By David Lyman 6

Taft chooses rap artist for Duncanson residency 8

Lloyd Library names artists-in-residence and fellows 8

Mutual Dance brings “Whim”-sy to Aronoff Center

The A&C List 9

Cover Story 16

YWCA’s Rickell Howard Smith | By Shauna Steigerwald

(Special feature sponsored by YWCA Greater Cncinnati)

The Datebook 18-23

Social calendar with a spotlight on the movers and makers behind Greater Cincinnati’s fundraisers, friend-raisers and community events

Focus on: Disability Services 24

CABVI/VIE Ability’s Rob Volker | by Kathy Doane 24

Notables in disability services 26

Gifts & Grants 29

Nonprofit News 31

Names in the News 32

Snapshots 34

Good Sam’s Ruby Jubilee raises $630K 34

Opera Young Professionals Bacchanal: Avant-Heart 35

Moveable Feast brings in $100K for CCM scholarships 36

Visit Cincy’s annual meeting touts tourism 37

Jewish Federation breakfast highlights resilience 38

Stepping Stones supporters open their hearts 39

Freedom Center’s King Legacy Celebration 40

NKY Chamber’s Inclusive Impact Breakfast 41

SCPA students shine at Future of the Arts Gala 42

Homeless Colalition celebrates 40 years 46

Touchdown for Hope scores for Lindner Center 47

Incubator Kitchen Collective announces grant winners 49

The Last Word 50

Polly Campbell: The urge to ‘correct’ word usage

PUBLISHERS’

We have been hearing a lot in the news lately about efforts to reverse the proactive inclusion of historically marginalized individuals in business, education and other forms of community interaction. I wonder what in human nature causes us to focus on our differences – mostly outward, physical differences – rather than our shared humanity and capacity for empathy, tolerance and kindness. There is no “perfect” or “normal.” We are all on a spectrum – infinite spectrums, actually. It’s what makes life rich and interesting.

As a healthy, middle-class white girl in America, I was born with privileges I did not even realize I had. And yet, like so many children, I was bullied simply because I was outside the norm. I was very short and teased mercilessly. The butt of every short joke at school, I would cry myself to sleep. By high school, I was reconciled to my height, or lack thereof, but the experience turned me into a staunch defender of any classmate who was bullied for any reason whatsoever. I realized my

Carole and Charles Surgi in 1962 holding twins David and Diane; Beth (co-publisher Elizabeth Mariner) is seated with her doll. Paul was born three years later.

mother was right: The bullies were the ones with the problem. Being insecure and small-minded, they had to pick on someone else to feel better about themselves.

My mother. She knew about living with a true handicap. An automobile accident in college left her paralyzed from the waist down. Besides her surgeons, she credited the doctor who taught her how to live in a wheelchair with saving her life. He told her she could do anything, be anything – she just had to

“learn to do it sitting down.” She returned to college, ran a record store, married and had four children, including twins. She did all the things other moms did. She drove a car, cooked, cleaned, gardened and played with her children. But she also volunteered at school and was a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader, and made costumes for school plays. In the mid-’70s, she was runner-up for Ms. Wheelchair Missouri, encouraged by my proud father, I am sure, as she was not one to call attention to herself. Mom rarely asked for help, and she NEVER complained.

My mother was lucky. She had the love of her family and friends, and the doctor in rehab who snapped her out of depression with the idea that she was simply “differently abled.” The idea was there 70 years ago, if not the term. My mother embraced it. And to her children, she wasn’t different at all. Just Mom. Just awesome.

Inthis issue, we profile notable individuals working in the disability services sector (Page 26). And contributor Kathy Doane introduces Rob Volker and VIE Ability, a social enterprise of Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Read Rob’s story on Page 24).

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For their work on this issue, our gratitude to:

• Casey Weldon, associate editor

• Phil Fisher and Ray Cooklis, copy editors

• Shasta Taber, volunteer proofreader

• All the nonprofits that contributed news and photos.

Arts coverage supported by:

Elizabeth & Thom Mariner, co-publishers; Doug Bolton, board chair

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Publishing schedule

2

AUGUST JUNE 27 JULY 23

SEPTEMBER AUG 1 AUG 27

OCTOBER AUG 29 SEPT 24

NOVEMBER SEPT 26 OCT 22

 moversmakers.org/publishing-schedule

© Copyright 2025 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.

Readers are advised to confirm event dates and other important details and check for last-minute changes with the organizations or advertisers involved.

Publication of this magazine and its website (MoversMakers.org) does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of any information contained within, including advertisements and links.

Movers & Makers Publishing is a nonprofit with fiscal sponsorship provided by Cincinnati Cares.

The Over-the-Rhine Film Festival returns, presented by Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD), to showcase people and issues across the spectrum of marginalized segments of society. David Lyman profiles festival director tt stern-enzi on Page 6.

And thank you to the YWCA Greater Cincinnati, in honor of Women’s History Month, for sponsoring our cover feature on

CEO Rickell Howard Smith, written by Shauna Steigerwald and with photos by Tasha Pinelo (Page 16). The YWCA serves women in three crucial ways: racial justice and inclusion, empowerment and economic advancement, and health and safety.

Last but never least, Polly Campbell muses on tolerance and inclusivity in word usage (Page 50). It’s not what you think.

As always, thank you for reading M&M, and for caring about your community and your neighbors. All of them.

Elizabeth Mariner, co-publisher

Scan QR code to RSVP for our March casual happy hour.

Interested in sponsoring or hosting in 2025? tmariner@moversmakers.org

Arts & Culture

Summermusik ‘Water’ series celebrates indigenous cultures

Cincinnati’s Summermusik festival will celebrate the importance of water in Native American and Asian Indian cultures with a set of concerts March 21-25.

The “We Are One: Water” series will look at these cultures while addressing water conservation issues through storytelling, music, art and dialogue. It also aims to “amplify under-consulted voices by acknowledging historical and contemporary inequities and celebrating unique cultures,” Summermusik’s website notes.

Festival events:

• March 21, 7:30 p.m.: “Passage of the River” at Bell Tower Arts Pavilion, Evendale – Dancer, director and producer Padma Chebrolu will give a dance performance featuring traditional Indian music interspersed with excerpts from her short film, “Passage of the River.”

• March 22 , 10:30 a.m.: Piano masterclass at First Unitarian Church, Clifton –Navajo pianist-composer Connor Chee, a gold-medal winner in Cincinnati’s World Piano Competition, will give a public masterclass for area piano students.

• March 22 , 7:30 p.m.: “Echoes of the Great Miami” at Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Hamilton – Connor Chee and a Summermusik string quartet perform a program highlighting the music and ideals of Native American culture. Logan York of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma leads a 6:45 p.m. pre-concert discussion.

• March 23, 4 p.m.: “Spirit Chief Names the Animal People” at Christ Church Cathedral, Downtown – Connor Chee and hoop dancer Starr Chief Eagle lead a program for children ages 8-13 and their families on the importance of water and conservation.

• March 25, 7:30 p.m.: “A Requiem for Water” at Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park – A panel discussion on water conservation precedes a performance of Reena Esmail’s “A Requiem for Water.”

All events except “Echoes of the Great Miami” are free, but online reservations are requested. Tickets for “Echoes of the Great Miami” are on sale at the Fitton Center website.

 summermusik.org/water, fittoncenter.org

concertnova’s ‘Memory Box’ event explores identity, community

The concertnova chamber-music group will present “Memory Box,” an innovative concert of contemporary classical chamber music curated by acclaimed composer Sarah Hennies, at 7:30 p.m. March 18 in the Contemporary Arts Center’s Black Box Theater.

Hennies, a transgender artist, is known for exploring sociopolitical and psychological themes. The program touches on themes of identity, memory and community within the LGBTQIA+ experience.

At the heart of the evening is Hennies’ own work, “Memory Box,” a multilayered sonic piece weaving together the personal stories of each performer. Musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Queen City Freedom Band are collaborating with Hennies in pre-concert workshops, sharing personal memories to be spoken aloud during the performance.

The Poiesis String Quartet, the graduate quartet-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and

concertnova's season 18 ensemble-in-residence, performs a newly commissioned world premiere by non-binary composer OGA, a former student and current protegé of Hennies.

Hennies also presents her new arrangement of “Rrose Sélavy” by the late Spanish avant-garde composer Juan Hidalgo Codorniu, a piece inspired by artist Marcel Duchamp’s female alter-ego.

“ ‘Memory Box’ is a profound celebration of identity, community and creative expression,” said Brianna Matzke, concertnova executive director.

“This program represents concertnova’s commitment to using music as a tool to elevate diverse voices, spark meaningful conversations and connect with our community in new and immersive ways.”

Also, concertnova co-hosts a “Meet the Composers” event 7 p.m. March 16 at Homemakers Bar, 39 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine.

 concertnova.com/concerts-events/ memory-box

Composer Sarah Hennies

Lakota hoop dancer Starr Chief Eagle

OTR Film Festival and its director challenge norms to focus on growth

By David Lyman

It was a bewildering decision. It was 2018 and Cincinnati’s ReelAbilities Film Festival announced it was changing its name. Henceforth, it would be known as the Over-theRhine International Film Festival.

What was the deal? Did it mean they were abandoning their central mission of showcasing films by and about people with disabilities? Were they just hoping to capitalize on the name of Cincinnati’s hippest neighborhood? Or maybe it was something else altogether.

Festival organizers endeavored to explain their reasoning.

They said the name change came about because they were “expanding the scope of the Festival to move beyond a singular focus on disability-specific programming to focus on a celebration of our shared humanity.”

As explanations go, it was pretty meager.

But that year, they did introduce some changes. The festival would now include films about marginalized communities. And they broadened the mission to include films that embodied “five pillars” – freedom, identity, diversity, disability and faith. Audiences grew. But patrons and sponsors were still a little hazy about the name.

“We knew there would be a transition,” said Jack Geiger, chair of the festival’s leadership committee. “We needed people to understand what we were doing. And why we were doing it.”

Geiger and his fellow committee members understood that folks were still mystified by the new name.

“We needed someone to guide us through all of that,” he said, “someone who could effectively communicate our expanded mission.”

Lower case, but a ‘rock star’ choice

It took nearly two years. But finally, in February 2020, they announced a new artistic director: tt stern-enzi. (“You can blame e.e. cummings for the lower-case fixation,” stern-enzi explained in a recent email.)

For anyone even vaguely involved in the region’s film community, stern-enzi’s was a familiar name. He was the face and voice of CityBeat’s film coverage. He wrote for Dayton’s CityPaper, as well. He was heard regularly on WVXU and had founded WatchWriteNow, which helped build film club programs for teens. And he had

already been helping guide the festival’s programming for a couple of years.

Most important for the festival’s growth, stern-enzi was well-connected throughout the North American film community. Personable and charismatic, he had spent the better part of three decades building a wide network of filmmakers and distributors. He knew the organizers of other film festivals, too, and the people who wrote about them.

“He was a rock star choice for us,” Geiger said. “From our perspective, he was great. He’s got full freedom to program the films we screen. We trust what it’s going to bring in. There’s no collar on him, no second-guessing him.”

A background of altruism

That tt stern-enzi would become an influential cog in Cincinnati’s cultural brain trust was something he had never envisioned. Indeed, when he graduated from the Wharton School of Business, most people thought he would make his mark in investment banking.

But they hadn’t been paying attention to stern-enzi’s extracurricular activities. Instead of hobnobbing with future power brokers, he spent his spare time working in soup kitchens, making sandwiches and distributing food throughout the poorest of Philadelphia’s poor neighborhoods.

Growing up in a single-parent home in Asheville, North Carolina, he developed a quietly altruistic attitude early in life. Perhaps it came from being raised in a society of women. His father was absent, but the constant presence of his mother, grandmother and a small army of aunties provided him with an abundance of oversight.

“In elementary and middle school, I was a decent student,” recalled stern-enzi. “I loved reading and learning. My mom was working nights, but when she had days off, she would pick me up after school and we would go to the movies.”

As he got a little older, he developed into what he unashamedly describes as “a geek.”

“From 10 to 15, I was literally that kid who was either watching movies, reading sci-fi fantasy stuff or playing D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) with my friends.”

But then came the change that redirected his life.

A scholarship paves the way

As a high school junior, he left Asheville with the help of a scholarship from a group called A Better Chance. Founded in 1963, the New York-based group places “high-performing students of color into the nation’s leadership pipeline through increased access to the nation’s top independent and public schools.”

For stern-enzi, it was a ticket to a challenging and upwardly mobile future. He spent the final two years of high school at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nestled on the western slope of Missionary Ridge – site of a famed Civil War battle – McCallie is a pricey and high-powered educational powerhouse. Today’s tuition for boarding students is just under $67,000 per year.

During his senior year at The McCallie School, he saw the late David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet.” He was bowled over by the film. By the end of the weekend, in fact, he had seen it three more times.

On Monday morning, when he got to his AP English class, he asked his teacher, a charismatic Mississippi gentleman named Cleve Latham, if he would be willing to devote a portion of the class to a discussion of “Blue Velvet.”

tt stern-enzi, Over-the-Rhine Film Festival artistic director

“I told him that I needed to talk about the film,” said stern-enzi. “And I needed to talk about it right there.”

Never one to squelch intellectual enthusiasm, Latham agreed.

“That was a defining moment for me,” said stern-enzi. “I had the love of film before that. But this took it beyond that. I am grateful to Cleve Latham and my time at McCallie. Little did I know that this would be the life I would lead.”

On the one hand, he was an outsider –the only black student in the gifted classes. But besides receiving a stellar education, he learned many valuable life lessons.

“I didn’t exactly fit in,” said stern-enzi. “But I found that I could fit in in different ways. There were geeks and nerds there, too. And that was a place I could fit in. I realized that I had an ability to cross over any and all of those lines when I needed to.”

He has been crossing over lines ever since.

Festival poised for growth

And now, as he works to grow the festival into something larger, something with a broader reach into the regional community, he is drawing on those abilities more than ever.

Despite the name change, the festival is still organized by LADD, a nonprofit originally known as Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled.

But today, you are just as likely to see a film dealing with gender issues as you are one about physical disabilities. There are documentaries and student films, feature films and plenty of panel discussions. The 2025 festival, which runs nearly around the

clock from March 6 through March 8, is ready to grow.

Both Geiger and stern-enzi are eager to see the festival expand into year-round programming that can support a vigorous educational component.

At an energetic 55, stern-enzi has dozens of ideas he would love to implement. There are collaborations with other local festivals, particularly the Cindependent Film Festival and the Cincinnati Jewish & Israeli Film Festival. There are institutional relationships to be nurtured, with local universities and Film Cincinnati.

And then there is the possibility of the Sundance Film Festival moving to Cincinnati.

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to stand in their way,” laughed stern-enzi. “But I think that’s something for another story. In the meantime, I’m just a dude who loves what I do. And I’ve got a film festival coming up in a few weeks.” 

Over-the-Rhine Film Festival

The annual festival is organized by disability services and advocacy organization LADD and takes place within and near Cincinnati’s Overthe-Rhine neighborhood.

Originally an extension of the National “Reel Abilities” Film Festival, which came to Cincinnati in 2013, the festival widened its lens beyond disability in 2018 to include films that tell stories about all communities whose voices are marginalized.

The festival is rooted in five pillars that represent a mission of inclusion. Films are selected based on alignment with one or more of these pillars: freedom, identity, diversity, disability and faith.

• Thursday-Saturday, March 6-8. More than 20 screenings at various venues

• March 6, 5:30 p.m. Opening night gala and film, “Color Book.” Music Hall Ballroom.

• March 8, 9-11 p.m. Wrap party. Woodward Theater.

 otrfilmfest.org/buy-passes

About LADD

Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled was founded in February 1975 by parents who had a son or daughter with a developmental disability. LADD is guided by the belief that every person has ability and value. The goal is to empower adults with developmental disabilities to live, work and connect. LADD serves up to 1,000 people with compassion, empathy, excellence and efficiency, in integrated community settings through existing program expansion.

 laddinc.org

Jack Geiger, chair of the Over-the-Rhine Film Festival’s leadership committee

Taft names Chicago rapper next Duncanson Artist-in-Residence

Chicago-based rapper and educator

Rich Robbins is the Taft Museum of Art’s Duncanson Artist-in-Residence for 2025.

Lloyd Library chooses residency, fellowship recipients for 2025

The Lloyd Library and Museum has announced the recipients of its 2025 Artist-in-Residence and Curtis Gates Lloyd Fellowship awards.

The annual awards recognize innovative projects that engage with the downtown Cincinnati library’s extensive collections, creating new perspectives in botany, natural history and the history of science, medicine and pharmacy.

This year’s awardees:

• Michael Coppage, a conceptual artist in Cincinnati (artist-in-residence)

• Sara Torgison, an interdisciplinary artist specializing in ceramics and fiber art (artist-in-residence)

• Kimberly Gwinn, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee (fellowship)

• Meghan Henshaw and Julia Orquera Bianco (fellowship)

The recipients will explore themes such as natural symbolism, disease, medicinal plants, cannabis and ergot, a fungus that infects cereal grains and grasses.

 lloydlibrary.org/fellowships

To open his residency, Robbins will lead public programs, teach workshops and visit schools across Greater Cincinnati from April 10-26.

Robbins, known for his critiques of societal issues and visions for the future, will be the 39th artist-in-residence for the Duncanson program, which focuses on elevating the profile of Black and Brown artists while supporting educational opportunities.

Established in 1986 by the Taft Museum, the Duncanson program honors the relationship between Black American painter Robert S. Duncanson and his patron, Nicholas Longworth, who in the early 1850s commissioned Duncanson to paint landscape murals in the foyer of his home, which now is the Taft

Museum.

The program works to recognize the achievements of contemporary Black artists, including hosting the annual Duncanson Artist-in-Residence.

Robbins is a First Wave Hip Hop & Urban Arts Scholarship Program recipient from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has since been recognized as the “Best Individual Hip-Hop Artist” by Chicago Reader, an alternative newsweekly that covers that city’s arts and culture scene. With his latest EP, “Soft & Tender,” Robbins aims to “open the conversation around the intersectionality of fatherhood and Blackness."

 taftmuseum.org

Whim W’him will perform at the Aronoff Center for the Arts’ JarsonKaplan Theater March 7 and 8.

Seattle dance troupe doing Cincinnati premiere

Mutual Dance Theatre brings Seattle contemporary dance company Whim W’Him to Cincinnati for its first-ever appearance in the Queen City. The guest ensemble will present a program the Seattle Times calls “must-see” at 7:30 p.m. March 7 and 8 in the Aronoff Center for the Arts’ Jarson-Kaplan Theater downtown.

Led by founding director Olivier Wevers, a Belgian artist whose career began with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, Whim W’Him performs virtuosic and visually rich work by Wevers and guest choreographers.

The concert will include choreography by Wevers, Chicago’s Noelle Kayser and the Tla’amin Nation’s choreographer Cameron Fraser-Monroe.

Wever’s work, “Unconditional,” is an abstract piece reflecting on water as a source

of life, memory and unconditional love, based in part on the Jeff Foster poem “Forget Unconditional Love.”

Fraser-Monroe’s work, “SCRAP,” examines both the good of challenge and competition, as well as what happens when competition creates cracks between people. The piece is set to music from the Delbert Anderson Trio’s album “Manitou.”

Kayser’s “Druid Hills, Wild Bills” is a farcical work blending text from “Miss Manners” and the denim-and-rhinestone aesthetic of the early 2000s.

The March 7 performance features a free, post-show Q&A session, and the March 8 event has a free, pre-show interview with the artistic directors at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available through the Cincinnati Arts Association.

 cincinnatiarts.org, mutualdance.org

Rich Robbins, Taft Museum’s 2025 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence

The A/C List

Cultural Exhibits/Tours

American Legacy Tours | Over-the-Rhine. 859-951-8560. americanlegacytours.com

ƒ Historic tours in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky

American Sign Museum | Camp Washington. 513-541-6366. americansignmuseum.org

ƒ Permanent collection of historic signs

ƒ Saturdays, noon & 2 p.m. & Sundays, 2 p.m. Guided museum tours

Archaeological Research Institute | Lawrenceburg. 812-290-2966. exploreari.org

ƒ Hands-on educational experiences

Behringer-Crawford Museum | Devou Park, Covington. 859-491-4003. bcmuseum.org

ƒ Artifacts and history of Northern Kentucky

Betts House | West End. 513-651-0734. facebook.com/thebettshouse

ƒ Appointment only. Oldest home in Cincinnati

Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Center | Over-the-Rhine. 513-604-9812. brewingheritagetrail.org

ƒ Exploring Queen City beer history

Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame | Brady Music Center, The Banks. cincyblackmusicwalkoffame.org

ƒ Open daily, 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

Cincinnati Fire Museum | Downtown. 513-621-5553. cincyfiremuseum.com

ƒ Permanent collection

Cincinnati Food Tours | Findlay Market. 513-602-5602. cincinnatifoodtours.com

ƒ Exploring Queen City food heritage

Cincinnati Museum Center | Queensgate. 513-287-7000. cincymuseum.org

ƒ Thru May 18. “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life”

Cincinnati Nature Center | Milford. cincynature.org

ƒ Old growth forest, trails and ponds

Cincinnati Observatory | Hyde Park. cincinnatiobservatory.org

ƒ Oldest professional observatory in the United States

Cincinnati Type & Print Museum | Lower Price Hill. cincinnatitypeprintmuseum.org

ƒ Permanent collection of equipment, tools and artifacts

Cincinnati Zoo | Avondale. 513-281-4700. cincinnatizoo.org

ƒ World-class fauna and flora

Eckstein Cultural Arts Center | Glendale Heritage Preservation Museum, Glendale

ƒ Thru March 7, Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. “Historical Eckstein School Exhibit”

Friends of Music Hall | 513-621-2787. Over-the-Rhine. friendsofmusichall.org

ƒ Indoor and outdoor tours of Queen City landmark

Glendale Heritage Preservation | Village Square, Glendale. 513-771-8722. glendaleheritage.org

ƒ Permanent exhibit. Displays of Glendale’s history

Greater Cincinnati Police Museum | Pendleton. 513-300-3664. police-museum.org

ƒ Permanent collection

Harriet Beecher Stowe House | Walnut Hills. 513-751-0651. stowehousecincy.org

ƒ Historic family home of Uncle Tom’s Cabin author and later a Green Book location

Heritage Village Museum | Sharonville. 513-563-9484. heritagevillagecincinnati.org

ƒ Illustrates life in 19th-century southwest Ohio

Holocaust & Humanity Center | Cincinnati Museum Center, Queensgate. 513-487-3055. holocaustandhumanity.org

ƒ Media, artifacts, art and interactive exhibitions honoring Holocaust victims

Krohn Conservatory | Eden Park. 513421-4086. cincinnati-oh.gov/cincyparks

ƒ Thru April 20. “Emerge” floral show

Lloyd Library and Museum | Downtown. 513-721-3707. lloydlibrary.org

ƒ Permanent exhibit. George Rieveschl Jr.: History of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Loveland Castle & Museum | Loveland. lovelandcastle.com

ƒ Full-scale replica of medieval castle

Milford Historical Society | Promont, Milford. 513-248-0324. milfordhistory.net

ƒ Permanent exhibit. Historical displays of art, artifacts and more

National Museum of the United States Air Force | Wright-Patterson AFB, Fairborn. nationalmuseum.af.mil

ƒ World’s largest military aviation museum

FEB 1 TO MAY 18, 2025

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center | The Banks, downtown. 513-333-7500. freedomcenter.org

ƒ Permanent collection exploring themes of individual freedom

ƒ Thru April 6. “Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See”

National VOA Museum of Broadcasting | West Chester. 513-777-0027. voamuseum.org

ƒ Radio’s golden age and Cincinnati’s role in America’s global voice

Newport Aquarium | Newport riverfront. newportaquarium.com

ƒ Exotic aquatic creatures

RAPTOR Inc. | Milford. raptorinc.org

ƒ Birds of prey sanctuary

Skirball Museum | Hebrew Union College, Clifton. 513-221-1875. csm.huc.edu

ƒ Permanent exhibit: “An Eternal People: The Jewish Experience”

Taft Museum of Art | Lytle Park, downtown. 513-241-0343. taftmuseum.org

ƒ March 13, 11 a.m. Tour of Cincinnati Masonic Center

ƒ March 15, 10:30 a.m. Tour of Taft Coffee Club

Titanic: An Immersive Voyage | Exhibition Hub Art Center, downtown. expo-titanic.com/cincinnati

ƒ Thru May 3

Tri-State Warbird Museum | Batavia. tri-statewarbirdmuseum.org

ƒ Permanent exhibitions of military and historic aviation

Valley View Nature Preserve | Milford. valleyviewcampus.org

ƒ Preserved 190-acre farm and open land

Vent Haven Museum | Ft. Mitchell. 859-341-0461. venthaven.org

ƒ Appointment only. World’s only museum dedicated to ventriloquism

White Water Shaker Village | Harrison. whitewatervillage.org

ƒ Preserved historic village Dance

Cincinnati Arts Association | Procter & Gamble Hall, Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org

ƒ March 11, 6 p.m. ArtsWave Flow Social for Step Afrika!

ƒ March 11, 7:30 p.m. Step Afrika!

Cincinnati Ballet | Music Hall, Over-theRhine. 513-621-5219. cballet.org

ƒ Thru March 2. “The Wizard of Oz”

College-Conservatory of Music

| Cohen Studio Theater, University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. ccm.uc.edu

ƒ March 6-8. Student Choreographers’ Showcase

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company | Dayton, Ohio. dcdc.org

ƒ March 1-2. “Power & Presence”

DE LA Dance Company | Kennedy Heights. 513-871-0914. deladancecompany.org

ƒ Thru March 2. “DanceCincinnati24”

Miami University | Center for Performing Arts, Oxford. miamioh.edu/theatre

ƒ Thru March 2. “Momentum: A Dance & Movement Concert”

Mutual Dance Theatre | Jarson-Kaplan Theater, Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-494-6526. mutualdance.org

ƒ March 7-8. “Whim W’him”

Northern Kentucky University | NKU Corbett Theatre, Highland Heights. 859-572-5464. sota.nku.edu

ƒ Feb. 28-March 2. “Dance ’25: Homecoming”

Fairs/Festivals/Markets

Bockfest | Bockfest Hall - Findlay Playground, 1811 Vine St. bockfest.com

ƒ March 7-9. Parade, 5K, tours and historical programming

Cincinnati International Wine Festival | winefestival.com

ƒ March 6-8. Wine dinners, grand tastings, auction and more

Film

Adventure Crew | MadTree Parks & Rec, Blue Ash. adventurecrew.org

ƒ March 26, 6-9 p.m. Adventure Crew, No Man’s Land Film Festival: all-women and gender-nonconforming adventure film festival

Cincinnati Museum Center | Union Terminal. 513-287-7000. cincymuseum.org/omnimax

ƒ Now playing/OMNIMAX. “Rocky Mountain Express” • “T. Rex” • “The Blue Angels”

“The Blue Angels” is the latest addition at the Cincinnati Museum Center’s OMNIMAX Theater.

Cincinnati World Cinema | Downtown. 859-957-3456. cincyworldcinema.org

ƒ Weekends thru March 8. Oscar Shorts: animation, documentary and live action

ƒ March 5. Remembering David Lynch: “Blue Velvet”

ƒ March 16 & 18. “No Other Land,” Oscar-nominated documentary

Cindependent Film Fest | Memorial Hall, Over-the-Rhine. 214-843-6781. cindependentfilmfest.org

ƒ March 15, 6 p.m. CindeSpotlight series: “Love and Basketball” (Contemporary Arts Center, downtown)

HorrorHound Weekend | Sharonville Convention Center. horrorhoundweekend.com

ƒ March 21-23. Horror film festival

OTR International Film Festival | otrfilmfest.org

ƒ March 6-8. Films celebrating inclusion and acceptance

Woodward Theater | Over-theRhine. 513-345-7981. woodwardtheater.com

ƒ March 3, 7:30 p.m. Remembering David Lynch: “Lost Highway”

Literary/Lectures

AIA Cincinnati | American Sign Museum, Camp Washington. 513-421-4661. aiacincinnati.org

ƒ March 12, 5 p.m. “Every Woman Her Own Architect: Discovering the Forgotten History of America’s First Woman Architect”

American Sign Museum | Camp Washington. 513-541-6366. americansignmuseum.org

ƒ March 6, 7 p.m. “Big Signs: The Signs and History of Frisch’s Big Boy”

Barnes & Noble | VIrtual. 513-972-5146. stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/3408

ƒ March 4, 3 p.m. Discussion: Jessica Soffer “This is a Love Story” (virtual)

ƒ March 6, 3 p.m. Discussion: Sarah Crouch “Middletide” (virtual)

ƒ March 25, 3 p.m. Discussion: Katy Hays “Saltwater” (virtual)

Cincinnati Art Museum | Eden Park. 513-721-2787. cincinnatiartmuseum.org

ƒ 3rd Saturday every other month, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. See the Story

ƒ March 15. Bushra Rehma “Roses in the Mouth of a Lion”

Cincinnati Zoo | Avondale. 513-2814700. cincinnatizoo.org

◆ Barrows Conservation Lectures:

‚ March 12, 7 p.m. Fanny Minesi ‚ March 19, 7 p.m. Moreangels Mbizah

Joseph-Beth Booksellers | Rookwood Commons, Norwood. 513-396-8960. josephbeth.com

ƒ March 6, 7 p.m. Discussion: Tracy Deonn “Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle #3)”

ƒ March 7, 7 p.m. Discussion: Amal ElMohtar “The River Has Roots”

Mercantile Library | Downtown. 513-621-0717. mercantilelibrary.com

ƒ March 12, 6 p.m. Discussion: Marc J. Dunkelman “Why Nothing Works”

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center | The Banks, downtown. 513-333-7500. freedomcenter.org

ƒ March 27, 6:30 p.m. Nathaniel R. Jones Freedom Speaker Series: “Reflecting on Bloody Sunday 1965”

Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights. civicengagement.nku.edu

ƒ March 20, 6 p.m. “Associated PressCampus Protests”

Originary Arts Initiative | Virtual. originaryartsinitiative@gmail.com

ƒ Mondays, 12:15-1:15 p.m. Writer’s Table with Dick Hague

Word of Mouth Cincinnati | MOTR Pub, Over-the-Rhine. cincywordofmouth.com motrpub.com/word-mouth-featured-openpoetry-readings

ƒ Final Sunday, 6 p.m. Open poetry

Music

The Angelico Project | 20th Century Theater, Oakley. angelicoproject.org

ƒ March 16, 3 p.m. Scythian Concert

Bach Ensemble of St. Thomas | St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Terrace Park. 513-831-2052. bachensemble.org

ƒ March 7, 7 p.m. “Partitas and Suites”

Stefani Matsuo, violin; Hiro Matsuo, cello

ƒ March 16, 5 p.m. “Vespers” Orchestra, Miami University Chamber Choir and St. Thomas Choristers

Bogart’s | Short Vine, Corryville. bogarts.com

ƒ March 6, 7 p.m. Stephen Wilson Jr.

ƒ March 7, 7 p.m. Good Kid

ƒ March 19, 7 p.m. Rumours ATL

ƒ March 26, 7 p.m. Josiah Queen

ƒ March 29, 7 p.m. Lily Rose

Brady Music Center | The Banks, downtown. bradymusiccenter.com

ƒ March 1, 7:30 p.m. Jorja Smith

ƒ March 2, 7 p.m. Dropkick Murphys

ƒ March 7, 8 p.m. Let’s Sing Taylor

ƒ March 16, 8 p.m. The Driver Era

ƒ March 19, 7:30 p.m. Dream Theater

ƒ March 22, 8 p.m. GloRilla

Bromwell’s Härth Room | Downtown. bromwellshearthroom.com/music

ƒ Wednesday-Saturday evenings. Jazz

Butler Philharmonic | 513-844-5151. butlerphil.org

ƒ March 8, 7:30 p.m. Viennese Nights! (Sorg Opera Opera, Middletown)

ƒ March 22, 7 p.m. Youth Orchestra: Spring Concert (Fairfield Freshman School)

Caffe Vivace | Walnut Hills. 513-601-9897. caffevivace.com

ƒ Most evenings, live jazz

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption | Covington. 859-431-2060. cathedralconcertseries.org

ƒ March 16, 3 p.m. Bach Ensemble of St. Thomas: “A Musical Celebration of Johann Sebastian Bach’s 340th Birthday”

Chamber Music Cincinnati | Memorial Hall, Over-the-Rhine. 513-342-6870. cincychamber.org

ƒ March 6, 7:30 p.m. Isidore String Quartet w/ Jeremy Denk, piano

Chamber Music Yellow Springs | First Presbyterian Church, Yellow Springs. 937-374-8800. cmys.org

ƒ March 23, 4 p.m. Akropolis Reed Quintet

Christ Church Cathedral | Downtown. 513-621-1817. cincinnaticathedral.com

ƒ March 2, 5 p.m. Choral Evensong with guests Calvary Episcopal Choir

◆ 12:10 p.m. Music Live@Lunch (Christ Church Chapel):

‚ March 4. Lagniappe

‚ March 11. Danielle Hundley, flute; Scott Schilling, viola; Leslie Stratton, harp

‚ March 18. Queen City Vintage Vibe

‚ March 25. The Faux Frenchmen

Christ Church Glendale | Glendale. 513771-1544. christchurchglendale.org

ƒ March 6, 12:05 p.m. Stephan Casurella, organ

ƒ March 30, 4 p.m. Choral Evensong

Cincinnati Arts Association | Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org

ƒ March 8, 7 p.m. Annual Cincinnati Public Schools International Jazz Festival

ƒ March 26, 7:30 p.m. Naruto: The Symphonic Experience

Cincinnati Civic Orchestra | Royal

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Liberty Twp. 513-861-9978. cincinnaticivicorchestra.org

ƒ March 2, 3 p.m. Winter Concert

Cincinnati Community Orchestra | Church of the Savior United Methodist, Montgomery, 513-317-0300.

cincinnaticommunityorchestra.org

ƒ March 1, 7:30 p.m. Maestro: Lenny and Friends

Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | 513-280-8181. cincinnatijazz.org

ƒ March 27, 7 p.m. Big Band Series: Spotlight on Cincinnati: The Melodious Marc Fields (The Redmoor, Mt. Lookout Square)

ƒ March 2, 2 p.m. Jazz@First Series: Jammin’ with NEA Jazz Master Jamey Aebersold (First Unitarian Church, Avondale)

Cincinnati Guitar Festival | Sharonville Convention Center. cincyguitarshow.com

ƒ March 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. More than 40 vendors, buy-sell-trade

Cincinnati String Project | cincinnatistringproject.org

ƒ March 22, 5 p.m. Spring Concert (New City Presbyterian Church, Norwood)

ƒ March 23, 5 p.m. Spring Concert (All Saints Episcopal, Pleasant Ridge)

ARTS & CULTURE | The List

Cincinnati Symphony & Pops | Music Hall. 513-381-3300. cincinnatisymphony.org

ƒ March 4-5, 10:30 a.m. (Lollipops)

“Birthday Party!”

ƒ March 5, 7:30 p.m. (CSO Recital)

“Conrad Tao in Recital” Conrad Tao, piano

ƒ March 8-9. (CSO) “Fountains & Pines of Rome” Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, soprano

ƒ March 15, 7:30 p.m. (CSO IDEA)

“Classical Roots” John Morris Russell, conductor; Classical Roots Community Choir (also, livestream)

ƒ March 21-23. (Pops) “American Originals: Harlem Renaissance” (also, livestream)

ƒ March 27, 8 p.m. (CSO Proof) “Tango Lab”

ƒ March 28-29. (CSO) “Sheherazade”

Keitaro Harada, conductor; Anne Akiko Meyers, violin

Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra | Music Hall, Over-the-Rhine. cincinnatisymphony.org/csyo

ƒ March 30, 7 p.m. (Philharmonic)

“Side by Side”

Cincinnati Youth Choir | Corbett Auditorium, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. cincinnatichoir.org

ƒ March 16, 5 p.m. “Roots and Winds”

Classical Revolution | The Loon, Northside. classicalrevolutioncincinnati.com

ƒ Second Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Chamber music in casual bar setting: violinists Kori Hill & Leif Fairfield, pianist James Loughery and more

Clifton Cultural Arts Center | U-Square, Calhoun St., Clifton. 513-497-2860. cliftonculturalarts.org

ƒ Thursdays, March 13-May 4, 11:30 a.m. Live@U-Square, Calhoun St.

College-Conservatory of Music | University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. ccm.uc.edu

ƒ March 1, 4 p.m. “A Serenade For Peace” Ivy Walz, mezzo-soprano; Donna Loewy, piano

ƒ March 1, 7 p.m. “Essentially Ellington” Festival Gala Concert - Jazz Orchestra (Corbett Auditorium)

ƒ March 2, 2 p.m. Faculty Recital: Polina Bespalko, piano (Werner Hall)

ƒ March 2, 4 p.m. “Prism” Winds (Corbett Auditorium)

ƒ March 4, 7:30 p.m. “Brahms Requiem” Concert Orchestra + Choirs (Corbett Auditorium)

ƒ March 5, 7:30 p.m. “Made In America” Wind Ensemble (Corbett Auditorium)

ƒ March 9, 4 p.m. Daryl Robinson, organ (Covenant-First Presbyterian Church, downtown)

ƒ March 10, 7:30 p.m. “Send Off Concert” UC Choruses (Corbett Auditorium)

ƒ March 11, 7:30 p.m. “Blues and the Abstract Truth” Jazz Lab Band (Corbett Auditorium)

ƒ March 12, 7:30 p.m. “Sonic Explorations” Composition Series (Cohen Theater)

ƒ March 12, 7:30 p.m. “Summon the Heroes: A John Williams Celebration” Wind Symphony (Corbett Auditorium)

ƒ March 25, 7:30 p.m. Ariel Quartet with Orion Weiss (Werner Hall)

concertnova | Contemporary Arts Center, downtown. concertnova.com

ƒ March 18, 7:30 p.m. “Memory Box” w/composer Sarah Hennies

Dayton Art Institute | Dayton, Ohio. 937-223-4278. daytonartinstitute.org

ƒ Sundays, 2 p.m. Skinner Pipe Organ Concert

ƒ Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz & Beyond

Dayton Philharmonic | Schuster Center, Dayton, Ohio. daytonperformingarts.org

ƒ March 8, 7:30 p.m. “Twist & Shout: The Music of the Beatles”

ƒ March 14-15, 7:30 p.m. “Requiem”

Fairfield Community Arts Center | Fairfield. 513-867-5348. fairfield-city.org

ƒ March 1, 8 p.m. Yesterday Once More (Music of the Carpenters)

ƒ March 27, 7 p.m. Return of The King (Elvis Tribute)

Fitton Center | Hamilton. 513-863-8873. fittoncenter.org

ƒ March 8, 7:30 p.m. Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra: “Singin’ & Swingin’”

ƒ March 22, 7:30 p.m. Connor Chee, piano: “Echoes of the Great Miami”

Ghost Baby | Over-the-Rhine. ghost-baby.com

ƒ Most evenings, live performances

Greater Cincinnati Guitar Society | Wyoming Fine Arts Center, Wyoming. cincinnatiguitarsociety.org

ƒ March 30, 4 p.m. Vietnamese guitarist Thu Le

Hard Rock Casino | Downtown. hardrockcasinocincinnati.com

ƒ March 15, 8 p.m. Tower of Power

ƒ March 22, 8 p.m. Doug E. Fresh

Heritage Bank Center | Downtown. heritagebankcenter.com

ƒ March 29, 6:30 p.m. Disturbed

Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church - Organ Concert Series | Hyde Park. 513-871-1345. hydeparkchurch.org

ƒ March 30, 4 p.m. Organized Rhythm

Irish Heritage Center | Columbia Tusculum. 513-533-0100. cincyirish.org

ƒ Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Pub Music Night

ƒ March 4, 7 p.m. Burning Caravan

The Jazz Spoon | 610 Northland Blvd., Forest Park. thejazzspoon.com

ƒ Friday and Saturday evenings. Live jazz

Kentucky Symphony Orchestra | Greaves Hall, NKU. 859-431-6216. kyso.org

ƒ March 28, 7:30 p.m. “Carmen”

ƒ March 30, 3 p.m. Encore of previous

Lakeside Music Concert Series | Lakeside Presbyterian Church. lakesidechurch.org

ƒ March 15, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Northern Kentucky Community Chorus: “Come & Sing: Haydn”

Linton Chamber Music | 513-381-6868. lintonmusic.org

ƒ March 16, 4 p.m. “Souvenir de Florence”

Jaime Laredo and Cathy Meng Robinson, violin; Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt and James Thompson, viola; Keith Robinson and Sharon Robinson, cello (First Unitarian Church, Avondale)

ƒ March 17, 7:30 p.m. “Souvenir de Florence”

Jaime Laredo and Cathy Meng Robinson, violin; Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt and James Thompson, viola; Keith Robinson and Sharon Robinson, cello (Congregation Beth Adam, Loveland)

Mezzo-soprano Kristin Chavez sings the role of Carmen, March 28 & 30, in a concert performance with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra

Linton Peanut Butter & Jam Sessions | 513-381-6868. peanutbutterandjam.org

◆ Brasstacular:

‚ March 1, 10:30 a.m. (Heritage Presbyterian Church)

‚ March 5, 11 a.m. (Northside Library)

‚ March 8, 10:30 a.m. (Westwood First Presbyterian)

Longworth-Anderson Series | Memorial Hall, Over-the-Rhine. longworth-andersonseries.com

ƒ March 7, 8 p.m. Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives

Ludlow Garage | Clifton. ludlowgaragecincinnati.com

ƒ March 1, 7:30 p.m. Hell’s Belles

ƒ March 7, 7:30 p.m. Maysa

ƒ March 8, 7:30 p.m. Stanley Jordan

ƒ March 9, 7:30 p.m. Steel Wheels

ƒ March 15, noon. The Rock and Roll Playhouse

ƒ March 15, 8 p.m. The Ark Band

ƒ March 16, 7:30 p.m. Mike Farris

ƒ March 21, 7:30 p.m. Screaming Orphans

ƒ March 22, 7:30 p.m. Brian Simpson

ƒ March 26, 7:30 p.m. Tigran Hamasyan

ƒ March 27, 7:30 p.m. Sons of Cream

ƒ March 28, 7:30 p.m. The Outlaws

ƒ March 29, 7:30 p.m. Blackhawk

Madison Theater | Covington. 859-491-2444. madisontheater.com

ƒ March 8, 8 p.m. Almost Queen

ƒ March 12, 7 p.m. Dirty Nil & Grumpster

ƒ March 14, 8 p.m. Agnostic Front

ƒ March 16, 8 p.m. TopHouse

ƒ March 22, 6 p.m. Attila

ƒ March 29, 8 p.m. Bumpin Uglies

Matinee Musicale | Memorial Hall, Over-the-Rhine. matineemusicalecincinnati.org

ƒ March 9, 3 p.m. Lawrence Brownlee, tenor

MegaCorp Pavilion at Ovation | Newport. promowestlive.com

ƒ March 22, 5 p.m. Coal Chamber

Memorial Hall | Over-the-Rhine. 513-977-8838. memorialhallotr.com

ƒ March 3, 7 p.m. Daniel Bennett and the Dirty Shirleys: “Martini Lounge”

ƒ March 10, 7 p.m. Phil DeGreg Trio: “Tribute to Chick Corea”

ƒ March 17, 7 p.m. Queen City Cabaret “As Time Goes By: Love Songs of the ’40s and ’50s”

ƒ March 24, 7 p.m. Ricky Nye Inc.: “Jazz Meets The Blues”

ƒ March 26, 8 p.m. Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet

ƒ March 31, 7 p.m. Mambo Madness

Muse Café | Westwood. musecafecincy.com/events

ƒ Tuesdays, 7-9:30 p.m. Phil DeGreg Trio

MYCincinnati | ARCO, Price Hill. 513-251-3800 x106. mycincinnati.org

ƒ March 12-13, 6 p.m. Spring Concert

New Downbeat | The Well, Colerain. newdownbeat.com

ƒ March 7, 7 p.m. “Women’s History Month Concert”

Northern Kentucky Community Chorus | Lakeside Presbyterian Church, 2690 Dixie Hwy., Lakeside Park. nkychorus.org

ƒ March 15, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Come & Sing: Haydn

Oxford Community Arts Center | Oxford. 513-524-8506. oxarts.org

ƒ March 15, 7:30 p.m. Sunny Wilkinson, jazz

Queen City Cabaret | Memorial Hall, Over-the-Rhine. queencitycabaretcincy.com

ƒ March 17, 7 p.m. “As Time Goes By: Love Songs of the ’40s and ’50s”

The Redmoor | Mt. Lookout Square. theredmoor.com

ƒ Most Fridays & Saturdays, 6 p.m. Rock and jazz music

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Concert Series | Montgomery. st-barnabas.org

ƒ March 9, 3 p.m. Seven Hills Baroque

Schwartz’s Point | Five Points, Over-the-Rhine. thepointclub.weebly.com

ƒ Thursdays-Sundays. Live jazz

Sorg Opera House | Middletown. sorgoperahouse.org

ƒ March 15, 8 p.m. The RUSH Experience

ƒ March 22, 8 p.m. Turn to Stone: A Tribute to ELO

Southgate House | Newport. 859-431-2201. southgatehouse.com

ƒ Nightly rock, alternative blues, etc.

Summermusik | 513-723-1182. summermusik.org

ƒ March 21, 7:30 p.m. “Passage of the Water” (Bell Tower Arts Pavilion, Evendale)

ƒ March 23, 4 p.m. “Spirit Chief Names the Animal People” (Christ Church Cathedral)

ƒ March 25, 7:30 p.m. “A Requiem for Water” (Cincinnati Art Museum)

Taft Theatre | Downtown. tafttheatre.org

ƒ March 6, 8 p.m. The Main Squeeze

ƒ March 7, 7:30 p.m. Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country

ƒ March 8, 8 p.m. The Rock Orchestra

ƒ March 11, 7:30 p.m. Experience Hendrix

ƒ March 14, 8 p.m. The Fab Four

ƒ March 28, 8 p.m. Blind Boys of Alabama

ƒ March 31, 8 p.m. The Faint

TempleLive at River Front Live | East End. riverfrontlivecincy.com

ƒ March 22, 6 p.m. Fillmore on the River 2 with The Grateful Dead

ƒ March 29, 7 p.m. Zepparella

ƒ March 30, 10 p.m. Rio Da Yung Og

Trinity Episcopal Church | Covington. 859-431-1786. trinitycovington.org

ƒ 3rd Wednesday, Sept.-May, 12:15 p.m. Midday Musical Menu:

ƒ March 19. “Brahms Chorale Preludes” John A. Deaver, organ

Truist Arena | Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights. thetruistarena.com

ƒ March 28, 8 p.m. Gary Allan

Turfway Park Events Center | Florence. turfway.com

ƒ Fridays, 9 p.m.. Bourbon and Brew Bands

Vocal Arts Ensemble | Christ Church Cathedral, downtown. 513-381-3300. vaecinci.com

ƒ March 1, 7:30 p.m. “Voices in Exile.” Elena Sharkova, guest conductor

Westwood First Presbyterian | Westwood. 513-661-6846. wfpc.org

ƒ March 30, 2:30 p.m. Westwood First Chancel Choir

Woodward Theater | Over-the-Rhine. 513-345-7981. woodwardtheater.com

ƒ March 21, 7:30 p.m. William Elliott Whitmore and Dave Hause

ƒ March 25, 7:30 p.m. Yo La Tengo

Xavier Music Series | Gallagher Center Theater, Xavier University. 513-745-3161. xavier.edu/musicseries

ƒ March 5, 8 p.m. Brian Marcella Trio plays John Zorn

Young Professionals Choral Collective | Christ Church Cathedral, downtown. 513-601-8699. ypccsing.org

ƒ March 11. “Kaleidoscope”

Opera

Cincinnati Opera | Music Hall. 513-241-2742. cincinnatiopera.org

ƒ March 12, 7:30 p.m. Opera Rap.

Tosca: A Roman Evening (Cincinnati Opera Production Facility)

College-Conservatory of Music | University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. ccm.uc.edu

ƒ March 6-9. Britten: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Corbett Theater)

Theater

American Legacy Theatre | Contemporary Arts Center, downtown. 513-443-5429. americanlegacytheatre.org

ƒ March 7-22. “Higher”

ArtsConnect | Grove Event Center, Springfield Twp. theartsconnect.us

ƒ March 22, 7 p.m. David Anthony’s Magic & Comedy Hypnosis Show

Broadway Across America | Procter & Gamble Hall, Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-721-3344. cincinnati.broadway.com

ƒ Thru March 2. “Kimberly Akimbo”

ƒ March 18-23. “Come From Away”

Cincinnati Arts Association | JarsonKaplan Theater, Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org

ƒ March 1, 2 & 7:30 p.m. “Couples Therapy”

ƒ March 29-30. “Churchill”

Cincinnati LAB Theatre | Bell Tower Arts Pavilion, Evendale. cincylabtheatre.wixsite.com/cincylab

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

Sublime music in worship and concert

Saturday, March 1 | 7:30 pm Vocal Arts Ensemble Concert

Sunday, March 2 | 5:00 pm Choral Evensong (Pre-service Organ Recital 4:30 pm)

Sunday, March 23 | 4:00 pm Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra Concert

Saturday, March 29 | 3:00 pm Queen City Freedom Band Concert

Learn more: cincinnaticathedral.com/music

513-621-1817 318 E. 4th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 hello@cccath.org

ARTS & CULTURE | The List

ƒ March 28-April 5. “Four Horses” by Mary

Beringer

Cincinnati Landmark Productions | Covedale Center, Price Hill. 513-241-6550. cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com

ƒ March 13-April 6. “Singin’ In The Rain”

Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative | Fifth Third Bank Theater, Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-621-ARTS. cincyplaywrights.org

ƒ March 11, 7:30 p.m. “Finding Mickey Mantle” by Wendy Vogel

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company | Over-the-Rhine. 513-381-2273. cincyshakes.com

ƒ Feb. 28-March 23. “Macbeth”

Clifton Cultural Arts Center | Clifton. 513-497-2860. cliftonculturalarts.org

ƒ March 9, 2 p.m. Frisch Marionettes Variety Show

ƒ March 15, 11 a.m. Madcap Puppets: “Pinocchio”

College-Conservatory of Music | Corbett Theater, University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. ccm.uc.edu

ƒ March 14-15. Musical Theatre Senior Showcase

ComedySportz Cincinnati | Madcap Education Center and Clifton Comedy Theatre. cszcincinnati.com

◆ Short form comedy improv

‚ Fridays, 8 p.m.

‚ Sundays, 2 p.m.

Commonwealth Sanctuary | Dayton, KY. commonwealthsanctuary.com

ƒ Weekly comedy shows

Dayton Live Broadway Series | Schuster Center, Dayton, Ohio. daytonlive.org/series/broadway

ƒ Thru March 2. “Peter Pan”

Dayton Playhouse | Dayton, Ohio. wordpress.thedaytonplayhouse.com

ƒ March 14-23. “FutureFest” Winning Script Production

The Dinner Detective | Embassy Suites Rivercenter, Covington. thedinnerdetective.com/cincinnati

ƒ Saturdays, 6 p.m. Murder Mystery Dinner Show

Drama Workshop | Cheviot. 513-598-8303. thedramaworkshop.org

ƒ Feb. 28-March 16. “The Mousetrap”

Ensemble Theatre | Over-the-Rhine. 513-421-3555. ensemblecincinnati.org

ƒ Thru March 2. “I Need That”

Falcon Theatre | Newport. 513-479-6783. falcontheater.net

ƒ March 14-29. “Mr. Parker”

Fitton Center | Hamilton. 513-863-8873. fittoncenter.org

ƒ March 7, 7:30 p.m. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati: “A Pirate-y Peter Pan”

Footlighters | Stained Glass Theatre, Newport. 859-291-7464. footlighters.org

ƒ Thru March 2. “Altar Boyz”

The Funny Bone | Liberty Twp. liberty.funnybone.com

ƒ Weekly comedy shows

The Ghostlight Stage Company | Playhouse in the Park, Mt. Adams. theghostlightstageco.com

ƒ March 24, 7 p.m. Cabaret on the Runway

Go Bananas Comedy Club | Montgomery. gobananascomedy.com

ƒ Weekly comedy shows

Heritage Bank Center | Downtown. heritagebankcenter.com

ƒ March 21, 7:30 p.m. Sebastian Maniscalco, comedian

Human Race Theatre | Loft Theatre, downtown Dayton, Ohio. humanracetheatre.org

ƒ March 26-April 6. “Camelot”

Improv Cincinnati | Clifton Performance Theatre, Clifton. improvcincinnati.com

ƒ Thursday-Saturday evenings. Weekly comedy shows

INNOVAtheatre | Middletown. innovatheatre.com

ƒ March 27-30. “Seussical The Musical”

Inspiring Arts | Parrish Auditorium, Miami University, Hamilton. inspiringartsproductions.com

ƒ March 27-30. “Anne of Green Gables”

La Comedia Dinner Theatre | Springboro. 800-677-9505. lacomedia.com

ƒ Thru March 23. “Jersey Boys”

ƒ March 27-May 4. “Into the Woods”

Lebanon Theatre Company | Lebanon. 513-932-8300. ltcplays.com

ƒ Feb. 28-March 9. “Deathtrap”

Loveland Stage Company | Loveland. 513-443-4572. lovelandstagecompany.org

ƒ March 7-23. “Godspell”

Ludlow Garage | Clifton. ludlowgaragecincinnati.com

ƒ March 14, 7:30 p.m. Watch What Crappens

Lumos Players I Maineville. lumosplayers.com

ƒ March 12, 7:30 p.m. “Barklee” by Tom Cavanaugh

ƒ March 21-29. “Snapshots” by Stephen Swartz

Mariemont Players | Mariemont. 513-684-1236. mariemontplayers.com

ƒ March 6-23. “Moon Over Buffalo”

Miami University | Center for Performing Arts, Oxford. miamioh.edu/theatre

ƒ March 6-9. “Trifles” • “Three Sisters Who are Not Sisters”

Playhouse in the Park | Mt. Adams. 513-421-3888. cincyplay.com

ƒ March 1-30. “English” (Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre)

ƒ March 22-April 20. “The Book Club Play” (Rouse Theatre)

School for Creative & Performing Arts | Over-the-Rhine. 513-363-8100. scpa.cps-k12.org

ƒ March 7-9. “Chicago: Teen Edition”

Sharonville Cultural Arts Center | Sharonville. 513-554-1014. sharonvilleculturalarts.org

ƒ March 21-23. “Blithe Spirit”

Sunset Players | Arts Center at Dunham, Price Hill. 513-588-4988. sunsetplayers.org

Darnell Pierre Benjamin takes on the role of Macbeth at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through March 23

ƒ March 14-22. “You Caught Us In Our Shorts…for the 7th Time”

Taft Theatre | Downtown. tafttheatre.org

ƒ March 15, 7:30 p.m. Joe Gatto, comedian

ƒ March 21, 7 p.m. Nurse John

ƒ March 23, 8 p.m. John Crist, comedian ƒ March 29, 8 p.m. ISMO, comedian

Woodward Theater | Over-the-Rhine. 513-345-7981. woodwardtheater.com

ƒ March 2, 6:30 p.m. John Caparulo, comedian

Xavier University | Gallagher Theater. 513-745-3939. xavier.edu/theatre-program

ƒ March 28-April 6. “Summer Slay-cation!”

Visual Art

21c Museum Hotel | Downtown. 513-578-6600. 21cmuseumhotels.com/cincinnati

ƒ Thru Aug. 31. (FotoFocus) “Revival: Digging into Yesterday, Planting Tomorrow” • Spotlight: Felipe Rivas San Martín

Art Academy of Cincinnati | Over-theRhine. 513-562-6262. artacademy.edu

ƒ March 24-May 2. Group student thesis exhibitions

Behringer-Crawford Museum | Devou Park, Covington. 859-491-4003. bcmuseum.org

ƒ Current exhibit . “Race to Fame: Hometown Kentucky Derby Legends”

Cincinnati Art Club | Mt. Adams. 513-241-4591. cincinnatiartclub.org

ƒ March 14-16. Photography exhibition.

Reception: March 14, 6-8:30 p.m.

Cincinnati Art Galleries | Downtown. 513-381-2128. cincyart.com

ƒ Thru March 14. “American PaintingsRecent Acquisitions”

Cincinnati Art Museum | Eden Park. 513-721-2787. cincinnatiartmuseum.org

ƒ Thru May 4. Shahzia Sikander: “Collective Behavior”

ƒ March 28. 5-10 p.m. Art After Dark

Clifton Cultural Arts Center | Clifton. 513-497-2860. cliftonculturalarts.org

ƒ March 7-April 4. “Lift Every Voice” group exhibit. Reception: March 7, 6-8 p.m.

Contemporary Arts Center | Downtown. 513-345-8400. contemporaryartscenter.org

ƒ Thru May 25. Vivian Browne: “My Kind of Protest”

ƒ Feb. 28-March 30. “Changing Spaces” Works by Miami University and University of Cincinnati DAAP MFA Students.

Reception: Feb. 28, 5-8 p.m.

DAAP Galleries | University of Cincinnati. 513-556-2839. daap.uc.edu

ƒ Thru April 6. “2.0 Kinds of Funny” (Reed Gallery)

ƒ Thru April 13. “New to Us: A Selection of Recent Acquisitions to the UC Art Collection” (Meyers Gallery) Closing reception: April 10, 5-7 p.m.

Dayton Art Institute | Dayton, Ohio. 937-223-4278. daytonartinstitute.org

ƒ March 15-June 8. Jamie Wyeth: “Unsettled”

Fitton Center | Hamilton. 513-863-8873. fittoncenter.org

ƒ Thru March 21. “Beauty and the Beast”

FotoFocus | Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park. fotofocus.org

ƒ March 6, 6:30 p.m. Lecture: An-My Lê

Kennedy Heights Arts Center | Kennedy Heights. 513-631-4278. kennedyarts.org

ƒ Thru April 5. “Mother Earth: Let the Spirit Move” new works by local artists

Lloyd Library and Museum | Downtown. 513-721-3707. lloydlibrary.org

ƒ Thru April 11. “Welcome to My Jungle: In-door Plants”

Manifest Gallery | East Walnut Hills. 513-861-3638. manifestgallery.org

ƒ March 7-April 4. “Totally Open” • “Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana” • Robert McCann (painting) Reception: March 7, 6-9 p.m.

Middletown Arts Center | Middletown. 513-424-2417. middletownartscenter.com

ƒ March 7-May 15. Darren Goodman: “Glass: Through the Lens of an Artist” Reception: March 7, 6-8 p.m.

MOTR Pub | Over-the-Rhine. motrpub.com

ƒ Feb. 28-March 28. Mike & Colin Montgomery: “Eye Goop: Consensual Warble”

Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights. 859-572-5148. nku.edu/gallery

ƒ March 6-27. Juried Student Exhibition • Mail Art Exhibition: Curated by Randell Plowman. Reception: March 13, 5-7 p.m

Off Ludlow Gallery | Clifton. 513-201-7153. facebook.com

ƒ Thru March 12. “Pure Imagination”

Pendleton Art Center | Pendleton. 513-421-4339. pendletonartcenter.com

ƒ March 28, 5-9 p.m. Open studios

Pendleton Art Center - Middletown | Middletown. 513-465-5038. pendletonartcenter.com

ƒ March 7, 5-9 p.m. Open studios

Queen City Clay | Norwood. queencityclay.com

ƒ Thru April 10. “Feathers, Fins & Fur”

Rosewood Arts Centre | Rosewood Gallery, Kettering. 937-296-0294. playkettering.org/rosewood-gallery-home

ƒ March 10-April 12. Morgan Craig (Paintings) • Kathy A. Moore: “Snow Light/Day and Night”

Sinclair College | Dayton, Ohio. 937512-2253. sinclair.edu/artgalleries

ƒ Thru March 15. “Known & Unknown”: figures and portraits by Brigid O’Kane & Barbara Vogel (Roberts Triangle Gallery)

ƒ Thru March 15. “Prima Facie”: portraits by Alexandra Franz (Works on Paper Gallery)

Studio Kroner | Downtown. studiokroner.com

ƒ Thru March 15. Steve Justice: “Oddly Familiar” Reception: March 15, 1-4 p.m.

Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery | Mount St. Joseph University, Delhi. msj.edu

ƒ Feb. 28-March 25. MSJ Celebrates Youth Art Month. Reception: March 16, 2-4 p.m.

Taft Museum of Art | Lytle Park, downtown. 513-241-0343. taftmuseum.org

ƒ Thru May 11. “Mystery and Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art”

ƒ March 1-June 15. “J.M.W. Turner and the Art of Watercolor”

VADA Gallery | Clifton. 513-259-7446. vadagallery.wordpress.com

ƒ Thru March 8. Rae Miller: “Abstract Junction”

Visionaries & Voices | Northside. 513-861-4333. visionariesandvoices.com

ƒ Thru May 2. “Casting Shadows: The Groundhog Show”

Wave Pool Gallery and The Welcome Project | Camp Washington. wavepoolgallery.org

ƒ Thru March 5. “Out & Through: A Visionaries + Voices Staff Show”

Weston Art Gallery | Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-977-4165. cincinnatiarts.org/weston-art-gallery

ƒ Thru March 23. Robert Fronk: “Riding The Wind Horse - The Works 1985-2025”

• Daniel Kunkel: “Unseen”

ƒ March 25-April 13. “2025 Canstruction”

• 3rd Annual Weston Works Art Challenge

Wright State University | Creative Arts Center, Dayton, Ohio. liberal-arts.wright.edu/art-galleries

ƒ Thru March 15. Micah Zavacky: “Walking through Stones” 

2024–2025

Scan the QR code to learn

Hyde Park Community UMC | 1345 Grace Ave., Cincinnati OH 45208

Clive Driskill-Smith, organist & Joseph Gramley, percussion

YWCA’s Rickell Howard Smith

Leaving

people, places and things better than she found them

By Shauna Steigerwald

For Rickell Howard Smith, helping others is in her DNA.

“I come from a long line of women who cared for their communities,” the president and CEO of YWCA Greater Cincinnati said.

When she was growing up, the entire maternal side of her family lived in Mount Auburn. Everyone wanted to be around her grandmother because of her caregiving nature, which even extended to taking in kids who needed a place to stay.

Meanwhile, Howard Smith admired her mother’s efforts in the professional sphere, which included helping people – mostly women – get jobs. “She was always having the ‘meeting before the meeting’ to prepare them,” she said.

And yet, Howard Smith’s early dreams didn’t include a career in social justice. She entered business school at Howard University with visions of becoming “a corporate mogul.”

From corporate track to advocate

At Howard, “there was a great spirit of social justice with everything,” Howard Smith said. As she puts it, she “caught the bug” and decided to pivot, becoming a Public Interest Law Fellow at Temple University School of Law.

When she became a mom – after going into labor with her son the day after she finished her second year of law school – her grades skyrocketed and her passion solidified.

“My drive and commitment shifted,” she said. “Being a mother, for me, was transformative; I was no longer just caring about myself.

“It also opened my eyes to some of the struggles that people around me had experienced my entire life, and I just kind of knew in my gut that when I became a lawyer, my focus was going to be on serving families, people who were facing some significant barriers,” she said.

Returning to Cincinnati, the self-described introvert – “even though nobody’s going to believe that” – gravitated toward legal roles related

to social justice and civil rights, including at the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Justice & Policy Center, and the Children’s Law Center.

“I always litigated the most challenging cases. My colleagues knew that when everybody else said ‘no,’ I’d say ‘yes,’ ” she said.

Among her success stories is litigating the first case in Ohio that granted incarcerated transgender women the right to receive medical treatments. She also represented two children with disabilities who’d been handcuffed by a school resource officer at Covington Independent Public Schools, leading to changes in the way the district treats students with disabilities.

Eventually, she wanted a change. Nonprofit leadership seemed a natural fit, as did a role at Greater Cincinnati Foundation, where she could use her strategic skills to allocate grant funds.

“When I stepped into nonprofit leadership, the world just opened for me,” she said. “I got to see how big this region really is and to make connections with people doing everything from social services to the arts. … My self-proclaimed superpower is being strategic and being able to connect the dots.”

A ‘serendipitous’ defeat

In 2022, Howard Smith ran for juvenile court judge in Hamilton County. At the time, she worked at the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, where she was founding executive director of the Holloman Center for Social Justice.

After she lost in a close race, someone sent her the job posting at YWCA Greater Cincinnati.

“I had been campaigning for a little over a year on how I was the best person to serve children and families, and now I had an opportunity to enter a search process (for a role) where I’d get to serve children and families. So from my standpoint it was quite serendipitous,” she said. “I do believe I ran for office to be ready to lead YWCA.”

Domestic violence is still seen as something shameful, something that only happens to certain people. As soon as I started telling my story and seeing the survivors in the audience react, I knew that I was doing the right thing.

– Rickell Howard Smith

Others within the organization agree.

“She has absolutely been the right person at the right time for our organization,” said Steve Kenat, a principal and director of community development at architecture-design firm SHP and a YWCA board member for six years, citing Howard Smith’s social justice background and her immediate leadership work on a new domestic violence shelter.

The organization’s mission – eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all – captured

Howard Smith’s personal and professional passions. “Every single role that I’ve been in to date has touched a piece of the YWCA mission,” she said.

Howard Smith felt particularly connected to the nonprofit’s work on behalf of domestic violence survivors because she herself experienced violence in her childhood home.

She decided to share her experience publicly for the first time in fall of 2023. Her father, her abuser, had passed away a few months prior, and she was set to speak at a domestic violence vigil. After a heart-to-heart with her sister, she decided to share their story.

“Domestic violence is still seen as something shameful, something that only happens to certain people,” she said. “As soon as I started telling my story and seeing the survivors in the audience react, I knew that I was doing the right thing.

“It certainly brings me a unique perspective in this role,” she added. “I’m able to bring the lens of the child Rickell to the table.”

Part of that is understanding why her mother, who is deceased, stayed in the relationship.

“I can imagine that she felt like no place was safe if she left,” she said.

It’s fitting that one of her first priorities at YWCA was leading the development of a new shelter for domestic violence survivors. The organization had plans to renovate an existing apartment

build-

ing, and Howard Smith spent several months working with the board, community and government entities to plan the renovation.

“It is my honor and privilege to help create a place for families to escape and feel safe,” she said.

Her mother will be honored as well: The family is contributing to the project and will name a room after her.

When it opens in May, the new shelter will allow the organization to nearly double its nightly capacity, expanding from 67 to 120 individuals.

“We know that there is an unmet net because we had to turn away over 300 people who called our hotline,” in 2024, she said.

Saving lives, shaping experiences

Howard Smith is also excited that the new setup will allow the YWCA to offer comprehensive services, including workforce development, children’s programs, mental health services and partner programs, including medical care, on site.

“It’s exciting to do something that’s impactful for the community, one. Two, you know you’re going to save lives – more lives. And three, just knowing that you had a chance to shape the first experience someone has when they step in the shelter.”

Supporting domestic violence survivors falls under the YWCA Greater Cincinnati’s health and safety pillar, one of three focus areas for the nonprofit with a budget of approximately $10 million in 2025. The second pillar, women’s empowerment, includes the Career Women of Achievement luncheon, established in 1980, coming April 29. (See Page 19 for honorees.)

“There are still industries where women are not well represented,” Howard Smith said. “In 2025, there is absolutely still a need to recognize the women who are blazing trails.”

The organization’s third pillar, racial justice and advocacy work, includes initiatives such as providing equity training focused on implicit bias, implementing equitable policies and racial justice education.

Lifting as she climbs

A staff of 85 works to execute these pillars.

“The most important thing that I’ve done since I’ve been in this role is to build a solid and strong team and build relationships with our committed staff,” she said. “They’re amazing … I may have had a hand in making strategic decisions, but our staff, that’s who takes it across the finish line.”

Kenat admires the team she’s put together (he also used the word “amazing” to describe it) and the way she’s leading it.

“She’s attracting and retaining talent; she’s mobilizing people at all levels of the organization,” he said. “The Y has always had a mantra of ‘Lift as you climb,’ and I think she is, in many ways, the epitome of that ideal.”

“Through genuine relationship-building, deep

care and respect for all stakeholders, and active listening, she continues to create a meaningful impact in our community and beyond,” added Barbara Turner, who co-chairs the Mission Forward Campaign for YWCA Greater Cincinnati.

Turner, who is chief executive officer and founder of BT Rise, has known Howard Smith for nearly a decade and considers her a “dear friend” who is “loyal, dedicated, caring and fun – an organized leader and a true joy to be around.”

“She has dedicated her entire career to advocating for women, children and underserved communities,” Turner said. “Rickell has been steadfast in removing barriers that prevent individuals and communities from thriving. She offers not just advocacy but also a hand up and hope, always approaching her work with compassion, strategy and thoughtfulness.”

Outside of work, Howard Smith has had extensive volunteer and board involvement and is affiliated with Hamilton County Human Services Chamber (board member and chair of the local government committee), the Women’s Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation (Leadership Council member) and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Community Advisory Board for Adolescent Medicine. She’s also the former board chair of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio.

Spending time with her family – her 20-yearold son, 16-year-old daughter and husband – often centers around music, movies and the arts. Her husband is a DJ and radio personality (in addition to his “day job” as a Cincinnati firefighter), and they love seeing live music.

Her son studied acting at SCPA, where her daughter is currently a ballet major.

Visions and legacy

Looking forward, Howard Smith envisions a community where everyone has the opportunity to prosper. She sees this as legacy work, too much to solve in one lifetime.

“My vision is that I’m laying the foundation for my children to be able to carry the torch,” she said. “I want to make sure that all the children in my community have the ability to do just that.

“The one thing I want people to be able to see, unequivocally, is that I left people, places and things better than I found them,” she added. “I want my career to show people the power of collective action. I may never end up in a history book, but somebody in my community is going to know what I did. If they’re able to tell that story and use that as an example, I’ve done my job.” 

This story and cover image were sponsored by YWCA Greater Cincinnati.

The Datebook

MARCH 1, SATURDAY

American Heart Association, Heart Ball | 6 p.m.-midnight. Sharonville Convention Center. Chair: Jill Meyer. Heart of the City Award: family of Bob Habel and Maureen Habel. Silent auction and social hour. Black tie optional.

 ahacincinnati.ejoinme.org

Building Blocks for Kids, Annual Benefit | MadTree Brewing. Live auction, silent auction, games and music.

 bb4k.org/get-involved/events

Cincinnati Sports Club, Well-Being Day | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Cincinnati Sports Club, Fairfax. Interactive kids activities, conversations with professional experts, raffles and prizes.

 cincinnatisportsclub.com

Frankies Furry Friends, Italian Dinner | 6 p.m. O’Bannon Creek Golf Club, Loveland. Silent auction, dinner and door prizes.

 facebook.com

Junior League of Cincinnati, All That is Gold | 1-4 p.m. Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance. Conversation and Q&A with Heather Mitts, Olympic gold medalist; luncheon, raffle and VIP opportunities. Tickets: $50-$250.

 cincinnati.jl.org/all-that-is-gold

Kenzie’s Closet, Paint the City Pink | 7-11 p.m. Summit Hotel, Oakley. Food, open bar, music, raffles and missionbased moments. Tickets: $175.

 kenziescloset.org

Ohio Valley Voices, Annual Gala | 6-11 p.m. Hyatt Regency. Music by the Sly Band, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, live auction, raffles and awards.

 ohiovalleyvoices.org

Victorian at Riverside, Annual Gala | 5:30 p.m. Private club, Clifton. Emcee: Evan Millward. ‘60s theme/attire. Dinner, games, music, silent auction and awards. Tickets: $135.

 victorianatriverside.org/galanews

MARCH 2, SUNDAY

Hollywood Highlife: Oscars Watch Party | 6 p.m. Contemporary Arts Center, downtown. Proceeds shared among Black Cincinnati Cinema Collective, Cindependent Film Festival, Outreels Cincinnati and Women in Film Cincinnati. Live broadcast, buffet, raffles, cash bar. Tickets: $30, $45 for two, $350 for table of eight.

 eventbrite.com, Hollywood Highlife

MARCH 3, MONDAY

bi3, World Teen Mental Wellness Day | Greater Cincinnati students grades 7-12 develop and participate in activities commemorating World Teen Mental Wellness Day.

 bi3.org/wtmwd2025

MARCH 4, TUESDAY

Easterseals Redwood, Booze Breakfast | 8-10:30 a.m. PeeWee’s Place, Crestview Hills. Exchange bottles of spirits for a $10 voucher for breakfast at PeeWee’s Place. Bottles collected will be used as auction/raffle items.

 eastersealsredwood.org

NKY Chamber Women’s Initiative, Annual Breakfast | 7:30-10:30 a.m. Turfway Park Racing & Gaming, Florence. Networking and program. Keynote: Tia Edwards. Tickets: $90.

 nkychamber.com

MARCH 4-5, TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY

Council on Aging, Forum on Aging | Sharonville Convention Center. Breakfast, buffet lunch, networking, workshops and keynotes.

 help4seniors.org

MARCH 6-8, THURSDAY-SATURDAY

Cincinnati International Wine Festival | Freestore Foodbank, Riverside. Dinner series, grand tastings, auction and luncheon. Proceeds benefit a variety of nonprofits. Tickets: $50-$120.

 winefestival.com

MARCH 6, THURSDAY

City Gospel Mission, Breakfast for Hope | 7-8:30 a.m. Sharonville Convention Center. Program and breakfast. Supporting employer network, JobsPlus.

 citygospelmission.org

MARCH 7, FRIDAY

Price Hill Will, Mardi Gras Ball | 6:30-9:30 p.m. ARCO, Price Hill. Drinks, Cajun-style buffet, live jazz, games, raffle prizes and costumes. Tickets: $75.

 pricehillwill.org/mardigrasball

MARCH 8, SATURDAY

Activities Beyond the Classroom, Annual CPS International Jazz Festival | 7 p.m. Aronoff Center, downtown. Featuring musicians from Cincinnati Public Schools Jazz Academy and artwork from CPS students and from around the world. Free.

 abccincy.org/cps-jazz-festival

From Fatherless to Fearless, What’s the Scoop | 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Hirsch Rec Center, Avondale. Lunch and cash reward. Free.

 eventbrite.com,

Rotary Club of Cincinnati, PickleGras | 4-9 p.m. Aces Pickleball, Norwood. Pickleball, food, drinks and silent auction.

 cincinnatirotary.org

Gary Heiman, chairman and CEO of Standard Textile, is the Dan Beard Council’s 2025 Good Scout Award honoree. Luncheon is March 12

MARCH 12, WEDNESDAY

Dan Beard Council, Good Scout Award Luncheon | 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Cincinnati Music Hall. Good Scout Award honoree: Gary Heiman. Networking, program and lunch. Tickets: $400.  danbeard.org/gsal

La Soupe, Inspired: Elevating Global Tastes | 6-9 p.m. Tisdel Distributing, Kenwood Collection. Wine, cocktails and bites by The Aperture, Hart & Cru, The Rhined, Safi Wine Bar, Sebastian Bakehouse, Sudove, Tisdel, Willow Run Bourbon. Hosted by SubZero, Wolf and Cove by Tisdel. Tickets: $125.

 tisdeldistributing.com

National Kidney Foundation, Dining with the Stars | 6:30 p.m. Rhinegeist Brewery, Over-the-Rhine. Awards ceremony honoring Sharad Goel, Rick Schwab and Amy Schwab.

 kidney.org/offices/nkf-serving-ohio

MARCH 13, THURSDAY

Bethesda Foundation, Annual Bethesda Lyceum | Hard Rock Casino. Speaker: Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, artist and advocate, Suleika Jaouad. Proceeds support DNA Discovery with TriHealth: A Population Health Genetics Research Program. Tickets: $300.

 bethesdafoundation.com

2025 YWCA Greater Cincinnati Career Women of Achievement

Ten Greater Cincinnati-area women have been selected as 2025 YWCA Greater Cincinnati Career Women of Achievement,

honored as outstanding role models for their leadership, vision and professional success. The women will be honored April 29 at a luncheon

Tianay Amat is president & CEO of Cincinnati Works. She is a leader who has empowered individuals and families to advance to economic self-sufficiency through high-quality education and employment with livable wages. Amat has worked more than two decades as teacher and administrator in urban and suburban school districts. She was named Administrator of the Year by the Cincinnatus Association, won the YMCA Keystone Award and was named a Teacher of the Year by the New York City Board of Education.

Karen Finan is founding president and CEO of the OneNKY Alliance, launched in 2017 to drive vision and transformation in Northern Kentucky through unity, health and education initiatives. Under her leadership, the OneNKY Alliance has established OneNKY Center in Covington, OneNKY Frankfort, LinkNKY and EducateNKY. Finan’s career spans marketing, economic development and real estate. Her volunteer service and leadership focus on education, social equity and empowering women.

Pam Green is president and CEO of Easterseals Redwood, serving more than 7,000 families annually. Under her leadership, Easterseals Redwood has expanded through innovative programs like “Prosperity for All” for single mothers, with workforce training initiatives providing opportunities for more than 500 people each year. Green has overseen two successful mergers and has driven transformative change, including competitive wages for workers with disabilities, growth in fundraising and social enterprise revenue, and partnerships focused on employment.

DeAnna Hawkins is a distinguished healthcare leader serving as vice president of patient services, acute care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Responsible for 1,300 employees and managing a $360 million budget, she supports six service lines nationally ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report. Hawkins’ dedication to her community and passion for healthcare serve as inspiration, particularly to the youth in her native Avondale, to pursue careers in nursing and health care.

Michelle Hopkins is a three-time Emmy awardwinning journalist, TV host and communications leader dedicated to amplifying stories and driving equity. Hopkins is creator and host of “Come Have Coffee with Michelle,” a segment on WCPO-TV’s “Cincy Lifestyle,” where she highlights high-profile changemakers, community leaders and other extraordinary people. As communications director for the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Hopkins advances gender equity through initiatives like the Appointed Civic Leadership Academy and the Employer Toolkit.

at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati. The event is the YWCA’s largest annual fundraiser.  ywcacincinnati.org/careerwomen

Paula Boggs Muething is chief legal and administrative officer and chief business officer at FC Cincinnati. She is responsible for league and governance matters, legal operations, stadium and facilities operations, government affairs and risk management. Previously, she was city manager for the City of Cincinnati, with responsibility for a $1.5 billion budget and more than 6,000 employees. She has volunteered on boards and commissions, demonstrating a deep commitment to justice and equality, fostering opportunities for underserved communities and advocating for women in leadership.

Iris Roley is a trailblazing entrepreneur, social justice advocate and community leader recognized across the country for her work toward social justice. She is the founder and partner of RoSho Awards & Graphics, the only Black-owned laser engraving company in Greater Cincinnati. Roley is a nationally recognized police reform activist and an original member of the Cincinnati Black United Front. She played a pivotal role in the landmark 2001 Collaborative Agreement, a national model for community-driven public safety reform.

Lee Stautberg is a partner at Dinsmore & Shohl and leads the firm’s national Tax Benefits and Wealth group, a team of 60 attorneys and paralegals. In more than two decades at Dinsmore, Stautberg has served on the board of directors, finance committee and personnel committee. She has a strong focus on mentoring attorneys and advancing equity. She also serves as lead director of Cincinnati Works.

Tracey Stofa is managing director and head of the Private Client Group at Fort Washington Investment Advisors, a subsidiary of Western & Southern Financial Group. Fort Washington manages more than $86 billion in assets. Stofa leads a team of 17 associates, including nine women. She has successfully navigated industries from human resources to financial services while advocating for gender equity, diversity and inclusion. In her volunteer efforts, she enhances financial literacy and career skills for underserved youth.

Robie Suggs is president and CEO of Warsaw Federal, a 130-year-old banking institution headquartered in Price Hill. Suggs played a pivotal role in turning Warsaw Federal into the first Minority Depository Institution in Cincinnati, working with regulators to help people invest in their communities. She has advocated for underserved communities, creating programs like Access to Capital, which provides flexible loans to minority developers and contractors. On numerous nonprofit boards, she champions affordable housing, small businesses and racial equity. 

Tracey Stofa

Robie Suggs

Paula Boggs Muething

Lee Stautberg

Iris Roley

Tianay Amat

Pam Green

Michelle Hopkins

Karen Finan

DeAnna Hawkins

MARCH 14, FRIDAY

Whole Again, Eat, Sip & Give | 6:30-9 p.m. Delta Hotel, Sharonville. Dinner by-the-bite, drinks and silent auction. Tickets: $65.

 whole-again.org

MARCH 15, SATURDAY

Elech, Glitter, Groggers, and Glam! A Drag Purim Spiel | 8-10 p.m. Radio Artifact, Northside. Hamentashen (traditional cookies), photo booth, noisemakers, costume contest and drag contest.

 jlive.app/events/10337

Hope’s Closet, Hope in Bloom | 5:30-10:30 p.m. Oscar Event Center, Fairfield. Cocktail hour, dinner, dancing and silent auction. Tickets: $100-$125.

 hopesclosetohio.org

Irish Heritage Center, St. Patrick Day Parade After Party | 1 p.m. Irish Heritage Center, Columbia Tusculum. Save the date.  cincyirish.org

Rock Your Beauty, Fashion Show | 6 p.m. Memorial Hall. Cocktails, speakers, fashion show and after-party. Tickets start at $45.  memorialhallotr.com

MARCH 16, SUNDAY

American Heart Association, Heart Mini-Marathon & Walk | 7:30 a.m. Corner of Fifth and Lawrence streets, downtown. Half marathon, 15K Heart Mini, 1K Steps for Stroke, 5K Heart Race, 1.5K kids race and 5K Heart Walk.

 www2.heart.org

MARCH 17, MONDAY

Irish Heritage Center, St. Patrick’s Day Party Mass | 11:30 a.m. Irish Heritage Center, Columbia Tusculum. Mass and festivities.

 cincyirish.org

MARCH 19, WEDNESDAY

Cancer Support Community, Great Food for a Great Cause | 5-9 p.m. National Exemplar Restaurant, Mariemont. Proceeds from all dine-in, bar, patio and carryout sales will be donated to CSC.

MARCH 21, FRIDAY

Cincinnati Children’s, Kaleidoscope | 6:45-10:30 p.m. Music Hall Ballroom. Cocktails, dinner and performance by EGOT-winning singer/producer John Legend.  give.cincinnatichildrens.org

Suleika Jaouad, Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, artist and advocate, is speaker at this year’s Bethesda Lyceum, benefiting the Bethesda Foundation, March 13

MARCH 30, SUNDAY

Rosemary’s Babies, Holloway House Grand Opening | Noon-5 p.m. 3864 Reading Rd., North Avondale. Hourly, reserved public tours of new facility.

 rosemarysbabies.co/grandopeninghh

APRIL 4, FRIDAY

DEV-0377 Movers & Makers SGO Ad.qxp_Layout 1 12/19/24 8:12 AM Page 1

 mycancersupportcommunity.org

DePaul Cristo Rey High School

Support our work and earn an Ohio tax credit by April 15

Use the QR code to learn how (and designate your gift to DPCR). www.depaulcristorey.org

Daniel, Class of 2025 College-bound Student-Athlete, Musician, and Filmmaker

Cincinnati Museum Center, Backyard Wilderness Untamed Flavor | 6:30 p.m. Union Terminal. Dinner and Omnimax screening of “Backyard WIlderness.” Tickets: $100.  cincymuseum.org

MARCH 26, WEDNESDAY

Adventure Crew, No Man’s Land Film Festival | 6-9 p.m. MadTree Parks & Rec, Blue Ash. Social hour, films, cash bar and food. Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 at the door.

 adventurecrew.org/events

MARCH 29, SATURDAY

Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund, Queen City Classic Chess Tournament | 8:30 a.m. TQL Stadium. Special guests: Gregory Kaidanov and Irina Krush. Registration: $40 (before Feb. 28); $50 (after Feb. 29.).

 ccpf.org/programs

Cincinnati Cancer Advisors, Distinguished & Distilled | 6 p.m., Manor House, Mason. Dinner, bourbon wall, raffle and live auction.  cincinnaticanceradvisors.org

PreventionFIRST, Community Awards Luncheon | Noon-1:30 p.m. Graduate Hotel, Avondale. Luncheon, program and awards presentation. Tickets: $85.  prevention-first.org

APRIL 5, SATURDAY

The Cure Starts Now Foundation, Once in a Lifetime Gala | 5:30-10:30 p.m. Sharonville Convention Center. Dinner, open bar and silent auction. Tickets: $90-$150.

 thecurestartsnow.org

Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, Beacon of Light | 6-10 p.m. Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel. Chairs: Doug & Susan Bierer. Appetizers, drinks and plated dinner.

 lys.org/beacon

Women’s Alliance, Annual Hats Galore Fundraiser | 11 a.m. Manor House, Mason. Silent auction, raffle baskets and brunch. Tickets: $90.  womensallianceinc.org

APRIL 8, TUESDAY

Character Council, Heroes of Character | 6-8:30 p.m. Delta Marriott, Sharonville. Emcee: Tyler Bradshaw; keynote: Anthony Muñoz. Reception, dinner, program and silent auction.

 charactercincinnati.org

The Urban League recognizes this year’s class of honorees at its Glorifying the Lions luncheon, April 9, at Cintas Center.

APRIL 9, WEDNESDAY

Clermont Chamber of Commerce, Salute to Leaders | 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oasis Conference Center, Loveland. Dinner and awards ceremony. Tickets: $40.

 clermontchamber.com

Urban League, 31st Annual Glorifying the Lions Luncheon Ceremony | 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Cintas Center. Honorees: Patricia A. Bready, Alva Jean Crawford, Dr. Alvin H. Crawford, Howard D. Elliott, Edna G. Keown, Jack Rouse and Steve Shifman. Broadcast on WLWT, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.

 ulgso.org/lions

APRIL 10, THURSDAY

Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Dream Makers Celebration | 5:30-9 p.m. American Sign Museum, Camp Washington. Scholarship and hall of fame awards. Entertainment, immersive experiences, food and drink.

 cycyouth.org/dreammakers

Reset Ministries, Annual Banquet | Receptions, Erlanger. Dinner. Tickets start at $125; tables of eight: $1,000.

 resetministries.org

APRIL 11, FRIDAY

Woman’s City Club, National Speaker Forum | 7 p.m. Memorial Hall, Over-the-Rhine. Lecture by Cathy Helen O’Neil, mathematician, data scientist and author, and VIP reception. Tickets: $50; VIP: $150.

 womanscityclub.org

World Affairs Council, One World Gala and Global Trivia Game | 6-10 p.m. Venue details shared upon registration. Top trivia contestants win valuables from area restaurants and businesses.

 globalcincinnati.org

APRIL 12, SATURDAY

Best Buddies, Friendship Walk: Cincinnati | 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Marcum Park, Hamilton. Walk to support inclusion for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Live entertainment, games, snacks and beverages. Free.

 bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org

Chatfield Edge, Celebrating Our Scholars Brunch | 10 a.m.-noon. Ursuline Academy, Blue Ash. Annual fundraiser for student scholarships and operational support. Tickets: $75; VIP: $250.

 chatfieldedge.org

Karen Wellington Foundation, Annual Karen’s Gift Gala | 7-11 p.m. Hard Rock Casino. Food, drinks, entertainment, raffle and auction. Tickets: $75-$200.

 karenwellingtonfoundation.org/events

Oxford Community Arts Center, Annual Gala | 6-10 p.m. Roaring 20s theme with live jazz, food, games and silent auction. Early bird: $125; at door: $150.

 oxarts.org/waystogive/gala

APRIL 25, FRIDAY

Dragonfly Foundation, Grand Gala | 6-11 p.m. Music Hall Ballroom. Dinner, music, surprise entertainment, open bar, silent auction and grand raffle. Black tie optional.  e.givesmart.com/events/GZK

Dragonfly’s Grand Gala, April 25, features Project Runway designer Asha Ama Bias-Daniels

Jack Rouse

Alva Jean Crawford

Patricia A. Bready

Edna G. Keown

Steve Shifman

Howard D. Elliott

Dr. Alvin H. Crawford

APRIL 26-27, SATURDAY-SUNDAY

Cincinnati Public Radio, Grand Opening Celebration | Performances, activities and tours of new WVXU and WGUC facility in Evanston.

 cinradio.org

APRIL 26, SATURDAY

ArtWorks, Creative Campus

Dedication & Grand Opening | 1-5 p.m. 2429 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills. Art, performances and tours of Hannan ArtPark. Free.

 artworkscincinnati.org

Clifton Cultural Arts Center, Gala | 6-10 p.m. Clifton Cultural Arts Center. Games, arts experiences, silent auction, dinner by-the-bite, recognition of CCAC board members and after-party. Tickets: $100.

 cliftonculturalarts.org

DCCH Center for Children and Families, Swing into Spring | Turfway Park. Food, games, dancing and silent auction. Tickets: $125.

 dcchcenter.org

Montgomery Woman’s Club, Fashion Show | Manor House, Mason.

 montgomerywomansclub.com/events

Parental Hope, Annual Spring For Hope | 6-10 p.m. Little Miami Brewing Company. Dinner, games, music, raffles and silent auction.

 parentalhope.org/decadeofhope

Purcell Marian, Grand Event | Purcell Marian High School, Walnut Hills. Silent and live auction, Praestans Award ceremony, open bar, bourbon tasting, live DJ and dancing. Tickets start at $160.

 one.bidpal.net/pmge25/welcome

UpSpring, Benefit Bash | 6 p.m. Bally Sports Club, Great American Ball Park. Cocktails, silent auction, dinner and program.

 upspring.org/benefitbash

APRIL 29, TUESDAY

Cancer Family Care, 2025 Unsung Heroes | 6-9 p.m. Cintas Center, Xavier University. Cocktail reception, program, dinner and awards ceremony. Tickets: $50.

 cancerfamilycare.org

Celebrate CET’s 70th Birthday with the CET Kids Club

Join us for a family-friendly, free event at our station celebrating CET’s 70th Birthday! Enjoy crafts, storytime and other fun activities while you mingle with local mascots from the Reds and the Bengals as well as PBS KIDS characters.

Saturday, March 8, at 1pm-3pm

1223 Central Parkway Cincinnati, OH 45214

For more information, visit CETconnect.org/events or call 513-345-6579.

MAY 1, THURSDAY

NKY Chamber, Business Impact Awards | 4-6 p.m. Devou Properties, Covington. Networking, cocktails, appetizers, photo booth and awards ceremony. Tickets: $60.

 nkychamber.com/impact

MAY 2-4, FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Pig Works, Flying Pig Marathon | Downtown. 5K, 10K and half marathon options, part of a weekend of events.

 flyingpigmarathon.com

MAY 3, SATURDAY

SPCA Cincinnati, Fur Ball | 5:30 p.m. Sharonville Convention Center. Derby Day attire. Signature cocktail, appetizers, plated dinner, entertainment, games, live and silent auctions, raffles, testimonials, rescue stories and adoptable pets. Tickets: $500.

 spcacincinnati.org

MAY 6, TUESDAY

Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati, Books & Brunch 2025 | 10:30 a.m. Kenwood Country Club. Local authors, luncheon, silent auction and raffles.

 assistanceleaguecincinnati.org

MAY 8, THURSDAY

Alzheimer’s Association, Spring Gala | 5:30-9:30 p.m. Music Hall Ballroom. Chair: Elizabeth BangelStehlin. Dinner, live entertainment, drinks, bourbon pull, games, raffles and silent auction. Tickets: $300.

 alz.org

Cincinnati Public Radio shows off its new home in Evanston, April 26-27 Building features include this mobile created by Brazee Glass Design.

NewPath, Topgolf Outing | 1-4 p.m. Topgolf, West Chester. Golf, food, drinks and raffles. Tickets: $175.

 newpath.org/events/topgolf-outing

St. Vincent de Paul - Cincinnati, Celebration of Service | 6 p.m. Cintas Center, Xavier University. Honoring Sheldon and Norma Braun, Bob and Carol Gramann, and Fred and Nancy Habegger. Cocktails, dinner, and program recognizing honorees. Presented by Protective Life.

 svdpcincinnati.org

MAY 9, FRIDAY

Fernside Center, Fernside Classic Dinner | 6 p.m. Cooper Creek Event Center, Blue Ash. Dinner, program, live auction and silent auction. Tickets: $100.  bethesdafoundation.com

Cancer Support Community, ParTee for Hope | 10 a.m. Topgolf, West Chester. Golf, food, bar, contests, prizes and swag.  mycancersupportcommunity.org

Easterseals Redwood, Annual Express | 6-10:30 p.m. Turfway Park Racing & Gaming. Silent disco, entertainment, food stations, open bar, live auction, silent auction and raffles. Tickets: $150.

 secure.qgiv.com/event/express2025

MAY 12, MONDAY

Fernside Center, Fernside Classic Golf Outing | 10 a.m. Shaker Run Golf Club, Lebanon. Golf and award ceremony. Registration: $250.  bethesdafoundation.com

Photo by Peg M oertl

MAY 14, WEDNESDAY

OTR Chamber of Commerce, OTR Awards | 5-8 p.m. Woodward Theater, Over-the-Rhine. Networking, light refreshments and awards ceremony.

Tickets: $60.

 otrchamber.com/otr-awards

MAY 15, THURSDAY

Cincinnati Preservation, Preservation Excellence Awards | 6-9 p.m. Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum. Program and awards.

 cincinnatipreservation.org/events

St. Elizabeth Foundation, Night to Remember | 6-9 p.m. Drees Pavilion. Honoring work of St. Elizabeth Hospice and the families they serve. Free.

 stelizabeth.com

MAY 17, SATURDAY

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Great Strides | 9 a.m. Sawyer Point Park, The Banks. Three-mile walk.

 fundraise.cff.org/Cincinnati2025

Melanoma Know More, Annual Susan Roebuck Memorial Golf Outing | 8 a.m. Aston Oaks Golf Club, North Bend. Golf, lunch, contests, raffles and split the pot.

Registration: $100.

 melanomaknowmore.com

MAY 19-20, MONDAY-TUESDAY

Lafayette Bicentennial Celebration | Cincinnati Masonic Center, downtown. Happy hour, dinner, concert, lunch and reception. Keynote: Julien Icher, president and founder, Lafayette Trail Inc.

 annualcommunication.com

MAY 19, MONDAY

Aubrey Rose Foundation, Annual Golf Outing | 10 a.m. Aston Oaks Golf Club. Light breakfast, lunch, dinner, beverages, Mulligan, competition prizes, split-the-pot and silent auction. Golfers receive ARF-branded item. Registration: $125; $500/foursome.

 aubreyrose.org/events/golf-outing

Dan Beard Council, Golf Classic | 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Clovernook Country Club. Golf, lunch, silent auction and raffle prizes.

 danbeard.org/golf

MAY 20, TUESDAY

Cincinnatus Association, Annual Spencer Awards Dinner | 5:30 p.m. Hyatt Regency. Reception, dinner and program. Chair: Susan Noonan. Tickets: $100.

 cincinnatusassoc.org

MAY 24, SATURDAY

Envision, Abilities at Bat | 1:40 p.m. Great American Ball Park. Celebrating individuals with disabilities and raising awareness of services available in the region.

 envisionohio.org

MAY 31, SATURDAY

American Sign Museum, Signs & Spouses | Save the date. Jim Obergefell officiating vow renewals, historic signs celebrating queer-led businesses, appetizers, dessert, DJ, dancing, champagne toast and VIP cocktail hour.

 americansignmuseum.org

JUNE 2, MONDAY

Stepping Stones, Annual Golf Classic | O’Bannon Creek Golf Club, Loveland. Golf, food and raffles.

 steppingstonesohio.org/golf-classic

JUNE 4, WEDNESDAY

ACG Cincinnati, Deal Maker Awards | 4:30-6:30 p.m. Music Hall Ballroom. Reception and awards ceremony.

 acgcincinnatidealmaker.org/event

Adopt A Class, Celebration Breakfast | Cintas Center, Xavier University.

 aacmentors.org

JUNE 5, THURSDAY

Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit | 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sharonville Convention Center. Speakers, exhibitor expo, poster session, art show, live performances and networking reception.

 midwestsustainabilitysummit.org

JUNE 6, FRIDAY

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Revel & Rollick | Drinks, dinner bythe-bite and exclusive performance of “Mrs. Dalloway: A New Musical.”  cincyshakes.com/on-stage/revel

Cincinnati ToolBank, Par-Tee for the ToolBank | The Mill Course, Winton Woods.  cincinnatitoolbank.org

Dan Beard Council, Sporting Clays Tournament | 1:30 p.m. Sycamore Pheasant Club. Clay shooting, lunch, silent auction and raffle.

 danbeard.org

Ken Anderson Alliance, Ken & Friends | 6-9 p.m. Hard Rock Casino, downtown. Food, stories and auction.  kenandersonalliance.org

JUNE 7, SATURDAY

Contemporary Arts Center, Art Adventure | 10:30 a.m. Contemporary Arts Center, downtown. Special art activations and programs. Free.

 contemporaryartscenter.org

Parental Hope, Swing for Hope Golf Outing | 7:30 a.m. Kenton County Golf Course, Independence. Breakfast and golf.

 parentalhope.org/swingforhope 

More Datebook @ MoversMakers.org

Make sure your fundraiser or community event is listed at moversmakers.org/datebook

Listings are free.* NPOs may send event details and photos of honorees, chairs or speakers to: editor@moversmakers.org

Stand out

Consider advertising. Contact Thom Mariner: tmariner@moversmakers.org for digital and print options.

*See Page 4 for print deadlines. Events must meet our editorial standards. Print content is chosen at the discretion of editorial staff and featured as space allows.

JUNE 13TH,

VIE Ability’s Rob Volker

As his sight shrinks, his vision grows

By Kathy Doane

It’salways energizing to talk with people who really like their jobs. Rob Volker is such a person.

It’s not overstating to say the 45-year-old loves his job as director of e-commerce and retail at VIE Ability and the people he works with. And he gets to bring his 2-year-old service dog, Marshall, a yellow Lab, to work. Every day.

When Volker started working at VIE Ability 11 years ago, it was a new social-enterprise business, known as CincySight Office, which the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired (CABVI) had developed to provide additional revenue and employment opportunities to people with vision loss.

Still, when Volker came through the doors of CABVI, he wasn’t looking for a job. At the urging of his wife, Lisa, he had finally accepted the fact that he needed orientation and mobility training to move around safely. He was 34 years old, out of work for close to 10 months, unable to drive, and with a wife and two small children. Life seemed pretty bleak.

“I was really down on myself,” Volker admitted. He had only about eight degrees of sight (out of a typical 160 degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically). “I still was really good at faking what I could see,” he said. “Up until then, I was too proud to even think about using a cane, because I didn’t want people to know I couldn’t see.”

Finding his way back home

Once Volker began working with rehabilitation therapist Sue Wajendi, his attitude began to shift. “Because I still had some sight, the training wasn’t that difficult for me,” he recalled. After walking around his own neighborhood one day, going down several side streets, Volker asked Wajendi to blindfold him during a therapy session to see if he could find his way back home. That experience was a revelation.

“I used cues that my ears had picked up on

without me even realizing it, like the sound of a neighbor’s fountain,” he said. When Wajendi told him to remove the blindfold, he was standing in front of his own front door.

One day Wajendi mentioned to Volker that there was a job opening at CABVI. “I think you’d be great for it,” she told him. Back then, the organization was selling office products on “a very small scale,” according to Volker. CABVI’s director of operations at the time thought the business could be expanded to generate more money for CABVI’s programs and services and also create more jobs for visually impaired folks.

Volker’s position started out as part-time, but within a matter of months, he went full-time. When his manager became ill and eventually took another job, Volker became the manager. Suddenly the guy who, a year earlier, couldn’t see a future for himself, had a career path of possibilities.

In 2013, that first year in business, CincySight (rebranded VIE Ability in 2016) did $50,000 in business. Last year VIE Ability’s sales reached $9.2 million. Clients include the State of Ohio, supplying office products to 82 state agencies from the Ohio Lottery to the Department of Transportation to parks and prisons and more. It also services 200 local commercial clients, many of which are nonprofit businesses and organizations.

Struggling with a genetic disease

“Growing up, I had full vision,” Volker said. He got into sports at St. Jude before heading to Elder High School. “I played baseball and soccer year-round at a tournament level.”

It wasn’t until age 19 that things began to change. “I couldn’t see street signs quite as well.” He decided it was time to get an eye exam and it was then that his mother told him that he had an eye condition that had been diagnosed when he was 3 years old. Because he previously

About CABVI

The Cincinnati Association for the Welfare of the Blind was founded in 1911 by a group of concerned citizens to help and provide employment for people with vision loss. Those first employment opportunities were limited to men who made brooms and mops. In the 114 years since, the organization has evolved a lot, including two more name changes, becoming the current Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired (CABVI) in 2004. Its programming and services have kept pace to better equip people living with vision loss to lead fulfilling and independent lives. Those include helping visually impaired individuals with resources and counseling; lessons in using adaptive technologies at home, school or work; support and programming for families with hearing-impaired infants and children; assisting low-vision individuals with devices and training to maximize their limitations; orientation and mobility training; career path employment and other services to enhance the quality of life.

cincyblind.org

Rob Volker and Marshall

had no trouble seeing, she thought she might never have to share the news with him. That somehow he had escaped the realities of his eye condition, choroideremia, a genetic disease that causes progressive loss of vision due to degeneration of cell layers in the retina. Although no one else in his immediate family suffered from it, there was a history of it in Volker’s extended family. By the time Volker married at 25, navigating had become much harder in certain situations. “If I was walking in a crowd, people would just suddenly appear.” Between 25 and 30, his vision loss picked up speed. “By 30, I had lost my peripheral vision and quit driving because I just didn’t feel safe anymore.” That also meant giving up his job as a warehouse manager for a national electronics retailer where he regularly unloaded semi-tractor trailers and operated a forklift.

The next job, working on inventory and distribution for Meals on Wheels, lasted four years before, once again, Volker found himself unemployed. That’s when CABVI and subsequently VIE Ability entered his life and changed it completely.

A positive outlook

Today, Volker is down to one degree of vision. “It’s about what you can see looking through a straw,” he said. Eventually, that will disappear, too. Still, his outlook on life has never been better, nor his work life more fulfilling.

Although his orientation and mobility training taught Volker how to ride the bus, there’s no bus route near his home, so VIE Ability’s Forrest Masminster, manager of operations, swings by each morning to pick him up, and his brother, Rick, drives him home. And according to Volker, the hours between arriving and leaving work have just gotten better and better over the years.

why the company has been so successful in recent years. Clients have a designated person who services their office products account from sourcing to delivery. “If you’re one of ours, and call and need help with finding something, we’ll get it for you.”

In 2014, when Volker took over as manager, he immediately had to hire a replacement for his old position. “I actually hired two visually impaired people to fill my former job,” he said.

“My goal from that point on became: How can we grow this business so I can hire more people who are visually impaired?”

Volker has kept that mission at the forefront, and today there are six other people with varying degrees of vision loss working in purchasing and customer service, ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-60s.

“I know what it’s like to be out of work and visually impaired,” Volker said. Turning that reality around for others is the best part of selling office supplies at VIE Ability. 

“One of the ways we can stay competitive with the big boys like Staples, Office Supply or Amazon is the personal service we offer clients,” said Volker, explaining

stronger arts for a

Rob Volker at work in his office at VIE Ability

The Notables

Movers & Makers reached out this month to organizations working within the disability space, asking them to help us showcase their notables, recognizing individuals making a difference within Greater Cincinnati’s nonprofit ecosystem.

Beth Rielly expands help for students with learning differences

Beth Rielly is the co-founder and board president of OptimALL Services, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students with learning differences in religious and non-public schools. Under Rielly’s leadership, OptimALL has expanded its services from an initial budget of $60,000 to $2.5 million. Rielly was instrumental in launching the direct service program, which has now extended to 12 schools and 200 students. She is passionate about meeting the needs of all students and ensuring they can connect with the community around them. As board president, she also serves as an education adviser and a significant donor. With a background in special education, Rielly has influenced the landscape for students with diverse learning needs. When she’s not working or volunteering, she loves to do water activities with family and friends. She also loves to dance to 1980s music. 

Mother led Kelly Lusk into service for blind and visually impaired

Kelly Lusk received her master’s and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in special education and has worked with children who are visually impaired and blind for over 20 years. In 2011, she helped start the Pediatric Low Vision Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and is now the director of program services at Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired. She and her staff support children with blindness or low vision through an Adaptive Sports and Leisure Program, multiple summer camps, the Ohio Regional Braille Challenge and the Boldly BVI podcast. When Lusk is not working, she enjoys traveling to France and spending time with her children, Elle and AnneMarie, and husband, Todd. Lusk’s mother, Connie, is blind and was her inspiration for entering the field of blindness and visual impairments. 

Jim Steffey guides Envision through COVID and beyond

Being at the helm of a nonprofit organization over 60 years old in a swiftly evolving field like disability support isn’t an easy task. Jim Steffey has guided Envision to meet the needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities while fostering a supportive and encouraging environment for staff. When emerging COVID protocols shut down several day programs supporting adult individuals in Greater Cincinnati, Steffey established an innovative day program that was not only able to operate under those unique circumstances but has continued to grow and flourish with new community integration elements. Under Steffey’s leadership, Envision is financially stable and provides staff with the tools and support to provide the high-quality care, tailored to each individual, that has characterized Envision since 1963. Steffey likes to unplug in the outdoors, camping, fishing and touring on his motorcycle. 

Seana Higgins empowers artists with disabilities to lead and teach

For the past six years, Visionaries + Voices’ education department has been led by artist and educator Seana Higgins. In V+V’s Teaching Artist Program (or TAP), candidates with disabilities are trained to develop, prepare and present lessons based on their artwork. The lessons are taught in the classroom and/or community-based educational settings. Higgins, who is passionate about inclusion in arts in all stages of life, recently spoke at a seminar for educators about the importance of trauma-informed arts education. One major takeaway that Higgins has observed through trauma-informed teaching is that people just want to feel welcome. If you can communicate acceptance and warmth to your students, belonging is assured. As a part of her personal art practice, Higgins creates functional art and framable work. She recently exhibited a mixed media sculpture in “Out and Through” at Wave Pool Gallery. 

Erin Barnes brings Point Arc’s mission to community

Erin Barnes has worked at The Point Arc as a case management supervisor for 12 years. She ensures the well-being of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities while spreading the organization’s mission to her community. Barnes quietly fills service gaps, securing scholarships and offering her time after hours. Her team and agency partners appreciate her caring, selfless leadership. Barnes is a prominent advocate for Medicaid waivers in Kentucky. She serves on the Kentucky Association of Private Providers, a statewide committee focusing on waiver redesign. Outside work, Barnes is the mom that every kid deserves. You might catch her at a country concert or planning her next Disney trip with her husband, but you’re more likely to see her at her son’s travel baseball games or a performing arts showcase for her daughter. 

JimSteffey

BethRielly

SeanaHiggins

KellyLusk

ErinBarnes

Jenny Arena makes success of Bloom, Stepping Stones’ biggest fundraiser

Jenny Arena has been a key member of the planning for Stepping Stones’ largest fundraiser, Bloom, for the past few years. In 2024, she served as the event chair for the most successful Bloom to date and she is returning as chair in 2025. Arena first became involved with Stepping Stones in 2022, when her family moved from Los Angeles. Her youngest son, Holden, is autistic and they found Stepping Stones while researching recreational programs for him. After her son’s first day, Arena had an immediate desire to support him and got involved. Her passion for the organization and community shines through. She works hard year-round on Bloom, ensuring that it is the best that it can be. In her free time, Arena enjoys hiking with her family, going to soccer games and working out at F45 with her husband, Kenny. 

Bri Wilkerson brings innovation to work at reducing barriers

Bri Wilkerson’s 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and her seven years of service at May We Help demonstrate her leadership and dedication to serving individuals with disabilities and their families. Wilkerson’s successful implementation of May We Help’s programs – including Adaptive Equipment, Halloween Costume Builds and Festival, Tinker Toys and the SOAR Expo – showcase her innovative thinking and commitment to the organization’s growth. Her vision for a world with fewer barriers for people with disabilities, where inclusion and accessibility are embraced, is incorporated into all aspects of service delivery at May We Help. Wilkerson’s passion for building relationships with volunteers, community partners and the people May We Help serves is at the heart of her work. Outside of work, Wilkerson enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, supporting them in their sporting activities, and cheering for the Bengals. 

Sally Quilligan steps up to lead Hearing Speech + Deaf Center

Sally Quilligan is notable for her exceptional growth, commitment and leadership during the nearly six years she has been with the Hearing Speech + Deaf Center. HSDC celebrates its 100th anniversary this April, and Quilligan has been a driving force in its mission of empowering individuals and families with communication tools and opportunities through advocacy, excellence and inclusion. She began as a hearing instrument specialist and quickly demonstrated a deep understanding of the needs of underserved communities. Quilligan transitioned to director of operations. Quilligan has stepped up as interim CEO, which highlights her dedication to the trajectory of HSDC into its next century. Outside of work, her favorite thing to do is travel. She attended the University of Alabama and is an avid Crimson Tide fan. 

BriWilkerson JennyArena SallyQuilligan

Deanna Brunsman leads growth of Learning Center at New Perceptions

DeannaBrunsman AaronWagner

Deanna Brunsman has been the dedicated Learning Center manager at New Perceptions since 2021, spearheading the growth and innovation of the program. Under her leadership, the Learning Center has expanded its offerings, providing new opportunities for participants with intellectual/developmental disabilities to develop their skills and knowledge. Passionate about lifelong learning, Brunsman is committed to creating an engaging and supportive environment for all who enter the center. She is noted in the education and training sector for her leadership in expanding and enhancing Learning Center programs. Her commitment to fostering growth and engagement has had a positive effect on countless participants, making her an invaluable asset to the organization. When she’s not working, Brunsman loves to travel, especially taking cruises to explore new destinations. She has been playing Dungeons & Dragons monthly for 30 years, showcasing her creativity and love for storytelling. 

For 50 years, Jerry Doerger has worked to support St. Rita School for the Deaf

Jerry Doerger has been a dedicated supporter of St. Rita School for the Deaf for over 50 years and has served on the Board of Limited Jurisdiction for the past 15 years, currently holding the position of board chair. His commitment to the school’s mission extends beyond leadership – he actively volunteers at events, offers guidance and leverages his network to support students and staff. Doerger’s passion for St. Rita stems from his belief in creating opportunities for every child, regardless of their communication needs. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family and grandchildren. Doerger played football for LaSalle High School, the University of Wisconsin and the Chicago Bears. 

Aaron Wagner of Easterseals Redwood leads work for those with disabilities

Aaron Wagner is executive vice president of disability operations for Easterseals Redwood and was instrumental in merging Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati and Redwood in 2022 as Redwood’s chief operating officer. Wagner’s advocacy for adults and children with disabilities has fueled partnerships and expansion to multiple sites throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Wagner balances a range of responsibilities, overseeing operations, agency accreditation, compliance and Assistive Technology Services, which expanded into Ohio. Previously, Wagner was chief administrative officer at Transitions Inc., a drug and alcohol treatment center, and served as a police officer for seven years. Next on his agenda is advocating for legislation to bring the Medical Childcare model of Kentucky to Ohio. A self-described country boy, Wagner can be found on his farm tending his vegetable garden and fishing whenever he can. 

Emily

Feuchter develops new ways to help people with disabilities

Emily Feuchter has both a passion and a gift for creating lasting impacts on the lives of others. It is evident in everything she does at Ken Anderson Alliance, working tirelessly to further KAA’s mission to create opportunities for people with disabilities to live, work and engage in their communities. Feuchter has excelled in many roles at KAA, from director of day services to HR and compliance to her current role as director of community and work programs. She is constantly developing effective and innovative ways to provide employment support services and evening outing programs for adults with disabilities. These programs help participants build social connections, increase their self-sufficiency and contribute to their community. In addition to being an accomplished guitar, ukulele and cajón player, you can find her on Sundays in the fall cheering on the Bengals with her husband and children. 

EmilyFeuchter

JerryDoerger

Gifts/Grants

Anonymous gift to help Opera continue New Works program

Cincinnati Opera has received what it called a “significant” anonymous donation that will allow it to extend its opera development program, Opera Fusion: New Works, by three years.

OF:NW is a joint project with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for the creation of new American operas. Launched in 2011, the initiative allows composers and librettists to workshop operasin-progress, using the resources of Cincinnati Opera and CCM. OF:NW originally supported by the Mellon Foundation, has hosted 34 workshops or orchestral readings for 28 operas.

With Mellon funding set to conclude in 2025, the new donation will allow OF:NW to continue through 2028, supporting workshops for six additional operas.

Cincinnati Opera declined to comment on the monetary value of the donation.

 ofnw.org

Grant to help Notre Dame Urban Education Center services

The Butler Foundation has awarded a $50,000 challenge grant to the Notre Dame Urban Education Center to support educational enrichment and support services for children in Covington and nearby communities.

NDUEC offers after-school academic support and pre-K and summer learning programs. The grant will help expand existing programs, launch new initiatives and serve more students in need of academic and personal development resources.

The foundation will match every dollar donated through June 30, up to $50,000.

 nduec.org

Salvation Army receives record-breaking check

The Salvation Army received a check for more than $134,000 from Western & Southern Financial Group’s charitable foundation. The record-breaking check includes more than $67,000 from visitor donations at the Crib of the Nativity display at Eden Park’s Krohn Conservatory and a match from Western & Southern Financial Fund.

This year’s donation is the largest in the more than 30 years in which Western & Southern’s foundation has matched donations collected at the nativity display. In total, the display has generated $1.04 million for The Salvation Army.

Western & Southern started the Crib of the Nativity in 1939 in Lytle Park. It moved to Union Terminal during World War II, then eventually moved to Eden Park.

 salvationarmycincinnati.org

The Carnegie receives $75K from Warhol Foundation

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has awarded $75,000 to The Carnegie to support exhibition programming over the next two years.

Funding will go toward a variety of projects at the Covington arts venue, starting with “Notations on Ritual,” curated by Sso-Rha Kang. It opens March 14.

The foundation will also support The Carnegie’s upcoming collaboration with KADIST, which will examine “placemaking, shapeshifting and temporalities of Kentucky through the Ohio River.”

Programming in 2025 and 2026 features the return of the Cincinnati Art Book Fair and an exhibition curated by Monique Long.

 thecarnegie.com

Millstone Fund awards $1.1M to Beech Acres

Beech Acres Parenting Center has received $1.1 million in two grants from the Millstone Fund to support services that promote mental wellness and improve the emotional well-being of children and adults.

The funding will support Beech Acres’ behavioral health services in schools, including the Beyond the Classroom program. Embedded in 27 partner schools, the program provides counseling, crisis intervention and preventionfocused techniques.

Funding will also support the expansion of The Character Effect, Beech Acres’ socialemotional learning curriculum, as well as Parent Connext, its parent coaching efforts.

Support from the fund will continue through 2026.

 beechacres.org

ArtsWave awards grants to 26 BIPOC artists

ArtsWave has awarded $222,000 in grants to 26 local BIPOC artists through its 2025 Black and Brown Artist Program.

Now in its fifth year, this initiative supports artists who challenge audiences to envision a more equitable future. This year’s grant recipients will explore themes such as preserving cultural heritage and addressing mental health challenges in minority communities.

Grant recipients will participate in professional development workshops on grant writing, project management and business development.

ArtsWave is planning a professional showcase featuring all 26 funded projects. Dates and locations will be revealed in the coming months.

All projects are listed on the Movers & Makers website.

 moversmakers.org

John Barrett of Western & Southern Financial Group (third from left) with The Salvation Army staff: Major Scott Kelly, Major Susan Kelly and Major Martha Bone

 Cincinnati Opera received an anonymous donation to allow it to continue putting on Opera Fusion: New Works, such as the performance of “Lalovavi” in 2024.

Photo by PhiliP g roshong

Farmer Foundation match helps PWC raise $1.27M

People Working Cooperatively raised nearly $1.27 million in the later part of last year, thanks to a matching grant by the Farmer Family Foundation.

PWC received $633,620 in donations during a match period, March 15-Nov. 15, 2024. The foundation matched every dollar raised, doubling the total to $1,267,240.

These funds will go toward reducing PWC’s waitlist of homeowners in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties who need home repairs or accessibility modifications. Projects include fixing broken water pipes, heating issues, electrical hazards, ramp installation and more by PWC’s staff of skilled tradespeople.

PWC’s annual Ramp It Up for Veterans telethon, which aired on WCPO on Veterans Day, raised $44,437, with all proceeds going toward the matching grant. This funding will go to home repairs and accessibility improvements for local veterans.

 pwchomerepairs.org

GreenLight Fund to invest $600K in program to support local fathers

GreenLight Fund Cincinnati has announced a $600,000, multiyear investment to bring a national program to Southwest Ohio to support the mental health of local fathers.

Fathers’ Uplift works primarily with firsttime fathers and those re-entering their children’s lives after an absence. The organization helps strengthen the emotional wellbeing of fathers so they can have stronger, more supportive relationships with their children. The belief is that those improved relationships will help protect the mental health of kids.

Over the next four years, the program aims to reach nearly 500 fathers in Cincinnati.

 greenlightfund.org

NKY Chamber receives $20K for local tech education

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce received a $20,000 Take the Lead grant from We Lead CS to help develop the region’s tech talent pipeline. The goal is to address the roughly 3,400 open tech-related jobs in Kentucky.

We Lead CS provides computer science education and career coaching to students, particularly in rural communities, to prepare them for high-demand tech jobs. The Northern Kentucky Chamber is the first in the state to receive this grant.

 weleadcs.org

Independence McDonald’s raises nearly $40K for RMHC

Customers at the McDonald’s restaurant in Independence, Kentucky, have received special recognition for raising the most money for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati in 2024.

The Declaration Drive restaurant raised $39,781 through the Round-Up program, which invites customers to round up their total at McDonald’s to the nearest dollar, with the extra change donated directly to local RMHC locations.

Owner/operator Grant Groen’s restaurants contributed nearly $160,000 to RMHC in 2024, with five of his locations ranking among the top 10 in donations. Overall, more than 100 McDonald’s restaurants in the region raised nearly $525,000.

“This generous support directly impacts families staying at our house, providing comfort and care during difficult times,” said RMHC Greater Cincinnati Executive Director Jennifer Loeb.

 rmhcincinnati.org

We Lead CS gave the Northern Kentucky Chamber $20,000 to support technology education. At the presentation: Brent Cooper, chamber president and CEO; state Sen. Steve Rawlings; Nancy Spivey, chamber VP of talent strategies; state Rep. Mark Hart; Alicia Sells, CEO of We Lead CS; state Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer; state Rep. Mike Clines; Tami Wilson, chamber VP of government relations and business advocacy

Dewey’s donates $170K to local charities in 2024

Dewey’s Pizza donated $170,178 last year to local charities, arts programs and community events. Local charities supported include Make-A-Wish, Victory Project, 1N5, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, NAMI Greater Cleveland and more. To honor Juneteenth, the local pizza chain donated 10% of sales ($11,800) to six organizations supporting Black youth and communities.

 deweyspizza.com

Dater Foundation gives $35K to Baker Hunt for art education

Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center has received a $35,000 grant from the Charles H. Dater Foundation, enabling the Covington facility to provide more art education to local youth. Baker Hunt will continue to take art instruction off campus and provide art education and creative opportunities at local schools.

 bakerhunt.org

DePaul Cristo Rey gets $50K grant from Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Greater Cincinnati Foundation has awarded DePaul Cristo Rey High School a $50,000 grant for the school’s college and career-readiness workforce development program. This grant supports both aspects of DPCR’s Corporate Work Study Program. Through the CWSP, students work in local businesses gaining skills while earning part of their own education costs.

 depaulcristorey.org

Haile Foundation eclipses $200M giving milestone

The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation recently reached a significant milestone, surpassing $200 million in grants to Greater Cincinnati organizations. Since its founding in 2006, the foundation has supported local nonprofits in arts and culture, education, civic and community and human services.

 hailefoundation.org

Photo

Nonprofit News

Rosemary’s Babies Co. to cut ribbon on long-awaited Holloway House

After years of development, Rosemary’s Babies Co. will officially open its long-awaited Holloway House & Resource Center in March.

The multimillion-dollar facility will support teen parents and their families. Located at 3864 Reading Road in North Avondale, the 6,900-square-foot center will provide critical resources, including housing, counseling, workforce training and financial coaching.

“The goal is to ensure that teen parents are not dependent on governmental benefits but instead have the skills and knowledge to build a stable future,” said Rosemary OglesbyHenry, founder and CEO of Rosemary’s Babies Co.

The Holloway House will serve approximately 1,000 teen parent families annually, both in-person and virtually. Seven teen parents and their babies will have the opportunity to live on-site for up to 24 months, receiving holistic support to build stability and independence.

Beyond housing, the center will promote wellness through healthy food options, structured exercise programs like yoga and Zumba, and financial literacy education.

The official grand opening celebration will take place on Sunday, March 30. Once open, programming will run Monday through Thursday.

 rosemarysbabies.com

Boone Conservancy makes $2M acquisition along Ohio River

The Boone Conservancy has acquired 350 acres of pristine Ohio River shoreline in Northern Kentucky to preserve this culturally significant greenspace for future generations.

The Petersburg, Kentucky, property features 1.3 miles of riverfront, diverse wetlands and a mature forest canopy. It also holds significant historical and cultural value, encompassing Native American sites, the ruins of a Revolutionary War veteran’s home and the burial ground of individuals formerly enslaved on the land.

The $2 million acquisition was funded through an 18-month campaign, supported by major contributions from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Program, Imperiled Bat Conservation Fund, Kentucky Natural Lands Trust and Boone County Fiscal Court, as well as additional support from numerous private donors.

Over the next year, the organization will focus on comprehensive planning for the new property.

 thebooneconservancy.org

Christ Hospital ranks among top 50 heart hospitals in US

The Christ Hospital Health Network earned a spot on a list of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals in the United States.

Premier Inc., an independent healthcare improvement company, ranked The Christ Hospital system sixth among teaching hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program. It’s the only Greater Cincinnati healthcare system on the list.

For the Premier Inc. rankings, hospitals on the list demonstrated significantly higher inpatient survival rates, greater cost efficiency and fewer complications and lower readmission rates for certain procedures. The Christ Hospital Health Network received five-star ratings for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention.

 thechristhospital.com

Children’s Theatre students win big at national competition

Students from The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati took home several awards at the annual Junior Theater Festival Atlanta event in January.

All groups presented a piece from a well-known musical in front of a panel of judges, each an esteemed actor or theater educator. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati presented an excerpt from “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley JR.”

Not only was TCT selected for JTF’s New Works Showcase of “Shrek The Musical KIDS,” the group took home an award for Excellence in Ensemble Work for the third year in a row.

On the individual side, a pair of TCT students, Sienna McClain and Parker Patton, earned recognition as Junior Theater Festival Performance All-Stars, a select group of outstanding performers. TCT’s Paul Mitchell Smith won the Freddie G. Teacher of the Year Award.

 thechildrenstheatre.com

Little Miami Conservancy adds 26 acres thanks to grant

The Little Miami Conservancy has acquired 26 acres along the Little Miami State and National Scenic River, thanks to a grant from the Susanne Geier Peters Foundation.

Morgan’s Canoe and Outdoor Adventures previously owned the land, which encompasses five properties. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Natural Areas and Preserves will take over long-term stewardship of the properties.

The project marks a significant milestone in the conservation of the Little Miami River, a nationally recognized scenic and recreational treasure. With the transaction, the conservancy hopes to ensure the preservation of the properties under ODNR’s stewardship.

 littlemiami.org

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati competed at Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

The Boone Conservancy has acquired 350 acres of pristine Ohio River shoreline in Northern Kentucky.

Rosemary’s Babies Co. Holloway House & Resource Center will support teen parents and their families.

Meals on Wheels welcomed veteran fundraising and philanthropy professional Mike Hogan as the nonprofit’s chief advancement officer. Hogan, a native Cincinnatian, spent 18 years in higher-education fundraising, primarily for the University of Cincinnati.

Partners For Change , formerly Covington Partners, appointed Stacie Strotman as its first president and chief executive officer. Strotman will develop and execute plans for sustainability and growth, and will oversee operational management and financial oversight. Strotman dedicated nearly 26 years to the Covington Independent School District before retiring as director of family engagement.

The Giving Voice Foundation appointed Krista Powers as the organization’s first executive director. Powers joins the expanding Alzheimer’s and dementia-focused nonprofit, bringing 20 years of expertise in organizational development and team building.

The Summit Country Day School appointed Kirstin McEachern as Upper School director. McEachern has built strong relationships with students, faculty and parents at the Summit. She has over 14 years of teaching experience across elementary, middle, and high school levels, and has taught writing and pedagogy at the collegiate level.

Alaina Pratt , United Way of Greater Cincinnati chief experience officer, and Andrew Kolesar, a partner at Thompson Hine, joined the board of directors of Ohio River Foundation. Pratt has more than 15 years experience leading teams at United Way. Kolesar represents companies in defense of environmental enforcement actions and environmental litigation and counsels on environmental aspects of corporate and real estate transactions.

Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio added Adam Centner of KMK Law and Anthony McNamara of Jackson Lewis to its Grow PBPO advisory council. Grow PBPO was formed to support PBPO’s mission through service, improved engagement in the community.

Emily Kokenge and Richard (Rick) I. Michelman have been elected co-presidents of the Contemporary Arts Center’s board of trustees. Kokenge is a leadership development expert with more than 33 years of experience, including 30 years at Procter & Gamble, where she served as the vice president of design and innovation. She was the first woman industrial designer at P&G. Michelman is president and CEO of Michelman, a leading global developer and manufacturer of advanced and sustainable high-performance materials.

Mount St. Joseph University presented the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award to Caroline Meyer, assistant director of service learning and engagement. Meyer dedicated three years to national service as an AmeriCorps volunteer, contributing over 5,000 hours from Washington, D.C., to Alaska.

Visit Cincy promoted Kathy Dawn and Kariuki Epps to directors of sales, national accounts. Dawn and Epps will lead initiatives aimed at securing conventions and events for the region. Dawn has been a key team member at Visit Cincy (formerly the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau) for more than 35 years. Epps rejoined Visit Cincy in 2023 as a senior sales manager after serving as national manager of diversity sales from 2014 to 2019.

Easterseals Redwood , a nonprofit working for towards equity, access and inclusion for all, announced that Rachel Fausz has joined as vice president of agency advancement and marketing. Fausz will oversee fundraising, marketing, communications and volunteer management. Fausz has worked in nonprofits throughout the region for over 20 years.

Jason Baldwin joined Lighthouse Youth & Family Services as residential treatment director. He oversees Lighthouse’s two residential treatment locations in Cincinnati, the Youth Development Center and New Beginnings. He previously was director of programming for the Wernle Youth & Family Treatment Center and executive director for Pinnacle Treatment Center.

Santa Maria Community Services added three members to its board of directors. Tiana Henry serves as senior community relationship manager at WCPOTV. Leyla Peña is senior communications specialist for Cincinnati Public Schools and serves on the board of the Brighton Center. Donna Robinson brings extensive experience as a community development officer at PNC Bank.

The Haile Foundation added Wijdan Jreisat and Albert Smitherman to the advisory committee. They join current members Jenny Powell, Vickie Buyniski Gluckman and Jennie Carlson in overseeing the foundation. Jreisat has spent decades improving the lives of women and increasing inclusion and equity. Smitherman has championed community engagement and mentorship, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Albert Smitherman

Wijdan Jreisat

Jason Baldwin Rachel Fausz

Kariuki Epps Kathy Dawn

Richard I. Michelman Emily Kokenge

Caroline Meyer

Anthony McNamara

Alaina Pratt Andrew Kolesar Adam Centner

Donna Robinson

Leyla Pe ña

Kirsten McEachern

Tiana Henry

Stacie Strotman

Mike Hogan Krista Powers

Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana announced Juli Miller as its president and chief executive officer. With more than 20 years at Make-A-Wish OKI, Miller takes the helm after serving as chief mission delivery officer since 2021. She helped the chapter grant a record-breaking 1,205 wishes in Fiscal Year 2023. Miller began in 2003 as an intern, and she has worked in mission delivery, volunteer services and fundraising.

Gorman Heritage Farm welcomed new executive director Marcus J. Gardner Gardner has over 20 years of experience in driving growth and transformation. He has honed his entrepreneurial skills through diverse roles in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Lindsey Armor has joined the Cincinnati Nature Center as senior major gifts officer. She served 2 1/2 years as engagement and development director for Cincinnati Preservation

Cintrifuse expands support for startups with $1.25M investment

Cintrifuse is increasing its commitment to Cincinnati’s high-potential startups by investing up to $1.25 million per cohort through its Venture Velocity Program and investment arm, Cintrifuse Capital.

This funding provides early-stage founders with crucial capital to help them grow and attract further investment. The program also includes strategic guidance to prepare startups for venture capital success.

The Venture Velocity Program features intensive mentorship, pitch coaching and direct access to investors. Participants gain expertise in customer discovery, fundraising strategies and brand development to ensure long-term success.

Details about the second cohort are available on the Movers & Makers website.

 moversmakers.org

The Procter & Gamble Alumni Foundation has appointed two new board members. Randall Smith is a retired global brand-builder, having worked in the United States, Europe and Asia during 20 years at P&G. Cinzia Gaeta is an experienced general counsel with 34 years at P&G and lives in Italy.

ArtWorks added five new members to its board of directors: Liam McMillin, attorney, Bricker Graydon; Jorge Perez , president and CEO, YMCA of Greater Cincinnati; Mary Ellen Reilly, managing director, Investment Management and Trust, Fifth Third Bank; Christy Samad , executive vice president, civic and commercial space activation, 3CDC; and Lynne Friedlander, community volunteer. ArtWorks named Jens Rosenkrantz Jr. as

ArtWorks looks to hire 100 young artists for summer jobs

ArtWorks is hiring more than 100 teens and young adults to create murals and other public art projects across Greater Cincinnati this summer through its apprenticeship program.

Apprentices, ages 14 to 21, will work under the mentorship of teaching artists to create public art and community impact projects. Most projects involve large-scale, outdoor murals, but past efforts have also included photography, sewing, dance and film production.

This year, the organization is also offering an apprenticeship with The Well’s True Body Project. The Well provides yearlong positions in its Mural Studio and Camera Studio as well.

Apprentices earn $13 an hour and will work either 20 or 30 hours per week, depending on age, for eight weeks from June 2 through July 25. Scheduled work hours may vary, but apprentices typically work between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 artworkscincinnati.org

board treasurer. Laura Humphrey continues as president. Lisa Beshara Saia continues as vice president and Agnes Godwin Hall continues as secretary. ArtWorks also recognized two new emeritus board members: Lauren Hannan Shafer and Ron Nebel Houck.



Dr. William Hurford , professor emeritus at the University of Cincinnati, and Samantha Goldfeder, co-founder and chief operating officer at Revelocity Sports, joined the board of trustees of Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. Hurford’s expertise in nonprofit management and Goldfeder’s background in marketing and business will help Pyramid Hill continue to grow. Gregory Hyland II of GE Aerospace is the new board president. Patricia K. Beggs, general director emerita of the Cincinnati Opera, was named board vice president. Other officers are John Fabelo of LWC Incorporated, who continues as treasurer, and Griffin B. Weyler of U.S. Bank, who joins as secretary. 

Main Street Ventures offers summer program for student entrepreneurs

Main Street Ventures is bringing back its summer entrepreneurship training program for local high school students.

Now in its fourth year, the Inventure Entrepreneurship Academy provides a handson learning experience for teenagers interested in entrepreneurship. The five-day program will take place June 2-6 at the 1819 Innovation Hub at the University of Cincinnati.

Startup leaders, university students and business experts will mentor students throughout the week, helping them develop their business ideas. The program will conclude with a pitch competition, where teams will compete for prize money to support their ventures.

The cost is $20 and covers supplies, lunch and snacks. Applications close March 31.

 mainstventures.org/inventure

Juli Miller Cinzia Gaeta Randall Smith

Gregory Hyland II

Samantha Goldfeder

Dr. William Hurford

Lynne Friedlander Christy Samad Mary Ellen Reilly

Liam McMillan Jorge Perez Marcus J. Gardner Lindsey Armor

Snapshots

Who, what, where & why

Good Sam’s Ruby Jubilee gala raises $630,000

Friends and supporters of the Good Samaritan Foundation celebrated 40 years of service at the Ruby Jubilee, the foundation’s 40th annual gala. The evening of elegance, excitement and ruby-red accents drew 632 guests to Cincinnati Music Hall and raised $630,000.

Proceeds support Good Samaritan Hospital’s future West Tower along with annual support of medical education research and the Good Samaritan Free Health Center.

The milestone event featured a cocktail hour, dinner, live entertainment from Nashville-based Young Hearts band and lively activities.

 gshfoundation.com

Performance at the Ruby Jubilee

Entertainment at the Ruby Jubilee

Lisa Martin has her lipstick touched up by a makeup artist at the Ruby Red Lipstick Booth.

Jeremiah Kirkland and Lavonda Kirkland

Representatives from presenting sponsor PFS Group: Tom Woods, Amanda Woods, Jason Dzanski, Brandi Dzanski, Denise Shupe and Kyle Shupe

(Back row) Mary Clement, Mark Clement, Andy Swallow and Chris Swallow; (front row) Joshua Schnacke, Dr. Jennifer Lykens-Schnacke, Rebecca Albrecht and Barrett Albrecht

The 2025 Gala committee: Dr. Kristin Coppage, Vinni Brown, Melody Weil, Lesley-Ann Gracey, Tessie Hayden, Joyce Lehmann, Shiva Ghazi, Renita Homan, Alandra Parchman and Kari Dunki-Jacobs with Physician Champion Dr. Erik Dunki-Jacobs (not pictured: Caroline Isaacs and Laura Mena)

Opera Young Professionals event goes for dark romance

Cincinnati Opera Young Professionals turned up the heat at the second annual Bacchanal: Avant-Heart. Hosted at the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Site1212, the event drew inspiration from tragic opera divas and a twisted Valentine’s Day, and the crowd of more than 200 was encouraged to channel the essence of dark romance with a touch of the dramatic.

The evening featured a mix of performances, including a vocal set by soprano Heidi Middendorf and a burlesque act by Mirage. Guests embraced the theme with bold fashion choices, creating an atmosphere of operatic intrigue. More than $5,000 was raised in support of Cincinnati Opera, ensuring continued investment in artistic excellence and community engagement.

 cincinnatiopera.org/young-professionals

SATURDAY 6:30PM CET SUNDAY 8:30PM CET ARTS

Join Barbara Kellar as she showcases artists and cultural leaders from the Greater Cincinnati community.

Emmy Award Winner

Carlie Myers, Ashley Berry, Tasha Wadley, Khyara Harris and Tarita Preston John Fredeking

II, Alex Lohmann and Brett Willson

Tricia Suit and Eric Appleby

Dana Bevilacqua, Anna Sullivan, Jenna Joseph and Nora Kate

Michael Stowell, David Owens, Jemannie Severson Luong and Rachel Thompson

Chris Lord, Annie Bowers, Josh Kremer and Will Selnick, Cincinnati Opera Board Associates chair

Nicolette Rader and Nataly Wickham, co-chairs of Bacchanal: Avant-Heart

CCM’s Moveable Feast brings in $100K for scholarships

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music raised more than $100,000 for student scholarships at its Moveable Feast fundraising gala. The event featured artistry ranging from musical theatre, orchestra and jazz performances to lighting and theatre design showcases, backstage tours and more.

Moveable Feast is presented by CCMpower, a volunteer group of friends, advocates and CCM alumni. The gala supports the next generation of performing and media artists at CCM.

Audiences were invited to “rediscover the magic of CCM” during an evening of handheld bites and libations throughout the college. Attendees also sampled bite-sized entertainment starring CCM students.

 ccm.uc.edu

Gabe Pimental plays trumpet as the CCM Jazz Orchestra performs.

Alea Vernon sings at the gala.

Andrea Adams dances at the Moveable Feast gala.

CCM Musical Theatre performance with Coty Perno, Dan Klimko and Spencer Stanley

Maya Sharma in a CCM Musical Theatre performance

Kevin Michael Holzman conducts the CCM Wind Symphony with Olivia Leake, A Ra Kim and Jill Peterson.

Sherry Hughes and Myron Hughes

Peter Landgren, Tom Freeman, Dean Clevenger and Doug Klocke

Janet Frankel, John Cobey and Vicky Motch

Gary Klasmeier, Anne Klasmeier, Dennis Klasmeier and Lucia Klasmeier

Ed Donovan and Pat Fanelli

Kristin Jutras and CCM Dean Pete Jutras

John Kushner, Gail Kushner and Moveable Feast committee chair Missy Greenberg

Visit Cincy stresses tourism’s economic impact on region

Visit Cincy’s annual meeting underscored the economic and cultural contributions of tourism to the Cincinnati Region. The event at the Sharonville Convention Center was led by Julie Calvert, president and CEO of Visit Cincy.

According to a new economic impact study, tourism annually contributes $6.5 billion to the economy, supports over 46,000 jobs and generates $229 million in local taxes. The launch of the Inclusive Hospitality initiative highlighted Visit Cincy’s commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion.

The meeting introduced new leadership, presented Spirit of Cincinnati Awards to community members who help advance the region as a destination, and provided updates on the convention districts in Sharonville and Downtown. A list of award winners is available on the Movers & Makers website.

 visitcincy.com

Scott

2021 DON MELCHOR CABERNET SAUVIGNONFloral, full-bodied, and elegant. Pairs perfectly with a hearty ribeye.

2016 PIERRE USSEGLIO RÉSERVE DES FRÈRES CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPESoft, plush 100% Grenache with balanced acidity. Great with pork, veal, or duck.

2020 JADOT CORTONCHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRUElegant with fresh acidity, stone fruit, and lemon zest. Perfect with grilled lobster tail.

2017 OPUS ONERich black fruit, silky tannins, and balanced acidity make this Bordeaux blend a perfect match for juicy cuts of beef.

2020 CLOS DES PAPES CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE

A Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre blend with smoky, peppery notes that shine with roasted pork.

2022 ALBERT BICHOT LES CLOS CHABLIS GRAND CRUChalky minerality and vibrant acidity make it perfect with shellfish, especially lobster tails.

CEO of Visit Cincy Julie Calvert and CVG airport CEO Candace McGraw

Julie Calvert with Rebekah Beaulieu of the Taft Museum and Whitney Owens of the Cincinnati Museum Center

Sharonville Mayor Kevin Hardman

Craig Maness and Brad Hill

Aeicia Kintner of ArtsWave

Julie Calvert and Darryl Haley Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval

Sydney Anthony

Alandes Powell of Black Art Speaks

Robertson, chairman of RCF Group, Julie Calvert and Colleen Houston

Novella Nimmo-Black of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center David Byers

Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus

Fairfield Cellar Eastgate Cellar

Jewish Federation event highlights community resilience

The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati gathered for its third annual Impact Breakfast. The event took place at the Mayerson JCC’s Amberley Room.

Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers’ keynote address highlighted the Jewish community’s resilience. Community leaders Sherri Symson, Suzette Fisher, Julien Teitelbaum, Tracy Juran, Marcie Bachrach and Nathan Bachrach shared stories of impact.

Bob Brant, Ed Kuresman and Sue Price were the campaign co-chairs.

 jewishcincinnati.org

Danielle V. Minson and Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers

Julien Teitelbaum, Ariel Fox, Jamie Heldman and Sari Small

Robert Klein, Jim Heldman, Larry Neuman and Jim Friedman Jaynie Levinson, Tracy Juran, Vallie Freeman, Miriam Hodesh, Cindy Loon and Lindsey Wade

Wendy Weil, Marcy Klein and Naomi Ruben

Tzach Shmuely, Ilan Goldman and Elliot Draznin

Nathan Bachrach and Marcie Bachrach

Felicia Zakem, David Harris, Josh Blatt, Danielle V. Minson and Brian Jaffee

Jeremy Spiegel and Josh Blatt

Sue Price and Ed Kuresman

Tracy Juran, Cindy Loon, Chris Freeman and Vallie Freeman

Stepping Stones supporters open hearts for over $101K

Stepping Stones’ Open Your Heart fundraiser, held in a hybrid in-person and at-home format, netted over $101,000 to benefit year-round programming for children, teens and adults with disabilities.

Supporters gathered in person at Stone Creek Dining Company for a raffle, silent auction, artwork created by Stepping Stones participants and a heartfelt program. Other supporters enjoyed Stone Creek meals at home, purchasing baking kits.

The event’s presenting sponsor was Convalescent Hospital Fund for Children. Valentine sponsors were Lisa and Thad Reinhard. Cherub sponsors were SugarCreek/ Julie and John Richardson and Saundra and Mark Seger. Stepping Stones serves individuals with disabilities in day and overnight programs in Batavia, Indian Hill, Norwood and Western Hills that increase independence and promote inclusion.

 steppingstonesohio.org

Event chairs

Susan

Lisa & Thad Reinhard With heartfelt thanks to our sponsors

Presenting Sponsor Convalescent Hospital Fund for Children

Valentine Sponsors

Cherub Sponsors

Saundra & Mark Seger

SugarCreek/Julie & John Richardson

Sweetheart Sponsors

Nancy & Dr. David Aichholz

Michael & Nancy Baker Foundation

Benchmark Wealth Management

Elizabeth & Brian Burress

Constellation Wealth Management

KPMG

Muddie & Robert Robinson

Ryan Generational Capital Advisors of Janney Montgomery Scott

Anne & Jim Shanahan

Stepping Stones Executive Team

Western & Southern Financial Group

Eltringham and David Eltringham, vice chairs Ashley Bieber and Jeff Bieber

Nick Koopman, Lindsey Koopman, Marlene Frey, Mike Frey, Stephanie Dalle Molle, Leo Dalle Molle, Erika McShay and Sean McShay

Adam Morton, Nick Paxson, Elizabeth Paxson and Lindsey Morton

350 celebrate, reflect on King’s dream at Freedom Center

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center brought together 350 community, business and government leaders to recommit to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream.

The Freedom Center’s annual King Legacy Celebration, presented by Kroger, provided a morning of inspiration and reflection featuring music performances by Lisa Moore, director of music ministry for the AME Zion Church; spoken word performances by Camille Jones from Elementz; and students from the University of Cincinnati’s Marian Spencer Scholars Program, who shared their perspectives of what social justice means to them.

Keynote speaker Wendy Ellis, an equity innovator, documentarian and founding director of the Center for Community Resilience at George Washington University, shared new research about systemic inequities in communities and offered solutions to begin restructuring communities for equity.

 freedomcenter.org

Benefit concert aids music lessons for underserved youths

Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins performed a benefit concert that raised $40,000 for the Ben Carlson-Berne Scholarship Fund. The fund pays for private musical instrument lessons for underserved and economically challenged youth at the School for Creative & Performing Arts, and at Withrow and Shroder high schools.

Jayden Thrasher and Morgan Olivia Reynolds, students in the program, also performed. The concert took place at the SCPA’s Mayerson Theater.

The fund was created in 2004 by the parents of Ben Carlson-Berne, who died at 19 while hiking in the Grand Tetons. While a student at Wyoming High School, Carlson-Berne helped inner-city kids learn about classical music and learn to play.

 bcbscholarship.org

The King Legacy Celebration drew 350 attendees to the Freedom Center.

Keynote speaker Wendy Ellis, an expert in public health and equity, in discussion with Courtis Fuller

Lisa Moore, director of music ministry for the AME Zion Church, performed.

Woody Keown addresses the gathering.

Wendy Ellis gives the keynote address.

Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Craig Ketter, Susan Carlson and Phil Berne

Jade McClellan, Quiera LevySmith and Kelly Hall-Tompkins

Local mayors join NKY Chamber for Inclusive Impact Breakfast

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Covington Mayor Ron Washington were among the notable figures in attendance at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Inclusive Impact Breakfast. More than 300 business and community leaders attended the sold-out event at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center in Erlanger. The program highlighted the positive impact inclusion has in ensuring the region remains competitive in the global economy.

The event also featured a panel discussion around how the region can drive sustained economic growth and why collaboration contributes to promoting a strong, vibrant and welcoming destination for attracting businesses and talent. Panelists included: Lee Crume, president and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership; Julie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of meetNKY, Northern Kentucky’s convention and visitors bureau; and Cady Short-Thompson, president of Northern Kentucky University.

nkychamber.com

Ameritas donates $5,000, plants 32

trees with Ohio River Foundation

Ohio River Foundation planted 32 native trees in Kingswood Park in Deerfield Township.

Ameritas donated $5,000 and 23 Ameritas volunteers pitched in.

Some of the species planted were swamp white oak, gray dogwood, Kentucky coffee trees, bur oaks, red oaks, false indigos, button bush, elderberry, aronias and hawthorns. The introduction of these native plants will increase biodiversity and provide critical habitat for wildlife, which will lead to better water quality in the local watershed.

Ohio River Foundation has a multiyear contract with Deerfield Township for environmental habitat restoration work to benefit not only the township but the entire Tristate.

 ohioriverfdn.org

Tim Elsbrock, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Covington Mayor Ron Washington

Kristen SmithermanVoltaire

Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire moderates a panel with Lee Crume, Julie Kirkpatrick and Cady Short-Thompson.

Chuck Session

Jason Payne welcomes Tim Elsbrock to the stage.

Dashai Thompson

Dashai Thompson (center), director of inclusive business strategies at the NKY Chamber, speaks with a small group.

Ameritas volunteers planted native trees in Kingswood Park.

Fernando Figueroa, president of Gateway Community and Technical College

Stronger than Cancer raises a record $160K

Over 200 guests helped the annual Stronger than Cancer Celebration raise $160,000 for Cancer Support Community of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky. The gala, presented by St. Elizabeth Healthcare at Hotel Covington, broke the event’s fundraising record.

The event honored the strength and resilience of individuals affected by cancer, and created a sense of community among survivors, caregivers and supporters. The evening featured a live auction, a fund-aneed with cancer survivors and caregivers. Local 12’s Bob Herzog was the emcee.

Legacies Upscale Resale Store received the 2024 Community Is Stronger than Cancer Award. Legacies, which operates in Hyde Park Plaza, resells home furnishings and jewelry, with 100% of proceeds supporting CSC’s mission. In its 30 years of business, Legacies has contributed over $5 million back to CSC.

 mycancersupportcommunity.org

 ShopLegacies.com

Coffee fest raises $100K for Ohio River Foundation

Ohio River Foundation’s seventh annual Cincinnati Coffee Festival at Music Hall raised more than $100,000 to support ORF’s education, restoration and advocacy programs. ORF’s mission is to protect and improve the ecology in the Ohio River watershed, a source of drinking water for millions of people.

More than 4,000 guests enjoyed hundreds of free tastings of coffees, teas, pastries, chocolates and savory foods from nearly 55 vendors, including roasters, coffee shops and purveyors of fine food. The weekend festival included live music, latte art demos and demonstrations by industry experts.

The festival also featured the popular Latte Art Throwdown, this time featuring Cincinnati Council member Mark Jeffreys.

The Coffee Festival’s composting efforts collected an estimated 3,045 pounds (768 gallons) of compostable materials and food waste, preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving over 2,000 miles.

 ohioriverfdn.org

A vendor pours a sample for festival attendees. Robbie Blankenship of Yield Coffee Roasters

Sara Brandts and Candace Caudill of the ORF Booth Team

Latte Art Throwdown winners

Chris DeJesus, Ivan Rodriguez and Kyle Sweetland

Joe Workman and Mary Workman, former CSC staff

Laurence Jones of Riskversity and Teresa Robinson of Western & Southern Life

Dr. Brent Xia and Elise Xia, St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Dr. Doug Flora, executive medical director of St. Elizabeth’s Yung Family Cancer Center

Local 12’s Bob Herzog

Holly Collinsworth and Chris Collinsworth of Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund Donna Barnes, Mark Hertel and Wendy Grimes

Sherry Hughes, Cincinnati Cancer Advisors

SCPA students perform at Future of the Arts Gala

Cincinnati’s School for Creative & Performing Arts hosted the Future of the Arts Gala in Music Hall, providing 150 students performance and mentoring opportunities.

SCPA students were guided by professionals from Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati.

The showcase honored honorary alumni and Broadway stars Rocky Carroll and Carter Calvert.

Local 12’s Kyle Inskeep was emcee.

 scpa.cps-k12.org

J. David Rosenberg, Dianne Rosenberg, Jane Katzman Simon and Brett Stover

Pete Fontaine, Amy Fontaine, Melissa Jones and Brandon Jones

Local 12’s Kyle Inskeep and Paula Toti

Matt McFee, Joyce Monger and Jared McFee

Linda Siekmann, Nancy Steman and Karen Duesing

Marc Manly, Michael Schueler, Colby Chapman, Digi Schueler and David Hiller

Chuck Landes, Peggy Landes, Janet Sarran and Bill Sarran

Colton Slade and Kyle Inskeep

Pamela Bradshaw, Alton Fitzgerald White, honoree Rocky Carroll, Michael Owens and Jack Louiso

Liz Conway, Susan Roberts, Ryan Conway and Gary Moffat

Cincinnati May Festival and SCPA Chorale

Justin Wilkey, Jenn Wilkey, Kate Dailey and Keith Dailey

Habitat for Humanity pays tribute to President Carter

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati joined Habitat organizations around the world by erecting a memorial wall and door to pay tribute to the late President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 after helping the organization for more than four decades.

“Very frequently, we meet volunteers, donors and homebuyers who are inspired to get involved with Habitat because of President Carter’s example,” said Joe Hansbauer, president and CEO of HFHGC.

The door was on display at Cincinnati City Hall during a memorial service that featured Hansbauer, Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Ohio state Sen. Catherine Ingram, state Rep. Sedrick Denson and Habitat homeowners Dominica Griffin and Karen Byrd-Gibson.

The public was invited to sign the memorial. The door is on display and available to sign at the Fairfield ReStore.

 habitatcincinnati.org

Women’s Alliance gathers for New Year’s fundraiser

The Women’s Alliance raised money for its scholarship program with a Cheers to the New Year event for friends and family. Guests gathered at Karrikin Spirits in Fairfax despite the snow.

The event featured food from Sweet Meats BBQ, art from Gayle Harden Renfro, a silent auction and tasteful cigars. The highlight of the evening was the sampling of Karrikin’s whisky, gin, rum and agave. The next fundraising event for the Women’s Alliance is a hat luncheon in April.

 womensallianceinc.org

Holland, former Women’s Alliance president, opens the evening and gets the activities started.

Habitat homeowner Karen ByrdGibson signs the memorial door.

Habitat homeowner Dominica Griffin

Cincinnati Council member Anna Albi and state Sen. Catherine Ingram

Tonee

Attendees sample food catered by Sweet Meats BBQ.

Guests at the Women’s Alliance Cheers to the New Year event mingle and view works by artist Gayle Harden Renfro.

Dan Hueber, owner and general manager of Karrikin Spirits, speaks to Women’s Alliance guests as they sample the flights.

Morgan Ford, external relations officer at HFHGC, with Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney

ArtsWave campaign kickoff highlights cultural growth

The 2025 ArtsWave Community Campaign kickoff highlighted the region’s growing arts presence, including BLINK’s record-breaking attendance and the expansion of venues like the Emery Theater and ArtWorks’ new home in Walnut Hills.

With the theme “Discover Together,” the campaign aims to build on last year’s success. Mel Gravely is the campaign chair.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval joined Gravely and other community leaders at the newly renovated Marek-Weaver Family Commons at the Cincinnati Art Museum to rally support for the arts.

 artswave.org

Hundreds receive holiday gifts through United Way’s Adopt-A-Family

Nearly 700 people received holiday gifts through United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s Adopt-A-Family program. More than 140 families benefited. Many were kinship care families, in which children are temporarily cared for by relatives or family friends while a parent faces difficult circumstances.

United Way expanded Adopt-A-Family’s reach in 2024, coordinating with 15 faith-based and community partners who identified and referred the recipient families. Additional families were selected through a partnership with the local AFL-CIO. Generous families, individuals and corporate groups were given personalized shopping lists for gifts to be delivered to United Way. Partner groups picked up the gifts and distributed them to families.

 uwgc.org

Moira Weir, UWGC president and CEO, with Debbie Hayes, president and CEO of The Christ Hospital Health Network

for

Way’s

Donna Sterwerf, Constellation Wealth Advisors Adopt-A-Family volunteer

Bill Montague, United Way Foundation board member

Andrea Hischak, United Way of Greater Cincinnati staff member

Mel Gravely, 2025 ArtsWave campaign chair and executive chair of Triversity Construction

Cameron Kitchin, Cincinnati Art Museum director; Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval; ArtsWave CEO Alecia Kintner; Mel Gravely, campaign chair; and Leigh Fox, ArtsWave board chair and president and CEO of altafiber

Trumpeter Myles Twitty and Myles Twitty Jazz Quartet entertained guests.

P ArtsWave Kickoff (56).tif

Photos by k evin J. watkins

Homeless Coalition marks 40 years with award event

The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition celebrated 40 years of serving people experiencing homelessness with a fundraising event that included a cocktail hour and an awards ceremony. The group gave out five awards chosen by the GCHC staff, board and the event planning committee:

• Sarah Humphries, associate director of Bethany House’s housing department, won the Buddy Gray Award.

• Erica Parks and Found House IHN Pet Support Program were named Julie Martin Service Provider of the Year.

• Nahamani Yisreal, former resident and current board member of Bethany House Services, won the Jimmy Render Award.

• Talid Boycann won the Young Advocates Award.

• Maria Cotton won the Streetvibes Distributor of the Year Award.

The event raised nearly $16,000 to fund the coalition’s advocacy efforts to eradicate homelessness.

 cincihomeless.org

Great Parks teams with volunteers on Roselawn service project

Great Parks took action on the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service by teaming up with volunteers to beautify the Roselawn area around the Great Parks Nature Center at The Summit. The Day of Service recognizes the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Great Parks has partnered with community volunteers on that day for several years with a cleanup effort near the Nature Center and Summit Road. Team members and volunteers this year gathered 17 bags of trash and two bags of recyclables.

The Great Parks Nature Center at the Summit, a special collaboration with New Prospect Baptist Church, provides opportunities for children and families to connect to nature through crafts, activities and live animal experiences.

 greatparks.org

Colleen Brueggemann and Isabel Brueggemann 

Katara Aleem and Madison Byarley

Sallie Mascus, Rico Blackman and Chris Wilke

Sarah Humphries, Peg Dierkers, Daniel Flynn, Crystal Holliday and Janice Clay of Bethany House Services

Nahamani Yisreal won the Jimmy Render Award.

Sarah Humphries won the Buddy Gray Award.

Maria Cotton (left) won the Street Vibes Distrubitor of the Year Award.

Garrett Parsons (right), pet support director of Found House Interfaith Housing Network

Yohannes Berhane, director of development for the Homeless Coalition

Josh Spring, executive director of the Homeless Coalition

Touchdown for Hope scores big for Lindner Center

Lindner Center of Hope’s Touchdown for Hope brought together more than 225 football fans on Super Bowl Sunday at the Bally Sports Club in Great American Ball Park. The event raised more than $170,000 through sponsorships, donations and ticket sales – funds that will help advance mental health care.

Guests, including employees, board and community members, enjoyed a tailgate and watch party, surrounded by big-screen TVs and an unlimited buffet. The menu featured Cincinnati favorites alongside a nod to New Orleans with crab cakes, jambalaya and beignets.

Honorary co-host Anthony Muñoz, former Bengals offensive tackle and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, welcomed guests before kickoff.

Proceeds from the event will help expand treatment units, enhance wellness facilities, and increase clinical staff to meet the growing demand for mental health care.

 lindnercenterofhope.org

Book Bank volunteers help organize free books for kids

Queen City Book Bank hosted a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service with volunteers completing such tasks as stickering, shelving, organizing and fulfilling book orders.

Organizations and individuals involved included the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund, Friends of Brayden Otten with the Brave Like Me Foundation, Wyoming High School, Mount Notre Dame High School, Ursuline Academy and the Arengo Family. The Reds Community Fund brought along Reds players Rece Hinds, Ethan O’Donnell, Carson Rudd and Nestor Lorant.

QCBB’s new curated book program provides 10 new books annually to 3,258 elementary students.

 queencitybookbank.org

Friends of Brayden Otten from the Brave Like Me Foundation volunteer at the Queen City Book Bank.

Cincinnati Reds players Ethan O’Donnell (seated), Nestor Lorant and Rece Hinds work at the Queen City Book Bank.

Touchdown for Hope co-host Anthony Muñoz, Dede Muñoz and Michael Groat, Lindner Center of Hope president and CEO

Gigi Groat, Georgia Nagel, Michael Groat, Frances Lindner and Craig Lindner

Tim Capple, Lauri Robertson, Carl Satterwhite and Dawn Satterwhite

John Ryan, Kay Geiger and Jack Geiger

Blake Gustafson and Craig Gustafson

DePaul Cristo Rey partner breakfast honors MORTAR, North American Properties

DePaul Cristo Rey High School recognized MORTAR and North American Properties as Partners of the Year during the school’s Corporate Partner Leadership Breakfast. The event at DPCR celebrated the power of the school’s Corporate Work Study Program to change students’ lives, support businesses and impact the greater community.

FEG Investment Advisors also was recognized for five years of partnership, and 15 businesses and organizations were honored for their 10-year commitment to the program.

The Corporate Work Study Program partners students with local businesses and organizations to provide diverse, young talent for our community’s future. DPCR students work five days a month at 90 companies and organizations all over Greater Cincinnati in industries that span from accounting to technology.

 depaulcristorey.org

Shermirah Smith, DCPR vice president of corporate work study, welcomed Kelvin Hanger, president and chief operating officer, and Joi Lindlau, director of the School to Work Program, both of longtime partner Good

Service project builds benches for ballfields, experience for students

The Home Depot Foundation teamed up with local students and nonprofit partner ToolBank USA to build furniture for local community spaces. The project was part of a nationwide week of service to honor and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Home Depot’s associate volunteer task force, called Team Depot, worked with ToolBank and students ages 16 to 21 from the Cincinnati Construction Academy to build picnic tables and benches for the Reds Community Fund. RCF will place the benches at the P&G Cincinnati MLB Youth Academy’s outdoor ballfields. The day of service provided a hands-on learning opportunity for students pursuing skilled-trades careers and showed how they can make a positive impact in their community.

 homedepotfoundation.org, toolbank.org

CEO Allen Woods (left) and building operations and experience manager Lexie Grimes (middle, holding plaque) of Nonprofit Partner of the Year MORTAR are pictured with seniors Obiyanna and Jazmin, two of the eight students who work there.

Mallori Fryman of Partner of the Year North American Properties with student associate Mayahti, who has worked there for two years

Student speakers at the breakfast included sophomore Braylon, senior Isaac, senior Mayahti, senior Jazmin, senior Imari and senior Obiyanna.

Samaritan Hospital.

Senior and FEG student associate Isaac (center) introduced and thanked five-year partner FEG Investment Advisors. He’s pictured with FEG’s Devinne Verst and Reba Perry.

Chris Mackenzie, Justin Flynn and Nate Keller construct a bench for an MLB Youth Academy ballfield.

Incubator Kitchen announces grant winners

The Incubator Kitchen Collective celebrated the community of food artisans and announced its 2025 Kroger Food Artisan Grant winners at an event at Kroger’s Blue Ash corporate offices.

The Incubator Kitchen Collective is a nonprofit in Newport that helps food entrepreneurs with kitchen facilities, entrepreneurial education and a network of markets, investors and mentors.

Dave Knox, executive director of Blue North and a mentor to IKC, spoke on the impact of supporting organizations like IKC.

Past grant winners and community partners attended. Grants range from $2,700 to $5,040 per company. The 2025 grant winners are Spicy Spice Baby, Voodoo Cuisine, Cranberry & Rose, The Sugared Pig, Buttercat Dairy, Food and Mood Lab, Hot Sauce for Mortals and HomeBaked Sweets.

 incubatorkitchencollective.org

SOTENI International empowers women in rural Kenya

Cincinnati-based SOTENI International completed the Street Business School, an entrepreneurial training program in Ugunja in rural Kenya, Africa. SOTENI trained 24 participants to launch or expand their own businesses. Over the course of eight weeks, participants learned how to identify business opportunities, manage finances, find capital and conduct market research, tailored to the unique challenges of rural entrepreneurship. All 24 graduates have started new ventures or strengthened existing businesses.

SOTENI’s community-driven approach is helping women break barriers while promoting local economic sustainability. SOTENI supports 169 HIV/AIDS support groups in Kenya, and provided clean water to 3,000 households for 14 years. It runs a 24/7 Health Centre, trains young women at risk for HIV/AIDS and supports a secondary school.

 soteni.org

Megan Mitchell of WLWT, IKC Executive Director Rachel DesRochers and past board member Megan Mitchell

Past grant winners: (Back row) Carissa Bunton, Kate Zink, Christina Leo, MK Hennigan, LaTrisha Fail, Lindsey Cook, Annie Brown; (front row) Derrick Braziel, Lillian Foley

Incubator Kitchen Collective board: VP Christina Hlavaty, President Becky Gaible, Matt Spaulding, Christina Fox, Rachel DesRochers, Mel Huss, Megan Mitchell, Ali Crowdus and Chris Norris (not pictured: Annette Teruel and Casey Garland)

2025 grant winners Sarah Epure, Carolyn Hatcher, Shannon Paul, Madison Turney, Byron Cochrum, Debbie Brown, Nathan Hanks and Amy Fox

A program participant launches her vegetable-selling business. Participants in SOTENI’s entrepreneurship training engage in interactive sessions to identify business opportunities.

Without further adieu: Is it time to reign in the urge to ‘correct’ word usage?

Itrynot to be judgmental when it’s not called for. I think of that effort as a life journey, something that comes eventually with age.

I may never be old enough.

Not when it comes to judging people who use words wrong. People “pouring” over books. People who announce things without further “adieu.” Who think that one thing is, for all “intensive” purposes, just like another thing. Who groove to the “Almond Brothers” or “Holland Oates.”

I’m not the only one. I was just scrolling through a subreddit about misused language where people eagerly shared examples, some that they said “make me want to stab my own head off.” Or “give me the puce rage,” “makes me want to stick scissors in my eyes,” “make me irrationally angry.”

It’s hard to understand exactly why people feel so strongly to threaten

self-harm over it, but I get it. Sometimes it’s because the messup makes no sense at all. “I could care less” literally means the opposite of what the speaker is trying to say.

I don’t correct in public, because no one likes a grammar narc. (Also, I have made enough mistakes in print in my time to not throw stones.) Fortunately, my husband is a connoisseur of dumb language usage. I just now ran downstairs to tell him about an internet list smugly describing why it’s “champ at the bit,” not “chomp at the bit,” and explaining that, by the way, a bit is used to pull on the “rein.”

This judgmental me is the result of a lifetime of reading every kind of writing and a career as an AP Stylebook-following professional writer. But I was also a linguistics major in college – for a semester,

until I was undone by the incomprehensibility of transformational grammar.

I came away with the less prescriptive basic principles of linguistics: That all languages are equally capable of conveying any thought. That language cannot be pinned down to one “correct” version. (Imagine how dull English would be if we tried to keep out Black English or computer jargon or millennial slang.) That speakers decide over time what words mean and how expressions go. I try to keep that understanding in control of my automatic reactions.

I remember coming home at Christmas and having a big fight with my father (who knew the roots and exact meaning of almost every word in English) over the meaning of the word “moot.” He contended it should only be used to mean “debatable” while I said that if people used it to mean “not worth debating,” that’s what it means. (At least we agreed it wasn’t “a mute point.”) Words morph all the time, many to conform to the way it sounds. “Toothsome” originally meant delicious, but it’s pretty obvious why it now means “textured” or “al dente,” though it’s going to take me a while to get there. “Buxom” meant pretty but became “busty.” I can’t quite blame the girl I saw on YouTube saying she’d make a good Viking because she was “good at husbandry.” “I take really good care of my husband,” she explained.

So many of our antique idiomatic expressions are also due for some morphing. Most of them are about farming. No wonder people get them wrong! The first time something was described as “chock-full” was the 15th century. So why shouldn’t it be “chalk-full?”

It doesn’t really make sense, but neither does chock-full. And the original “not by a long chalk” seems meaningless, while the mistake that replaces it, “not by a long shot” just seems more satisfactory.

One that drives me nuts, but you could say demonstrates the wisdom

Polly Campbell

of crowds, is “free reign,” instead of the original “free rein.” They mean something similar – to let someone do what they want. Why should we keep using a construction from the days when we got around by horsedrawn carriages?

“Survival of the fists” isn’t what Darwin was actually talking about, but it does give a kind of graphic sense of the law of the jungle, or should I say the “doggy dog” world (which is a lot cuter than the one where they eat each other). The image of having “a new leash on life” is a lot more colorful than an old lease. And “prostrate cancer” is positively poetic.

Others really are just hilarious, like “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it“ and “I don’t have a horse in this fight.”

I do think people should know the words and expressions of their profession: U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., should have known it’s not “Marshall Law,” all politicians should know how to pronounce “nuclear,” and restaurant servers should know it’s not “expresso.” Anyone who writes about food should know the difference between palate, palette and pallet (wrong 80% of the time, though I understand confusing the first two).

And anyone who takes phone messages should know that “out of pocket” does not mean “out of the office.” Though it will eventually. 

Polly Campbell covered restaurants and food for the Cincinnati Enquirer from 1996 until 2020. She lives in Pleasant Ridge with her husband, and since retiring does a lot of reading, cooking and gardening, if that’s what you call pulling weeds.

She writes monthly on a variety of topics, and she welcomes your feedback and column suggestions at editor@moversmakers.org.

Lawrence

Brownlee TENOR

Kevin Miller PIANO

March 9, 2025

“… one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today.”

— NPR

• A fixture at leading international opera houses and major orchestra halls

• Named “Male Singer of the Year” by both the International Opera Awards (2017) and Bachtrack

Martin

James Bartlett PIANO CINCINNATI DEBUT

April 6, 2025

“… not only a prodigy of the piano but an accomplished artist who counts among the greats of his generation.”

— Nice Matin

• Plays with a maturity and elegance far beyond his years

• Known for his fearless technique, he is the recipient of numerous awards

Meet-the-artists receptions after each recital!

Both recitals are on Sundays at 5 PM at Memorial Hall, OTR

Tickets: Single tickets $15–$35 · Students $10. Call the Memorial Hall Box Office at 513-977-8838 (Tuesday–Friday, 1–6 p.m.) or visit MatineeMusicaleCincinnati.org