Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Announces 2024-25 Empower Cohort

September 30, 2024

The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce has named the 2024-25 Empower cohort of the region’s women business leaders. Cohort members of Empower are chosen from a cross-section of the community and represent the diversity of the region’s business and nonprofit women leaders.

In partnership with the program sponsor, Universal 1 Credit Union, the cohort began its experience September 26, 2024, with a retreat hosted at Hotel Versailles.

Throughout the next nine months, the cohort will participate in a series of leadership workshops, immersive day sessions and personalized business coaching opportunities. With access to a robust support network, participants will refine their leadership strengths, clarify their values and goals, build a personal brand and overcome obstacles to professional growth.

Through a strategic partnership with Aileron, the region’s world class leadership and training development center, Empower will provide participants with a unique blend of hands-on business coaching and group support with peers. The experience will conclude with a retreat in June 2025.

“When we first brought the Empower program to life seven years ago, we couldn’t have anticipated just how transformative it would be,” said Stephanie Keinath, vice president of strategic initiatives at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “Participants have told us that the program helped them navigate pivotal career changes, giving them the resources and relationships to keep evolving as leaders. Many have also expressed that the experience of being surrounded by their Empower peers was both the most challenging and uplifting of their careers. We’re excited to welcome this remarkable new group and continue fostering the growth of women leaders who are making a difference in our community.”

Research shows that women’s representation in senior leadership is stalling.  According to the 2024 McKinsey & Company and Lean In “Women in the Workplace” report, women are still experiencing the “broken rung.” Only 81 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men. At the current pace of progress, it would take 22 years for White women to reach parity in the C-Suite and twice as long for women of color. Furthermore, compared to 2022, 33% fewer companies offer formal sponsorship programs for women.

The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes the ongoing need for programs that not only help elevate women to senior leadership positions but also keep their talent within the Dayton region’s workforce. We are grateful to Universal 1 Credit Union for understanding the significance of this effort and for their investment in the future leaders of our community.

Members of the 2024-25 Empower cohort are:

Shelly Blanton – CareSource

Kandise Bobo – Sinclair Community College

Katie Brand – Dayton Freight Lines, Inc.

Amber Brandt – Henny Penny Corporation

Jennifer Brumby – Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP

Julianne Dunn – Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Joanna Garcia – WilmerHale

Kelly Geers – Montgomery County Educational Service Center

Carolyn Harvey – McGohan Brabender

Sonja Hertenstein – Dayton Children’s Hospital

Elise Huelskamp – Premier Health

Caitlin Jacob – CityWide Development

Helen Jones – Rieck Services, LLC

Tiffany Knight Wills – Dayton VA Medical Center (Department of Veterans Affairs)

Michelle Lewis – Wright-Patt Credit Union

Marylynn Lodor – Miami Conservancy District

Shanda McKinney – Woolpert

Vivian O’Connell – AES Ohio 

Jessica Rutschilling – Kettering Health

Karen Shroyer – Universal 1 Credit Union, Inc.

Therese Steiner – LexisNexis

Kasia Stelter – Procter & Gamble

Allison Swanson – Cox First Media

Christy Tarzinski – Norwood Medical

Ruth Todd – Montgomery County Human Resources

Beth Vincent – Athletes in Action

Bernadette Whitworth – Five Rivers MetroParks