Board of Trustees
Trustees serve three-year terms and are elected by member communities at the Annual Meeting.
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President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Assistant Secretary | Trustees at Large Leslie Rich Carol Smith
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Andria Y. Carter is a media and community relations expert who currently works for the Community Police Partnering Center as a Community Engagement Specialist/Media Coordinator. Her work with the CPPC is in many of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods helping to find solutions to safety issues. She previously worked as Communications Director for former President Pro Tem Yvette Simpson with the Cincinnati City Council and later for the Center for Closing the Health Gap. She also serves on the board of MAC (Multicultural Awareness Council with the Cincinnati Symphony), United We Stand, and Cincinnati-Nancy Sister City Association.
Vice President, Adam Tissot is a patent attorney with the US Department of Commerce and an active resident of Pendleton.
Treasurer, Kat Pepmeyer is the Executive Director for Cincinnati Toolbank, a crucial backbone organization for the work in our neighborhoods. She lives in Madisonville and is currently on the Board of MCURC and has previously been on the Board of the Madisonville Community Council.
Secretary, Samantha Reeves is called to empower neighborhoods through community development. A native Cincinnatian and first-generation college student, Samantha came to articulate her passion for community at UC’s College of DAAP. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Urban Studies and a Master’s of Community Planning. While in school, Samantha worked at Homebase and interned at the City of Cincinnati and 3CDC. Employment after graduation included Working In Neighborhoods and Habitat for Humanity of Durham, North Carolina. Currently, Samantha is the Executive Director of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, and serves on the Board of the Camp Washington Community Council. She years of experience in community, housing, and economic development.
Ass’t Secretary, Deqah Hussein-Wetzel is an architectural historian and podcast creator. She received her Bachelor’s in Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Oregon. Deqah was involved in authoring the Youth section of the 2012 Cincinnati Comprehensive Plan and has completed a myriad of affordable housing Historic Tax Credit projects in OTR. She currently works for the Cincinnati Preservation Association as the researcher for “Sites of Black American History”, and has won awards for her podcasts on local history: Urban Roots: Lost Voices of Cincinnati
Keith Blake is an IT systems professional with over 30 years’ experience in development, administration and support of solutions for international companies. A former member of the USN Reserves, he is a father of three (all attended CPS), and has been a resident of the West End for 30 years. Keith is a long time community volunteer, including serving as President of the West End Community Council, working on CPD CPOP and other local initiatives in his community, and has received Keep Cincinnati Beautiful’s 5 Star Volunteer Award. Keith volunteered with Invest for several years and served as a Board Appointment from 2017-2018, before being elected to his first term in 2019.
Joe Groh is currently the Treasurer of the Oakley Community Council. As a long term member of OCC, he has served on multiple committees including chairing Communications Committee and the Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. He is also a member of Cincinnati Vision Zero’s Steering Committee. As a current IT consultant with decades of experience, he has already volunteered time and expertise to supporting the Councils’ needs for accurate data about their neighborhoods. He is currently an active participant in IIN’s Neighborhood Councils Action Committee, the Housing and Economic Development subcommittee, and the Pedestrian Safety subcommittee.
Toilynn O’Neal is the founding director of ROMAC (Robert O’Neal Multicultural Art Center), whose mission is to celebrate, advance, and preserve African/African American culture and achievement through arts, history, and education, while also uplifting the rich diversity of artists and cultures represented by Greater Cincinnati’s residents of color. She is also the Executive Director at Queen City Foundation, seeking to assist and support minority students who possess academic talent, desire, and motivation.
Elizabeth Bartley is a returned Cincinnatian, currently residing in Walnut Hills. Prior to starting as ED in 2017, she served on the IIN Board of Trustees for 4 years as Ass’t Secretary and Treasurer and has been Chair of the Neighborhood Summit since 2015. Elizabeth’s committee work on behalf of IIN includes: member of the Core Team, All in Cincinnati; the Manager’s Advisory Group, Education and Training sub-committee; the Property Tax Workgroup; and the Housing Strategy Workgroup (LISC). Previously, Elizabeth worked for WestCURC, first as a consultant, then as Executive Director, implementing the vision for the revitalization of the Westwood Historic Business District. Her dedication to community work began while working in academia – both through her teaching (UC, Miami, Mt St Joe) and research programs (SUSCAP, CERHAS, CDRI).