Board of Directors
Executive Committee

President
Ann S. Bergen, Esq.
Law Offices of Ann S. Bergen Co., LPA

Vice President
Frank R. DeSantis, Esq.
Thompson Hine LLP

Vice President
Richard D. Petrulis, Esq.
Key Bank National Association

Secretary/Treasurer
Karen L. Giffen, Esq.
Giffen & Kaminski LLC

Board of Directors
Members

Ann S. Bergen, Esq.
Law Offices of Ann S. Bergen Co., LPA

Carolyn Dennis
Community Representative
nominated by The City of Cleveland’s J.F.K. Recreation Center

Frank R. DeSantis, Esq.
Thompson Hine LLP

J ames Gemelas, Esq.
Smith, Illner & Gemelas Co.

Karen L. Giffen, Esq.
Giffen & Kaminski LLC

Patrick Haggerty, Esq.
Frantz Ward

Vanetta Jamison
Community Representative
nominated by Beech Brook

Barbara Leadbetter
Community Representative
nominated by MetroHealth’s Center for Community Health

John Q. Lewis, Esq.
Tucker Ellis & West LLP

G. Christopher Meyer, Esq.
Squire Sanders (US) LLP

Matthew Nakon, Esq.
Wickens, Herzer, Panza, Cook & Batista

Heather Nicastro
Community Representative
nominated by The Arc of Greater Cleveland

Aaron O’Brien, Esq.
Baker Hostetler

Richard D. Petrulis, Esq.

Betsy Rader, Esq.
Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Rebecca Ruppert McMahon, Esq.

Adrian D. Thompson, Esq.
Taft/
President Emeritus

Tim Walters
Community Representative
nominated by Merrick House

Michelle Wilkerson-Guerry
Community Representative
nominated by the NEO Coalition for the Homeless

Ida R. Williams
Community Representative for Lorain County
nominated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County

Rebecca L. Wojtko
Community Representative for Lorain County
nominated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County

Executive Staff

Colleen M. Cotter, Esq.
Executive Director

Tom Mlakar, Esq.
Deputy Director of Advocacy

Bettina Kaplan
Director of Finance & Administrative Operations

Melanie A. Shakarian, Esq.
Director of Development & Communications