Leadership Dayton is a 10-month program for local business leaders run by the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. It focuses on educating business professionals about challenges facing the community and how they can give back.
This year's graduating class from the program is made up of 44 local business professionals from a variety of industries.
Holly Allen is the vice president of marketing and communications for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. She’s also a 2016 graduate of Leadership Dayton.
She says the program helps participants become more connected to their community.
“As the Chamber of Commerce, we represent the employers and the businesses,” Allen said. “We’re always asking ourselves how we can help organizations do better business. Having business professionals who are connected to the community makes the business environment better.”
Admission into the program is competitive. Each year the organization receives about 80 applications, but only accepts less than 50 individuals. Allen says each cohort represents the diversity of the Dayton area.
Throughout the 10-month program participants dedicate a day from each month to explore a particular aspect of the Dayton area. These include topics such as local health care disparities and Dayton history.
Below is a list of the 2022 graduating class and their employers:
- Stephanie Adams Taylor, Dayton Regional STEM School
- Merida Allen, University of Dayton
- Mark Bailey Jr., Levin Porter Architects
- Jennifer Baker, Wright-Patt Credit Union, Inc.
- Brandy Bates, CareSource
- Jennifer Bonifas, Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley
- Jennifer Brumby, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
- Raphael Carranza, Mile Two
- Tonya Casey, Miami Valley Hospital
- Steven Cone, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- Cheli Curran
- Brandi Davis-Handy, AES Ohio
- Holli Davis, Day Air Credit Union, Inc.
- Jocelin Dean, Sinclair Community College
- Andrea Doolittle, Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS)
- Caresse Drake, First Financial Bank
- Kim Estess, O’Diam & Estess Law Group
- Carlina Figueroa, Northwestern Mutual Dayton
- Heather Finlayson, Fifth Third Bank
- David Glover, Champlin Architecture
- Lamonte Hall Jr., City of Dayton
- Heather Harrison, WilmerHale
- W. Chip Herin III, Coolidge Wall
- Michael Howard, Civista Bank
- Mardi Humphreys, Drone Express
- Jill Koorndyk, The Dayton Foundation
