About
Who We Are
The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio is a public foundation focused on gender equity. We create social change through our trust-based investments in women and girls, our groundbreaking research, and our intersectional advocacy.
Our Mission
Our mission is to transform the lives of women and girls by mobilizing the collective power and passion of all people working together.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where gender equity is the norm in work and life.
What Makes Us Different?
Unlike private foundations, which are endowed with funds from a family’s wealth or corporate earnings, The Women’s Fund depends on annual support from our community to fund our work. As a public foundation, we gather financial contributions from individuals, families, and businesses that want to support social change.
The Women’s Fund was founded by a group of 15 visionary women to address the lack of funding directed toward women and girls in Central Ohio. Our work is sustained by the thousands of donors who still believe that investing in women and girls is critical to move our community forward.
Our Team

Kelley Griesmer
President & CEO (she/her)

Kelsie Fields
Director of Operations (she/her)

Drew Kaufman
Director of Fundraising (he/him)

monique kamara
Programs and Administrative Associate (she/her/they/them)
Our BOARD of directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Sophia Fifner, Chair

Dr. Sierra Austin-KING, Vice Chair

Jennifer Yaross, TREASURER

Letha Pugh, Secretary

Heather Whaling, Past Chair
Our BOARD of directors
Dr. Sierra Austin-KING
Regional School Improvement Coordinator for Diversity & Equity, Educational Service of Central Ohio; Senior Lecturer, Black Feminist Studies, Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Department of African American and African Studies, The Ohio State University
Lachandra B. Baker
Entrepreneur; Founder & Lead Consultant, Lachandra B. Baker EDUtainment, LLC
Jennifer Battle
Partner, Carpenter Lipps & Leland LLP
Dr. Shell Bird
Co-Founder, OssaTeams; Founder, The Bindu Project
Kathy Bowman
Retired (Former Member, Bailey Cavalieri)
Sophia Fifner
Executive Director, Nisource Foundation; Director Of Communications, Nisource
Claudia Herrington
Senior Director of Compliance, JobsOhio
Ronnie Marquez-Posey
Bureau Chief: Trade & Veteran Services, Ohio Department Of Job And Family Services
Melissa McHenry
SVP, Communications And Marketing, American Electric Power
Denise Mirman
Managing Partner & Attorney, Friedman & Mirman Co., L.P.A.
Natalie Moretz
VP, Mortgage Banking Product Originations, Berkadia
Christine Murry
VP & General Counsel, Crane Group Co.
Melinda Nenning
Member, Bailey Cavalieri, LLC
Kimber Perfect
Marketing and Communications Consultant, Kimber Perfect Consulting
Andrea Pfaadt
Director Of Business Development, Schneider Downs
Letha Pugh
Co-Owner, Bake Me Happy; Co-Founder, Black, Out & Proud
Dana Sims
VP, Marketing & Development, The Buckeye Ranch
Heather Whaling
President & Founder, Geben Communication
Jennifer Yaross
Vice President, CFO for Strategy and Corporate Development, Nationwide
Rebecca Wiggins
Founder, Consultant, Row Together, LLC
For a full list of all Board alumnae, please click here.
Our Founders
Carol Andreae
Sharon Cameron
Loann Crane (1925-2021)
Sally Crane Cox
Barbara Fergus
Judy Garel (1933-2021)
Stephanie Hightower
Nancy Jeffrey (1930-2018)
Cathe Chapin Kobacker
Melodee Kornacker
Mary Lazarus
Ann Pizzuti
Kathy Ransier
Emily Rutherford
Jody G. Scheiman