Alen Amini
Board Member
Anisha Bhirud
Board Member
Anisha is a Cincinnati native who works as the Brand Manager for Little Passports. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Bachelor of Science in Biology from Xavier University and her Masters of Business Administration from the Williams College of Business at Xavier University. Anisha has worked in marketing in the Cincinnati area for over 10 years. An advocate of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Anisha graduated from the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s leadership development program, Building Cultural Competence in 2021.
She and her husband, Ashwin, live in Hyde Park in Cincinnati. They have a son (Bodhi) and a rescue pup (Archie). Along with the COVERD board, Anisha is also serving on the board of The Association of Volunteers in support of the Convalescent Hospital Fund for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Anisha learned about Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank through her volunteer work with the Junior League of Cincinnati. She decided to get involved after becoming a new parent and learning the harsh reality that diapers and personal care products are not covered by social services. She is incredibly honored to be joining the cause as a board member and excited to help spread awareness of Sweet Cheeks as part of the Development Committee.
Marcus Celestin
Board Vice Chair
Tyler Connell
Board Member
Tyler Connell is a well-rounded and diverse retail merchandising corporate leader for the Kroger company. He has 18+ years’ experience at Kroger building vendor relations, reducing costs, and building strategic plans that deliver both top line and bottom line results. He currently holds the position of Director of Center Store Edible Merchandising. Tyler was a 2019 graduate of LEAP (Leadership Excellence Acceleration Program), and a 2023 Executive Mentor as part of the Accelerated Leadership Development program that helps guide rising stars at Kroger.
He is also a graduate of the BOLD Program, hosted by the Leadership Council for Nonprofits. Tyler also has volunteered his time in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, serving as a big brother to the same little for 11 years, coming to completion with his little’s graduation from Aiken High School in 2020. He is still in contact with his little, Zaymar, on a regular basis.
Tyler and his wife, Ashley, live in Anderson Township and have 3 kids. He loves coaching youth sports, playing golf, playing basketball, Xavier basketball games, and most of all, traveling to new places with his family.
Laura Del Cid
Board Chair
Laura is Director of Treasury and Mortgage Risk Management at Fifth Third Bank. After having worked for over a decade in various senior finance roles in Corporate Treasury both in Cincinnati and Los Angeles, in addition to obtaining her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, Laura moved into risk management in 2016 and oversees market and liquidity risk for the Bank. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton and is a passionate Flyers basketball fan.
Laura became involved with Sweet Cheeks through participation in the BOLD program for board leadership development locally. As soon as she learned about the diaper bank, she knew she had to get involved in the work to support the health and well-being of Cincinnati’s children and families. Laura is honored to join the board and is excited to help the organization continue to grow.
Laura and her wife, Jessica, live in Madeira with their son, Alexander, and daughter, Corinne.
Cara Cross
Board Member
As Professional Development Director for Messer Construction Co., Cara supports business growth by identifying, attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent. She works collaboratively across the company to create strategies that maximize employee engagement and on-the-job development.
Cara earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Education in Human Resource Development from Xavier University. She is a graduate of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s WE Lead leadership development program, and is a certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-CP).
Cara coaches volleyball and Girls on the Run, and looks forward to perfecting her diaper-packing skills while serving on the board of Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank. She and her husband, Tyler, live in Kenwood with their daughters Addie and Maeve.
Lori Holiday
Board Secretary
Lori is the Program Manager for Mercy Serves an AmeriCorps program which is a volunteer corps serving in Mercy Health Emergency Departments in the Cincinnati region to prevent and reduce substance and opioid use. Prior to working with Mercy Heath, she was the Director of Member Services and Technology Solutions at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Serving at the Chamber for over 20 years, she held several roles on the membership team throughout her career including Member Relations, Director Customer Focus Center and Membership Development Director. Born in Springfield, MA but raised in Cincinnati, she is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.
Along with the COVERD board, she is also serving on the Retail Operations Committee for Portaluca, the retail shop for Dress for Success, and the Community Outreach Committee for Hospice of Cincinnati. She is a graduate of WE Lead Class 1 and previously served on the Executive Committee and Membership Committee with the Cincinnati Chamber Alumni Network. She was a long-time mentor with the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and also served on their Volunteer Management Committee. She worked as the Secretary of the Board for Girls on the Run of Greater Cincinnati for a five-year term along with volunteering on their Race Committee and Governance Committee.
She has been married to Tom for over 30 years, and they have one child, Rachel, who currently lives in California working in the animation industry.
She is incredibly honored and excited to serve on the Board and Governance Committee for COVERD.
Lauren Horn
Board Member
Lauren is a CPA at FORVIS, specializing in audits of manufacturing companies and employee benefit plans. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Miami University. Lauren resides in Hyde Park with her husband and two kids. During her free time, she enjoys exploring all that Cincinnati has to offer, and she loves spending time with family and friends.
Lauren first learned about Sweet Cheeks through the BOLD program. Learning about the overwhelming need for diapers and personal care products within her community got Lauren excited about the organization. After starting her own family and seeing how the lack of these resources can strain parents and families, she decided to get involved. Prior to joining the board, she served as a member of the finance committee. She is honored to be part of such an amazing organization and looks forward to furthering the mission as a member of the board.
Anecia Johnson
Board Member
Anecia Johnson is an incredibly multifaceted individual. Workwise she is a dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in organizational leadership, process improvement, human resources and data management. Her greatest business strengths are her ability to direct others, make timely decisions, remain flexible, and ensure that processes run at maximum efficiency.
She is a graduate of the BOLD Program, hosted by the Leadership Council for Nonprofits. Anecia is no stranger to non profits and spent the early part of her career working in afterschool programs in Appalachia, and Early Childhood Education/Head Start in NYC.
In her personal time she is a full-time student of life. Anecia is a newly licensed foster parent, an advocate, spirited dancer, budding energy worker, and beginner sound healer. She believes that each individual has divine purpose within their community, and that it is our shared responsibility to protect, nurture, and develop these gifts into useful tools of progress.
Michaela Rawsthorn
Board Member
Michaela has worked as freelance writer and researcher for well over a decade. She’s also an Associate at Dartington Service Design Lab in the UK, where she helps use data and evidence to transform systems and improve programs for children and families, and currently teaches research and evaluation methods at the doctoral level for Spalding University in Louisville, KY.
She has also worked as a policy analyst for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research and evaluation manager at the Prison Advice and Care Trust (in London), state government relations for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and in constituent services for the Ohio Senate.
Fancying herself as a lifetime learner, Michaela holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University and Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago. She earned her Doctor of Social Work from the University of Southern California when she was 42.
She loves living in Westwood with her three teenage kids and two dogs.
Lori Rodgers
Board Member
Lori is a Cincinnati native who works as Assistant General Counsel for TriHealth, Inc. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Miami University and her Juris Doctorate from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. Lori has worked as a health care attorney in the Cincinnati area for over 20 years.
She and her husband Tim live on the westside of Cincinnati in Bridgetown. They have two teenagers, a daughter (Morgan), a son (Brady) and a maltipoo (Cece). Lori is an avid watcher of HGTV, loves to travel, spending time with family and going to theater productions around the city including seeing her kids in their high school theater performance both on and off stage.
Lori learned about Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank through her work at TriHealth and decided to get involved after hearing Megan’s story and the harsh reality that diapers and personal care products are not covered by social services. She is honored to be joining the cause as a board member and to help spread awareness and raise funds for Sweet Cheeks as the Chair of the Development Committee.
Sarah Tenhundfeld
Board Member
Sarah is a Wealth Advisor at Truepoint Wealth Counsel. She earned a B.B.A in Finance from the University of Cincinnati and maintains the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.
Sarah became involved with Sweet Cheeks through participation in the Board Orientation and Leadership Development (BOLD) program run by the Leadership Council for Nonprofits.
She and her husband, Nick, live in Loveland with their daughter, Palmer, and their two dogs, Stella and Chloe.
Cheryl Thomas
Board Member
Cheryl is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Women Helping Women and has been with the agency since September 2017. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, an MBA, and has more than 40 years in non-profit finance/accounting.
Cheryl first learned about Sweet Cheeks in 2018 at which time she also learned about the need for such an organization. Cheryl has a passion for mission based work, and especially supporting women and children in need. She has worked in ministry for more than 30 years and enjoys working alongside her husband David, who pastors a local church in Cincinnati.
Cheryl and David have lived in Cincinnati since June 2010.
