Advisory Council

Otterbein Women's Leadership NET Advisory Council

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• Jane Grote Abell

  As a founding family member, Jane Grote Abell joined Donatos Pizza Inc. in 1978, and currently holds the title of Chairman of the Board & Owner.
  
  Jane has also held a variety of positions in Donatos Food Service commissary operations and Donatos Pizza restaurant operations from 1978 until 1988. In 1988 with a degree from Ohio State University in Organizational Communications, and a strong passion for people, she was promoted to the Chief People Officer and served in this role during the acquisition by McDonald’s in 1999. During the four years with McDonalds, Jane served as Senior Vice President Development, Franchise Development and maintained the role as Chief People Officer. In these leadership positions, she helped steer the Company’s business strategy. Most notably, in 2003, Jane was a major catalyst behind the decision to buy back the Company from McDonald’s. In December of 2006, Jane was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer.
  
  Jane was a recipient of the McDonald’s Corporation 21st Century Service Team Award and the Pace Setter Executive Award given by The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. In 2004 she was recipient of the “Forty Under 40 Award” sponsored by Columbus Business First. In addition, she was a recipient of the Founder’s Award and President’s Award from Donatos Pizza. In 2010, she received the St. Francis DeSales High School Alumni Award of Distinction.
  
  Jane serves on the Board of Action for Children, Goodwill Columbus, Inc. and Coinstar, Inc. She is a member of the Women’s Food Service Forum, the Young Presidents Organization, the Women’s Leadership Council of United Way of Central Ohio, and the Otterbein University Women's Leadership Network Advisory Council.
  
  Jane has three children. Her son, Tony, is married to Hannah; and her two daughters are Brianna and Tori.

• Kerrii Anderson

  Kerrii B. Anderson, is the former chief executive officer and president of Wendy’s International. She joined the company in September 2000 as executive vice president and chief financial officer. She was promoted to the CEO position in April 2006 and left upon the merger of Wendy’s with Triarc Companies, Inc. to form Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. in September 2008.
  
  Anderson provided leadership to the corporation as CEO in a time of transition, recognizing the need to transact while transforming Wendy’s. She developed a strategic vision and plan for the Wendy’s brand on a standalone basis, with support of the Board, which included activist shareholder nominees. She along with her team executed the IPO and spin-off of Tim Hortons creating $4 billion of value for shareholders. During this time of uncertainly, she engineered the turn-around of Wendy’s sales, as well as filled the product pipeline. She lead the reorganization of field operations and corporate to include early retirement and reduction of workforce to achieve a $100 million reduction in G&A and Field cost in 2007. Kerrii successfully executed a seamless transition of the merger of Wendy’s and Triarc, which resulted from a year long Board Strategic Committee process . She was a member of the company’s board of directors from 2001.
  
  Prior to joining Wendy’s, she was senior vice president and chief financial officer for 14 years for M/I Schottenstein Homes, Inc., a NYSE company that is one of the nation’s leading builders of single-family homes.
  
  Anderson’s financial career includes positions in accounting and investment firms, as well as public companies, including KPMG and RJR Nabisco.
  
  Anderson sits on the boards of the following public corporations , Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH), Chiquita Brands International (CQB), Worthington Industries, Inc. (WOR) and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro (PFCB) through June 2012. She also serves on the following non-profit entities: Columbus Foundation Audit Committee, Ohio Health Board of Trustees and Finance Committee member, and Elon University Board of Trustees.
  
  She is a certified public accountant and earned her Masters in Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Anderson graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and a minor in accounting and economics from Elon University in North Carolina.
  
  She has been married to Douglas Anderson for 24 years and has two children: Alexa (18) and Taff (16).

• TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney

  Information forthcoming.

• Elfi Di Bella

  Elfi Di Bella is the President and CEO of YWCA Columbus, a position she accepted in January 2010. Since joining the YWCA, Elfi has successfully navigated the challenging economy and critical excess of homeless families at the YWCA Family Center. Under her leadership, the Family Center continues to be an award-winning model of re-housing families within 20 days of entering the center. Her insightful guidance has also led to a three-year CARF accreditation, which demonstrates the YWCA’s commitment
  to quality, accountability and satisfaction of the people served.
  

  Elfi is passionate about helping all women succeed. She is a specialist in women’s leadership and a frequent speaker on the topics of homeless women and families, and leadership for women of all ages. As CEO of one of Columbus’ most influential  organizations for women, Elfi invests her time in supporting and creating programs to address women’s critical needs. From providing affordable childcare for working moms, GED programs for formerly homeless women, racial justice training for children, leadership programs for young women, and leadership opportunities for seasoned leaders, Elfi ensures that all women’s needs are served by YWCA Columbus. Elfi currently serves on Franklin University’s Leadership Center Board of Advisors, on the Otterbein Women’s Leadership Network Advisory Council, and on the Steering Committee for Women at the Table (WATT).

  Recognized as a “Woman of Achievement” in 2009 by the YWCA and a recipient of the American Red Cross Steckler International Service Award, Elfi is an active community leader and volunteer. She serves as a Commissioner of the Columbus Community Relations Commission and is a trustee for the Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation board. Previously, Elfi has chaired the Community Shelter Board’s Board of Trustees and served as Chairman of the Strategic Steering Committee for CSB’s Rebuilding Lives program, which has been recognized as a national model. Elfi has also held various leadership roles for the Columbus Metropolitan Club, Leadership Columbus, Columbus School for Girls, Jazz Arts Group, Dresden Sister City Inc., Columbus Sister Cities International, the Development Committee for Choices and the Columbus Arts Stabilization Committee.

  Originally from Idar-Oberstein, Germany, Elfi earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Franklin University and is a member of the International Women’s Forum. Elfi enjoyed over 20 years of career success in the financial services sector prior to joining YWCA Columbus.

• Joel Gagne

  Joel is the owner of Allerton Hill Consulting, a leader in communications & marketing for schools and public entities. Allerton Hill Consulting has a reputation on helping public entities secure positive outcomes from an ever weary public. It is also becoming a leader in social media's impact on public education.
  

  Joel offers a range of experience in politics and has been involved in political campaigns at every level and even abroad for more than 25 years. This includes work on multiple presidential campaigns, the Irish Parliament, mayoral campaigns, and campaigns for the US Senate and governorship. It also includes serving in public office as an elected official.

  Joel graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, while he was there he worked as co-op in Capitol Hill and the White House. He also attended Harvard University for graduate studies. He also completed program work from Harvard in conflict resolution and from the University of Chicago in creative writing. Joel has worked throughout the country as part of his political work. Currently he is also a Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan and has conducted a round table on social media in education at the University of Dayton.

• Sally Hughes

  Since 1987, Sally A. Hughes has served as president and chief executive officer of Caster Connection, Inc. a company she founded upon completion of a professional singing career. Caster Connection is an industrial products manufacturer and distributor whose principle products lines include industrial casters and wheels but focus mainly on ergonomic material handling solutions. Ms. Hughes founded and leads the business based upon the solid principle: “providing ergonomic caster and wheel solutions to decrease injuries in the workplace”.
  
  Hughes began the business by selling chair casters out of the trunk of her car but quickly began providing heavy duty casters and wheels to industrial companies. A creative suggestion to General Motors Corporation to consolidate their purchasing and select Caster Connection to provide products to their Northeast Ohio factories moved the business to a new level. This approach was then utilized with other industrial companies with multiple locations.
  
  As the nationwide move to reduce on the job injuries gathered momentum Hughes led Caster Connection’s effort to advance ergonomic safety solutions. The company became recognized for their innovative solutions for moving heavy equipment. Caster Connection used its experience in safety advancement and applied it to the automotive industry, food service, commercial laundry, and bakery industries. Twenty five years later this multi-million dollar company serves thousands of companies throughout the United States and Canada.
  
  Hughes serves on the Board of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), the Women’s Presidents Organization (WPO), and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). She is on the Board of The Wellington School, Women’s Leadership network Advisory Council for Otterbein University, and the Ohio Consumers Counsel, appointed by Attorney General Mike DeWine. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of women in business including the 2008 National Woman Economic Development Outreach (WEDO) Broadcast Tour. She is a community volunteer with particular interest in children’s hospitals, The Wellington School, and maintains her interest in singing through active participation with her church.

• Craig Marshall

  Information forthcoming.

• Mary Navarro

  Information forthcoming.

• Susan Rector

  Susan Rector is a partner at the regional law firm of Ice Miller LLP. She represents smart, creative owners in business transactions, protects their assets and creates value for their enterprises. Susan is an enthusiastic member of Women at the Table, an initiative to increase women’s participation as corporate directors and of the Ohio TechAngel Funds, which invest in entrepreneurial technology-based startup businesses. She is a member of the board of Peoples Bancorp and Peoples Bank. She is active in the Columbus non-profit community, currently serving on the boards of the Columbus Zoo and Children’s Hunger Alliance, both of which she previously chaired. She is a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization and the Leadership Columbus Hall of Fame and was recognized as a 2012 YWCA Woman of Achievement.

• Elaine Roberts

  On January 1, 2003, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority was created to oversee the operations of Port Columbus International, Rickenbacker International, and Bolton Field Airports and Roberts was named President & CEO. She was named Executive Director of the Columbus Airport Authority, CRAA's predecessor, December 18, 2000, and prior to that was Executive Director for six years of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation which operates T. F. Green (Providence) Airport and five other state-owned airports. Roberts began her airport management career with the Indianapolis Airport Authority in 1983 where she served for 12 years.

  Roberts serves on the Boards of:

  • Columbus Partnership
  • Experience Columbus (formerly Greater Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau)
  • Columbus Chamber of Commerce
  • Columbus Region Logistics Council
  • State Auto Financial Corporation

  Roberts is an Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) and has served in a number of official and organizational capacities within the American Association of Airport Executives. Roberts is Past Chair of the AAAE-National Board and serves on the Policy Review Committee and the Board of the International Association of Airport Executives.

  She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology from Western Kentucky University, a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Louisville, and a law degree from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis.

• Susan Tomasky

  Information forthcoming.