Sherrell Johnson
Sherrell was recognized for her contributions to our community as the founder of Treats 4 the Streets, an organization that provides hot meals, toiletries, and nonperishables to unhoused and financially insecure people in Franklin County.
Elaine Damo
Danella Hicks
Danella is the Founder and Executive Director of ALL THAT: Teens Hopeful About Tomorrow, an organization that focuses on the mentorship and empowerment of disconnected teens around Columbus through afterschool and summer programming focused on enhancing academic achievement, exploring career opportunities, and enriching life skills.
Jatu Boikai
Jatu is the Nurse Manager for Maternity Services at Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital and has been a nurse for over 12 years. Jatu has a passion and an unwavering commitment to advancing health equity to bring down the high maternal and infant mortality rates that disproportionately plague Black mothers and babies. Jatu is intentional about finding ways to help improve Black women’s birthing experiences through hiring diverse nursing staff and through her nonprofit that offers free, supportive services to vulnerable women.
Terri Kernan
Terri manages volunteers monthly who prepare and package meals for the daily lunch line at St. Lawrence Haven. They volunteer from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. via the St. Vincent de Paul-run sack lunch program. The Haven sits behind Holy Family Church at the corner of Rich St and Main St in downtown Columbus, where approximately 300-500 meals are served each day.
Kathy Jackson
Kathy is the Columbus, Ohio Affiliate Director for I Support the Girls. Her service to the Columbus area has been recognized with the I Support the Girls Golden Tampon Award, Nexstar’s Remarkable Woman Award, and Fourth of July Dublin Grand Marshal amongst numerous others for her ongoing commitment to collecting and distributing bras, new underwear and menstrual hygiene products to folks experiencing homelessness, impoverishment and distress.
Sarah Sue Morbitzer
After having open heart surgery at just four months old, Sarah Sue overcame her congenital heart defect by working towards her goal of playing volleyball for her dream school, The Ohio State University. Sarah Sue finished her senior season as a Buckeye last fall and now as she prepares for a career in cardiology, wrote a children’s book, Sarah Scarbuck’s Heart Zipper, to encourage and inspire children with congenital heart defects to be proud of their 8-inch heart surgery scars.
Marie McConnell
Marie is on the leadership team at Stonewall Sports Columbus, a community-based, nonprofit sports organization for LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies. Since its inaugural season in 2017, Stonewall Sports Columbus has welcomed nearly 3,000 players and supporters. With the mission of building a connected and inclusive community, the league organizes 7 annual sports seasons and dozens of community events a year. In July 2025, Columbus will host the 11th annual Stonewall Sports National tournament and is thrilled to bring more than 2,500 LGBTQIA+ athletes to our great city.
Jennifer Miller
Jennifer arrives daily with a servant's heart, bringing kindness and compassion to citizens of Columbus AND her Firefighter family. Formally, Jennifer is trained to fill many roles on the job: firefighter, medic transport, incident support, and fire dispatcher. Additionally, she is a member of the Peer Support Team and Honor Guard, assisting her fellow firefighters. Jennifer worked on many special projects including oral board assessments, recruiting, and organizing the women of Columbus Fire. Jennifer adds warmth and light in every room she enters, greets friends with hugs, checks in with division members when they are feeling down. In general, she is the surrogate mom and caretaker for her Division of Fire.
Trish DeVictor
She has distributed TWO MILLION products locally to more than 30 area agencies and schools in the past 5 years!
Linda Gibson
Dr. Gibson Fletcher is a distinguished educational leader with a rich background in fostering positive change within school systems. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cleveland State University in 1980, demonstrating her dedication to a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape.
Yahaira Rose
Yahaira is the founder of Proyecto Mariposas providing enrichment opportunities for Latina mothers and daughters in Central Ohio for the past 13 years. Their vision is to cultivate culturally enriched spaces of belonging where Latina voices thrive. Yahaira is from Puerto Rico (Yauco). Proyecto Mariposas programs include Summer Camps, In- Schools sessions and their favorite event, Quinceañera! Yahaira is also the Director of the Martin de Porres Center (Dominican Sisters of Peace), serving the community through programming for youth and families. She is the commissioner for the Ohio Commission of Hispanic and Latinos Affairs (OCHLA). Yahaira has over 20 years of experience in Leadership Development Programs. Yahaira’s passion is to work closely with the Latin population to provide resources, tools and skills that can build resiliency and strong communities.
