Leadership Council - Women at Work

With the help of Peggy Ogden, former President & CEO of the Community Foundation, we organized and formed our Leadership Council. In addition, we forged consensus on our mission, our values and these four goals:

• Identify and provide funding for causes that support and empower women and girls
• Develop and recognize leadership in women and girls
• Promote the status of women in the community at large
• Establish in women a sense of identity and responsibility as philanthropists

In 2001 and 2002 we gave out our first small grants, to mentoring and leadership development programs for girls, to scholarships enabling women to attend training programs in political leadership (one of whom has since been elected to public office), to dialogue circles bringing together girls and women from different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, and to finance an internship in public service law. Since those first grant rounds, we have distributed more than $325,000 to programs benefiting women and girls in Central New York. Each year, as the Fund grows, we are able to give more and more.

Kate Michaels, Chair 2021-2022

Kate Michaels, CLF, CLU, ChFC is the District Director and a Financial Advisor for Northwestern Mutual in Syracuse. Kate and her husband, Ryan, moved to Manlius in 2017 and love their new community here in Syracuse. As a mom to a young daughter, Kate is passionate about improving the lives or women and girls and empowering them to achieve their potential. When not working or volunteering, Kate enjoys boating, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Women’s Fund of CNY Leadership Council 2021-2022

Lisa Alford

Margaret Barclay

Ginny Biesiada

Jill Charsky, Vice Grants

Jalyn Clifford, Nominating

Rina Corigliano-Hart

Judi Dixon

Sue Edson, Events

Manal El-Tigi

Maureen Flynn, Grants

Beth Lynn Hoey, Immediate Past Chair

Lynn Hy

Lauren Ianuzi

Maeve Lanning, Secretary

Debra McClendon-Boddie

Kate Michaels, Chair

Lisa Moore

Cindy Oehmigen, Fundraising

Tamika Otis

Amy Rhinehardt

Caeresa Richardson, Treasurer

Yudaisy Salomón Sargentón

Laura Serway

Barb Stone

Meega Wells

Melissa Whipps, Vice Chair

Shabnam Yazdanyar