helping make Northern Kentucky shine more brilliantly
. Since 2008, PNC has been a proud sponsor of the Northern Kentucky Chamber Women's Initiative and honored to join them in providing professional women brilliant opportunities to connect, grow and achieve.
Julie Leppo Chair
Ashley Blevins Vice Chair
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
On behalf of the Northern Kentucky Chamber and its Women’s Initiative, we are thrilled to welcome you to this year’s Women’s Initiative Annual Breakfast, centered around our theme “Secure Your Gold.” We are honored to spotlight the insights of Mary Wineberg – Olympic gold medalist, educator, author, and inspiring speaker –whose journey epitomizes perseverance, purpose, and the power of unlocking one’s highest potential.
At the heart of the Women’s Initiative mission is a commitment to provide opportunities for women at every stage of their careers to Connect, Grow, and Achieve. We stand on the foundation laid by courageous women who came before us – women who fought for opportunities many now take for granted. While we celebrate the progress that has been made, we continue our work to create even greater opportunities for future generations.
This event is more than a moment in time – it is a testament to our shared journey to elevate one another, break through barriers, and boldly claim our own success. Our featured speaker embodies this spirit. From her early challenges to winning Olympic gold as part of Team USA’s 4x400 relay team in Beijing, Mary Wineberg has harnessed her experiences to motivate audiences of all ages to discover and secure their personal “gold” wherever it may lie.
Mary’s story of overcoming doubt, redefining possibility, and achieving excellence aligns beautifully with our collective mission to empower women in every sector. We hope that her message – rooted in resilience, selfbelief, and unwavering perseverance – will resonate deeply with each of you and inspire meaningful action in your personal and professional lives.
Thank you for joining us for this inspiring celebration. Your presence enriches our community and amplifies our shared vision of strengthening Northern Kentucky’s economic and social vitality. We encourage you to engage fully – to learn, collaborate, and support one another as we all strive to secure our gold.
Here’s to securing your gold – and to the bold steps we take together today for tomorrow’s success.
Warmest regards,
Julie Leppo and Ashley Blevins
SCHEDULE
Welcome to Annual Breakfast!
Emcee: Angel Beets, Gilman Partners
A Word from the Chair Julie Leppo, U.S. Bank
Message from the Title Sponsor November Redleaf, PNC Bank
Spirit of Achievement Award: Catherine Salzman sponsored by C-Forward
Nonprofit Recipient Award: Aviatra Accelerators sponsored by CIVISTA Bank
Keynote: Secure Your Gold: Mary Wineberg sponsored by Prysmian
Closing Remarks
EMCEE
Angel
Beets
CEO, Gilman Partners
Angel Beets is the CEO of Gilman Partners, an executive search and leadership development firm based in Cincinnati. In addition to managing Gilman Partners’ operations, she provides strategic oversight for GP Elevate, the firm’s leadership development program designed to prepare high-potential leaders for executive roles. She also develops custom training programs for leadership teams across the region and leads strengths training sessions for businesses and nonprofit groups.
Passionate about education and lifelong learning, Angel served as Professor of Communication at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana for a decade and has taught a wide range of courses at Indiana University East, Northern Kentucky University, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Sinclair Community College. She is a member of Impact 100 and serves on the board of Crayons to Computers. Angel is a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 44 and proudly serves as the president of her Leadership Northern Kentucky class of 2018. She received her bachelor’s degree from Ball State University and her master’s in interpersonal communication from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
SPIRIT OF ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE
` Catherine Salzman Founder and Director, Heartwood Strategies
Bio: Catherine Salzman is the owner and director of Heartwood Strategies, a strategy, insights, and facilitation firm located in NKY. Launched in 2021, Heartwood works with clients of all sizes to move from ambiguity to action. Heartwood’s primary services include custom research to help organizations better understand their customers, communities, and stakeholders; strategic planning to help entities clarify goals and craft plans to achieve them; and facilitating workshops that bring teams, boards, and communities together to collaborate, connect, and navigate change.
Catherine currently serves as the chair of the Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky committee, was a speaker at the 2025 Regional Summit, serves on the steering committee, and is a regular attendee at Women’s Initiative events.
In addition to the Women’s Initiative, Catherine serves on the NKY Chamber Board of Directors, is a parent representative on SBDM, was recognized as a YWCA Rising Star, and was a member of NKY Leadership 2025. She lives in Bellevue with her husband, Ryan, and two daughters, Nina (13) and June (9).
When not at work or with her family, Catherine can be found talking about, planting, and caring for trees. The heartwood, her company’s namesake, is the part of a tree where the trunk resides – the strongest part of the tree that holds the rings and the story of its life. Just like a tree’s heartwood, her company helps clients and organizations see their hidden stories and build strong foundations for the future.
` Mary Wineberg Olympic Gold Medalist/Author/Speaker/Educator/Entrepreneur
Winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, China, with the 2008 U.S. Women’s Track and Field team in the 4 x 400-meter relay was the culmination of years of extraordinary challenge, dedication and accomplishment for Mary Wineberg. Once an Olympian, Always an Olympian, Never Former, Never Past. That triumph opened the way for her calling as a passionate champion in education, a personal motivator and contributor to leadership development, founder of Secure Your Gold and an enthusiastic leader. Her story of overcoming tremendous hardships and long odds early in life to reach the pinnacle in her sport has connected thousands through her public speaking and community engagements.
Mary serves on several boards and is active in many organizations. She has published two books, one an autobiography called “Unwavering Perseverance an Olympic Gold Medalist Finds Peace”, and her children’s book “I Didn’t Win.” Mary resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters. She hopes to continue a legacy of realizing your potential, leaving all inspired, and allowing others to Secure Your Gold!
COMMITTEE
Ashley Blevins OstermanCron, Inc.
Allyson Cook ERIGO Employer Solutions
Megan Elfers Elemeno Creative Services
Mariah Frommeyer Paul Hemmer Company
Blanche Gaynor Writing Enhancement Services, LLC
Angela Hagedorn Heritage Bank
Brandy Hammons Dayton Freight Lines
Barb Johnson Wells Fargo Advisors
Melissa Koester St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Julie Leppo U.S. Bank
Stephanie Lambdin American Heart Association
Melissa Lutz Champlin | EOP
Sharon Mann Mubea Inc.
Allison Owens Designs Direct LLC
Carla Quercioli meetNKY, Northern Kentucky CVB
November Redleaf PNC Bank
Nancy Schreiner Goering Center for Family & Private BusinessUniversity of Cincinnati
Nicole Trimpe Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Northern Kentucky
Michelle VonderBrink Champlin | EOP
Jada Wakefield Children’s Law Center, Inc.
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The Women’s Initiative, powered by PNC, is the leading organization in NKY and the Greater Cincinnati region for women of all career stages, working toward business and professional success.
WI Mission: Provide the opportunities for women of all career stages to Connect, Grow, and Achieve in business.
Annual Breakfast
Women’s Initiative’s largest event featuring a keynote speaker who will share her story of professional achievement.
Connect Hour
This women’s networking event is held the last Monday of every month.
Mentoring Program
Enables a pair to meet for a one-on-one relationship for career growth over the period of one year.
Outstanding Women of NKY
This program recognizes and awards women who work, live or volunteer in NKY and show outstanding service to their communities.
Professional Series
Professional development events held twice a year featuring various business-related topics. Open to women and men.
Regional Summit
The premier day-long conference for professional women in the Tri-state area held in the fall each year.
Roundtables
WI Vision: To be the premier organization in NKY and Greater Cincinnati for professional women. Facebook.com/NKYWI NKYChamber.com/WILinkedin
Groups of 6-8 women from different industries and career status meet once a month to support each other in a productive, confidential setting.
