Meet the Women of Achievement Class of 2025
Cleveland – November 19, 2024 – YWCA Greater Cleveland is proud to announce the 2025 Women of Achievement Award recipients. This annual award is presented to a select group of Northeast Ohio women who have achieved extraordinary accomplishments in their careers and community service. They have also shown a dedication to YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.
This year, nine outstanding women will be celebrated for their work in and for the community. This group of honorees represents organizations across Northeast Ohio that are committed to the betterment and progress of women and girls in our community. All are invited to celebrate these women at YWCA’s Woman of Achievement Award Celebration on June 4, 2025 at Severance Music Center in University Circle.
The 2025 Women of Achievement Honorees are:
Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley - Former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta & President Emeritus of the Middle East Policy Council
Trina Bediako - Chief Executive Officer, New Horizons Baking Company
Shontel Brown - Congresswoman, 11th Congressional District, United States House of Representatives
Michelle Hereford - System Chief Nurse Executive, Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership, University Hospitals
Kelly Lamirand - Cleveland Market President, Key Bank
Deborah Lindway - Executive Vice President, Bank Security Officer & Technology Executive for Mergers and Acquisitions, PNC Bank
Jazmin Long - President & Chief Executive Officer, Birthing Beautiful Communities
Claire Rosacco - Vice President, Government Relations & Community Outreach, Cuyahoga Community College
Renee Willis, PhD - Executive Director, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
The selection committee was tasked with identifying the best of the best from a large pool of outstanding women leaders. “Our region is fortunate to have such great talent and visionary leaders who believe in building the community as they achieve success,” said Helen Forbes Fields, YWCA Greater Cleveland President and CEO. “With each class, we are shattering the glass ceiling in organizations, the region, and society with more bold and courageous women.” Not only do they serve their respective organizations, but they also give time, talent, and treasure to the communities where they live and work. The Women of Achievement Academy boasts over 255 past honorees, all of whom are recognized as esteemed leaders, movers, and shakers who have made or are making an impact in Northeast Ohio.
MEET THE 2025 YWCA WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT HONOREES
Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley is President of the Middle East Policy Council, a think tank contributing to American understanding of the political, economic and cultural issues affecting U.S. interests in the Middle East. She serves as Senior Advisor at the strategic advisory firm, WestExec Advisors. She is also Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council. Her experience includes leadership positions in the U.S. State Department, Department of Defense, and the National Security Council, where she worked on critical issues related to counterterrorism, security, and diplomatic relations. One of her most notable achievements was becoming the first woman to lead a U.S. diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia, serving as Principal Officer in Jeddah. Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley, a native of Northeast Ohio, is the recipient of numerous awards.
Trina Bediako became Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons Baking Company after joining the company 22 years ago and serving in various capacities. She followed her father to lead the company after he stepped down in 2020, becoming the first female Chief Executive Officer of the family-owned NHB Holdings LLC. In 2020, during the global pandemic when other companies were closing their doors, Trina added companies to the Norwalk based portfolio of product offerings. In December 2023, New Horizons added a custom liquid blends company for iconic brands like Rooster, City Barbeque and more. She is currently leading her team through the opening of their newest bakery. Trina leads over 700 employees, 200 of which are women.
Congresswoman Shontel M. Brown is a relentless public servant. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2021, she currently works to attract jobs that pay fair wages, improve access to affordable and high-quality health care, ensure equity and justice for all Americans, and improve the quality of life for Northeast Ohioans. In the118th Congress, Brown is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the HouseCommittee on Oversight and Reform, and the Select Committee on the Strategic Relationship Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. She first entered public service in 2012, when elected as a Warrensville Heights City Council member. In 2014, she was elected to represent the 9th district on the Cuyahoga County Council. As a County Council Member, she earned a reputation as a proven and unifying leader who brought job-creating projects to the district and supported public education.
Michelle Hereford is the System Chief Nurse Executive for University Hospitals (UH), an expansive and comprehensive health system. As System Chief Nursing Executive and a member of the University Hospitals Executive Leadership Team, Ms. Hereford is responsible for the overall management of nursing operations, professional practice, education, professional development, research and clinical services for University Hospitals. She also leads the Nursing Leadership Council, an advisory group that draws upon the experiences of nurses outside of UH to provide strategic guidance and help foster philanthropic support and community engagement for University Hospital’s nursing teams.
Kelly Lamirand serves as Market President for Key Bank’s Cleveland market. She is the senior representative and spokesperson leading the organization’s economic and community development efforts for the market. She also oversees the Cleveland Commercial Banking team, a group of professionals dedicated to providing expertise and financial solutions to Commercial Banking clients whose sales range between $20-$500 million. Kelly began her career at KeyCorp in 1998 as a management associate in the credit training program. Throughout her career at Key, she has gained lending experience in various roles including portfolio management and underwriting. Mrs. Lamirand has been promoted to various roles with increasing regional responsibility. In 2012, she was named a Woman of Professional Excellence by YWCA Greater Cleveland and was also nominated as a Person to Watch in Finance by Crain’s Cleveland Business. Most recently, Mrs. Lamirand was named in Crain’s Notables in Finance list.
Deborah Lindway is Executive Vice President, Enterprise Technology & Security at PNC. She has a proven record of developing and executing business & technology strategies for transformational change across diverse businesses and functions to deliver large scale results in highly matrixed environments. She has strong experience in leading teams through change for technology delivery, security convergence, intelligent automation and driving relationships across business and technology leadership. A chemical engineer by training, Deb has worked for GE, Bank of America, KeyBank, and PNC. She is also a Certified Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. Her past and present community involvement spans several states, including North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Ohio.
Jazmin Long is President and Chief Executive Officer of Birthing Beautiful Communities (BBC), which provides essential social support to Black women facing the highest risks of infant mortality during the perinatal period. While Jazmin has been leading a team of nearly 50 doulas, BBC has extended aid to over 700 families. Her leadership has been instrumental in securing more than $8.5 million in funding, forging partnerships with three managed care organizations to facilitate reimbursement for doula services, expanding operations into Summit County, and directing a campaign for the establishment of what will soon be - Ohio’s only Black-owned free-standing birth center. Jazmin joined BBC in 2018 as the Vice President of Fund Development. In this role, BBC experienced an expanding budget, staff and doula count, and service to expectant and new mothers in Northeast Ohio.
Claire Rosacco serves as Vice President, Government Affairs and Community Outreach for Cuyahoga Community College. She has taken her career from the City of Cleveland to the Ohio governor's office and eventually, to the campuses of Cuyahoga Community College. Here, she provides collegewide leadership and coordination for all local, state and federal legislation in support of the mission of Cuyahoga Community College, coordination of community special events, and so much more. Throughout her career, she has chosen to work for organizations that afford her the opportunity to be proactive and work towards equity, access, opportunity, and justice. In addition to her career achievements, Claire has dedicated herself to several government committee appointments, not-for-profit memberships, and leadership roles.
Renee Willis is the Executive Director of the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. She is renowned as a transformative and visionary leader in public education. Prior to her current role, she served as the Superintendent for Richmond Heights Local School District. Her educational leadership roles began in the Cleveland Metropolitan District, where she served as Deputy Chief of Pre-K-8 Education and as Chief Strategic Implementation Officer & Chief Transformation Officer. She began her career as a middle school teacher in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools. Dr. Willis has dedicated her career to breaking barriers and challenging the status quo. Her journey reflects her commitment to building bridges to inclusivity and equality in education. She is a trailblazer, recognized for empowering others, mentoring emerging leaders, and driving systemic change that paves the way for future generations. Her leadership is marked by integrity, strategic foresight, and an unwavering dedication to creating a more equitable world through education.