Enterprising Women 2022

Barb Clapp is CEO of Dwyer Workforce Development, an innovative non-profit whose purpose is to provide Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) training and entry level job positions to individuals who lack opportunity and who aspire to pursue a career in the healthcare industry. Dwyer Workforce Development provides job training, wraparound services and case management of students and handles job placements in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Goals are set for a Dwyer Scholars work path and after reaching those goals, students will be awarded a scholarship to attend nursing school or to be trained for other healthcare careers. Barb was chosen to transition the new venture from concept to a full-scale national workforce development organization. She is leading non-profit program development, operations, strategic partnerships, marketing tactics and board development while leveraging past entrepreneurial and non-profit success to develop an immediate and sustainable market presence. Before that, Barb was Founder and CEO of Clapp Communications, a full-service international marketing and public relations firm headquartered in Baltimore since 2001. She sold the agency December 2018. Barb is a C-Level Advisor for the Emerging Technology Centers and a sought after speaker on leadership, overcoming challenges and business strategy. She is also a Director of CFG Bank Board of Directors. A graduate of Loyola University, Barb has received awards and recognition for her CEO leadership over the years which include, most recently, Public Relations Society of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, The Daily Record’s Most Influential Marylander, Most Admired CEO, Top 100 Women, and induction into both the Circle of Leadership and Circle of Excellence. Barb also serves on the boards of the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, Signal 13 Foundation and Maryland SPCA. A committed community advocate, she has served on The Humane Society of the United States Humane Policy Leaders, as Chair of the Maryland SPCA's March for the Animals, sponsored American Diabetes Association CEOs for Stopping Diabetes and was a 2016 Alzheimer’s Association Memory Ball dancer.

Terri Lee Freeman was appointed Executive Director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in December 2020. The seventh director of the State’s largest museum devoted to African American history, Freeman is responsible for providing strategic leadership in furthering the museum’s mission as an educational and cultural institution. Freeman will seek to expand the organization’s visitorship and membership, connect history to current events, and expand the museum’s connection to the very rich and vibrant communities which make up the state of Maryland. Prior to joining The Lewis, Freeman served as President of the National Civil Rights Museum (MCRM) in Memphis, Tennessee, for six years. During her tenure, Freeman updated the museum’s vision and mission and broadened its reputation as the new public square. She oversaw the Museum’s MLK50 commemoration, an international commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Freeman also expanded the National Civil Rights Museum’s public programming, including the creation of such signature programs as “Unpacking Racism for Action,” a seven-month long dialogue program delving into issues of implicit bias and structural racism. Prior to joining the NCRM, Ms. Freeman served as president of the Greater Washington Community Foundation for 18 years. She distinguished herself for her community building and her ability to grow the Foundation’s reputation as an effective and strategic funder in the metropolitan DC region. Her intense passion for the nonprofit sector and community was nurtured while serving as the founding executive director of the Freddie Mac Foundation; at the time, one of the five largest corporate foundations in the metropolitan Washington region.   Ms. Freeman currently serves on the boards of Visit Baltimore and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. Additionally, she is a member of the boards for Urban Teachers in Baltimore, Maryland, and BoardSource in Washington, DC. She is the immediate past chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis and has served as a member of the boards of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce; the Memphis Brand Initiative; and the Orpheum Theatre Group. In 2020, she was identified as an Outstanding Alum by her alma mater, the University of Dayton. And in December 2020, Memphis Magazine identified her as Memphian of the Year. In 2019 she was named a Superwoman of Business and a member of the Power 100 by the Memphis Business Journal. Additionally, she has been identified as a Memphis Mover & Shaker by Memphis Magazine and has been featured in Memphis Business, the Commercial Appeal and Style Blueprint. A frequently sought-after speaker, Ms. Freeman lives by the saying that what is most important is what people say about you when you aren’t in the room. Freeman received her bachelor’s degree in journalism/communication arts from the University of Dayton and her master’s degree in organizational communication management from Howard University.

Jennifer Bedon joined HUM as Chief Philanthropy Officer in July 2020. Jennifer has 20 years of experience in fundraising for causes that improve the quality of life for the people of Baltimore. Jennifer is especially passionate about the opportunity to help HUM expand our work to serve the needs of women and their children with our new Center for Women & Children. Jennifer comes to HUM from leadership roles at Port Discovery Children’s Museum and the Parks & People Foundation where she worked to expand their programs to serve children and youth. While managing her own consulting firm, Jennifer’s clients included museums, associations, hospitals, social services, and environmental organizations. She is an expert in fundraising but particularly enjoys capital campaigns, major fund development, and grant and foundation relationships. Jennifer is a native Baltimorean and a graduate of the Notre Dame of Maryland University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughters.

As physician in chief, Dr. Tinisha Cheatham is responsible for the clinical care delivered across the Baltimore metropolitan area to over 130,000 members at Kaiser Permanente’s integrated outpatient medical centers, contracted hospitals and affiliated skilled nursing facilities. She oversees more than 270 physicians. Since being appointed physician in chief in 2019, she has championed a diverse and inclusive environment that has resulted in record-breaking patient satisfaction scores. All 10 Baltimore medical centers have over 4.5/5-star Google ratings for patient satisfaction, a testament to Dr. Cheatham's leadership and the exceptional service delivered to Baltimore’s patients. In September 2021, Dr. Cheatham was appointed to the Maryland Health Care Commission by Governor Larry Hogan, and she was praised for her dedication to public service and passion for serving the community. She also won the Baltimore Business Journal's 2021 Leaders in Diversity award for her commitment to prioritizing diversity and inclusion in health care. Dr. Cheatham is a board-certified family medicine physician who continues to practice throughout the Baltimore service area.

As President, Janet serves as Bank of America’s local enterprise leader in Greater Maryland. With a goal of delivering one company, she works across the region to connect Bank of America’s business lines to deliver integrated financial services to individuals, families, and businesses. In addition to the President role, Janet also serves as the Market Executive for Greater Maryland. She leads Bank of America’s environmental social governance work in the region, leveraging the capabilities of the company to help partners, people, and communities more effectively address a wide range of issues. Joining the bank in 1993, Janet graduated from Bank of America’s management training program and went on to manage several banking centers throughout the Mid Atlantic region. In 1997, she was appointed to Consumer Market Executive for the Metro Baltimore region. Janet was later appointed to National Banking Group Support Executive, where she led 7 operations business groups nationwide. After assisting Bank of America with the Fleet merger, Janet returned to the sales line and has held leadership roles in Consumer Mortgage, Wealth Management, and Consumer Banking. Janet holds a Master of Science degree from New York University, Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and a graduate of both Leadership Howard County and the Greater Baltimore Committee’s LEADERship programs. Janet has served on numerous local boards and currently serves on the board of the Maryland Bankers Association, the Greater Baltimore Committee, Cherry Hill Strong and the Baltimore Convention and Tourism board. She Co-Chairs the Greater Baltimore Committee’s Baltimore Women’s Advisory Board. Within Bank of America, Janet serves as the Co-Executive Sponsor for LEAD for Women, an employee network dedicated to connecting, developing, and elevating women to enable them to make meaningful contributions within Bank of America and the communities we serve. She acts as a mentor to many women within the organization. Janet has been recognized as a Daily Record Influential Marylander, a Daily Record Power 30 Banking & Finance professional, a Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award winner and a Baltimore Sun 25 Women to Watch awardee. Janet and her husband reside in Howard County, MD. They have two adult children. Janet’s hobbies include cooking, traveling, and reading.

Pavlina Ilieva is Principal and Co-founder of PI.KL Studio – an award-winning practice engaged in architecture, design/build and micro-development. The firm’s work spans across the commercial, workplace and urban housing scales as well as varied community-based and open space projects for non-profit organizations, private and local government entities. Pavlina serves as Chair of the Urban Design and Architecture Advisory Panel (UDAAP) for the Baltimore City Department of Planning, which provides design review and professional design assistance for significant projects and master plans throughout the city. An experienced educator, she also served as Program Director of the Undergraduate Architecture and Environmental Design Program at Morgan State University and is recipient of two national ACSA Architectural Education Awards for her work in fostering diversity in Beginning Design Pedagogy and Housing Design Education. She has published, lectured and juried nationally and is a 2018 Fellow of the Landscape Architecture Foundation CSI Program.

President of the Community College of Baltimore County since 2005, Dr. Sandra L. Kurtinitis is an experienced and respected educator, administrator and author. After more than 50 years as a community college professional, Dr. Kurtinitis remains a tireless and dynamic supporter of CCBC’s mission: to provide an accessible, affordable, and high-quality education that prepares students for transfer and career success, strengthens the regional workforce, and enriches our community. Dr. Kurtinitis is committed to furthering the impact of community colleges nationally as well. She holds memberships on a variety of professional associations and previously served as chair of the American Association of Community Colleges board of directors. The AACC represents more than 1,200 institutions and 12 million students across the U.S. She also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and the Community College Humanities Association. A self-described servant-leader, Dr. Kurtinitis is resolutely committed to inclusive leadership and open communication, affirming her belief that the classroom is a far more important place on campus than the executive office. Under Dr. Kurtinitis’ leadership, CCBC has made significant strides in improving service to students while strengthening its operational areas to best support instruction. She supports a lean executive structure, bringing strong central leadership across the college while fostering a collaborative, learning-centered environment throughout the institution. Educating more than 45,000 students annually, CCBC has received many accolades during Dr. Kurtinitis’ tenure. CCBC twice has been named “Best Community College” in the Maryland Daily Record’s reader rankings (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), repeatedly been on the Military Times “Best Colleges” list and named among the “Top 100 Associate Degree Producers” in the United States by Community College by Diverse magazine. With a reputation as a thought-provoking leader, Dr. Kurtinitis is regularly called upon as a trusted resource for local, county and state legislators, and has been invited to the White House, in both the President Obama and Trump administrations, to participate in discussions regarding higher education and college attainment. She was named a 2020 Influential Marylander by the Daily Record and received a 2019 Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for Advancement & Support of Education. She received further recognition from the Daily Record in 2018 when she was named one of Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs and received an Icon Honor.

Recognized as one of Baltimore's Top 40 under 40, Dr. Tammira Lucas is a thought leader who has quickly emerged as a trailblazer among millennial professionals and a powerful voice for communities locally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Lucas is the founder of The Cube, Cowork, the largest black women owned coworking space in the United States that provides babysitting services. Dr. Lucas is a strong advocate for women in business especially moms. With her dedication to ensure that all moms have access to resources and support to balance their careers, businesses and family, she cofounded The National Association of Mom Entrepreneurs (formally Moms As Entrepreneurs). The National Association of Mom Entrepreneurs, provides advocacy, support, and resources for mom entrepreneurs. Dr. Lucas is an Author, Speaker, Philanthropist, and Professor. Dr. Lucas has dedicated her life to focusing on building stronger and equitable communities through leadership, education, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. Dr. Lucas holds three degrees in business including a Doctor of Business Administration. Her biggest prides are her daughter, Ryann, and husband, Robert.

Ellington West is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sonavi Labs, a medical device and software company based in Baltimore, MD. Sonavi Labs spun out of Johns Hopkins University and has created Feelix, a smart stethoscope and AI-enabled platform that harnesses the power of machine learning to identify and track respiratory abnormalities with the same accuracy as a trained physician. She brings over 10 years of experience in healthcare business development, market research and leadership to Sonavi Labs and is overseeing the development of the company's inaugural product line. Under Ellington’s leadership, Sonavi Labs has grown from a research project into a globally recognized, pioneering health tech company. She has recruited the management team, led successful fundraising initiatives, and continues to build the global presence of Sonavi Labs. Ellington has had numerous successful showings in global competitions, including winning the Health, Tech and Wearables category at SXSW in 2022, and the Early Stage pitch competition at HLTH 2021, among others. Ellington has been asked to speak as an industry leader for the American Telehealth Association, Johnson & Johnson, and National Society of Black Engineers. She also serves as a mentor and advisor to the Consortium for Technology and Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP), developing content to support portfolio companies. Ellington also serves on the board of BetaMore and was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to serve on the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board. Recently, Ellington has been named by the Baltimore Business Journal as an Enterprising Woman of Excellence, the Baltimore Sun as one of the 25 Women to Watch in Healthcare, and she is a 2021 Cartier Women’s Initiative North American Fellow. She continues to use her platform to advocate for women in executive roles and diversity of thought leadership, particularly within the healthcare and venture capital arenas.