Meet the ThriveTogether Steering Committee

Meet some of our Steering Committee members:

Stephanie Bacher

• Bio: Stephanie Bacher manages waste reduction programs and education, as well as resource usage and reduction at all 22 park destinations across Hamilton County. Additionally, Stephanie serves as Great Park’s representative for the biochar collaboration with Cincinnati Park Board. Stephanie also manages Great Park destinations that are participating in Cincinnati’s 2030 District within Winton Woods, Sharon Woods, and Little Miami Golf Center. In addition to nearly 10 years of professional experience in the waste reduction field, Stephanie earned a Master of Arts degree in Urban Sustainability and Resilience from Xavier University where she is currently an Adjunct Professor teaching Managing for Sustainability.
• Organization: Great Parks of Hamilton County, Ohio
• Position: Sustainability Coordinator
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? Development of a "copy and paste" version of the Green Cincinnati Plan for other regions of the country to use in their climate fights.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? Regional collaboration that continues for decades to come.

Rico Blackman

• Bio: Cincinnati born and raised. Community member first and foremost. Focused on housing, farming, food systems, education and overall liberation of Black peoples in America.
• Organization: Black Power Initiative and Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition
• Position: Executive Director/Director of Organizing
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? I hope it is in a much better place for all Cincinnatians, especially Black and colored community members.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? That we create a program to better the lives of everyone in our represented communities. That each community can have a sense of positive changes happening. That this can lead to bigger and more impactful improvements.

Kristin Burgoyne

• Bio: Kristin Burgoyne is the Executive Director at RefugeeConnect, a local nonprofit with the mission to connect refugees (people forced to flee their country to escape persecution or war) with resources to rebuild their lives as United States citizens. Kristin has worked with refugee and immigrant communities in community-based and educational nonprofits across the United States for over 15 years.
• Organization: Refugee Connect
• Position: Executive Director
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? Active involvement and engagement of local communities in climate action initiatives, with collaborative efforts to address environmental challenges and promote resilience. Sustainable and accessible public transportation options, especially for low-income and under-resourced communities. Increased programs that focus on recycling and renewable energy.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? To build sustainable climate reduction programs that support communities most deeply affected by climate change.

Madeline Chera

• Bio: Maddie convenes partners across the Greater Cincinnati Region to share information and collaborate on advocacy and program work as members of the Food Policy Council. Maddie leverages data, communications, and funding to direct and monitor our collective impact toward the vision of a resilient regional food system. She brings over a decade of domestic and international experience as an educator, researcher, and nonprofit team member to her work, along with a PhD in Anthropology from Indiana University Bloomington, with a focus on food, the environment, and culture.
• Organization: Green Umbrella
• Position: Director, Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? I hope it's pervasive and embedded in the culture and hometown pride of our region. I hope it's nonpartisan and taken for granted as something we all most be working on and contributing to in every activity and undertaking. I hope that our region is so successful in inclusive, comprehensive planning and implementation that other places look to us and people want to live here. I hope the people who live here now are happy and have their needs met. I hope that we are able to tap into additional resources as a result of the work we've done through this committee.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? Inclusive and engages experts and residents, both from a wide range of backgrounds, throughout the process; connects immediate needs with long-term imperatives; resonates with every person and jurisdiction in our region; prioritizes effective communication.

Brian Gath

• Bio: A recovering mechanical engineer, United Methodist Pastor, dad, and husband serving my neighbors through local government.
• Organization: City of Blue Ash, Ohio
• Position: City Council Representative
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? I hope climate action is widespread, accessible to all, and impactful.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? To be a catalyst for meaningful change that will make our community and our environment better.

Reena Murphy

• Bio: Reena Murphy has been with the City of Oxford since February of 2022 and is passionate about community driven climate solutions. She attended Miami University for her Master of Environmental Science and her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Environmental Science.
• Organization: City of Oxford, Ohio
• Position: Sustainability Coordinator
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? More regional collaboration and resources; build regional identity/connection so that residents feel apart of the Greater Cincinnati area.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? Regionally generated and distributed renewable energy, increased resilience through infrastructure and collaboration of community organizations, utilizing sustainability to ensure our region remains a great place to live and work.

Joy Pierson

• Bio: Lifelong Cincinnatian with local government experience throughout the US. My background includes work with nonprofits, consulting firms, professional associations and small businesses.
• Organization: Delhi Township, Ohio
• Position: Economic Development Director
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? That we are leading the state of Ohio in making improvements.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? To get every community involved in at least one project.

Edwin Porter

• Bio: I am a southwest Ohio native, attended the University of Cincinnati for Mechanical Engineering. I spent the first ten years of my career in consulting engineering serving clients across the US and world, then transitioned to public service, serving the City of Hamilton Department of Infrastructure.
• Organization: City of Hamilton, Ohio
• Position: Executive Director of Infrastructure
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? Intentional, planned transition towards reduced emissions and programs to reduce climate change, while preserving reliability and affordability for our community.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? Substantial projects that provide solutions to regional issues, aligned with climate action goals.

Susan Sprigg

• Bio: I have deep interest in pursuing systems change to achieve a more vibrant, thriving, and equitable community. My current work is at Cincinnati Children's, previously as the Director of Community Health, currently as the Senior Director of Child Health Equity. I have a clinical background as a nurse, and have also spent time working in public health, philanthropy, and international human rights.
• Organization: Cincinnati Children's Hospital
• Position: Senior Director, Child Health Equity
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? Collaborative, equitable, measurable progress toward systems change
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? A platform for innovation and creativity

TJ White

• Bio: As Executive Director for the Center for Local Government, I work with 65 jurisdictions across Southwest Ohio on information exchange, training, and shared services. I hope to be a facilitator between local governments, so that the goals of Thrivetogether can be felt throughout the region.
• Organization: Center for Local Government
• Position: Executive Director
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? I hope that there is tangible progress on climate goals- that we have moved beyond a planning phase to an implementation phase, with projects either coming to fruition or well underway.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? I'll answer this in relation to the governments I represent: I hope that there are resources that big AND small communities across the region can easily access to implement their pollution reduction and climate goals.

Tanner Yess

• Bio: As a co-founder of Groundwork Ohio River Valley, Tanner has led the creation of one of the nation's largest youth green workforce programs and brought Climate Safe Neighborhoods to Cincinnati. Yess’ passion is creating new pathways for diverse youth to access green careers.
• Organization: Groundwork Ohio River Valley
• Position: Executive Director
• In 5 years, what do you hope for the state of climate action in Greater Cincinnati? Regional cooperation on climate adaptation projects/programs that center equity and environmental justice.
• What are your boldest aspirations for ThriveTogether? A green economy built on adaptation and equity keeping health and wealth in our communities.