Christine Neitzke
President, co-founder
The Dragonfly Foundation
www.thedragonflyfoundation.org
On the wings of hope
Christine Neitzke co-founded The Dragonfly Foundation to give support to ill youngsters
Seeing a need for families and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to receive more support for young cancer and blood disorder patients, Christine Neitzke and her friend Ria Davidson founded The Dragonfly Foundation in August 2010. They have been working closely with the hospital, its staff, patients and families ever since to bring support and encouragement at times when it is needed most.
Christine and Jim Neitzke’s youngest son Matt was diagnosed with stage 3A Hodgkin’s lymphoma in February 2010. They almost lost him twice due to medical complications. During this time, the Neitzkes were fortunate to have the support of family, friends and community. Davidson, Christine’s friend for more than 20 years, was one of the people who helped the family through this time.
“We were fortunate,” said Christine. “We had people who dedicated themselves to making Matt and our family smile. We know that other kids and families are not as lucky.”
Thus, The Dragonfly Foundation was launched.
“Our multiple weekly, ongoing events also help us build relationships between families that enables them to support one another as they experience the horrors of treatment, the after effects of medications, the post-traumatic stress and the anxiety of reoccurrence that continually challenges patients and their families,” she says.
“While a number of nonprofit organizations support efforts of finding a cure, The Dragonfly Foundation is completely focused on providing C.A.R.E. (Caring, Community and Awareness that Results in better Emotional health). This is what we call ‘The Dragonfly Difference.’” ●
Greater Cincinnati SCORE Board of Directors
Mike Martin
chair/president
greatercincinnati.score.org
SCORE-ing points
Mike Martin and his board members steer volunteers to help mentor business clients
If there ever needs to be an example of entrepreneurial teamwork, the Executive Board of Directors of Greater Cincinnati SCORE will fill the bill. Led by Chair/President Mike Martin, the board is responsible for the operations and directing of more than 100 volunteers who provide free mentoring and educational seminars to eligible business clients in 19 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.
Most of the board members have been with SCORE for five years or longer: Jim Stahly, Gordon Daniels, Mike Tarren, Tom Moon, Dennis Murphy, Rick Johnston, Scott Stoeling, Michael Mulligan, Gregory Spontak, Paul Holzschuher, Bob Wiwi, William Haman and Mary Jane Good.
The members are responsible for the chapter receiving SCORE’s National Runner-up Award for fiscal year 2012. The chapter has won the top award once and has been runner-up five times in the last 10 years. The board members are responsible for the chapter being ranked in the top five nationally in every possible category for the last five years.
Two of SCORE Cincinnati’s clients achieved national recognition recently as they were awarded 2013 SCORE Outstanding Woman-Owned Small Business and 2013 SCORE Outstanding Non-Profit.
SCORE’s assistance to local businesses enabled them to create more than 350 new jobs in Greater Cincinnati last year. ●
Stan Ross
Co-founder and executive director
Positive Influence Team
www.srpositive.org
From at-risk to keeping the faith
Stan Ross and the Positive Influence Team work to guide youth away from violence
Stan Ross leads the Positive Influence Team much like a quarterback leads his players on the gridiron. After all, he was the first African-American quarterback for Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati.
The Positive Influence Team was founded in 2011 to engage and connect with at-risk youth and young adults to help transition them toward a positive and fulfilling lifestyle. Ross created a Process of Transformation that includes the vital steps of building trust with members while fostering transformational relationships rooted in a sincere and caring spirit — and a sense of teamwork.
The Positive Influence Team works with clients from a strengths-based approach and is committed to never lose faith in the clients’ inner power to succeed and move forward.
Ross has been involved for years in a mission to reduce violence. His earlier efforts include creating the Cincinnati Youth Street Worker program and being the outreach director at the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence.
Along with members of the Positive Influence Team, Ross developed the Real Gunz Anti-Violence Program, which addresses the realities behind the domestication, programming, beliefs, thinking, attitudes, feelings and behaviors associated with violence.
“With Stan, there were no expectations, except that he wanted to get to know me, build a relationship, and he was an influencer. It was more of his influence and the way he was living his life, that made me want to be like him,” says Dante Ingram, a former at-risk young man who turned his life around and is now a positive influence coach with the Positive Influence Team. ●
