Community

Jeff Berding is Co-CEO of FC Cincinnati, who, with Carl H. Lindner III, founded the club as a USL franchise in 2015. With three seasons of record-setting success on and off the field in the USL, Berding led the club’s expansion efforts that successfully resulted in the club’s ascension to Major League Soccer for the 2019 season and then the opening of TQL Stadium in 2021. Prior to founding FCC, Berding spent more than 19 years as an executive with the Cincinnati Bengals where he led the Sales and Public Affairs efforts for the NFL team. Berding also previously served for three years as volunteer president of Kings Hammer Soccer Club. Berding was first elected to the Cincinnati City Council in November 2005, and was then twice re-elected in 2007 and 2009, where he chaired the Rules & Government Operations Committee and was vice-chair of the Finance Committee. Berding is a fifth-generation Cincinnatian, born and raised in Westwood where he attended St. Xavier High School. He graduated cum laude from Miami University, and earned his MBA from Xavier University with honors.

Keith Blake has taken an active role in the West End community as a member of the West End Community Council since 2001. He currently serves as its President. Blake has also served on the board for Invest in Neighborhoods (IIN) and CPD Citizens on Patrol Program (West End Unit). Keith is an IT professional with BT Americas Inc., with past roles at CBTS and Procter & Gamble. He focuses his work on development, administration and support of solutions (applications, data networks, voice over IP).

Kelly Blake is President/Owner of Lumen Marketing Consultancy, a marketing firm that helps clients achieve greater success through strategy, planning, and execution. Kelly began her career with Ford Motor Company, spending time in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Upon relocating back to Cincinnati, Kelly worked for AHS, Inc. as Executive Vice President and for Intrinzic Marketing & Design as Director of Marketing Services.

Kelly held a variety of leadership roles in the Cincinnati Chapters of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). She was also a member of the Cincinnati Business Courier 40 Under 40 Class of 2010. Born and raised in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, Kelly has grown up in the Greater Cincinnati community and resides in Cincinnati with her husband and two sons.

Karl Kadon is the Deputy Inspector General for Investigations at the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General. His leadership positions prior to that include roles as the Chief of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, and as the Deputy City Solicitor for the City of Cincinnati Law Department. He has extensive investigative and trial experience, and his work has been recognized for excellence by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Fraternal Order of Police, and others. He taught Ohio Criminal Law at the Cincinnati Police Academy and has been a frequent speaker/teacher in his professional capacity. He was commissioned an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the United States Army Reserve, served 28 years and his active service includes deployments to Afghanistan, the Gulf Region, and other places as an advisor to U.S. and Coalition Special Operations Forces. Thereafter, he twice served as representative of the United States Department of Justice in Afghanistan, and for his second such deployment was appointed by the United States Attorney General as the Justice Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. While in Afghanistan he developed an internship program for female lawyers at the Afghanistan Attorney General’s office, initiated a mentoring program at the Afghan Attorney General’s Anti-Terrorism Prosecution Directorate, and worked closely with U.S, Coalition, and Afghan counter-terrorism operatives to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute terrorists and other threats to public safety. Karl is a certified Ohio High School State Athletic Association soccer official, and has also coached soccer at the youth level in Cincinnati.

Carly Knue is the Assistant General Counsel at Trew. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Carly spent her youth playing competitively for Cincinnati United Premier and collegiately at Emory University. Carly has also devoted her time to coaching youth soccer and has been a supporter of the West End Pride. Carly is active in the Cincinnati community and spends her free time playing Pickleball and cheering on the local sports teams.

Don is a native Cincinnatian. He graduated with Summa Cum Laude in Finance from Ohio University in 1973. Don spent his entire 43 year professional career in Cincinnati working for American Financial, Great American Insurance Company, and the Lindner family, rising to become President & Chief Operating Officer for Great American before retiring in 2017. Don has significant corporate and non-profit Board experience and currently serves on three boards, including the Grand Teton Music Festival Board in Jackson, WY. He and his wife Lynn have been married 40 years and enjoy their retirement lifestyle split between Cincinnati, Jackson, WY, and Sarasota, FL.

Shellie Leder has spent her career in commercial real estate and development in Greater Cincinnati. After graduating from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Engineering, Shellie returned to West Chester at a time of significant growth in the northern corridor. She focused on continuing and enhancing development in that corridor for 20-plus years while also being heavily involved in numerous charitable and community-driven causes. It has always been important to Shellie to give back to her community. As a young professional she served on the Board of The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty (now the Northern Cincinnati Foundation) and was instrumental in founding the Union Centre Boulevard Merchants Association. During this time Shellie co-founded the Shamrock Shuffle in West Chester and served as Race Chair for 10 years. Additionally, Shellie co-founded the Union Centre Food Truck Rally. Both events still serve as community builders and fundraisers. Since starting a family and settling into her home in Indian Hill, Shellie has been an active participant in the Indian Hill Recreation Commission, serving as Soccer Chair for many years and currently as Vice President. She is passionate about youth sports and the important roles they play in fostering childhood mental and physical wellness and community vitality. Shellie has coached various youth sports since she was in high school and currently is a recreational and club volleyball coach. Shellie believes coaching is one of the most rewarding ways to give back to her community. In her spare time, Shellie enjoys spending time with her three children and husband, much of this time is spent watching and participating in sports.

Martha Lindner is a committed philanthropist who has a strong focus on education and a strong passion for helping impoverished children throughout the world. Lindner and her husband Carl, led efforts to found Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, a private, non-denominational Christian school offering grades kindergarten through 12th grade. Martha is an avid volunteer in the community, particularly with Back2Back Ministries, where she serves as a board member. This international Christian non-profit organization is dedicated to being a voice for orphans. In addition, Lindner has served as a board member of Stepping Stones and the Children’s Theatre. Lindner was also on the founding team of Horizon Community Church. She is a Cincinnati native and earned a Bachelor of Finance degree from the University of Cincinnati. Martha has been married to Carl H. Lindner III for 46 years and they are the proud parents of four and grandparents of six. Her husband, is Co-CEO of American Financial Group and the Managing Owner and CEO of FC Cincinnati.

Tabitha Lindner is originally from Rabbit Hash, Ky. and now lives in Cincinnati. Tabitha graduated with a B.A. in communication arts from Xavier University and has spent her career in staff recruitment and marketing with organizations including Landor Associates. At Landor, she managed the regional and global brand identity and packaging development for P&G Old Spice and global Oral Care (Crest, Oral-B, etc.) through concept ideation, design development and implementation. Lindner is active in the community with organizations including the Junior League, Boys and Girls Club of Wilmington, Del., Ronald McDonald House, Shelterhouse, Stepping Stones and Dress for Success.

Sandra Mackey is the chief marketing officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health. In this role, she is responsible for marketing, communications, consumer engagement, brand and creative strategy that propel Bon Secours Mercy Health to the forefront of healthcare marketing. With a wealth of experience spanning more than 30 years, Sandra demonstrates unwavering dedication to transforming the healthcare landscape through strategic marketing initiatives. She has consistently driven brand innovation, enhanced patient engagement, and fostered community partnerships that inspire and empower individuals to prioritize their health and well-being.

Sandra leads with vision, creativity, and a deep understanding of the evolving needs of healthcare consumers.

Before joining Mercy Health in 2017 as chief marketing officer, Sandra served as senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Arthritis Foundation, where she was responsible for national strategic marketing initiatives. Previously, she was the executive director of market strategy for Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, where she led a team to support service line marketing and strategic growth initiatives; established a digital marketing platform and launched a comprehensive brand strategy, repositioning the health system. She also served in public relations roles in the public and private sectors. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Birmingham University, United Kingdom and is a graduate of the Woodruff Leadership Academy. Sandra was named “2018 Chief Marketing Officer of the Year” by the Cincinnati Business Courier and was listed as one of the top 60 CMOs to know by Becker’s in 2023.

Sandra serves on the board of directors at Catholic Charities USA, Brado, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries and is board chair for FC Cincinnati Foundation.

Mark Mallory serves as the Director of Community Development for FC Cincinnati. He was Cincinnati’s first directly elected black mayor, having served two terms from 2005 to 2013. Before serving as Cincinnati’s 68th mayor, Mallory was elected as an Ohio state senator from 1999 to 2005. He also served as a state representative from 1995 to 1999, following his father William L. Mallory, Sr., who also served in the Ohio House for 28 years. Mark is President of Mark Mallory & Associates Consulting. He earned his B.A. in management from the University of Cincinnati.

Dan McGowan is the CFO of FC Cincinnati. Dan has over 20 years of Finance experience working for EY, Luxottica Retail, Omnicare, and most recently as a key member of the C-suite of West Point Optical Group. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, earned a Masters of Accountancy from Miami University, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Dan currently resides in West Chester with his wife and four kids. His oldest daughter is a Freshman at Ohio State University studying Chemistry in the Honors Program. His oldest son is a Junior at Lakota East and member of the marching band. His two youngest keep him and his wife extremely busy as they are active in youth soccer playing for Cincinnati United Premier.

Mandy Neeley is Chief Consumer Banking and Strategy Officer for First Financial Bank, headquartered in Cincinnati, OH. Mandy has spent her entire career with the Bank, beginning as a part-time teller during summers in college. After playing soccer and earning a Marketing degree at Bowling Green State University, she joined First Financial as Marketing Coordinator, setting her on a career path that has resulted in the leadership position she holds today. As Chief Consumer Banking and Strategy Officer, Mandy oversees the Consumer Banking division and the Marketing, Product, Communications, and Strategy teams. She is responsible for ensuring that First Financial meets the needs of consumers wherever and whenever they choose to interact with the Bank. Mandy provides leadership over the development of First Financial’s corporate priorities and key initiatives. She has led strategic developments in the Bank’s consumer segmentation and distribution strategies, and has played an integral role in the launch and evolution of the First Financial brand, the advancement of the Bank’s sales process and enterprise CRM, and development of a formalized strategic planning process. Mandy is a member of the Board of Directors for the Ohio Bankers League and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. She served as the Marketing Committee Chair for the United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s 2019 giving campaign, and was the Chair of First Financial’s 2020 United Way corporate campaign, the company’s most successful associate campaign to date. Mandy is a working mother, balancing the demands of a young family and a successful career in banking. She and her husband, Jeff, have two sons, Cameron and Charlie. She enjoys spending time with family, a challenging workout, and a good glass of wine.

David Pepper is serving his second term as the Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Pepper began his public service career in 2001 when he was elected to Cincinnati City Council, and was later elected to the Hamilton County Commission Board of County Commissioners in 2006. He and his wife Alana are the parents of two sons, Jack and Charlie. Pepper is also the author of “The People’s House,” an Ohio-based political thriller, and its sequel, “The Wingman.” Putnam will publish his third book in 2020. Pepper has served on numerous non-profit boards over the years, including Talbert House, YMCA of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation, and he currently serves on the national board of the New Leaders Council.

Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco was appointed Hamilton County Coroner in February 2012 and later elected to the position in November 2012 and in each general election since. She is the first Asian Indian ever elected in Hamilton County and first female coroner. She is a board certified neuroradiologist with previous faculty positions at UCLA Medical School and The Cleveland Clinic. Since taking office, Dr. Sammarco has been very busy championing many causes and is on a number of different boards throughout the community to include HEAT (Holistically Empowering All Teens), Patty Brisben Foundation and Reds Hall of Fame. She has also spoken to hundreds of grade school and high school age students about the importance of staying in school and avoiding risky behavior such as use of drugs and alcohol. Dr. Sammarco is married to local orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Vincent James Sammarco and mother to Josi and James and their pet parrots, Cannoli, Mango and Spooky Ghost.

David is an experienced construction industry professional who co-founded Acendion Capital & Development. David now leads Acendion as their President. Acendion Capital & Development is a leading national company specializing in mixed-use and multifamily real estate investment, development, construction, and property management. Acendion collaborates with individual investors to create high-quality developments in high-demand neighborhoods. Their mission is to elevate local rental housing markets and mixed-use projects, diversify investor portfolios, deliver strong returns, and provide growth opportunities for our employees. With three new communities totaling over 1,000 apartments in Greater Cincinnati set to begin development next year, Acendion Capital & Development is committed to building thriving communities and fostering success. Previous to Acendion, David’s most recent role was serving as the President of Lithko Contracting, one of Cincinnati’s largest private companies and one of the nation’s leading concrete contractors. Lithko has an annual revenue of nearly $2 billion, with 23 offices and 6000 employees. Prior to this role, he served in leadership positions for Turner Construction Company, the nation’s largest General Contractor, for 14 years, spanning from Director of Legal Affairs to Vice President and General Manager of Global Enterprise. David is also a Director on the Board of HBH Holdings. HBH Holdings, Inc. is a privately held investment and holding company that focuses its expertise on fabrication, maintenance, and construction activities supporting the utility and industrial markets. He is an engaged member of the Cincinnati and NKY community with a passion for giving back. In addition to serving on the Board of the FC Cincinnati Foundation, David was appointed as a Director of the CVG Airport board. He is active in the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee (CRBC) and serves as the Chair of the Regional Assets Committee and serves as an Executive Committee Member. He also serves on the Central Bank Advisory Board and was the Chairman of REDI. David also is an Executive Board Member of Kings Hammer and is active in YPO. David is married to his high-school sweetheart, and they have three children. He spends his free time with his family usually on the sidelines of the kid’s soccer games and contributing to many important organizations.

Steve Wanamaker, founder, and publisher of CDO Magazine, is a seasoned media entrepreneur and is best known for successfully launching and selling two companies. In 2004, Gannett, a leading Fortune 500 media company, acquired his first publication. His second venture, CDO Magazine, was acquired by the private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners in 2023, boasting a global readership of 400,000 across 184 countries and recognized among America's fastest-growing privately held companies. In addition to his entrepreneurial achievements, Steve Wanamaker is an active participant in the executive speakers program at the Wharton School of Business and Princeton University. He currently serves on the boards of UC Health Foundation and FC Cincinnati Foundation. His leadership extends to academia, having previously co-directed MIT CDOIQ at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. A U.S. Army veteran and former captain, Wanamaker is happily married for over 25 years and is a proud father of three children.

As a partner in the KMK Law’s Business Representation & Transactions Group, Allie Westfall’s insight and proven analytical skills help translate the complexities of the often-challenging securities laws. Allie’s counsel allows public and private companies to more efficiently raise money through both private and public offerings. Allie focuses her practice in the areas of securities, mergers and acquisitions, and business planning. Her practice includes representing corporate clients in a variety of business transactions, as well as advising publicly-held clients on matters related to SEC reporting and compliance, the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market, and corporate governance matters. Allie has experience reviewing and preparing filings under the Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934, preparing Section 16 beneficial ownership filings, and in Rule 144 transactions. Allie also has experience in the private placement of securities for both publicly-held and private companies and preparing related state "blue sky" filings. Allie earned her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2013, where she served as an Article Editor on the University of Cincinnati Law Review. She served on the Editorial Staff of Human Rights Quarterly, as a Student Ambassador, and was also involved with Advocates for Children. Allie currently serves as co-chair for the KMK Women's Initiative and is a member of the firm's Associate's Committee and Diversity Committee.

Bonnie White founded Bonnie K. White & Associates Inc., a full-service advertising agency in 1982. She was recognized by the Cincinnati Ad Club with the 2009 Silver Medal Award - the American Advertising Federation’s highest honor – for her contributions to the advertising industry and the community. Bonnie’s past roles include Account Executive for WCPO-TV where she was the first woman in broadcast sales in Cincinnati. She was also a Producer of the “Uncle Al Show” and Director of Children’s Programming. Bonnie served 10 years on the board of the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Marketing Association, including two terms as president. She was also a founding board member of Accountability and Credibility Together (ACT), serving two terms as board chair. Bonnie was a four-year member of the Cincinnati Red Cross Communications Committee and was a member of the Chatfield College Board of Trustees for five years.