Committee

Angela Baker

Manager, Adjunct Services, Western Campus

Angela Baker is the current adjunct services manager at Tri-C's Western Campus. She possesses over 20+ years of employee management and human resources experience. She has worked in the profit and non-profit sectors and has ten years at Tri-C. Angela holds a B.S. in human resource management and is finishing her master's in HRM at Franklin University.

Nanci Coleman

Program Director, Automotive Technology, Western Campus

Nanci Coleman is the Automotive Technology Program Director at Tri-C’s Western Campus. She has more than 25 years of experience with a variety of public, private and nonprofit organizations. Coleman has diverse experience in career development and job placement as well as a deep knowledge of local growth industries and hiring practices. She holds a B.A. in international affairs from The George Washington University. Her prior work experience includes more than 20 years at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center in Brecksville. 

Ann Conrad, Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Math and Business, Eastern Campus

Ann Conrad serves as the associate dean for math and business at Tri-C's Eastern campus. Prior to coming the Tri-C, she worked at Baldwin Wallace University (BW) for 21 years. At BW, she held numerous roles including bookstore cashier, office coordinator, MBA recruitment and admissions, adjunct professor, student advisor, and director of the undergraduate business programs. Ann earned her B.A. in Business and an MBA during her time at BW. In Fall 2022, she completed her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University.

Michael Culp

Administrator, Alumni Relations Outreach

Michael Culp has cultivated meaningful, lifelong connections between Cuyahoga Community College and its alumni for the past seven years. He fosters Tri-C pride by connecting alumni with the College and one another, as well as with faculty and current students.

Culp is a U.S. Air Force veteran who graduated from Tri-C with an Associate of Applied Science in human services and an Associate of Arts. He served as Board Student Scholar for the 2015-2016 academic year and later transferred to The University of Akron, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in social work.

Chareeka Evans

Administrative Assistant, Academic Professional Development, Instructional Design and Online Learning

Chareeka Evans provides administrative support to Associate Vice President Dee Dee Pfister. The lifelong Clevelander is a positive and powerful force in the workplace, effectively using her wide range of knowledge and skills to contribute to the team. Evans earned an Associate of Arts from Cuyahoga Community College in June 2022. She enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time with her family.

Meagan Fowler

Assistant Professor/Librarian, Metropolitan Campus

Meagan Fowler is an assistant professor and librarian at the Metropolitan Campus at Tri-C.  She holds an MA in Librarianship from the University of Sheffield, U.K., a MAT from Marygrove College, and a BA from Cleveland State University. She was named as a member of the Library Leadership Ohio cohort of 2018, a selective program that builds leadership skills in Ohio librarians, and is the current co-chair of the Academic Library Association of Ohio’s Community & Two Year College Libraries Interest Group. 

Meagan has served in various roles in the Tri-C library since 2010, becoming a tenure-track professor in 2019. Prior to 2019, she also served as a certified librarian in a Northeast Ohio High School.  She is a passionate educator who strives to foster critical thinking and information fluency in her students. 

Magda Gómez, Ed.D.

Executive Director, Diversity and Inclusion

Magda Gómez serves as Executive Director, Diversity & Inclusion at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) where she works on multiple initiatives related to diversity, equity & inclusivity awareness & education. Her work has a special focus on valuing students & employees by encouraging mutual respect and honoring the unique perspectives each person brings to the table. Gómez holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Higher Education Leadership from the National American University, a Master’s of Science in Social Administration (MSSA) Degree from Case Western Reserve University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from John Carroll University. She is a proud alumna of Tri-C where she earned an Associate of Arts Degree. 

Christine Hickey

Manager, Television and Video Services

Christine Hickey has worked for Tri-C for over 22 years, where she worked her way up from a Production Assistant in the Television Production department to the Manager of Television and Video Services. While producing videos for Tri-C she was awarded a Regional Emmy for her work on “Your Health & Wellness.”

Hickey serves on the Cleveland International Film Festival Board of Trustees, Coaches for Girls on the Run and is a mentor for the Mandel Scholars Academy at Tri-C. She holds a B.S. in Television, Film and New Media from San Diego State University. 

She lives in North Canton with her husband, daughter and Labrador. She enjoys creating stained glass, hiking and scuba diving. 

Haidy Kamel, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Chemistry, Eastern Campus

Haidy Kamel is an associate professor of chemistry at Tri-C’s Eastern Campus. She holds a B.A. in pharmaceutical sciences from Suez Canal University in Ismailia, Egypt, and a Ph.D. in pharmacognosy (natural products chemistry) from the University of Mississippi. Her doctoral research earned a Kilmer Prize from the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Pharmaceutical Association. 
 
Kamel received a fellowship from the National institute of Underwater Science and Technology in 2006 to continue her research in the field of drug discovery from natural sources. She has published 12 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Natural Products and the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 
 
She joined Tri-C in 2011, where she teaches general and organic chemistry and currently serves as vice president for the American Association of University Professors at her campus. 

Leslie Kane

Unit Operations Specialist, Adjunct Services, Western Campus

Leslie Kane has worked at Tri-C for 27 years. She started out at the Helpdesk in IT at Metro Campus for 15 years before she transferred to Western Campus in 2010 to Adjunct Services. Her son went to Tri-C and took Radiology at the Western Campus and became a Cat Scan Technician. 

Paula Kertes

Executive Director, Ohio Options for Adults

Paula is the Executive Director of the Ohio Options Program (Aspire and Adult Diploma). She has worked in Adult Education for over 30 years and has been at Cuyahoga Community College for nine years. Prior to 2013 she ran Aspire Programs for both Westlake City Schools and Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District. She has also worked for Lakewood City and Mayfield Schools in Adult Education. 

She holds a Masters in Education Administration from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration from Bowling Green State University. 

Kyle Malmberg, Ed.D.

Director, Online Learning and Academic Technology

Kyle Malmberg serves as the director of Online Learning and Academic Technology at Tri-C. He holds an Ed.D. and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a spec. in Educational Technology. His education, experience, and strengths combine to further adult education and find ways to make it more efficient, particularly in online learning. His strength of individualization helps him look for others' strengths and ways that they can apply those strengths to further their learning. With experience in customer service, technology, management, and training he is driven to help students, staff, and teachers make the best educational environments possible. 

Nikki Matala

Liaison, Campus and Community Relations, Westshore Campus

Nikki Matala joined Tri-C in May 2022. She spent 12 years as executive director of the Willoughby Area Chamber of Commerce before exploring opportunities at Hospice of the Western Reserve and the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging. Nikki’s volunteer experience includes membership on various nonprofit boards and six years as an emergency department ambassador at Hillcrest Hospital.

Jennifer McCall

Jennifer McCall is the contract training program coordinator with Corporate College. She thrives when managing relationships and processes, coordinating training and events, contributing to collaborative team efforts and actively engaging in organizational initiatives. Her experience has afforded her exposure to many facets of program planning and implementation, including managing relationships and processes, end-to-end training and event execution, and program and process development. 

McCall has worked in a variety of industries including health care, engineering/manufacturing, hospitality, and print and promotional advertising. She loves to motivate women to become the best versions of themselves. 

Jessica McLaughlin

Assistant Professor, Psychology, Metropolitan Campus

Jessica McLaughlin is an assistant professor of psychology at Tri-C’s Metro Campus where she teaches general psychology, child development, and abnormal psychology. She is passionate about incorporating social justice issues into her classroom, with an emphasis on combating the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. Currently, McLaughlin is a member of Tri-C’s LMS Review Committee and has been part of the Women’s Summit since its inception in 2021. 
 
While living in the Detroit area, she specialized in assessing and diagnosing children from low-income families. She also served as an assistant professor of psychology for five years at Montgomery College in Maryland where she was a 2017 Smithsonian Faculty Fellow. McLaughlin holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Wayne State University and a B.A. from Grinnell College. 

Ronna McNair

Chief of Staff/Executive Assistant, College President’s Office

Ms. Ronna McNair currently serves as the chief of staff and executive assistant to the president at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). As a member of the president’s cabinet, she directs activities in support of the president’s strategic objectives, promotes responsive communication from the office of the president, as well as engagement with faculty and staff to strengthen student outcomes and expand partnerships in the community. She is also responsible for the overall management of the board of trustees’ office, facilitating communication between the College administration and the board, coordination of board meetings and management of the board office budget and staff. 

Nicole Meadows

Specialist, Donor Engagement and Outreach Events, Cuyahoga Community College Foundation and Adjunct Faculty, Hospitality Management

Nicole Meadows serves as Donor Engagement and Outreach Events Specialist for the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the College’s Hospitality Management program. Prior to joining Tri-C, Meadows served in various event planning and sales roles at resorts, country clubs and special event venues. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from West Virginia University. 

Delia (Dee Dee) Pfister, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President, Academic Professional Development, Online Learning and Transfer

Dr. Delia (Dee Dee) Pfister has served at Cuyahoga Community College for over 11 years in various dean roles and is currently the Associate Vice President, Academic Professional Development, Online Learning, and Transfer. Previously, she served at Ursuline College, Lake Erie College, Fifth Third Bank, and Axelband and Brown Advertising. Dr. Pfister holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Kent State University, a master’s in interpersonal communication, a graduate certificate in women’s studies, a bachelor’s in organizational communication, and a minor in studio art from Ohio University. She earned the Dissertation of the Year Award (2017), National Council on Student Development with her research entitled, Singled Out for Success: A Narrative Inquiry of Single Mothers in the Community College. In her spare time, she enjoys leadership coaching, gourmet and vegan/plant-based cooking, church marriage ministry, volunteering, musical theater, and traveling with her family. 

Robin Pijor

Program Manager, Career Exploration, Eastern Campus

Robin Pijor serves as the program manager for Career Exploration within the Career Center at the Eastern campus. In this role, she focuses on connecting students with various initiatives that allow them to explore their career interests such as job shadowing, employer panels, internships, networking events and more.

Pijor has worked in higher education for over 20 years, with the last 15 dedicated to career services. She has leadership, teaching and coaching experience and has worked with a diverse population of students, alumni and community members.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master of Education in Health Education and Promotion from Kent State University.

Barbara Radis

Advisor, Business Services, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses

Barbara Radis proudly completed 30 years in the banking industry. She had a very successful career ending with a C-suite position at a regional bank. Now she spends her time and passion helping small businesses growth their companies with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses in partnership with Tri-C. She loves making a difference to scholars and helping to create jobs and opportunities for the next generation. During her career, she felt challenged being the only woman in the leadership room. She wants to motivate woman to be confident, proud and leaders as they continue their journey transforming our world. 

Julia S. Ruane

Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, Western Campus

Julia Ruane serves as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the Western Campus of Cuyahoga Community College where she serves as the chief conduct officer, system administrator for the complaint and concern reporting system and chair of several campus and college Student Affairs committees. With over 30 years experience in higher education, her work focuses on supporting student success through communicating a greater understanding of student rights and responsibilities and providing emergency aid assistance to students. 

Ruane has Educational Specialist degree and post-master's certificate in Community College Leadership from Kent State University as well as an MBA from Chaminade University, and a BBA from Cleveland State University. 

HerBrina Shepherd

Specialist, Transfer Center, Metropolitan Campus

HerBrina Shepherd’s Tri-C journey began in 2017 when she joined the College as a Student Life coordinator. She has also served as a student success specialist, an admissions specialist, and an engineering program manager. She is part of several committees and programs including the Stand for Racial Justice alliance, Leadership Integration for Tomorrow, and the Black American Council, to name a few. 
 
HerBrina earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in college student personnel administration from the University of Central Missouri. She has lived and worked all over the Midwest: in Michigan (Hope College), Illinois (Illinois State University), Indiana (Butler University), and Ohio (Muskingum University, The College of Wooster, and, of course, Tri-C). 
 
Inspired by Maya Angelou, HerBrina’s mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive — and to do so with passion, compassion, humor, and style. 

Janet Spitzig, DBA

Associate Dean, Liberal Arts and Business, Westshore Campus

Dr. Janet Spitzig has worked in higher education for over 12 years in academic affairs, student affairs, and enrollment management. She has a background in marketing, program planning, and student success initiatives. With a passion for helping students achieve their goals, she has focused on first-year student retention, developmental math completion, gateway English completion, and enhancing the student experience. Currently, she serves as the Associate Dean of Liberal Arts and Business at Cuyahoga Community College’s Westshore Campus. Spitzig holds a Doctor of Business Administration, an M.Ed. in Adult Learning and Development, and a B.B.A. in marketing. 

Candice Storey, J.D.

Program Director, Paralegal Studies, Western Campus

Candice Storey is Program Director of Tri-C's Paralegal Studies Program. She earned her bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University and her law degree from Cleveland State University. After practicing law for just a couple of years, Candice jumped into a career in higher education where she worked in several administrative capacities at Case Western Reserve University School of Law before coming to Tri-C. 

Tasha Wilburn

Adjunct Faculty, Business Administration, Westshore Campus

Tasha (Professor Wilburn) started her college career at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) as a post-secondary student in high school. Tasha received her Associate of Applied Business (AAB) from Tri-C then continued her education through Tri-C’s cohort with Tiffin University (TU) to receive her bachelor’s in business administration (BBA). She furthered her education by receiving her master’s in business administration (MBA) from Cleveland State University (CSU) and decided to return to Tri-C as an Adjunct Business Professor in 2016 and has been teaching every semester since then. She has also authored two books, speaks publicly, and conducts financial literacy and diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) trainings with for various organizations. Currently, Tasha is a Ph.D. student at TU while teaching business administration courses at various Tri-C campuses. She resides in Cleveland with her husband, two remarkable children and two dogs. 

Robin Williams

Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs, Westshore Campus

Robin Williams assistant dean of academic affairs at Tri-C’s Westshore Campus. She formerly served as college-wide Program Manager of Tri-C's 7 Business Administration academic programs. 
 
She has over a decade of experience in higher education, which includes business faculty, a regional and international faculty recruiter for Indiana Wesleyan University, and an assistant director of academic operations for Ursuline College’s Adult Program. She has also served in executive management roles in corporate and nonprofit sectors. Williams holds a master’s in strategic management from Indiana Wesleyan and a B.A. from Ursuline. She is currently pursuing a doctorate of education Ed.D in leadership & higher education administration American College of Education in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Chavilah Witt

Director, Student Engagement, Western and Westshore Campuses

Director for Student Engagement at West and Westshore, Chava brings 15+ years of student affairs experience and a passion for creating space for students to belong. Outside Tri-C, you can find Chava exploring the Metro Parks with her dogs and being the Best Auntie Ever. 

Terrii Zernechel

Specialist, Campus Scheduling, Eastern Campus

Terrii Zernechel is the Campus Scheduling Specialist at Tri-C East. In addition to the Women's Summit Committee, she's also on the FUN Committee, Campus Safety Committee, Communications Council, Convocation Committee and Campus Day Committee, just to name a few. She also acts as a Building Monitor in the event of a campus emergency. Joining the Women's Summit Planning Committee has been an absolute joy and privilege.  

Sonja R. Elekhtaby

Manager, Adjunct Services, Eastern Campus

Sonja R. Elekhtaby currently serves as the Manager of Adjunct Services at the Eastern Campus where she advocates for adjunct faculty along with her counterparts. Prior to working at Tri-C, she worked in finance, human resources, the performing arts, and lastly the retail automotive industry. She began her Tri-C journey as a part-time employee in January 2010. Her adaptability, organization, problem solving skills along with her willingness to assist where needed eventually led to her gaining several full-time positions at the College. She is a proud graduate of Tri-C’s Mandel Leadership Development Program 2014-2015 cohort. This experience opened the opportunity for her to serve on the Board of East End Neighborhood House. She is passionate about student success and serves a mentor for students from the College Now program as well as multiple students in Tri-C’s Mandel Scholars Academy. She is an avid reader, loves to travel, pet parent to Giovanni and Lobo, and chocolate connoisseur.