Barbara Greene

Barb Greene is the owner and principal consultant with CommonGood Consulting, Inc., a management support organization that provides consulting, technical assistance and fund development services for nonprofit organizations and schools. Among her recent and current clients are Summit Workforce Solutions, Akron Urban League, Youth Excellence Performing Arts Workshop, AAA Akron Auto Club, Habitat for Humanity, EdFocus Initiative, Jobs for Ohio's Graduates, Western Reserve Public Media, Summa Health System, Victory Gallop and others. Prior to the start-up of CommonGood Consulting, Barb served as the founding president and chief executive director for six years of Summit Education Initiative, a nonprofit started up by community leaders in 1996 to broadly engage Summit County citizens and leaders in school improvement initiatives.

From 1991 to 1996, Barb served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Direction Center, a unique partnership of two universities, two foundations and a United Way which provided services to strengthen West Michigan nonprofit organizations. Prior to Direction Center, she worked for 16 years in marketing and fund development positions with two public and one commercial television station, as well as a three-year stint as the Associate Director of a YWCA.

In 1996, Barb was recognized by the Greater Grand Rapids community for outstanding contributions to business, management and industry. In January 2001 she received recognition from the Ohio PTA as a lifetime honorary member for her work on behalf of parent involvement and school improvement in Summit County. In June 2001 she received a Woman of Achievement Award from the YWCA of Summit County for her leadership on behalf of school improvement. In 2005, she was recognized by Black Pages for her service to the Greater Akron African American community.

In Summit County, Barb is an active volunteer and/or trustee with a number of organizations including the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association, the Akron Urban League, Woman's Endowment Fund and Victory Gallop, a therapeutic horseback riding for children with special needs. She holds a M.A. degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a B.A. degree with majors in political science and communication from Lynchburg College (VA).

Katie Wells Goodwin

Katie Wells Goodwin has been involved in the field of education since 1960. As a teacher, principal, private school head, and currently as an independent consultant and faculty member at the University of Akron, she continues to exercise her passion to improve teaching and learning. She was a teacher, administrator, active volunteer and board member in Shaker Heights and Warrensville Heights in her early career. From 1988 to 1999, she was the Head of School for the Jerome Lippman Jewish Community Day School. Since then she has served as a consultant to Summit Education Initiative and the GAR Foundation, and also teaches at The University of Akron.

While working as a consultant to the Summit Education Initiative (SEI), she initiated and coordinated the Master Cadre of Teachers of Technology, MCT2. Among other activities, the MCT2 offered a professional development opportunity to teachers in Summit County that utilized Problem Based Learning as a methodology, the environment as the context, and technology as a tool for learning. Also, she created and facilitated a cohort of teachers engaged in teacher action research and directed the Impact II program, small grants to teachers. She has been a presenter at a number of regional and national conferences. When GAR Foundation established the Educator Initiative Grant Program along with a team of MCT2 teachers, she helped create and now co-directs the program. In the past two years the program has given $665,000 dollars in grant money to 85 groups of Summit County teachers.

In addition to her consulting work, Katie participates on a number of committees and boards in Summit County and is currently, the President of WITAN, a service organization of 300 women volunteering their services and contributing approximately $50,000 dollars each year to charitable organizations in Summit County promoting, health, education, civic projects, and the arts. One of her strongest passions is the teaching of the lessons on the Holocaust. She continues to serve as a member of the City of Akron Holocaust Committee and was chair of the committee for three years. In addition, she is a member of the Program Committee of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Crown Point. As an educational consultant, student teacher supervisor, and assistant lecturer at the University of Akron she continues to place education as a priority in her life.