Meals on Wheels of Southwest OH and Northern KY announced the nonprofit has appointed five new members to its Board of Directors: Chris Germann, Business Owner of Continuous Improvement, eCommerce Operations at Kroger; Rajani Menon, Director of Civic Engagement and Leadership for the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation; Mike Norton, President of Norton Outdoor Advertising; Odesa Stapleton, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of Bon Secours Mercy Health; and Tamara Thrasher, Program Manager at GreenLight Fund Cincinnati.
These new members bring a wealth of expertise that, collectively, will help drive the organization’s mission. Meals on Wheels provides 10,000 seniors every year across 13 counties in Ohio and Kentucky with essential services that support their independence.
Says Mike Dunn, CEO of Meals on Wheels of Southwest OH and Northern KY, “We are fortunate to have such a talented group of community leaders join our leadership group.”
New members were appointed at a November Board meeting and will begin their term January 1, 2025. They join an existing Board of 14 members. Mary Wagner, retired CEO of iMFLUX/P&G, will take over as Board Chair also on January 1.
• Chris Germann brings to Meals on Wheels a passion for service and extensive experience in logistics, eCommerce technology, and food manufacturing processes. He has held leadership positions at The Kroger Company for the past 14 years, specializing in continuous improvement and retail processes. Prior to joining Kroger, he worked for the Cintas Corporation in St. Louis. He earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Xavier University, where he currently partners with their executive leadership center team to promote continuing education classes for surrounding area leaders.
• Rajani Menon is a community leader who has expertise in business strategy, operations, public policy, advocacy, and government affairs. She was born in India and has lived in the U.S. for 35 years. Her professional background spans the private, nonprofit, and public sectors, having worked at the U.S. Senate, Freestore Foodbank, and for over 10 years at Duke Energy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Utah, a Master of Business Administration in finance and management information systems from the University of Kentucky, and a graduate certificate in marketing strategy from Cornell University. She is the director of civic engagement and leadership for the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
• Mike Norton is a third-generation business leader of his family’s company, Norton Outdoor Advertising where he serves as president, and has extensive community involvement and engagement. He currently serves on the Out-of-Home Advertising (OAAA) Board of Directors, as well as the organization’s Marketing, Digital Billboard and Innovations Committees. He is also a current Board Member of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Ohio (OAAO). He has held board and additional committee positions with OAAA, OAAO, the Junior Billboard Association, and the Parkinson’s Disease Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Xavier University.
• Odesa Stapleton brings a prestigious and multifaceted background in human resources, labor and employment law, and community healthcare. Prior to joining Bon Secours Mercy Health as chief diversity and inclusion officer, she served in leadership roles with Verizon Communications, Delta Airlines, and the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, earned her law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, and serves as a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association, and Alpha Phi Omega.
• Tamara Thrasher is a seasoned community advocate and social services professional whose career is rooted in empowering vulnerable populations and driving meaningful change. She dedicated 14 years to St. Vincent de Paul Cincinnati, serving in various capacities, including leading the Ozanam Center for Service Learning. Thrasher has actively contributed to Cincinnati’s nonprofit sector through her work with organizations like Price Hill Will, Venice on Vine, and DePaul Cristo Rey High School. She is currently the program manager at GreenLight Fund Cincinnati, where she continues her commitment to fostering innovation and addressing systemic challenges.
Meals on Wheels of Southwest OH and Northern KY