Rozy has a passion for company culture and for creating a supportive workplace that helps individuals to achieve their goals. She sees her role at Tedia Company as her legacy, handed down to her from her parents, who founded this chemical manufacturing company 45 years ago. Through various roles starting with HR and now 17 years later, including risk management, legal, environmental health and safety, and IT, Rozy continues to support and empower her teams. Growing up in Cincinnati OH, she never thought she would move back after she got her AB in sociology from the University of Chicago.  She worked in the legal field and in healthcare consulting before she attended Indiana University in Bloomington to get a joint degree in law and public administration. She married her husband (Chris), and they lived in Athens GA for a few blissful years until they jumped on an opportunity to move to Cincinnati to join Tedia Company and have grown in their roles ever since. Rozy has two teenage children, Park and Carter, and in her spare time, makes music with her family.

Vashti Canty took a gap year before med school, securing a job as a Flight Attendant for Delta Air Lines. She planned to work and travel. Her gap year turned into a career. For the past twenty years, Vashti has served in both operations and management at Delta, moving from her Flight Attendant position to Global Diversity Inclusion Specialist. She has served on the Board of Directors for Delta Cares and Delta Scholarship Fund as well as being the Board Chair for the organization for three years. She has a passion for empowering women through education and currently serves as Member at Large on the Rankin Foundation Executive Committee.

Amber Eagleboy (Oglala Lakota) has spent twenty years with Synchrony Financial, moving through multiple roles and now serving as an Analyst for CD Sales Surveillance. In this position, she leads a team of specialists focused on client surveillance testing with precision and expertise.

Amber co-founded Synchrony’s first Indigenous Network and today serves as the National Community Pillar Co-Lead, building partnerships with external organizations to provide funding and support for Indigenous students and communities. Her commitment to creating opportunities extends beyond the corporate world. She is also the owner of Morning Star Creations, an Indigenous apparel and accessories business that celebrates culture and creativity through custom designs.

Amber’s work reflects her dedication to leadership, innovation, and empowerment, while remaining deeply rooted in her Lakota heritage.

Charmaine is a retired professor at USC-Aiken, where she was also the chair of the Department of Communication Studies. She is a Missoula, MT native and graduated from Hellgate High School and the University of Montana. She received her MA in Organizational Communication from Purdue University and her PhD in Organizational Communication from the University of Washington.

Charmaine’s greatest passion is teaching others and working with her students one-on-one to help them pursue their goals. She is the youngest of 6 kids, and two of her brothers and a sister still live in Missoula. Like all Montanans, she has a strong affinity for Jeannette Rankin.

Cheryl Duminuco is a former Jeanette Rankin Scholar who graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2013 with a degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Throughout her career, Cheryl has held progressive leadership roles in manufacturing and supply chain operations across diverse industries, including food, construction, and automotive. She has served as Operations Manager, Plant Manager, and currently works as the Continuous Improvement Manager for North American Lighting, supplying headlamps to major car manufacturers.

Cheryl is passionate about people leadership, delivering key performance results, and aligning business objectives with the needs of her teams. She has also contributed to the Women in Leadership Team at Kellogg and DOT Foods, supporting the advancement of women in her field.

Cheryl and her husband Matthew reside in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and are proud parents and grandparents to a large, loving family.

"Education opened doors I never thought possible, and I am proof that education has the power to transform lives in ways we never imagined. I am committed to leading with integrity and empowering others to reach goals that may seem out of reach, if they are willing to put in the effort." - Cheryl Duminuco

Demetra is a criminal appellate lawyer who, during 20 years at the Justice Department, handled high-profile murder, public corruption, drug conspiracy, human trafficking, fraud, and gang-related prosecutions. During the Obama Administration, she served as Counsel to then-Vice President Biden. In the 1990s, she was General Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, under the chairmanship of then-Senator Biden, where she worked on the Violence Against Women Act, among other measures. Previously, Demetra was in private practice at Williams & Connolly. She currently lives in Missoula, Montana where she cooks for domestic violence survivors and young, single moms. 

Dimples joined Synchrony Financial in 2014, and she leads the strategy development and implementation for credit programs for a $2 billion portfolio. She previously worked for General Electric for 14 years working in Sales, Marketing, and Client Development. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech University. She serves as a mentor for high school and college-bound students and teaches them leadership skills and college preparation. She lives in Cumming, GA, with her husband Travis.

J. Maria Waters is currently serving as an in-house staff counsel for Progressive Group of Insurance Companies. Her professional accolades are evenly matched by her thoughtful social contributions. Maria is also on the board of Coastal Children’s Advocacy Center. She’s vice co-chair of the Law School Orientation Subcommittee of the State Bar of Georgia Professionalism Committee and she’s a community investment volunteer for the United Way of the Coastal Empire, along with other organizations and state bar committees.

Athens Research and Technology

Jinx Patel, a native West Virginian, received an A.B. from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and her Ph.D. in Developmental Embryology from Washington University in St. Louis.  She worked as a researcher in UGA Genetics Department for thirteen years.  In 1986, Jinx was recruited as the founding Research Director for a biotech start-up company, Athens Research and Technology (ART),.  After retiring in 2008, she served on the ART Board of Directors and currently on the Scientific Advisory Board.  Jinx is active in our Athens community serving on many committees and boards, such as the Georgia Children’s Chorus, the Development Authority of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, the Athens Area Community Foundation, the Classic Center Cultural Foundation. Jinx and her husband, Gordhan, celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary over the Thanksgiving holiday at Jekyll Island with their two daughters, son-in-law, and two granddaughters!  

Kathryn W. Shanley is Professor Emeritus iat the University of Montana-Missoula. Prior to her retirement in 2022, she also worked as the Special Assistant to the Provost for Native American and Indigenous Education and served as chair of Native American Studies.  She has published widely in the field of Native American literature, most notably on the work of Blackfeet / Gros Ventre writer James Welch. Recently, Dr. Shanley has been researching Native American voting and published "Remembering and Reconciling: Native American Women, Community, and Citizenship," in Making Citizenship Work: Culture and Community (edited by Rodolfo Rosales, 2021). In addition to many other editing projects, In 2014, Dr. Shanley co-edited Mapping Indigenous Presence, a comparative study of Sami people from Norway and Native Americans from Montana. In regard to service, Dr. Shanley has held many leadership positions, including having served as president of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) from 2011 – 2013 and as a Regional Liaison for the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program. She is an enrolled citizen fin the Nakoda Nation of the Ft. Peck Reservation in Montana.

Kimberly has over 20 years of experience in leading development and marketing teams at several national and global organizations working as well as working as a management consultant for businesses and nonprofits. She traveled and worked with clients throughout the U.S., South America, and Asia and started the European office of a management consulting group, based in Amsterdam. Her research interests include mergers and acquisitions in the nonprofit sector, measuring impact on social enterprises, and corporate sustainability in the extractive industry.

As an associate professor at King’s, Reeve teaches International Business, Business Ethics, Decision-making and Negotiations, and Nonprofit Management. She earned a B.A. from Colby College, an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas, a Certificate in Global Affairs from New York University, and she completed her Ph.D. in International Business at ISM in Paris, France. Kimberly and her husband live in Newark, NJ, where they spend their weekends restoring their 300-year-old home.

Kunal is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Finance for Innova Solutions.  Kunal has a background in Business Finance with an emphasis on business financial health. Kunal believes that finance and social responsibility go hand-in-hand by implementing Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in businesses' health impacts, client engagement, and employee fulfillment. Kunal was introduced to the Rankin Foundation by the current Board of Directors through his work and served on the Rankin Foundation Finance/Investment Committee for a year before joining the board.  

LaToro is an Enrollment Specialist in Higher Education most recently serving as the Executive Director For Enrollment Management at York College of the City University of New York. There he was responsible for managing three departments: Admissions, Financial Aid, and Testing. He has 14 years of experience in Enrollment Management and Student Affairs and has led York College to three consecutive years of their highest enrollment in the school’s history. He is active in the community and helped create a homework-to-play program at the Salvation Army in Jersey City. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University in 2013.

LaQuanda Prince is the Chief Financial Officer for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, where she leads the Foundation’s finance, HR, and operations functions. With more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, accounting, and nonprofit financial management, she has been instrumental in aligning the Foundation’s financial and operational strategies with its mission to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.

A native Atlantan, LaQuanda earned both her undergraduate and Executive MBA degrees from Georgia State University and holds certifications in FinTech, Nonprofit Accounting, Data Analytics, and Change Leadership. She has also served as a panelist and presenter at conferences including AICPA and NSPA. In recognition of her leadership, LaQuanda was named a 2025 finalist for the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s CFO of the Year Award.

Her career reflects a purposeful journey in nonprofit financial leadership, rooted in her own experience as a recipient of need-based scholarships and her passion for expanding opportunity in underrepresented communities. 

Letty joined Genuine Parts Company after a nearly 20-year long career with Delta Airlines where she was a key leader in Delta’s global strategy to meet its civic obligation to the communities where their employees lived, worked, and served around the world. She is an experienced D&I leader and served as Delta’s Director of Global Diversity where she worked to promote the hiring and retention of a first-class workforce that reflected the diverse demographics of a rapidly changing and interconnected world. Letty also led Delta’s efforts to combat human trafficking and was instrumental in the company’s training of its more than 80,000 employees worldwide. She became a nationally sought-after speaker on this topic and has given testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in support of Delta’s commitment to combatting human trafficking.

Letty has served on multiple non-profit boards and has been recognized by numerous organizations for her commitment to Diversity, Leadership and Human Rights. She is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.

Lorissa Rinehart is a historian, author, and speaker specializing in women’s history, politics, and war. Her debut book, First to the Front, received acclaim from The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and more. Her upcoming book, Winning The Earthquake, releases in November 2025. She explores women’s political impact through her newsletter and podcast, The Female Body Politic. A TEDx speaker, she has spoken at the National Press Club and Women’s National Press Club. Her expertise has been featured on Tell Me Everything, Cold War Conversations, and more. She is represented by Lowenstein Associates.

Originally from Atlanta, Madeline’s family has called Athens home for the last four decades. Raising her five children here, they have since scattered to the winds from New York City to the Western Rockies.She has a BSN from Arizona State University, an MSN from the Medical College of Georgia, her CRNA from Georgia Baptist School of Anesthesia in Atlanta, and a “midlife” BAJ at UGA, that led to her working for Atlanta’s ABC TV affiliate and Athens’ NPR radio station for a time.

Madeline has served on a number of boards and commissions over the years. Among them she was founding chair of the Oconee River Land Trust, a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Athens Justice Project, a founding board member of the Georgia Faith Health Nursing Association, and 20 years on the Oconee River Greenway Commission. 

Monica is the Director at the Assurant Foundation, leading global volunteer and community engagement initiatives, nonprofit partnerships, and overseeing global grants. With 20+ years of experience in philanthropic and corporate social responsibility roles, she has made significant contributions to various organizations. Previously, Monica was the Global Social Responsibility Manager at Abbott, leading employee giving and volunteer programs. She also served as the Global Community Investment Manager for McDonald’s Corporation, overseeing nonprofit partnerships, disaster relief, and diversity, equity, and inclusion sponsorships. Before transitioning to the corporate sector, Monica was a grants manager with the Oprah Winfrey Philanthropies.

Monica is passionate about education and has volunteered with the Rankin Foundation as a scholarship reviewer for four years. She is a native of Tanzania and in her spare time, enjoys traveling with her husband and two children, exploring art museums, theatre, live music events, and swimming.

Robin Walls is the Executive Director/CEO of the King County Housing Authority in Seattle, WA. Robin has more than 22 years in the affordable housing field. Her extensive experience, deep knowledge of HUD programs, and demonstrated record of success position her as a leader in pursuing solutions to the affordable housing and homelessness crises in King County. Robin participates in several professional organizations including the National Leased Housing Association, where she serves on the board, and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, where she serves on multiple standing committees.

Robin hails from Chicago. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. She looks forward to using her knowledge and experience to further the mission of the Rankin Foundation.

Stacy is an Executive Coach and founder of Stride Executive Coaching, LLC where she is a catalyst for individuals and corporations taking decisive, transformative steps on their leadership journeys. Stacy is passionate about education, lifelong learning, and continual personal development. Her favorite pastime is to combine her loves of travel and running with her sisters and extended family. She was a partner with ISHR Group for 21 years and previously worked as a Human Resource Manager for General Electric. Stacy earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and a Master of Labor Relations and Human Resources from Michigan State University. Stacy and her husband Alan both grew up in Michigan. They have raised three children, two of whom are studying in the midwest and one who will soon follow. While they live in Atlanta with their two rescue dogs, they return to Northern Michigan as often as possible.