YWCA Columbus Announces 2024 Women of Achievement
DEC. 7, 2023 (COLUMBUS, OH) – For nearly 40 years, YWCA Columbus has honored a select group of “Women of Achievement” who embody our mission and commitment to empower women: individuals who impact their professions, uplift their communities, fight bias, and inspire others. We’re excited to share that the 2024 class has been selected! Please see each woman, along with her bio, below.
This year’s luncheon will be at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in the Battelle Grand Ballroom on Thursday, April 11, 2024. There will be both in-person and virtual attendance options. Learn more at ywcacolumbus.org/woa.
We are grateful for these women who work every day to advance peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all in our community and beyond.
YWCA Columbus’ 2024 Women of Achievement:
Corrine Burger
Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Corrine Burger has been a leader at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its predecessor firm, Bank One, for over 30 years. She manages a global team as the firm’s Chief Control Manager and serves as the lead executive overseeing the firm’s Columbus Strategic Hub.
Corrine is a committed community advocate who ensures equitable access to services, education, and opportunity. She is a trustee on the boards of Columbus State Community College, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, One Columbus, and is a member of the executive committee of the Columbus Partnership. Corrine is also a Dean’s Advisory Council member at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, her alma mater.
Demetries Neely
Executive Director & CEO, Attorney
Demetries Neely currently serves as Executive Director and CEO of The Martin Luther King Jr. Performing & Cultural Arts Complex (The King Arts Complex), where she leads one of Columbus’ most admired cultural and arts institutions. Under Demetries’ leadership, The King Arts Complex established its first endowment, increased its brand equity, and gained national prominence for its financial sustainability.
Demetries is very active in her community and believes in paying back as well as paying it forward. She is president of the Burlie Neely Scholarship Fund, vice president of the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium, member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Project 2025 Committee, and treasurer of the Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company.
Dr. Elaine Richardson
Professor, Non-Profit Founder, & Performance Activist
Dr. Elaine Richardson, a distinguished professor of literacy studies at The Ohio State University, has dedicated her career to eliminating racism and empowering women through education and community engagement.
Known as “Dr. E”, she founded the Education Foundation for Freedom, a non-profit that hosts the Columbus Women and Girls’ Fest, and curated Ohio State’s influential HipHop Literacies Conference, which seeks to challenge stereotypes and promote women’s empowerment within the genre. Dr. E utilizes her lived experiences to support and mentor girls and women facing hardships while advocating for literacy, empowerment, and social justice.
Renée Shumate
External Affairs, AEP Ohio
Renée Shumate, External Affairs at AEP Ohio, showcases an unwavering dedication to dignity through community engagement. Her leadership spans numerous boards, including pivotal roles on the Community Shelter Board and Columbus Metropolitan Library, as well as Governing Board Chair for YWCA Columbus. Additionally, Renée is a founding member of the Matriots, a nonpartisan political action committee focused on electing more women to public office.
Renée’s philanthropic endeavors, notably through the Renée and Alex Shumate Foundation, extend to supporting youth leadership and equity in the arts, exemplified by establishing the Shumate Council at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Her passion for community engagement and empowerment solidifies her legacy as a catalyst for positive change and cultivating future achievers.
Ola Snow
Chief Human Resources Officer, Cardinal Health
Ola Snow, Chief Human Resources Officer at Cardinal Health, has dedicated her career to creating communities where all feel welcome, safe, seen, and heard. Passionate about diversity and inclusion, Ola serves as co-executive sponsor for the company’s DE&I Council and as an advisor for the Black and African American Racial Equity Cabinet—two internal groups that challenge the status quo and advance DE&I within the organization.
Ola’s commitment to women’s advancement is evident through her leadership on the Columbus Women’s Commission, advocacy for pay equity studies at Cardinal Health, and co-chairing the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Her proactive measures to support working women and advance women’s health underscore her dedication to gender equality.
Erin Upchurch, MSSA, LISW-S
Executive Director, Kaleidoscope Youth Center
Erin Upchurch is an integrative social work practitioner, nonprofit leader, and community lecturer in the OSU College of Social Work. She currently serves as the executive director of Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC), which serves and supports LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults. Erin is a sought-after speaker and facilitator in the areas of leadership and organizational development, trauma recovery, and Transformative Justice as a framework for community and organizational practice.
Her collective work creates, builds, and sustains programs and spaces that support traditionally ignored or silenced voices. As a practitioner, Erin is committed to cultivating experiences of belonging in service of a kinder, safer, and more affirming world.
About YWCA Columbus
YWCA Columbus defies the status quo that puts women, people of color, and the underprivileged on uneven footing. By fostering dialogue and providing practical resources and education, we promote empowerment and inclusion. YWCA Columbus initiates systematic social change that will create a Columbus of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
