We are so proud to announce two new Trustees joining the Board of the Deaconess Foundation. These two women share, with our existing Trustees, a deep commitment to our mission of enabling people in need to build careers that sustain themselves and their families. They also each bring valuable professional expertise which strengthens the Board’s ability to provide advice, guidance, and governance to the work of the staff. We welcome them to the Deaconess team!
Andrea Lyons is the Director of Race, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the United Way of Cleveland, where she leads the organization’s commitment and actions to address structural racism and economic inequity. Andrea brings this expertise to Deaconess after years as a professional communicator and marketer, at her own firm as well as for national and regional companies and partners. A native of New Jersey, Andrea received her BA at Rutgers University and MBA at NYU. Andrea focuses her community service on the empowerment of families and communities. She also enjoys spending time with her family and enjoying green spaces.
Meltrice Sharp, CPA, is a Founder and Managing Partner at CLE Consulting Firm, an accounting, tax, payroll, and business consulting firm conveniently located in Downtown Cleveland. CLE continues to thrive and has been growing since the inception of the firm in 2017. Her experience as Managing Partner for CLE enables Meltrice to understand the employer’s perspective within the workforce system and places her in the perfect position to assist other businesses in the community striving to grow and scale. Meltrice has 20 years of experience in accounting, tax, and financial management. Her rich background can be attributed to her previous employment with EY (formerly Ernst & Young) and more than a decade with Forest City Enterprises. Meltrice earned her BA from Kent State and MBA from Baldwin Wallace University. Born and bred in Cleveland, Meltrice prides herself on giving back to the community and being a great wife, mother, and grandmother.
We are grateful for the involvement of these two women, and our other 8 non-staff Trustees, in guiding the work of the Foundation.