Our Team
Nicole Harper
CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER
Nicole is dedicated to using her skills to advance equity. She has over 15 years of experience as a public policy professional working with state and local governments focusing on equity and human services initiatives. Nicole successfully led the advocacy efforts that resulted in the passage of legislation to improve the child welfare system in Ohio. Further, she is skilled at developing collaborations and partnerships that result in meeting organizational outcomes. She has also worked with internal teams on racial equity initiatives. Additionally, she is trained in Strategic Doing which teaches people how to form collaborations quickly and move toward measurable outcomes while making adjustments as needed.
Contact at:nnharper@columbus.gov
The Commission on Black girls is currently working with a Community Advisory Board to oversee, prioritize and guide activities related to A Report on the Quality of Life of Black Girls in Columbus, Ohio.
The Commission on Black Girls
Community Advisory Board Members
Joy Bivens, Franklin County
Chief Elaine Bryant, Columbus Police Department
Ryan Edwards, Apex Leadership Co
Fran Frazier, Black Girls Rising
Shawna Gibbs, Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH)
Elizabeth Gill, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas – Judge
Liz Gordon-Canlas, Zora’s House
Stephanie Mitchell Hughes, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Monique Jacquet, Columbus City Schools
Michaela Matheney, Student
Dr. Wendy Smooth, The Ohio State University
Chip Spinning & Eboni Partlow, Franklin County Children Services
Erin Upchurch & Lisanne, Kaleidoscope
Past Commission Members (served July 2018-December 2020)
The Commission on Black Girls was convened in July 2018 it consisted of the following community leaders from various disciplines who came together to assess factors that impact the quality of life for Black girls in Columbus and Central Ohio:
Frederic Bertley, Ph.D., Center of Science and Industry (COSI) , Commission Co-Chair
Fran Frazier, Rise Sister Rise, Commission Co-Chair
Reverend Timothy Ahrens, First Congregational Church
Sergeant Lindsey Alli, Columbus Division of Police
Linda Brown, The Columbus Chapter of The Links, Incorporated
Crystal Causey, National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., Central Ohio Chapter
Clytemnestra Clarke, First Church of God
LaShanda Coleman, National Pan-Hellenic Council of Columbus
Michael Corey, J.D., Human Service Chamber of Franklin County
Lisa Courtice, Ph.D., United Way of Central Ohio
Mary Cusick, Community Leader
Kevin Dixon, Ph.D., Franklin County ADAMH Board
Honorable Elizabeth Gill, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Division, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas
Alesia Gillison, Columbus City Schools
Tom Grote, Grote & Turner
Mia Hairston, Nationwide
Kim Hooper, Walmart
LC Johnson, YWCA Columbus*
Caroline Woliver, YWCA Columbus
DeShauna Lee, J.D., Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Mysheika Roberts, M.D., Columbus Public Health
Toshia Safford, The Center for Healthy Families
Wendy Smooth, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Charles Spinning, Franklin County Children Services
Ben Tyson, Easton, Steiner + Associates *
Jennifer Peterson, Easton, Steiner + Associates
Paiden Williams, Rise Sister Rise, Black Girls Think Tank
*denotes that the Commissioner concluded their service prior to December 2020 and someone else was appointed to complete their term.