Our Team

Profile Picture of Nicole Harper

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.