Tenille Kaus is only four months into her new role at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, where she leads diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and advancement for the nonprofit, but already she has a full plate. Charged with implementing legal aid’s DEI plan and designing strategies to ensure that the nonprofit considers DEI principles across [...]
Crystal Bryant-Agyemang is a fierce advocate, leader, attorney, and public servant with a drive to serve her community. With a background in social work and the law, Bryant-Agyemang is an effective collaborator and organizer, a sought-after leader, and a staunch advocate for Ohioans impacted by the criminal justice system. As Executive Director of the Cleveland [...]
B. Janelle Butler Phifer, staff attorney at Legal Aid of Western Ohio, is the 2022 recipient of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Denis J. Murphy Award. The Foundation presents the Murphy Award annually to an Ohio legal aid staff member to recognize outstanding leadership and advocacy. At a reception at Legal Aid of Western [...]
Vanetta Jamison is a former legal aid client turned Board President of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, a passionate advocate for Ohio’s veterans, a fierce champion for disadvantaged children, and an extraordinary person. In short, just the type of committee member the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation sought when forming its Diversity, Equity, and [...]
If there’s anyone who has earned retirement, it’s Henry County Family Court Judge Denise McColley. During her decades of experience as a magistrate and then as a judge, Judge McColley has worked tirelessly to enhance the legal system through programs and services for Ohioans. For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation [...]
When Lilly Cavanaugh accepted the invitation to join the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, she was already familiar with the Foundation’s work. As Executive Director of the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission, Cavanaugh understood the value of access to civil legal services, particularly for new Americans, and the role the [...]
When Mary Asbury became the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati in 1988, she considered herself fortunate to take over an organization that already had an established strategic planning process. Every four years, Legal Aid reaches out to community members to determine the most critical legal needs, a process that has [...]
