Crafting a Responsive Community Investment Strategy

Chief Executive Officer,​ Medina Creative Housing

Dianne DePasquale-Hagerty is the CEO of Medina Creative Housing (MCH) and its five affiliated organizations.

Dianne holds a BA Degree from Canisius College, a JD degree from Case Western Reserve University and a MHA degree from Cornell University.

Prior to joining Medina Creative Housing, Dianne served as Legal Counsel to Lakewood Hospital for 11 years. After becoming a mother and staying home with her son for seven years, Dianne pursued her passion and became Medina Creative Housing’s first Executive Director working on behalf of individuals with disabilities. Dianne has a nephew on the Autism Spectrum and a brother with disabilities and, thus, learned firsthand about barriers to achieving your potential if you have a developmental, cognitive and/or physical disability. She is committed to focusing on all individuals’ abilities, to assist them in achieving their potential.

Over her 21 year tenure, Dianne has received numerous awards for her innovative thinking in opening an array of housing, services and support opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Through Dianne’s leadership, Medina Creative Housing has been recognized on local, regional, state and national levels for its innovative housing and development of an array of services and support opportunities for individuals with disabilities that have traditionally been closed.

Dianne has received numerous awards for her work on behalf of individuals with disabilities which include: 2017 Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital Community Service Award; Smart Business Power Players Class of 2014; 2014 Women in Law Making a Difference award by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Women in Law Section and the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel; 2014 Crain’s Cleveland Business “Women of Note” Award; 2014 Milestones Autism Organization “Community Innovator” Award; 2012 American Association of University Women Medina County “Agent of Change” Award; 2012 Michael J. Berken Peace & Justice Award from the Catholic Commission of Wayne, Ashland & Medina Counties; 2011 Smart Business and Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service recognized as “Executive Director of the Year”; 2010 “Community Champion” Award by the State of Ohio Finance Fund; 2009 Medina County YWCA Women of Distinction Award and the 2006 Cuyahoga County YWCA Women of Professional Excellence Award. Some of her professional affiliations include Medina Hospital Advisory Board, Medina County Housing Network Charter Member, Medina County Foreclosure Task Force and Leadership Medina County graduate.

Director of Public Policy and External Affairs ​(and Former Executive Director​), Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential​

Melanie was the Executive Director of Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP), a Center for Independent Living, in Cleveland, OH until October 2023 when she retired. Melanie has been with the organization, which serves individuals with disabilities in eight Ohio counties, for 29 years.

She currently serves as LEAP’s Director of Public Policy and External Affairs. Melanie has been actively involved in the human services field for her entire career, working with individuals with disabilities in a number of capacities, including residential services, vocational rehabilitation and independent living services.

Melanie has served on many boards, councils and coalitions promoting equal access to work and community living for persons with disabilities. She has recently been appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Advisory Board and was appointed by Governor DeWine to the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council.

Melanie holds a master’s degree in Education from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wheeling College.

Board President, Rising Heights

Adoptive Parent

Owner, Leek Pipe Organ Company​

As the current Board President, Natalie Leek directs many key functions for Rising
Heights, (a neuro inclusive housing and wellness community) including marketing, operations, business and community development and outreach. She co-wrote the RH strategic plan.

With over 20 years’ experience in various leadership roles at multinational corporations, Natalie brings an energetic, results-oriented approach to the organization with unmatched passion and dedication. She has held leadership roles at multinational corporations, universities and foundations.

As a mother of an adoptive child with multiple disabilities, she has spent the past 12 years caring and advocating for her son, Craig,  to be mainstreamed in the medical, educational and social realms and continues to do so today. Her experiences with parenting Craig fuel her contributions to Rising Heights.

Natalie co-owns and operates a successful family business, Leek Pipe Organ Company, that serves worship and music ministry at churches of multiple denominations, concert halls and residences. Recently, she worked with a Biomed student team at Case Western Reserve University in an assistive tech application project to make worship music accessible to the Deaf and blind.

Natalie has been a yoga and mindfulness practitioner for all her life.

PCA Program Contractor/LTSS Supervisor​, Services for Independent Living​

Lisa Marn has life-long experience with a disability. She has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and has worked for Services for Independent Living, Inc. (SIL) for 26 years. She is the PCA Program Contract/LTSS Supervisor for SIL.

Lisa lives in her condo in Willoughby, OH with her service dog, Tahiti, and pet cat Rosie.

Director, Community Relationships​, Assembly of the Arts

Meg Matko is a nonprofit professional, visual artist and community specialist hybrid working as Director of Community Relationships at Assembly for the Arts.

She holds a BFA concentrating in sculpture from Kent State University and has over a decade of arts administration and nonprofit management experience, concentrated in relationship-building, community outreach, organizing and facilitation, program development, grant making and research.

Meg is a long-time disability rights advocate, spearheading a study funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Open Caption: Rethinking Accessibility in Cleveland’s Arts and Culture in 2020 in her role as Community Relations Manager at Arts Cleveland (2013-2021).

In her current role, she advocates for and consults with artists with disabilities on their grant applications and by offering individual support services. Meg maintains an active creative practice in interdisciplinary performance and received a 2021 Satellite Fund grant for visual art through the Warhol Foundation.

Member Emeritus​, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Community Advisory Committee​ Member; Transportation and Accessibility Subcommittees, Cuyahoga County Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities

Melanie was the Executive Director of Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP), a Center for Independent Living, in Cleveland, OH until October 2023 when she retired. Melanie has been with the organization, which serves individuals with disabilities in eight Ohio counties, for 29 years.

She currently serves as LEAP’s Director of Public Policy and External Affairs. Melanie has been actively involved in the human services field for her entire career, working with individuals with disabilities in a number of capacities, including residential services, vocational rehabilitation and independent living services.

Melanie has served on many boards, councils and coalitions promoting equal access to work and community living for persons with disabilities. She has recently been appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Advisory Board and was appointed by Governor DeWine to the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council.

Melanie holds a master’s degree in Education from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wheeling College.

Head of Entrepreneurship and Disability Inclusion​, JPMorgan Chase ​

Anthony Reynolds is the head of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the Office of Disability Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Reynolds is focused on increasing access for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are neurodiverse or have disabilities to education and technical resources, capital and growth opportunities.

He also works to strengthen and scale supports available to small businesses and entrepreneurs who are neurodiverse or have disabilities. A former co-founder of a technology company, Reynolds rapidly scaled his business across multiple market segments using channel and strategic partnerships with large scale corporations. He has served as a featured speaker at the United Nations, National Disability Institute, Black Tech Fest U.K. and Startup Weeks.

Reynolds is currently a Global Mentor for Techstars Accelerator Programs. He also served on the Board of Directors for the START Fund, an initiative focused on making investments to nonprofits in the Central Ohio community. While a member of the United States Air Force, Reynolds was a part of the Intelligence Community and was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal. He was deployed to Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Reynolds is a native of Columbus, OH and resides in New York City with his family.

The George Gund Foundation is a private nonprofit institution that has been promoting human well-being and progress in the Northeast Ohio Region for over 71 years. Creating vibrant neighborhoods and inclusive economy is one of the program priorities of Foundation. This funding work aligns with priorities for advancing urban economies of the Northeast Ohio region and expanding accessibility and economic self-sufficiency for traditionally underserved communities, including individuals and families living with disabilities.

For 18 years, National Disability Institute (NDI) has provided research, policy, technical assistance and comprehensive training support to public and private, federal, state and local entities to improve outcomes for and the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. NDI is a trusted advisor to the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services, as well as the IRS, FDIC, Treasury and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The organization has successfully assisted a broad range of partners to align policies, resources and services to collaborate and coordinate across systems to foster effective and meaningful participation of people with disabilities in the workforce, and to increase the economic outcomes of people across the spectrum of disability, with special focus on those living at the intersection of disability, race/ethnicity and poverty.