Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Joel Ratner – Board Chair
President and CEO, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
J.D., School of Law, Case Western Reserve University
Joel Ratner is President and CEO of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, a local community development funding intermediary with over thirty years of experience investing in community revitalization work in the City of Cleveland. Cleveland Neighborhood Progress works to accomplish its vision for all of Cleveland’s neighborhoods to be attractive, vibrant communities where people from all incomes, races, and generations thrive, prosper, and choose to live, learn, work, invest, and play. Before joining Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Ratner served as President of the Raymond John Wean Foundation, leading its comprehensive effort to advance the Mahoning Valley. Prior to that, Ratner led the Neighborhood Connections Program at the Cleveland Foundation, which provides small grants to neighborhood groups working to improve their communities.
Email: JRatner@GALACleveland.org | Phone: (216) 315-7942
Michele Scott Taylor, EdD – Board Vice Chair
Chief Program Officer, College Now Greater Cleveland
Doctor of Education, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Michele Scott Taylor is the Chief Program Officer at College Now Greater Cleveland and provides strategic leadership for the organization’s programmatic efforts, including school- and community-based advising programs as well as federal programs. Her previous role as Coordinator of Access and Retention at John Carroll University focused on college access and retention. Michele has spent most of her professional career in higher education administration in a myriad of student affairs and academic affairs roles. Michele is also CEO and principal of Global Learning Solutions, a small consulting firm she started in an effort to provide cultural competency development, program evaluation, program and proposal development, grant writing and organizational development assistance to small businesses and non-profit organizations. She received two Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Akron majoring in Political Science, Sociology, and French. She earned a Master of Education degree from Kent State University specializing in College Student Personnel as well as Doctor of Education degree from the University of Pittsburgh with a concentration in Administrative and Policy Studies. In the community, Michele takes pride in serving on the board of Progressive Arts Alliance, a non-profit that inspires students to reach their full potential by providing unique and relevant learning experiences using contemporary arts and 21st century media. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a social service organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world.
Email: MScottTaylor@GALACleveland.org | Phone: (216) 315-7942
Christine Eadie – Board Secretary
Master of Urban Planning, Design and Development, Cleveland State University
Ms. Eadie served as the manager of markets at the West Side Market, and prior to that worked for the Urban Conservancy in New Orleans and as a planner for the City of San Antonio. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Tulane University and a Master of Urban Planning, Design & Development degree from Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.
Email: CEadie@GALACleveland.org | Phone: (216) 315-7942
Deborah Stipkovich – Board Treasurer
Senior Audit Strategist
MS: Taxation, University of Akron
Debbie Stipkovich is a Senior Audit Strategist at KeyBank managing large audits focusing on the Corporate Treasury Department. She has had several roles at KeyBank including over 10 years preparing regulatory submissions and risk assessments on Treasury functions as well as working with banking regulators. She received her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from John Carroll University and holds an Ohio CPA license and a CFA Charter.
Email: DStipkovich@GALACleveland.org | Phone: (216) 315-7942
Yan Ling – Board Member
IT Project Manager, Progressive Corporation
MBA, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
Yan Ling is an IT Project Manager and Scrum Master at the Progressive Corporation, leading multidisciplinary teams in enterprise projects. Prior to that, Yan worked as a web applications programmer for 16 years. Having experienced language immersion as a child immigrant, Yan is passionate about multilingual education. Yan holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from Case Western Reserve University.
Email: YLing@GALACleveland.org | Phone: (216) 315-7942
Lourdes Negrón-McDaniel – Board Member
Founder and Principal- LNM Consulting, ltd.
M.Ed. Education, Cleveland State University
M.A. Organizational Psychology with Specialization in Diversity Management, Cleveland State University
Lourdes Negrón-McDaniel is founder and principal lead for a training and development consulting practice with expertise in leveraging diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks to support health and healthcare serving entities and others in education, nonprofit organizations and community-based groups; advancing health, education, community supports and economic equity for key stakeholders. She has substantive experience through the life cycle of diversity strategic planning and implementation, focused on the intersection of health care and community wellness, including collaborating with a variety of community partners to intentionally address the social determinants of health. Prior roles include serving as director for inclusion and diversity for The MetroHealth System, Cuyahoga County’s essential health system, where she provided strategic and operational leadership in the design, development, implementation, administration and communication of the system’s inclusion and diversity programs. Lourdes also previously served in a variety of roles in developmental and rehabilitation services, working with individuals and communities with special needs.
Email: LNegronMcDaniel@GALACleveland.org | Phone: (216) 315-7942
Jake Taylor – Board Member
Director of Teaching and Curriculum, Urban Community School
M.A. in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School
Jake is the Director of Teaching and Curriculum at Urban Community School. Previously, he served as the Regional Manager for TEALS (Tech. Education And Literacy in Schools). TEALS is a program funded by Microsoft philanthropies that supports high schools starting computer science programs by pairing software developers with classroom teachers a co-teaching model. Jake has a B.S. in Finance from Penn State University and a M.A. in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. After college, Jake spent two years working at Morgan Stanley and then transitioned to a career in education. Since leaving Morgan Stanley, Jake has spent five years teaching middle school math in Spanish Harlem and Cleveland. Jake has also spent several summers working for the Ohio Department of Education as well as the Office of Urban Planning in the City of Detroit. Jake loves education and all things Cleveland. He is excited to join the GALA board and support the school as it continues to grow and provide more students with a high quality education.
Email: JTaylor@GALACleveland.org | Phone: (216) 315-7942