Stark County Women in Business Summit
Friday, March 27 • 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
NickaJack Farms and The Mane Barn
Chamber members: $109 • Non-members: $119
SPEAKER | BIOS:
Keynote: Renee Powell
Renee Powell is one of the most resilient athletes of our time and golf’s greatest living ambassador.
Raised at the East Canton, Ohio course built by her father, William “Bill” Powell, during segregation, she learned early what it meant to excel against the odds. She began playing at age three, won 30+ tournaments as a teen, and in 1967 became the second African-American woman to compete on the LPGA Tour. She played in 250+ events worldwide and won the 1973 Kelly Springfield Open in Brisbane, Australia. She also supported U.S. troops, including a 1971 USO tour to Vietnam.
In 1979, she made history again as the first woman head professional of a private golf club in the United Kingdom (Silvermere Golf Club), while also designing golf apparel and guest commentating for CBS and ABC. After her touring career, Renee dedicated her life to expanding access to golf for youth, women, minorities, seniors, and veterans—traveling to Africa 25+ times as an International Goodwill Ambassador.
In 2011, she launched Clearview HOPE, a free, year-round golf program for women veterans, and later helped expand PGA HOPE programming across Northern Ohio. Renee has earned countless honors, is a member of 12 Halls of Fame, and received major recognition from the University and institutions of St. Andrews, Scotland.
Today, she serves as the LPGA/PGA Head Golf Professional at historic Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, and continues to inspire audiences worldwide through her speaking and community leadership.
BUILT BY GRIT
Panelists:
Moderator: Kayleigh Kriss
Membership Director, North Canton YMCA
Kayleigh is originally from Perry in Lake County. She’s a graduate of Bowling Green State University and got her start in radio at WDON in Geneva, Ohio. From there she came to WHBC and spent 5 years as the Promotions and Public Affairs Director. In 1997 she became the midday personality on Mix 94.1. Throughout her time with the radio station she was involved with a variety of organizations in Stark County including United Way, the Business Excellence committee, the Downtown Canton Association, the American Heart Association, the ARC of Stark County and the Light Up Downtown Canton Committee.
Currently, she serves on the Board of the North Canton Chamber of Commerce and the Board of the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps. She has emceed many events in the area including the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Queen and Royal Ambassador Pageant, the DCI Tour of Champions, the Business Excellence Awards, the American Heart Association Heart Ball, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Breakfast & Walk and the Pathway Caring for Children Dinner/Auction to name a few. She left WHBC in August of 2020 and worked for Amazon from November 2020-June 2021. She started as the midday host of 99.9 WTUZ in August 2021 and also became the Membership Director at the North Canton YMCA where she is today.
Liz Hibbs
Doctoral Student, Youngstown State University
Mrs. Hibbs is in her tenth year with ECEA and has over 20 years of experience in education. She holds master's degrees in Educational Administration, Technology, and Curriculum and Instruction. Currently, she is a doctoral student at Youngstown State University.
In 2020, Mrs. Hibbs was selected to participate in Groundwork Ohio's first-ever fellowship program. Through this fellowship, she worked with early childhood leaders and Ohio state legislators to influence policy and promote change through amplified voices. She continues this work today in her community as well as at the state and federal levels.
In her free time, Mrs. Hibbs enjoys spending quality time with her family and going to local festivals. She and her husband, Jesse, have been married for 21 years. They have two daughters. Her mother, Patricia, also lives with them. Mrs. Hibbs supports the mission of ECEA, which is to educate, advocate, and collaborate on behalf of quality early learning and experiences. At home, her mission is to put family first.
Mrs. Hibbs also oversees the child care portion of the Alliance Employment Promise.
Captain Lisa Broucker
Canton City Police Department
Lisa grew up in Waynesburg Ohio with her parents John and Antonietta Broucker and sister Toni Ammons. She graduated from Sandy Valley HS in 1996 and chose to further her education at Walsh University from 1996-2000 where she was a member of the softball team.
Lisa graduated from Walsh in 2000 with a bachelors degree in Sociology with an Emphasis in Criminal Justice.
In April of 2001 Lisa graduated from the Stark State Police Academy and began working for the City of Canton Ohio Police Department in May of 2001 as a patrolman.
During her career as a Patrolman at the Canton Police Department Lisa spent time working in the patrol division, the vice unit, serving as a grant writer, Youth corps adviser and field training officer.
Lisa joined the ranks of supervision in January of 2011 by being promoted to Sergeant. Two short years later was she was promoted to Lieutenant in January of 2013.
As a Lieutenant, Lisa was placed as commander of the Traffic Unit where she oversaw the members of the unit, the Metro crash team, served as special events coordinator and extra duty coordinator. As the special events coordinator she worked closely with many community agencies, the chamber of commerce and the Hall of Fame to ensure the safety of the many guests that attended their events.
On June 19th 2019 Lisa was promoted to Captain. Capt. Lisa Broucker is the first female promoted to this rank in the history of the Canton Police Department. Lisa currently is assigned as the Support Services Division Commander and is 2nd in Command of the Canton Police Department. As the Support Services oversees Training, Internal Affairs, Clerical staff, The Community Priorities Unit, the Communication center, all department grants, and budgets.
In addition to these duties Captain Broucker continues to plan and oversee all Hall of Fame Festival Events each year which allows her to maintain her many contacts in the community.
Captain Lisa Broucker resides in Plain Township with Troy Adams and their 12 year old daughter Lucia.
Janelle Lee
Interim CEO of YWCA Canton
Janelle Lee is a dynamic and respected nonprofit and business development leader with more than 20 years of experience expanding partnerships, strengthening community relationships, and driving organizational growth. She is widely recognized for her strategic planning expertise, stakeholder engagement, and mission-focused leadership approach.
Most recently, Janelle served as Director of Client Engagement at MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, where she led economic and community engagement initiatives across 11 Northeast Ohio counties. Her work deepened regional connections with small and mid-sized manufacturers, advanced targeted outreach strategies, oversaw operations for MAGNET’s Canton office, and strengthened relationships with key economic development partners, government officials, and community organizations.
Janelle previously served as an Economic Development Consultant and Community Engagement Officer for Strengthening Stark, where she helped design and implement countywide economic strategies, build cross-sector partnerships, lead strategic planning efforts, and communicate Stark County’s competitiveness goals across broad stakeholder groups.
Janelle also brings significant board, volunteer, and community leadership experience across regional organizations, philanthropic institutions, and civic committees.
Naomi J. Covert
Founder, Naturally Snackish
Naomi J. Covert is a 30-year-old mother and entrepreneur with an inspiring, international journey. Born and raised in Germany, she immigrated to America in 2017 to begin a new chapter of her life. Five years ago, driven by the need for greater flexibility and financial stability, she founded Naturally Snackish. What started out of necessity quickly became a passion. Today, Naomi loves what she does, finds joy in her work, and feels deeply grateful for the path she's built - balancing motherhood and business with purpose and heart.
LUSTER THAT LASTS
Panelists:
Moderator: Tracy Nicodemo
Executive Director of Leadership Stark County
As the Executive Director of Leadership Stark County at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tracy is dedicated to developing and empowering leaders to make a lasting impact in their communities. Passionate about mentorship and creating opportunities for growth, Tracy believes in the power of leadership to inspire change and build stronger connections.
Before stepping into the world of leadership development, Tracy had a successful career in design. Most recently, she worked as a Designer for Abercrombie Kids and previously held a sourcing role at Express. Tracy's journey began with studies in Interior Architecture at Ohio University, later shifting to Fashion Design at Parsons The New School for Design.
So why leadership? And why Stark County? Having been deeply influenced by exceptional leaders and human beings throughout her life, Tracy recognized the profound impact of mentorship, perspective, and passion. When she and her husband decided to return to Stark County, it became clear her true calling was helping people reach their full potential.
Krista Allison
Career Technical Planning District Consultant
Krista L. Allison is a change agent, community collaborator, and servant leader who firmly believes in unity and community. With over 25 years of experience in leadership roles at the state, county, and school district levels, she has provided guidance to public officials on education regulations, trained and coached education leaders, and developed strategic policies, programs, and systems to address both the academic and non-academic needs of Ohio students in Ohio schools.
After earning her Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin-Wallace University and Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Mrs. Allison served as an Executive Director at the Ohio Department of Education, Director of the Stark County CARE Team, and Director of the Office of Student, Family, and Community Support for the Canton City School District. Currently, Krista serves as the Career Technical Planning District Consultant. She focuses on workforce and career readiness with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's State Support Team Region 9, as well as the Stark County Educational Service Center.
In 2024, Krista’s steadfast commitment to the Stark County community motivated her to seek election to the Ohio House of Representatives for the 49th District. Although she fell short in that race, her dedication to inspiring, motivating, and empowering the residents of Stark County remains unwavering. Demonstrating continued resilience and purpose, Krista formally announced her candidacy in October for the 2026 election to represent the 49th District in the Ohio House of Representatives.
Krista actively contributes her time, talents, and treasure throughout the community. She volunteers at local food banks and serves on several boards and commissions, including the Stark County Library Foundation, YMCA of Central Stark County, Women’s Impact, and Greater Stark County Martin Luther King Jr. Commission.
Krista serves as the Social Action Chair for the Stark County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and is a member of the Kent Area (OH) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, one of the nation's oldest and largest volunteer service organizations. Krista is an Institute for Educational Leadership Policy Fellow, an Ohio Early Childhood Leadership Fellow, and a member of Leadership Stark County's 35th Class Signature Program.
She is devoted to being “salt and light” to others through her creation and leadership of the women’s Bible study, GO! (God's Opportunity). She is actively engaged in ministry at her church, leading its community outreach initiative, children’s ministry, and Christian education programming. She is honored with the opportunity to “preach the Word.”
Krista's greatest earthly joy comes from her family. She has been married to her college sweetheart, Adrian E. Allison, for 27 years, and they have two daughters, Averi and Anastasia, both of whom are graduates of Canton McKinley High School.
Jane Christyson
Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio
Jane Christyson has more than 45 years of nonprofit administration and management experience with a concentration in strategic planning, partnerships and corporate sponsorships. She is currently Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) which serves almost 19,000 girl members and over 8,000 adult volunteers in 18 counties. With a budget of more than $14 million, GSNEO is focused on building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place through unique programs and opportunities. Three Council-run camps of almost 1,000 acres serve as the anchors for outdoor adventures and leadership learning. Jane also served as Director of Marketing and Golf Clubhouse Services for Cleveland Metroparks and began her career at United Way Services of Cleveland. She was also executive director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. As a volunteer, she is currently a board member for the Beck Center for the Arts and is the Board President for North Pointe Ballet.
Beth Humbert
Founder, Whole Latte Love Cafe and Whole CommUNITY Academy
Beth has dedicated over 25 years to helping people with disabilities achieve meaningful employment. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor by trade, she has partnered with government agencies, private organizations, and nonprofit programs to provide individualized support, career coaching, and advocacy.
Beth’s passions lie in creating opportunities for independence, self-advocacy, and diversity in the workforce. She brings a wealth of experience in program development, workforce training, and community engagement. In 2017, after witnessing the limited vocational options for her own daughter with Autism during the transition from high school, Beth chose to leave her professional career to make a tangible difference in Stark County.
Today, the café represents inclusion and change. It provides a platform where people with disabilities can now be seen, heard, and valued. Whole Latte Love Café successfully held its grand opening in January 2022 and expanded its services in September 2025 with Whole CommUNITY Academy.
Lisa Waite
Owner, Waite Communication and Executive Development
Lisa Waite, owner of Waite Communication and Executive Development, is a seasoned executive coach with a focus on leadership, team development, and effective communication.
Lisa brings three decades of expertise in higher education where her “day” job is Communication Studies Professor at Kent State University. She collaborates with businesses, contributing to professional development events, conferences, and leadership initiatives.
She holds an…
- MA in Communication
- Dare to Lead® certification from the Brenè Brown Institute
- ‘Blackbelt’ Leadership certification from the Humanistic Leadership Academy
- Master Facilitator-Executive Development certification from Barry-Wehmiller Corporate University.
Sample partnerships span the US military, healthcare, manufacturing, food and beverage industries, nonprofits, government, and aviation. A lifelong resident of Canton, Lisa supports underserved populations, is a member of Women’s Impact, and serves on the board of The Grace Project Ohio.
Lisa’s ‘WHY’: I find my success in helping others find theirs. I do this by revealing everyone's greatest potential to become the best version of themselves.
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