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Voices' Staff & Consultant Bios

Amy Nicholls Swanson, Executive Director

Amy is Voices’ executive director, chief advocate, and voice to the community. In addition to overseeing the administration and finances of the organization, Amy works closely with the Board and Voices members—more than 100 across Ohio—to assure consistent, progressive organizational growth.

Amy works closely with child advocates throughout Ohio to advance Voices’ legislative and budget agendas with the Ohio General Assembly, state appointed officials and Ohio’s delegation to the U.S. Congress and local elected and appointed officials. She works with Voices members to organize and prepare testimony, legislative briefings and updates for legislators and aides. As Voices’ Chief Advocate, serves in leadership positions on many local and statewide committees dedicated to children’s well-being, including:

Vice Chair, Voices for America’s Children Membership Leadership Council
Chair, Voices for America’s Children Health Policy Committee,
Appointed Member, Ohio Family and Children First Council Advisory Committee
Appointed Member, Ohio Early Childhood Advisory Council
Appointed Member, Ohio Department of Health Infant Mortality Taskforce
Steering Committee Member, Groundwork.org, Ohio Early Care and Education Campaign
Member, Ohio Social and Emotional Workgroup
Past Chair, Build Ohio

Prior to Amy’s work at Voices, she served as Vice President for Burges & Burges: Strategists, where she worked on candidate and issue campaigns, public sector marketing programs, research projects, community networking and grassroots organizing. Beginning in 1996, Amy worked as a consultant for the National Center for Tobacco Free Kids and the Coalition for a Healthier Ohio where she helped to build effective, statewide coalitions to prevent youth tobacco use. She worked with over 120 partners from across Ohio to help secure $1.2 billion for Ohio’s Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Foundation.

As a consultant, Amy also worked with the Trust for America’s Health, a national program funded by the Pew Charitable Trust. Her team assembled a coalition of nearly 45 partners across Ohio to promote the need for a nationwide disease tracking system. Under Amy’s leadership, they held several media events and public meetings, placed several public service advertisements, and placed dozens of letters to the editor.

Before joining Burges & Burges, Amy worked for the Summit County Executive and Department of Development, where she helped develop and implement comprehensive community housing and economic development plans. Active in politics since her college days, Amy has worked for Congressman Tom Sawyer, the Ohio Democratic Party, Pennsylvania State Senator Michael O’Parke, Ohio House of Representatives, candidate Bill Clinton, and numerous judicial and city and county council races.

Amy holds a bachelor of arts in Political Science from the University of Akron with a certificate of Applied Politics from the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, and a master’s in public administration, also from the University of Akron. She lives in Wadsworth with her husband, Eric, and their children Holden and Carlin.

Sandy Erb, State Field Director

Sandy Erb has a number of years experience as an advocate and has held leadership positions both at the community and state levels. She brings a diverse background of public health, child welfare and policy experience while maintaining a strong connection to her Appalachian roots. Sandy's role as an advocate began with her work in the area of tobacco control policy. She previously served as Regional Policy Coordinator with Tobacco Free Ohio and remains involved in the movement as a volunteer. She is an advocate at heart having been named the Tobacco Policy Advocate of the Year in 2003. Sandy believes public policy is a critical piece of creating sustainable change around social issues.

She came to the Columbus area in October of 2003 to pursue a position with Nationwide Children's Hospital and Prevent Child Abuse Ohio as Outreach Coordinator. In her role with PCAO, she worked to educate and advocate for the prevention of child abuse and neglect in a variety of settings from local education systems to state elected officials. After her work at PCAO, Sandy moved on to become Health Policy Advocate with Children's Defense Fund Ohio. As the Health Policy Advocate she was responsible for monitoring state and federal legislation; identifying health trends and emerging issues; enhancing relationships with community partners and opinion leaders and making recommendations for CDF-Ohio's response to critical child health issues.

Sandy holds a BS in Business Administration from Ohio Valley College. Community service has long been a priority for Sandy. From 2000 to 2005 she was active and served as a leader in the Marietta Chamber of Commerce Telesis Leadership program where she remains active in the Telesis Alumni Network today. Additionally, she continues to take an active role in numerous organizations by serving on the Governor's Child Care Advisory Council, the Council on Healthy Mothers and Babies Board of Directors and the Ohio Network of Children's Advocacy Center Legislative Committee. Sandy is also an Ambassador for the American Cancer Society and is an active member of the Cancer Action Network. Although, she has no children of her own she is the proud aunt of seven nieces and nephews. She sees her work as a child advocate as her small role in contributing to tomorrow's future.

Bridget Hawes, Donor and Partner Relations Manager

Bridget Hawes joins Voices as Donor and Partner Relations Manager. Bridget is responsible for all resource development functions including fundraising initiatives, Public Policy Partner recruitment and renewal efforts and special event management. Her expertise in donor relations, fundraising software and special events make her a valuable addition.

Bridget comes from Cleveland Scholarship Programs, Inc and also recently served as Capital Campaign Coordinator for the Center for Families and Children's successful $8.1 million capital campaign.

Bridget holds a bachelor of arts in Health Services Administration from Ohio University. Bridget also is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Greater Cleveland and the National Committee on Planned Giving.

Bridget and her husband Matt live in the west park neighborhood of Cleveland with their new baby girl Caitlin and dog Teddi.

Yvonne Hunnicutt, Director of Operations and Policy Associate

Yvonne C. Hunnicutt serves as the Director of Operations and Policy Associate for Voices for Ohio's Children, a non-partisan voice of Ohio's nearly three million children. In this capacity Ms. Hunnicutt works with partners in the juvenile justice and transitional youth areas to raise awareness and expand services on behalf of youth. Her work with children and youth began over 10 years ago as a Substitute Teacher with the Cleveland Public School District in the elementary and middle schools. Ms. Hunnicutt enjoyed helping many "at-risk" students reach their potential through alternative learning strategies and creative curriculums. Her passion and service on behalf of children and their families has grown considerably to cover direct services and policy changes in both her professional and civic commitments. Ms. Hunnicutt received her degree in Political Science from Wilberforce University in 1996 and resides in South Euclid, OH with her 14 year-old son, Christopher.

Kay Marshall, Administrative Assistant

Kay Marshall provides support services in the Columbus office. She is available on a part time basis to help with scheduling, meeting logistics, office duties, or any other needed activity.

Kay is retired from 30 years as a medical technologist and now enjoys the flexibility, change of pace, and feeling of usefulness which accompanies her current situation. She also works with Channing and Associates and the Public Childrens Services Association of Ohio in providing them with similar office support. She finds social service advocates to be dedicated, hard working, and inspiring.

Kay has been married for over 40 years and has two grown children.

Gayle Channing Tenenbaum, Senior Policy Associate

Gayle Channing Tenenbaum brings more than 40 years of experience in all aspects of human services. Gayle has extensive experience in the areas of public policy development and implementation, group facilitation, planning, and development, as well as media and public relations. She is a highly sought after human services policy expert and recently served as the Health and Human Services Policy Director for Governor Ted Strickland's Transition Team.

Currently, Gayle is a Senior Policy Fellow with Voices for Ohio's Children. Simultaneously, she lends her expertise and experience to a number of children and human services organizations including her role as Legislative Director for the Public Children Services Association of Ohio. In addition, Gayle is CEO of Channing and Associates, a human services and public policy consulting firm.

Previously, she served as executive assistant of human services for Governor Richard Celeste. In that capacity she was responsible for coordinating the cabinet departments of human services, mental health, mental retardation, youth services, health, and education. Before joining the administration, she was the director of several human services organizations in Cuyahoga County.

She holds a master's degree in social work from the University of Cincinnati. She is an adjunct professor, teaching public policy, at the Ohio State University College of Social Work.

Ericka Thoms, Policy Associate

Ericka Thoms joined Voices For Ohio's Children in February 2009 as a Policy Associate. Focusing on federal policy and bringing a state Earned Income Tax Credit to Ohio, she brings five years advocacy experience.

Ericka comes to us from The Center for Community Solutions where she served as a Policy and Planning Associate specializing in federal tax and budget advocacy. In this capacity she helped build a new statewide coalition of advocates, the Ohio Federal Budget Coalition, focused on the federal budget and securing adequate funding for health and human services, education, and other programs essential to expanding the human capital skills of Ohioans.

Prior to her position at Community Solutions, Ericka was Coalition Coordinator for the Ohio Free the Vote Coalition. The Coalition worked to increase voter registration and community awareness about the voting rights of previously incarcerated people.

Ms. Thoms sits on the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board of Governors and chairs its Governmental and Community Affairs Committee. She sits on the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund Advisory Board and chairs its Finance Committee. She also is a member of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.

Mary Wachtel, Director of Health Policy

Mary Wachtel is Voices' public policy director, based in Columbus. Mary directs and coordinates Voices' public policy agenda in conjunction with Voices' Public Policy Partners and advocacy partners.

Mary was one of thirty members of the health resources team that advised Governor Strickland's Turnaround Ohio transition team on health issues and was the lead advocate who negotiated and secured the bipartisan health care coverage expansions for children and pregnant women in Ohio's FY2008-2009 state budget. She continues to serve as a regular advisor at the top levels of state government, including to the Governor's Office and senior staff at Ohio's Medicaid program.

Mary has had a long career and influential career in child and family advocacy, specializing in health policy and advocacy. She was hired as the Children Defense Fund-Ohio's first health advocate in 1994, a position she held through 2001. During her tenure, advocacy priorities included expanding health coverage for low-income children, families, and pregnant women, and increasing enrollment in public health insurance programs.

Mary served as CDF-Ohio deputy director from 2002 through 2004, managing day-to-day operations, overall fiscal and administrative operations, grants management, development, and human resources.
In addition, she was responsible for assessing and determining CDF-Ohio's policy opportunities and priorities.

Mary has also worked with other non-profit organizations, including as executive director of the Forum for Faith in the Workplace (Columbus, Ohio), as program director for the Association of Junior Leagues International (New York, New York), as assistant director, Northeast Region, for the U.S. Committee for UNICEF (New York, New York), and Bread for the World (Saint Louis).

Mary holds an MSW from Washington University in Saint Louis and a BA from the University of Akron (Honors Scholar). Mary also holds a certificate in Education for Ministry from the Episcopal Seminary of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.

Mary grew up in Coshocton County, Ohio. Her parents still live on the farm that has been in her mother's family for well over 100 years. Mary and her husband, John Starkie, live in Columbus and are the parents of two young children, Sophia (born 2001) and Wyatt (born 2004).

Akia Walker, Executive Assistant

Akia Walker serves Voices for Ohio's Children as the Executive Assistant with more than several years of experience in accounts payable, accounts receivable, Microsoft Office Applications and a host of other clerical as well administrative skills. Akia is responsible for maintaining personnel records for the organization, managing all logistics board and committee meetings, and also provides direct support to the Executive Director and the Director of Operations/Policy Associate. Miss Walker is a certified Microsoft Office Specialist and has extensive training in customer service relations. Akia is 2001 graduate of James Ford Rhodes High School. She currently resides in Parma Hts., OH with her two daughters, Akeria and Jamari.

Stacy Wessels, Communications Consultant

Stacy Wessels provides consulting and project management services in strategic communications and public relations. Prior to starting her own consulting firm in 1999, Stacy established a public affairs program at Cuyahoga Valley National Park and worked as an account manager at a small Akron public relations firm.

For the past 11 years, Stacy's clients have run the gamut of nonprofit agencies to corporations to city governments. Stacy has a BS in public relations from Kent State University and a Master of Applied Politics from the University of Akron. A resident of Northeast Ohio from 1996-2006, Stacy and her husband now live in Cincinnati.