ABOUT NLDP

Faculty Team

Experience and Expertise for Neighborhood Leaders

The faculty team at NLDP facilitate our 16-session, skills-based curriculum. Their expertise coupled with their commitment to growing and educating Cleveland's leaders make them a trusted and valued resource in our program. To learn more about our 16-session curriculum, click here.

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Letitia Lopez, Cohort XI
Photo by Steve Wagner

Scott Allen

JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY

Scott Allen is an award-winning professor with a passion for working with people of all ages. He teaches courses in leadership, future of work and executive communication. Scott served as a Mulwick Scholar in the Boler College of Business and his primary stream of research focuses on leadership development.

Katy Baumbach

ohio city inc.

Katy Baumbach is the Director of Marketing for Near West Partners - a collaboration between Ohio City Incorporated and Tremont West Development Corporation - and the owner of a boutique marketing and consulting practice, Half Pint.

Dr. Ellen Burts-Cooper

IMPROVE TRAINING GROUP

Dr. Ellen Burts-Cooper is the senior managing partner of Improve Consulting and Training Group, a firm that provides personal and professional development training, coaching and consultation.

Mark Chupp, MSW, PhD

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY

Mark Chupp, MSW, PhD, is an associate professor at the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Science of Case Western Reserve University, where he chairs the concentration in Community Practice for Social Change in the Masters of Social Work Program.

Ivan Conard

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY

Ivan is a Licensed Social Worker and Research Associate at the Center on Trauma and Adversity. His research interests are centered around trauma-informed practice, healing centered engagement, and building trauma-informed systems.

Brant Duda

strategy design partners

Brant Duda is director of strategy and analysis for SDP and brings over six years of expertise in strategic planning, financial analysis, nonprofit governance and board development, and research.

David Fitz

STRATEGY DESIGN PARTNERS

David Fitz brings 20 years of experience working in strategy and communications with expertise in organizational development, executive positioning, crisis communications, marketing and communications planning and execution, and brand development.

John Grabowski

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY / WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

John Grabowski received his BA, MA, and Ph.D. degrees from Case Western Reserve University. His academic interests are in the fields of immigration and migration, public history, public memory, and museum studies.

Mark Joseph

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY

Mark Joseph is the Leona Bevis and Marguerite Haynam Professor of Community Development at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

Amy Korsch-Williams

case western reserve university

Amy Korsch-Williams, a Senior Instructor and the previous Assistant Dean of Field Education, is an independently licensed social worker with a practice background in infant and early childhood mental health and development, trauma-informed care, maternal health, child and adolescent behavioral health, and early intervention.

Natalie Leek

providence house

Natalie Leek is the CEO and President for Providence House, Inc., a non-profit crisis nursery for infants and children focused on keeping kids safe and families together.

Erica Merritt

EQUIUS GROUP

Erica Merritt, founder of Equius Group, is a skilled coach, gifted facilitator and leadership and organizational development expert. A Gestalt-trained coach, Erica has extensive experience leading, designing and teaching organizational development, leadership program design and diversity management in environments ranging from community rooms to classrooms to board rooms.

Melvin Smith, Ph.D.

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY

Melvin L. Smith, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Organizational Behavior at the Case Weatherhead School of Management. He is also Board President of The Edge Sports & Arts Academy.

Twyla Turner

united black fund of greater cleveland

Twyla Turner is the Director of Program Resources at UBF, where her role involves overseeing the planning, development, implementation, and maintenance of the organization's program services and operations.

Mike Walton

food depot to health

Mike Walton has over 25 years of experience coaching individuals in business, education, social service and grassroots organizations.