2025’s Women of Empowerment

In honor of Women’s History Month, Cincinnati State’s Women’s Empowerment Network is proud to recognize our 2025 Women of Empowerment. These outstanding individuals have been recognized by their peers as embodiments of leadership, collaboration, inspiration, and vision.

Arlene Brown

Office Manager, Trio Upward Bound and with VET/International Office

““Women’s Empowerment – Makes all young girls believe they can achieve their dreams to become whatever they want to be.”

Nominator Comments:

I truly cannot say enough about the kind of human and leader that Arlene Brown is. Arlene is the epitome of an empathetic leader. She has advocated for, supported and led the Cincinnati State Upward Bound students for many years, but for the greater part of 2024 managed the grant program on her own (as a PT employee for UB, no less!). She did so with only great care for the students and their educational opportunities. The students love and respect her, and know that she will have their back AND hold them accountable. She is a giving colleague, working to problem-solve while also lending an ear or shoulder. It’s rare to find someone that you know will meet you with both love and a reality check and still feel like a safe place.
As mentioned, when the FT Upward Bound specialist left, Arlene stepped up to make sure students in the program had access to everything they needed and then some. She is also always willing to share her knowledge (from her time with the college and experience outside) with anyone who needs it. How many CState employees have leaned on Arlene when they needed a notary?! 😉
Arlene inspires me on the daily. Despite whatever kind of day/week/month she might be having, she shows up for the people in her life. This absolutely includes her colleagues and her students. She does so with quiet commitment, always seeking for the best outcomes possible.
Working with limited grant funds can be challenging, but Arlene is always resourceful to utilize community contacts and programs to make sure that her students have the best experiences possible. She always thinks outside the box to see what new experiences or opportunities might be able in our region and then does whatever she can to make them happen.
She is a fierce, empathetic, hard-working individual. From the first moment I met her, I knew that I could count on her. I’ve learned so much from Arlene about what it means to live and work with empathy, about what it means to be selfless.

Angela Cole, MS, CUCG

Adjunct Faculty, Humanities and Sciences Division, 2021

“When I think about the impact of women on history and or modern society, I first think about those women who have positively impacted and shaped me, to become the woman that I am today. My Mother is a wise woman; she is one who walks in integrity, she is a cheerful giver, and she has demonstrated quiet strength all her life. She is one who exudes strength when she may not have felt strong. It is her life, first, that has had a profound impact on my life, and my history, influencing and shaping who I am today.
Additionally, when I think about women’s impact on history and society, I think about women who have, and, who are making a difference for the greater good. They are influencers within their families, within their communities, in the world. There are many women I could mention who have had such an impact in our societies, who beautifully influence and shape the lives of others. Yet, the one woman that immediately comes to mind is Michelle Obama. I see her as a woman of great impact. She is a woman of wisdom; one who possesses great self-awareness, is very knowledgeable, and is admired by many. What I love about her, is what she said when her husband, President Barack Obama was in the Oval Office: “When they go low, we go high…” This statement speaks volumes about her character and who she is as a person. This statement also describes her posture; it describes how she handles conflict, adversity, and hardship. It also speaks to her values as a woman. Her life has made a palpable impact in the lives of many, including my own. And for that, I am grateful.”

Nominator Comments:

Angela is an innovative, confident and collaborative FYE instructor who extends empathy to her students while also pushing them to strive towards their goals.
In my observations of Angie’s classroom practice, I have noted her organization and excellent time management skills. Additionally, she fosters an inclusive environment in her classroom, which ensures all students can succeed.
Angie is passionate about education and our students. We often talk about ways to most effectively teach certain topics and also support our students. As a former CState student, Angie is inspiring to our current students.
Angie is a change-maker as evident by the positive impact she has on her students’ lives. She is focused on being the best instructor she can be, a trait I frequently see when she reaches out to me about how to best approach a topic or lesson.
Ms. Angie Cole, a former Cincinnati State student and current FYE instructor, is an inspirational, empathetic, and all-around incredible person. She is dedicated to her students and enhances the CState community through her energy and positive mindset.

Kelly Edmondson

Full-Time Faculty Member, First Year Experience Department

“I am very honored to be nominated as a 2025 Woman of Empowerment. Although it is hard to adequately describe women’s impact on today’s society, I will begin by stating that women are essential contributors to the workforce, successful entrepreneurs, and key decision-makers in various sectors. Women’s education and empowerment, such as what occurs at Cincinnati State, leads to improved health outcomes, poverty reduction, and more inclusive policies that benefit entire communities. Additionally, many women are primary caregivers in their families and therefore instrumental in child development and community building. I want to end by emphasizing that despite facing persistent challenges (ranging from gender discrimination to limited access to resources), women continue to break barriers and drive positive change across all aspects of society.”

Nominator Comments:

Kelly is a bright light who has taken any area of Cincy State to new heights. She is multi-hyphenated by serving in various areas of the college to encourage students, colleagues, and community success
Kelly uses this skill within JAIDE as a council member and new co-chair
Within any organization where women are the focus, Kelly serves. She also serves within groups that serve underrepresented populations. Her willingness to give of her time and talents is an inspiration and others can see her in action as an inspiration
Kelly’s work with the FYE department is, I believe, innovative. Since she has stepped up to her current role within the department, lasting and effective change has occurred.
She embodies empowerment and more. She’s a gentle ear to lean on and her heart is overflowing. She is a tremendous force at Cincy State for the entire college and community.

Jayne Dressing

Cooperative Education and Internship Coordinator, Humanities and Sciences Division

“Women have contributed to every area of the human experience from arts and sciences to politics to religious leadership to business and economics. They have made incredible strides in the past 100 years in spite of many barriers including laws and policies that made it difficult to be professionals and mothers if they so chose. Despite many accomplishments that focus on our rights and needs, we still have a long way to go. I believe in the line from the song, ‘the rising of women is the rising of us all’.”

Nominator Comments:

Jayne leads the WEN! I know of no one that does better with a college organization. She keeps students and faculty engaged, plans/coordinates amazing events, and is a tireless advocate of women and students. She also leads the Co-op Program for HSD. There are numerous examples of her skill and success in this area, but the large number of AA/AS students she successfully places, mentors, and inspires is one data point. A third example, Jayne is the Humanities Faculty Senate Representative.
Jayne works on collaborative efforts with numerous others. One example is the Future Proof Podcast. Another example is the HUM 296 collaborative project she has done in partnership with Jeaneen Mullins and I. She collaborates regularly as part of her role as a Faculty Senate representative. These are just a few examples!
She drops off notes to her colleagues with words of encouragement. Jayne seems to know just when you need a friend and she is there. Jayne celebrates other’s achievements and cheers you on!
Jayne has a vision of experiential learning that involves collaboration with general education faculty members. The project would reduce obstacles for students needing to complete experiential learning and involves paired classes with HUM 296. Jayne has applied for grant money to assist students who find difficulty completing a co-op/internship because of work needs. These are just two examples.
Jayne is a stellar example of leadership, vision, collaboration, and inspiration.

Kelly Harper

Director of the Career Center

“I am deeply grateful to the women who have come before me. Their contributions, both intentional and unintentional, have profoundly shaped our world. Reflecting on my own family, I see the generational impact of decisions made by the women in my lineage. For instance, my great aunt, who had no children of her own, was determined to ensure her nieces received a college education. Her foresight and generosity paved the way for my mother, me, and my daughter to pursue higher education and achieve our dreams. Had she not done that, it would never have allowed my grandmother to have a career that enabled her to be financially stable. I might not have had that role model in my life.”

Nominator Comments:

Kelly runs our Career Center with passion and expertise. She is passionate about connecting our students to their dreams.
Kelly is highly emotionally intelligent and inclusive, as she identifies leaders on campus and supports and promotes their development.
Kelly is an inspiration on campus as someone that can collaborate with anyone and do so in a clear and kind way. We can all learn a lot from her.
Kelly is not afraid of change, and, in fact, embraces it. She knows how important flexibility and adaptability are in today’s workforce and works with our students to prepare them for exactly this.
Kelly is a leader on campus, at the Career Center, and leads WILD, a regional higher education cohort that educates and supports women in higher education. She works tirelessly and kindly to guide and support everyone, and this is no easy task.

Allyson Knue

CState Complete Program Manager

“Women have always been at the center of history and social change, even when our contributions were ignored or erased. Women have shaped the world in ways that challenge power structures and push for justice. We continue to do that—dismantling oppressive systems, building community and redefining what leadership looks like. As a feminist working in education, I believe it’s crucial to highlight these contributions, not just to give credit where it’s due, but to inspire future generations to keep pushing for something better.”

Nominator Comments:

Allyson stepped into a program management role for the CState Complete Office as of February 2024. She has been working hard to build relationships across the college AND program infrastructure. I am in awe of the way she has advocated for an expansion of key financial programs that benefit our students, namely debt relief opportunities. Not only has she strived at a programmatic level, but she does so on the front lines with the students our program serves. Allyson case-manages a portion of our Complete students, and I’ve seen her go above and beyond. Her catch phrase with students is “I’m with you. You’ve got this.” She never leaves a student hanging when it comes to navigating complex college processes, and the expressed regard her students have for her is a testament to her nature.
Allyson is a part of this year’s Ohio Association of Community Colleges Leadership Academy cohort. She has proven herself an engaged and reliable partner to her cohort colleagues, and does not hesitate to share insights/explore ideas on our campus as well.
Allyson co-manages a high-caliber team of student workers in the Complete office. She took much care and consideration to design a training/onboarding that rallies this team to the impactful heart of the grant – meeting stopped-out students where they are, hearing their stories, and building relationship BEFORE jumping into strategies to return to school. Allyson’s emphasis on relationship first permeates the culture of the complete office, and the student workers have embraced this model whole-heartedly. They were even willing, at Allyson’s request, to take part in a Fall Common Time where they coached partners in student services on the text communication model Allyson and team established for them that centers relationship over task.
As Allyson works hard to establish the Complete Office as a cornerstone of quality student service and retention-focused practices on campuses, she is always assessing opportunities for expanding the work in ways to meet more student needs. She walked our team through a SWOT analysis last semester, and keeps us in a posture of reflection and growth. She is actively capturing student stories that point to gaps in services in order to consider where another grant or strategic campus partnership might provide more coverage where there is none. She’s not afraid to run with ideas, and she is constantly keeping a pulse on how supported her team feels. Just recently she rolled out a new strategy to alleviate the burden of eligibility verification and paperwork on Complete’s Support Specialist team. Innovation in the name of supporting students and staff is one of Allyson’s specialties.
She works hard on behalf of her staff and students. She is a damn good partner. She takes on challenges with a level-head and a willingness to move through iteration after iteration of a solution. Where she can make a positive impact, she absolutely will.

Chief Donna Robinson

Director of Safety, Cincinnati State Chief of Police

“Throughout history women have made extraordinary contributions to society, including: political movements, scientific discoveries, artistic contributions and key positions in military and law enforcement. This list does not begin to cover the vast contributions women have made to mankind. As a 33-year retired veteran of the Cincinnati Police Department, I remember the women leaders on the Department that inspired me to stay committed to this noble profession. During my first year as a police officer, it was police women that provided me the encouragement and safety net to ask questions and seek guidance. Now, as the first female Police Chief for Cincinnati State College and first African American female chief for the Hamilton County area, it is my goal to pay it forward to the next female police leader. To pay it forward with the same guidance, inspiration, and encouragement for their success.”

Nominator Comments:

Chief Robinson is a collaborative, experienced, and ethical leader. She works to resolve conflict up front and directly and cares a lot about the safety of our campus.
Chief is a strong and clear communicator. She understands the importance of relationship building and collegiality in her communication and leadership on campus.
Chief is always on campus, very visible to all on campus. She is never without a smile or kind insight and guidance when asked. She is an inspiration for all as her hard work and resilience is evident to all.
Chief has a clear vision of what our police department can and should be and works every day to put that vision into action. She is a gem on campus and we are lucky to have her here.
Chief is the epitome of leadership on campus, with her resilient positivity, kindness, experience, and insight. Everyday she works to make CState a safe and inclusive campus and clearly communicates her vision. She is an empowering force on campus, showing all of us, we can work collaboratively to make change.

Leesha Thrower, Ph.D.

Department Chair of Communication and Theater Arts; Director of the Cincinnati State Speakers Bureau

“It was difficult for me to come up with “why” the impact of women is important to history and modern society. I kept coming back to “Why wouldn’t it be important”? Women are as much a fabric of our society as men. Recognizing women, especially women of color, needs to be just as intentional as our erasure has been. It’s important to me that my students call me ‘Dr. Thrower’, so they see a living example of a Black woman with a Ph.D. It’s important to me that my sons know about the work I do, so they have grown up understanding that women are just as capable as men and should be respected and valued. I tell my daughter that she is my Warrior Princess, and I encourage her to advocate for herself, especially as a Black girl, because when others try to tear her down, she will need to stand strong.”

Nominator Comments:

Three examples (two on-campus examples and a community example): 1) She created the Cincinnati State Speaker’s Bureau. 2) She chairs the Department of Communication & Theater. 3) Dr. Thrower is a leader in community work/advocacy with IDD/disability rights as a board member of the Hamilton County Developmental Disability Services.
In her community and college work, Leesha partners with ideas, passion, courage, and commitment. Her community work as a disability advocate is advancing the rights and autonomy of persons with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) in the Greater Cincinnati community.
Leesha is extremely insightful, uplifting, and inspiring. She is wickedly funny and keeps us motivated despite the dark politics. In meetings, she will say what others are afraid to – things we are thinking about and need to address, Leesha says it straight. She is a voice of courage and leadership.
Her vision of college and community programming to advance disability and IDD persons’ educational opportunities and life quality is aligned with the best practices across the nation.
Dr. Thrower’s off-campus leadership isn’t always visible to her peers at CState. As mentioned previously, she is a board member of NCDDS. She is a board member of the Cincinnati Down Syndrome Association, and she is on the family advisory council for Children’s Hospital’s Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Here is a video featuring Leesha from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Here is an opinion piece she wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer. Here is a video from Channel 9 News that includes her work to increase our zoom accessibility.

Rachel Welton

Student, Human and Social Services – Addiction Studies Major; Front Desk Assistant for the Business Technologies Division

“No matter what you go through in life, stay independent, tenacious, and always have hope. Think for yourself. Question everything. Don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve. We are warriors and we are strong. We fought to have our voices heard and we won’t ever stop speaking up. We matter.”

“I’m getting into the field in the hopes that my story and journey might help someone else. I want to give back what someone once gave me, a little hope, and a chance. March of last year I was so deep in it, I tried to end my life, but since May of 2024, I’ve made more personal growth than I have in the last 10-15 years and Cincinnati State is a big part of that. I just turned 42 in January and this is the first time I’ve invested in AND believed in myself ever. Kelly Edmondson was a big part of my story, also. She was the best person to start my academic journey with. She really encouraged me and believed in me from the start. She’s the type of teacher you only hope to run across one day. I’ll have her as a part of my team for life now. She’s amazing!”

Nominator Comments:

Rachel has not had an easy life, yet she has been persistent and resilient, which is why she is in school today. Additionally, she is extremely self-aware, as evident in my conversations with her and also in her written assignments when she was in my FYE class.
Rachel’s open mind is on display when she interacts with her peers and instructors. She is willing to genuinely listen to others and try to understand their perspective. She also is transparent. For example, she is in recovery and very open about the importance of her sobriety and how it is the most important priority in her life right now.
I marvel at Rachel’s focus on her academic success. She dedicates significant amounts of time to her studies and schedules the rest of her life around her classes and school work since earning a college degree is so important to her.
Rachel’s positive nature is impressive; she views setbacks and challenges as opportunities, not failures.
I taught Rachel during the Fall semester. She reached out to me via email in the first week to express her concerns about returning to college, and we communicated regularly throughout the term. This proactive approach allowed me to get to know her well, and I have been continually impressed by her academic skills and dedication to her education, her sobriety, and her desire to make the world a better place.