2021 NEW BOARD MEMBERS
The Library Foundation of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has welcomed five new members to its board of directors, a dedicated group of volunteers who share a love for the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Libraryand those it serves. The new Library Foundation directors, all serving three-year terms, are Ryan Adcock, Lee Ann Bissmeyer, Stephanie Crockett, Christie Bryant Kuhns, and Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire.
“The Foundation is pleased to welcome such a group of talented individuals,” said Staci Dennison, the Thomas W. Jones Executive Director of The Library Foundation. “I’m confident their skills can help us identify opportunities and continue to promote the mission of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library.”
Ryan Adcock is the founding executive director of Cradle Cincinnati Connections. Cradle Cincinnati was formed in 2013 as a collaboration between health and civic leaders working to reduce infant mortality in Hamilton County. Since launching, Cradle Cincinnati’s partners have reduced infant deaths by 27 percent. Prior to this role, Adcock spent seven years as the director of legislative affairs for Mayor Mark Mallory where he served as the city’s chief liaison to the federal government and the state of Ohio. He has a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Kentucky University.
Lee Ann Bissmeyer began her career working overseas with the U.S. Department of Defense. Upon returning home, she was an investment advisor with both UBS and Fifth Third Securities. She now is focused on serving the Cincinnati community. She is an elected member of the city of Montgomery Council and serves as the chair of the Law and Safety Committee as well as a member of the Planning and Finance Committees. Bissmeyer is president of the Board of Trustees of the Montgomery Community Improvement Corporation. She is a member of the Hamilton County Municipal League and the Sycamore Schools Advisory Board.
Stephanie Crockett holds a degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is a certified LEED professional. She works as a designer with Elevar Design Group and also maintains licenses in real estate. She commits her time advocating for equitable design and sustainability by serving on numerous boards and committees within many organizations, such as the Cincinnati Architecture Mentorship Program, Architecture Foundation of Cincinnati’s Design Lab, and the Cincinnati chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Christie Bryant Kuhns developed a passion for policy advocacy while earning her degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She practiced law at both a major law firm and a Fortune 500 company, and continued her commitment to community service on the Avondale Community Council for a decade, and was a founding member of the Avondale Development Corporation. She was president of the Board of the African American Chamber of Commerce and appointed to City of Cincinnati Planning Commission. She is currently a member of the Diversity Advisory Board for the Cincinnati Reds and Board member of the Ohio Poverty Law Center, OLBC Foundation, and the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. Also, Kuhns served in the 131st Ohio General Assembly of the Ohio House of Representatives. She is the vice president of community relations at UC Health.
Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire is the community and citizenship manager at Turner Construction, where she oversees community outreach and economic inclusion efforts. She also co-founded and co-leads Turner’s Ohio Inclusion Action Team, the first regional model at Turner to enact an anti-racism strategy. She earned a dual bachelor’s degree in Spanish and international studies from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Science in executive leadership and organizational change from Northern Kentucky University. Smitherman-Voltaire is a certified project manager, and graduate of the YWCA Rising Stars Leadership Program.