Sandy Spang is currently serving as the sixth president of Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments.

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She previously served as the deputy director of economic development for the City of Toledo and as an elected member of the Toledo City Council. Spang, also a business owner, spent her time on council and with the administration focused on finding ways to help entrepreneurs support their businesses and access programs designed to support their success. She worked with the economic development team to create and update grant programs that help business owners offset costs for facade, fire, accessibility, and building code upgrades.

Spang also led the team that created Permit Planner, a scoping tool that helps businesses and residents understand what permits, incentives and special restrictions apply to their construction projects. She facilitated the Forward Cities E3 program, which brought the community’s entrepreneurial support organizations together to create a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem and resulted in the launch of the Toledo Ramp (www.tolramp.biz), an online platform for free counseling, events, and access to capital.

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Spang is a certified Ohio economic developer who has served on the National League of Cities Community and Economic Development National Committee. She’s also a founding member and co-chair of the Northwest Ohio Women’s Business Council and a board member for Lott Industries.

She has long been an advocate for regional planning and partnership and has participated in TMACOG as a member of the Leadership Development Committee and Executive Committee and has been an advocate for planning and partnership at the regional level.

Stephanie Villegas born and raised in the South Toledo area. With 20 years in Business Management, Stephanie has spent the last ten years educating financial literacy. Inspired by the strong woman who raised her, Stephanie is passionate about small business and community which has led her to the Northwest Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NOHCC). Helping woman-owned businesses accomplish their goals is also a passion for her. Stephanie is the Director of Lending and Sales for ECDI. Stephanie enjoys cooking and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Brenda Holsey, owner of Shear Innovations beauty and wellness clinic, serving the Toledo community for over 33 years. Main objective is to promote success as a positive role model by sharing her knowledge and skills while continually upgrading education and exposure to up-and-coming salon professionals.

Kerri is the owner of Brimming Design, offering marketing support, graphic design and website services. After college, Kerri worked at a small advertising agency, and then led a corporate graphic design department for most of a decade. In 1997 she and a business partner took the plunge to start a custom invitation business, Naptime Productions, which made custom photo announcements and invitations for 17 years. With the launch of Brimming Design in 2014, she has become an active networker and greatly expanded her circle. Kerri loves the variety in her work, and is especially happy to assist organizations that are making a change, like Women of Toledo.

Meet Jerrika Brown an entrepreneur by the age of 22, Jerrika created various brands that fulfilled her passion and the need of her community. Jerrika founded the Browns Business Consulting Agency in 2019 where she is currently a Celebrity Certified Business Consultant and has served names we know and love like Mike and Kyra Epps, Kerwin Claeborne, and Timbae just to name a few. Jerrika helps the business district of various communities grow their brands through knowledge and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. The Brown's Agency has impacted over 2k business owners since its debut in May 2019. Jerrika is passionate about growing communities, families, and brands in every way. 

Debby has always had high expectations for herself. And she thinks she can accomplish most anything she wants. Her business, Connext Nation (a division of TriNet360) is now in its 18th year. Previous to that she was a high producing sales person within the payroll service industry and then became the sales manager that could turn beginning sales people into champions. Her next challenge is to move the an online education delivery platform for her referral-based training. She is a contributing author to Masters of Sales and Masters of Networking. Additionally she has written a book, "Tell Me Exactly What to Say: 33 Conversations That Will Make a Huge Impact on Your Networking Life", which is in the editing phase currently.

Linda Lucas Faye Lucas is a business specialist at the Toledo Lucas County Library where she works with existing business owners, business professionals and prospective entrepreneurs to help them find the data and research to advance their business goals.  She has firsthand experience in the world of small business having owned several businesses including, Changing Lanes in Maumee Ohio; a licensed before and after school day care center in Maryland; counseled over 300 small business owners in Delaware while Director of the Delaware Small Business Development Center; and has spent too many hours doing personal and business taxes. She has a bachelor’s in library science from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA in accounting from Augusta State University where she lettered in cross country, too. She has received the YWCA Milestones award and the Maumee Hometown Hero award. When she is not doing business development and entrepreneurial training, look for her in her Maumee, Ohio garden where she lives with Bill, her husband; one mutt; and one ghost named Aunt Phoebe.  Not far from her home are her two children’s families with two grandsons, Desmond and Lucas and one granddaughter, Valerie.

Megan Reichert has 20 years of experience in supporting innovative and entrepreneurial ventures. Reichert is currently the Director, Innovation for Bon Secours Mercy Health, Toledo Region serving 9 of 50 hospitals within the ministry. In addition to technology-based economic development, she supports and advocates for historically disadvantaged businesses, with a particular focus on the Cherry Legacy Neighborhood.  She is a member of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s Research Foundation. Her B.A. program in English is from Indiana University and has an MBA from the University of Toledo.

Reichert previously served as the Director for the Defense Manufacturing Assistance Program at the University of Michigan’s (UM) Economic Growth Institute (EGI) formerly known as the Institute of Research on Labor, Employment and the Economy (IRLEE). She was the Director of the Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator at the University of Toledo. Reichert was formally a member of the Board of Directors for the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) - now known as the International Business Innovation Association (iNBIA).

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Reichert spent over 11 years with a closely-held automotive manufacturing company and has over 15 years in economic development. Reichert’s economic development projects have been involved with both the private and the academic sectors related to cluster development, business incubation, technology transfer, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and minority business development.

Michelle Pommeranz, CFP®, is a Financial Advisor at Lehner Shope Wealth Group. The Lehner Shope Wealth Group is a boutique advising and investment firm with locations in Perrysburg, Canfield and Canton. She brings over 21 years of experience in comprehensive financial plans and investment portfolio management to work towards meeting all investment goals.

Michelle is a proud Toledo native. After graduating from the University of Toledo in 1999 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, minor in Accounting, she accepted a Financial Advisor position at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Michelle is series 7 and 66 registered and is also Life, Accident, Health and Annuity Insurance Licensed. Michelle also obtained a Certification in Financial Planning from Bowling Green State University Michelle has enjoyed a successful career as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ since 2005.

Michelle currently resides in Monclova with her husband Martin, their son Madden and their happy lab Marx. Michelle has been involved in many charitable and social organizations and volunteers her time with the Make A Wish Foundation and St. John’s Lutheran Church. She is currently serving on the Women of Toledo Board of Directors as the CFO and the new membership committee at the Maumee Chamber of Commerce. In her spare time Michelle enjoys golf, volleyball, cooking, gardening, and traveling.

Kristen Shinaver is the Owner and Operator of The Digital Marketing Mom and current Marketing Manager at The University of Toledo’s startup business incubator and coworking space.

In 2012, Kristen launched her marketing and branding consultancy within weeks of graduating Magna Cum Laude from Eastern Michigan University. Since its foundation, her focus has been to help regional businesses achieve their goals through her work in branding, digital marketing, search engine optimization, social media, reputation management, advertising, and public relations.

Kristen has been with The University of Toledo since 2019. In her role as the LaunchPad Incubation Marketing Manager, she oversees event promotion, outreach, and growth of the department’s brand throughout Northwest Ohio. She also serves as an advisor for Launchpad’s clients and tenants.

Kristen’s formal background in public relations and psychology lets her utilize knowledge of consumer behavior to craft compelling marketing and communications strategies dedicated to driving conversions. Her focus is to teach clients about core marketing and branding concepts so they can advocate for themselves as they scale from a startup to a sustainable business.

Kendra is the owner/designer at In Bloom Flowers & Gifts in Maumee, OH, and has been in business for 10 years. Never dreaming that she would own and run her own shop, she completed her Associate Degree in Applied Business. She began her career as a receptionist for a local accounting firm, but not finding fulfillment doing that, she began to work for a temporary staffing agency to see if she could find the right fit. Finally, landing a position working as assistant to the controller for a small manufacturing company, she was a receptionist, HR assistant and sometimes filled in the Purchasing and Engineering Departments as an Administrative Assistant. Many years later after starting her family, Kendra and her best friend dreamed of building a business together that combined a flower shop and gift shop. Fast forward 10 years and many learning experiences later, Kendra has built her business by unfailing family support, working hard and cultivating great working relationships with many local businesses.

Jennifer is an Associate Attorney with Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP in the Business and Estate Planning Department.  Her practice focus includes wealth preservation, asset protection, trust and probate administration, tax planning and preparation, business transactions, and succession planning. Jennifer has provided pro bono legal services to clients with financial needs and other need-based qualifiers in the areas of estate planning, real estate transactions, tax foreclosure, and debt collection.  Jennifer currently serves as a trustee for the Toledo Women’s Bar Association and the University of Toledo’s Paralegal Advisory Board, and is a member of several organizations including The Exchange Club of Toledo, Women of Toledo/HerHub, BNI Prime Online, and the Maumee Chamber of Commerce.