For Immediate Release

Contact: Mike Leone

Vice President, Marketing and  

Communications Strategy

YWCA USA

mleone@ywca.org

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2024 – YWCA USA is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its national Board of Directors: Angela Accurso, Director of Workforce Programs, with MxD; Imani D. Edwards, Director of Public Affairs, with Taft Stettinus & Hollister LLP; Cynthia Connolly, Director of Programming, with The City Club of Cleveland; and Anjuli Kelotra, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer & Assistant General Counsel, Labor & Employment, with The Coca-Cola Company.

The YWCA USA Board of Directors consists of 19 members who provide visionary, mission-based leadership and financial oversight for YWCA USA, in addition to serving as constant advocates for the YWCA movement. Their strategic governance promotes and supports the critical programs which serve approximately two million women and families through our network of almost 200 local YWCA associations in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

"Welcoming these four extraordinary individuals to our Board of Directors marks an exciting new chapter for YWCA USA,” said YWCA CEO Margaret Mitchell. “Their diverse experiences, visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to our mission will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Together, we are poised to make even greater strides in our pursuit of equity and empowerment for communities across the nation.”

"As board chair, I am thrilled to be working alongside these incredible women,” said Pia Wilson-Body, Chair of the YWCA Board of Directors. “Their impressive backgrounds and shared dedication to our core values will be instrumental in advancing our mission. Our new board members' expertise and insights will deepen our impact and expand our reach even further, fostering equity and empowerment across the communities we serve. We are excited to embark on this journey together and look forward to the positive changes we will achieve."

The full list of our YWCA USA Board of Directors is below.

YWCA USA Board Officers:

• Pia Wilson-Body, Chair (Former President, Intel Foundation)

• Dr. Ann Branan Horak, Vice-Chair (Associate Professor of Practice, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at El Paso)

• Nan E. Joesten, Esq., Treasurer (President and Founder, Rapid Evolution LLC)

• Ashlee Davis, J.D., Secretary (Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ancestry)

YWCA USA Board Members:

• Angela Accurso (Director of Workforce Programs, MxD)

• Cristina Ayala (Principal & Managing Director, CA Consulting, Strategies, Management)

• Cynthia Connolly (Director of Programming, The City Club of Cleveland)

• Mallory Donaldson (Chief Program Officer, The Center for Healthy Families)

• Imani D. Edwards (Director of Public Affairs, Taft Stettinus & Hollister LLP)

• Debbie Esparza (CEO, YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix)

• Gayle Fuguitt (Former VP, Global Analytics & Insights, General Mills)

• Anjuli Kelotra (Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer Asst. General Counsel, Labor & Employment, The Coca-Cola Company)

• Shawna O. Menifee (Principal, Integrative Partners LLC)

• Nichola Noriega (Senior Client Portfolio Manager, Invesco)

• Kara Perkins, EdD (Associate VP, Budget & Administration, California State University at Long Beach)

• Ramya Rauf (CFO/VP, Finance & Administration, Northwest Area Foundation)

• Dr. Deon Riley (Chief Human Resources Officer, Bath & Body Works)

• Joanne Tabellija-Murphy (National Director, Public Affairs-Corporate Affairs, Walmart)

• Maria Chavez Wilcox (CEO, YWCA Seattle, King, Snohomish County

For more information about YWCA USA’s newest Board members, click here.

About YWCA USA

YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving approximately 2 million women, girls, and their families.

YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 160 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls.

For more information, visit ywca.org.