The Charles F. Kettering Foundation today announced the appointments of 15 community members from the Dayton, Ohio, region who will serve as Kettering Foundation Dayton Democracy Fellows. These appointments are in service to one of the foundation’s five areas of work, Democracy and Community, which focuses on the role that everyday people play in creating healthier and more democratic communities. Dayton Democracy Fellows are drawn from a wide array of backgrounds, including the nonprofit sector, higher education, business, and faith-based communities.

The Kettering Foundation Dayton Democracy Fellowship is designed to support innovative leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in Dayton and beyond. Fellows are distinguished by their commitment to democratic collaboration and community-led change.

The new Dayton Democracy Fellows are as follows:

Destinye Arnold is director of strategic initiatives at The Conscious Connect CDC, a nonprofit that focuses on community development in Dayton and Springfield. Arnold cofounded Triumphant Works, a consulting and training initiative centering on mental health and holistic wellness.

Imelda Ayala is the parent advocate and community liaison at the nonprofit El Puente, where she uses her bilingual skills to help others, particularly immigrant and Latino families, to strengthen community connections, navigate needed resources, and increase participation in civic life.

Maggie Burk is a board member and youth program chair for Dayton United for Human Rights, a board member for the Greater Dayton LGBT Center, and a community advocate with Gem City Action.

Debi Chess is the Dayton Metro Library’s director of external relations and development, a member of the board of directors for House of Bread and Parity Inc., and is involved with several other local and national organizations. She is also a former Peace Corps worker.

Adama Diakhate is a community engagement specialist for the City of Dayton, where he helps to strengthen relationships between local government and residents. He is passionate about creating a city where everyone belongs and everyone matters. In addition to English, he is fluent in French and Wolof, a language spoken in West Africa.

Cherrelle Gardner is executive director of Co-op Dayton. She is also a member-owner of Gem City Market and has led other cooperative projects, including a trucking co-op, a fitness co-op, and a real estate investment cooperative.

Ashlee Hammond is the branch manager of the West Branch of Dayton Metro Library and is on the board of directors of the Kiwanis Club of Dayton. She created the Essence of West Boutique within the West Branch, where community members can donate items and shop for free.

Jasmine Henderson is director of advocacy, equity and community at The Good Hood Foundation and founder of Blue Lotus Social Justice & Consulting. She was director of policy and social impact at the Ohio Women’s Alliance and has led efforts with organizations such as the Women’s March, the Center for Popular Democracy, and the Ohio Organizing Collaborative.

Jeremy Moody is the lead youth advocate with Sunlight Village’s Connections for Success Youth Leadership Program, where he supports youth in building leadership skills, confidence, and hope for the future.

Israel “Izzy” B. Olaore Jr. is the founder of the CollabUs Cooperative Research Project, an initiative exploring how institutions, businesses, communities, and residents can collaborate and is a member of the band, the LuvLocz Experiment.

Gabriela Z. Pickett is research director at the Unitarian Fellowship for World Peace, an artist, a former high school educator, and former member of the Dayton Public Schools Board of Education. Born in Mexico, Pickett is also the founder of Camp Esperanz a grassroots support network for immigrant families.

Stephanie Van Hoose is a tribally enrolled citizen of Kenhte:ke, The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. She is an Air Force veteran and the founder of REACH Indigenous Advocacy and REACH Fest, a program she created to serve Natives, ensuring intertribal educational opportunities.

Lee Wade is the creator, host, and producer of Translucent, a podcast and radio program on WYSO 91.3 FM that centers transgender and nonbinary voices through community-based conversations designed to foster learning, connection, and accountability.

Alice Wood, a Bronx, New York, native and Dayton resident of four years, is a community organizer and board member of the Dayton Tenant Union. She is passionate about supporting community members to advocate for themselves and to build a democratic and inclusive movement for change in Dayton.

Alice Young-Basora is the executive director of the Dayton International Peace Museum, where she leads efforts to inspire dialogue and action for peace, democracy, and justice through education, exhibitions, and community engagement.

Elizabeth Gish, senior program officer for Democracy and Community at the Kettering Foundation, who oversees the Dayton Democracy Fellowship notes, “The amazing thing about the Dayton Democracy Fellows is how they show us what is possible. Sometimes it might feel like we can’t make a difference or change the world, but through their work and vision, they remind us that things don’t have to be how they have always been.”