President of the Board

Since 2014, John has served as a member of the Board of Directors of University Settlement. He currently serves as the Board President and previously was the Vice President. John is a graduate of Kent State University with degrees in Computer Science and Business Management and a Masters of Business Administration. John has applied his experience in working with Ernst & Young, LLP, KeyBank, and now Swagelok, to his role in supporting University Settlement on the Board. John has also taught as a part time faculty member at the University of Akron in support of their Master’s degree program.

John is passionate about education and the support and growth of our communities. John was drawn to the needs of the Slavic Village neighborhood, and felt that the comprehensive nature of University Settlement’s services truly support the entire community and provides the resources and support to help the community thrive and grow in a sustainable manner.

Treasurer of the Board

Brandon has served as a member of the Board of Directors of University Settlement since 2017. He is currently the Chair of the Finance Committee. Brandon is a Senior Manager in the Cleveland, Ohio office of BDO USA, LLP, where he specializes in providing assurance services to real estate groups, tax-exempt organizations, and employee benefit plans. Brandon has more than 11 years of public accounting experience with an emphasis on commercial and residential real estate developers and owners, construction contractors, and not-for profit organizations. Brandon is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Accounting at Washington and Jefferson College. Brandon is licensed in Ohio and Pennsylvania as a Certified Public Accountant.

Secretary of the Board

Martin has been serving on the Board of Directors since 2013 and is currently the longest standing board member. He actively serves as the Board Secretary and the Chair of the Governance Committee. Martin grew up in the Cleveland area graduating from Shaker Heights High School in 1999. In 2003, he attended the University of Michigan where he earned his undergraduate degree Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. He then starting working for Bank One as a Credit Analyst. After that, he worked at GE Capital as a Leasing Sales Representative for six years. While at GE, he went back to school and got his MBA with an emphasis in Finance in 2009 from John Carroll University. Currently, he is a Business Market Advisor at PNC Bank in its Business Banking division. In addition, Martin teaches Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Personal Finance and Economics part-time in the evenings at various financial institutions around Cleveland. Martin lives in Lakewood, Ohio with his wife Emily of eight years and their daughter Anjaly. He enjoys reading, spending time with friends & family, traveling and playing basketball. He has been a member of and attended NEO Church for 9 years where he and his wife lead missions and the greeting team.

Since 2016, Quovada Bass has served on the Board of Directors for University Settlement. Currently, Quovada Bass works as a Manager of Art Production Services at The Adcom Group located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Columbus College of Art and Design, majoring in Advertising Design and minoring in Illustration. He also attended ITT Tech to earn a degree in Multi-Media Interactive Studies. Quovada is proud to serve as member of the University Settlement Board as it continues to focus on Slavic Village through Community, Youth, Family and Senior Programs.

Cynthia Connolly joined the board in May of 2019. She is a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians located in Northern Michigan, and since 2015 has served as the Development Director at Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit policy research institute. Prior to Policy Matters, Cynthia served for four years as the Resource Development and Governance Manager at Ohio City Incorporated; and a Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice at Cleveland State University. Cynthia has over ten years of experience as a nonprofit manager specializing in board governance, program evaluation, and resource development - which includes grant writing, grants management, individual giving, memberships, and sponsorships.

Cynthia earned her Master of Public Administration and certification in Nonprofit Management from Cleveland State University; and a Bachelor of Arts in American Culture with a focus in Native American Studies from the University of Michigan. Cynthia began social justice and advocacy work at an early age, serving as a youth representative for her tribe at the National Congress of American Indians located in Washington DC, which advocates for government policies to help indigenous people. Today, Cynthia volunteers as a grant writer and serves on the Executive Board of the Lake Erie Native American Council, and teaches the Native American studies course at Kent State University. Cynthia lives in Cleveland with her husband, Joseph Connolly, and two daughters.

Since 2013, Mr. Dominish has served as a member of the Board of Directors and has been an active volunteer and contributor to The Settlement for over 12 years, first becoming involved as a volunteer at the community meals and the food pantry. Mr. Dominish has extensive volunteer experience in many communities where he has lived and worked. He currently lives in Gates Mills, Ohio where he also serves on the Gates Mills Service Committee and Regional Commission on Oil and Gas. Mr. Dominish holds a B.A. in English Literature as well as a B.S. in Industrial Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University. Mr. Dominish currently is the Engineering Manager for the US Forging Operations for Arconic Wheel and Transportation Products based in Cleveland, Ohio. He has international work experience in operations, program and product launch, continuous improvement, product and process innovation, and business transformation - all with a focus on building a sustainable enterprise.

Mr. Dominish views the Board of Directors’ role as one of serving the Slavic Village community in many ways including supporting local businesses, fundraising for both residents’ basic needs and workforce development, as well as support for families during the holidays.

Shailaja joined the Board of Directors in March 2019. Shailaja is a Director of Business Development and Service Lines at MetroHealth. In her role, she is responsible for the operations, strategy and execution of tactics resulting in development and growth, patient access and quality care. Shailaja earned a Master of Business Administration from Case Weatherhead School of Management, a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Case Western Reserve University. Shailaja resides in Strongsville with her husband, Ryan and their two daughters, Jaya and Priya. She values the opportunities University Settlement offers to bring families together and strengthen education and health care for the Broadway-Slavic Village community.

Brian has served on the Board of Directors since 2014. Brian is an IT Systems Engineer at Progressive Insurance in Mayfield Village. Brian is an avid cyclist and advocate for alternative transportation infrastructure. He volunteers with Bike Cleveland and serves on the University Heights Cycling Advisory committee. Brian is a graduate of the Cleveland Bridge Builders class of 2018. Originally hailing from Toledo, he resides in University Heights with his wife Darlene and their two cats. He particularly values the opportunities to serve the Broadway-Slavic Village community by handing out backpacks to students at the Back to School Fair and serving residents at the weekly Community Meals.

Dave joined the Board of Directors of University Settlement in March 2019. He is a primary care physician at MetroHealth in Cleveland and many of his patients live in the Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood. He also serves as the Medical Director of Systems Improvement and in this role leads work to improve quality, patient safety, and patient experience. He and his family live in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland, where he serves on the Board of Directors for the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation. Dave is proud to work with University Settlement and other organizations that promote health equity.

Anna Maria Motta has served on the Board of Directors of University Settlement since 2014. Currently, she serves as the Finance & HR Committee Co-Chair and the has previously served as the Board Secretary and chaired the Governance Committee. She had been a member of the 2015 Strategic Planning Committee and the 2017 Executive Director Search Committee. Anna is currently the CIO at Third Federal Savings where she has worked for almost 30 years. She holds a BS from Ohio Northern University and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.

Wendy has served on the Board of Directors of University Settlement since January 2019. She is Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminology, Anthropology, and Sociology at Cleveland State University. She also serves as the Director of Cleveland State University’s Criminology Research Center. She is the former editor of the journal Homicide Studies. Through her background in Criminology she has developed significant research skills and expertise in understanding the interrelationships between social structural conditions, crime, and health and well-being. Much of her research has been focused locally on Cleveland and Cuyahoga County and has addressed issues related to violent crime in general, and homicide and domestic violence in particular. She also has significant experience in program evaluation.

Ms. Stires is a new member to the Board of Directors after joining in April of 2018. Tamera has over 12 years of experience in non-profit administration with a focus on quality improvement, finance, operations, clinical management, and housing. Currently, she is the Community Integration and Wellness Manager at JFSA where she supervises five mental health homes, an intensive case management team, and social recreational programming. She also supervises a world renowned youth philanthropy program that was awarded the International Ruderman Prize in Inclusion and local Pillar Awards for Smart Business as voted by Medical Mutual of Ohio. Ms. Stires co-owns Ohio SlamForce Softball Association, which is a softball and baseball training-based program for young athletes ages 10-18. Tamera obtained her Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Development from Walsh University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Kent State University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in therapy for the severely mentally ill and autistic populations.

Scott joined the University Settlement board in May of 2018. Scott has experience working to strengthen communities that align with the mission of University Settlement. He has spent his career with real estate development firms specializing in affordable housing and mixed-income communities. Today, he is the Vice President of Strategic Marketing for The NRP Group of Cleveland. He holds an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.

Tony has been on the Board of Directors since late 2017. While this is Tony's first experience as a member of any board, he has a true love for University Settlement and has served as Security for the Tuesday Evening Meals for the past 11 years. Tony is also a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and has recruited them as continuous volunteers for the Evening Meals. Tony is a graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville Pennsylvania. Tony currently serves as the personal bailiff to Judge Michael John Ryan at Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court for the past nine years. Tony has a true love for University Settlement and is looking forward to doing more on the Board. He excited to see the continued growth and service that University Settlement brings to the community.

Dr. Zinn began serving on the Board of Directors of University Settlement in July of 2018. Actively retired, Dr. Zinn practiced Psychiatry for 45 years as a Clinician, Educator, Medical Director, and Program Administrator. He graduated from CWRU Medical School in 1970. After two years with the Public Health Service in Washington, D.C. at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, and four years of residency at Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Dr. Zinn returned to Cleveland where he started the adolescent psychiatry service at University Hospitals. He was also the Medical Director of Adolescent Services at St. Luke’s Hospital and Windsor Hospital. He served at Beech Brook Residential Treatment Center as a Consultant and Medical Director. At the time, he was also the Beech Brook Child and Adolescent Consultant to Murtis Taylor. Dr. Zinn is Board Certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Zinn sees the creative potential for University Settlement in Slavic Village as the community strives to rebuild and organize social, educational, and employment structures in the community.