Westwood Works’ board guides our efforts to create a brighter, more inclusive community. Learn more about the team making it happen in Westwood.
Originally from Central Ohio, Stephanie (she/her) and her husband, David, moved to Westwood in 2006 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati. They immediately fell in love with the neighborhood because of its walkability, architecture, and proximity to downtown. Sixteen years and two children later, they have happily put down long-term roots in Westwood. As Managing Director, Stephanie brings years of experience in Development and Event Planning to the organization. Previously, she served on the Westwood Works Board as Vice President, sat on the Governance Committee, and was a Project Manager for several Westwood Works events.
John (he/him) excitedly moved to Westwood with his wife and young family, in the summer of 2020. He loves the diversity of the neighborhood and the way it reflects his multi-ethnic family. As a born and raised ‘westsider’, he also loves the cultural history and beautiful architecture of the area. He has built deep community ties through growing up as an active participant in the Westwood Library, the YMCA, and CRC activities at Westwood Town Hall. These thriving resources were pivotal in John’s decision to raise his family here.
John is a certified Secondary Montessori teacher and the reading specialist at James N Gamble Montessori High School, where he has been a teacher for the past 11 years. He has served on the Positive School Culture Committee and has been a member of the Instructional Leadership Team, Local Schools Decision-Making Committee, and currently is a board member of the Gamble Montessori School Foundation. He received his undergraduate degree from Ohio University as English Major with a minor in Film Studies, received a Masters degree in Middle Childhood Education at the University of Cincinnati, and completed his AMS Montessori certification at Xavier University.
When it’s time for fun, John enjoys golfing, playing poker with friends, supporting UC football and Xavier basketball, and attending the occasional horse race. He has two children, Sage and Xavier, and a dog named Scout. A former paddler and hiker, he once summited Mt. Katahdin in Maine three times in one summer, and has backpacked across Europe.
LaTonya Springs is the Assistant Director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati (H.O.M.E.). H.O.M.E. is a non-profit corporation working to make Greater Cincinnati a completely open housing market. Its mission is to eliminate unlawful discrimination in housing, advocate for all protected classes, and promote stable, integrated communities.
LaTonya received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Cincinnati and her Executive Master of Business Administration from Xavier University. LaTonya, who served as the Community Liaison and Chief of Staff to then Vice Mayor Alicia Reece since 1999, has dedicated her career to public service – fighting for relocation assistance in Mt. Auburn and the West End during restructuring for the hotel and F.C. Cincinnati Stadium. Notably, LaTonya has assisted the Enforcement Team in filing over two hundred discrimination cases and negotiating over $196,000 for H.O.M.E.’s clients and $144,000 on behalf of HOME. Worked with Legal Aid, private attorneys, and the Department of Justice to file five Federal Court cases.
John (he/him) and his wife Sue are life-long residents of Cincinnati and live in the community of Westwood with their two daughters Jane and Anna. They are both active in the Saint James church and the Westwood community. John has a passion for improving the quality of life in his community and the city, a passion that began in 1976 at Saint William’s school in Price Hill. John is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and works for KZF Design as the Project Manager in the Government Division. He is also one of the original co-founders of Westwood Works.
As a Westwood resident for nearly 10 years, Mike (he/him) witnessed the beginnings of our neighborhood’s ongoing revitalization and wanted to do his part to foster continuing growth. In addition to his years of experience rehabbing and investing in Westwood properties, Mike also serves as a board member of the Westwood Civic Association and is constantly looking for new and meaningful ways to serve the community.
A graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Cincinnati, he brings a diverse skill set that will help Westwood Works acquire new properties and assist local property owners with beautification and maintenance efforts.
He and his family enjoy spending time exploring Cincinnati’s many beautiful parks and bringing arts outreach programs into the neighborhood. His wife, Rachel, is a violinist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and their two children are enrolled in preschool and kindergarten programs in Westwood.
Originally from central Illinois, Terry (he/him) came to Cincinnati as a student at the University of Cincinnati. After graduating, he lived in Northside for 3 years before moving to Westwood. He has lived in Westwood for 47 years.
Terry is retired, having worked for Cincinnati Public Schools for 37 years. He worked in several schools throughout the system as a Physical Educator and Visiting Teacher (now called School Social Worker). He was the Head Varsity Soccer Coach at CAPE High School and Head Varsity Girls Softball coach. Terry also coached girls’ and boys youth soccer at Gamble-Nippert YMCA.
Terry became active in Westwood Works after noticing the hard work being done by Works to put on events such as Second Saturdays. It is an honor to be a part of this hardworking group. Terry and his wife, Debbie, can often be found enjoying the new restaurants and businesses in Westwood. He has a daughter, 2 sons, 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
A long-time resident of Cincinnati, LaToya spent some time at Covedale Elementary as a child and has been curious about the West Side ever since. In 2010, she and her two children finally moved to Westwood. She loves that she rarely has to leave the area to dine and shop.
LaToya troubleshoots electronic devices full-time for a well-known company and is also a birth doula. She started her business as a doula earlier this year. Through this work, she has met so many amazing people and realized that her passion is community. She enjoys doing community outreach and volunteering.
Jen (she/her) is a Cincinnati native who grew up in the suburbs and spent several years living downtown before eventually finding home in Westwood in 2018. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, she spent nearly a decade working in the public school system as both a teacher and a self-advocacy specialist. In 2024, she earned her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Xavier University and welcomed her daughter shortly after.
Jen’s work across education, advocacy, and counseling reflects a long-standing commitment to equity and empowerment. She has volunteered with human rights organizations, including the ACLU’s Southwest Ohio Chapter, as well as devoted many years to serving in a number of Cincinnati’s local restaurants; experiences that deepened her appreciation for the power and beauty of community.
Drawing from her roles as a mother, neighbor, advocate, and therapist, Jen brings a dynamic, people-centered, and trauma-informed perspective to board service. She believes strong, connected communities are built through collaboration, compassion, and the continual process of being and becoming. Outside of her work, Jen enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, yoga, arts and crafts, swimming, and chicken-tending.
Sue and her husband Sam moved to Westwood with their two children in the fall of 2007. She and her 7 siblings grew up in Northside. Sue moved to San Diego in 1977, where she met her husband (originally from American Samoa), and spent ten years there before moving back to the westside to be near family. They have now long been empty nesters, but love their home and neighborhood too much to ever think about moving. Fortunately, their son, daughter, daughter-in-law, and 3 grandchildren live nearby! Sue loves family and holidays (as evidenced by the over abundance of inflatables in her yard during the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas seasons). She also enjoys walking her two rescue beagles around the neighborhood and nearby Gamble Park.
Sue is a retired healthcare administrator from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She received both her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and her masters degree in Labor and Employment Relations from the University of Cincinnati. She is currently on the board of Cincysmiles Foundation and volunteers as a CASA for Prokids. Previously, Sue was a 25+ year board member for the NBIA Disorders Association.
Sue became interested in Westwood Works after volunteering at the Pride event and Wine and Art show this past year. She is excited about the changes she has seen in the neighborhood and is eager to do what she can to see Westwood become all that she knows it can be!
Andi (she/her) and her husband, John, have lived in Westwood for a little over 2 years. With two children under 5, she loves that their grandparents live nearby.
Andi has a BFA and works as a freelance graphic designer and a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her love of creativity translated into several years of involvement with the City Flea, Crafty Supermarket, and Midwest Craft Con. She is also working towards a Manicurist License.
She is obsessed with plants and sits on the Westwood Grows board. Her children Sage, 2, Xavier, 4, and her dog Scout keep her very busy, but she finds serenity in the mountains when she can get away. Andi draws inspiration from a favorite James Baldwin quote: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
