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.
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.
Autumn (she/her) is a new face in Westwood! She and her husband Zach bought their first home here just three short years ago, moving from Downtown Cincinnati with their three animals. She fell in love with the neighborhood after going to her first Westwood Works meeting. She knew that she wanted to get involved with an organization that had such a positive role in the community; a community where she wanted to plant her family’s roots.
Autumn has her own boutique branding side business and also serves as the Senior Experience Designer at an agency based in Minneapolis. She is excited to use her design and marketing talents to amplify the work that Westwood Works is doing in the community.
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.
Kamil Abdul-Rahim (he/him) is the founder, owner, and operator of Mil Mil Remodeling, a remodeling contracting firm that specializes in commercial and residential construction. Kamil’s passion for rehabbing stems from his childhood experiences as the son of a carpenter, where he gained valuable firsthand knowledge. A native of Covington, Kentucky, Kamil started his professional career serving as a staple in the community as a licensed barber in the state of Kentucky and Ohio. As a Barber, he gained valuable insight into the community’s needs. He now resides in one of the Westside’s most historic neighborhoods, East Price Hill. There, he owns his home and raises his six-year-old son, Sir’ Legend.
He enjoys being outdoors and spending as much time as possible with his son. He looks forward to being involved with Westwood Works and the anticipated growth and development of the beautiful neighborhood of 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.
Erica Bock is a proud West Side Native! She is a film and media producer who holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in English and Digital Media from the University of Cincinnati and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from Point Park University. She also serves as the Director of Strategic Planning for the Junior League of Cincinnati.
She serves on the Boards of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, where she leads the annual Artswave Campaign and the American Cancer Society’s event planning committee. She is also a Professor of film and media studies at the University of Cincinnati, where she is pursuing an MBA.
She enjoys skiing, pilates, exploring new restaurants, and traveling in her free time, always seeking new experiences and adventures.
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.
Marie Jones, AKA “Mama J” (she/her), has been a member of the Westwood community for almost 50 years. She and her husband Richard (Mr. Pickleball) have been married for 51 years, raising five intelligent, caring, creative, and responsible human beings in Westwood. As a member of the first class to graduate from McAuley H.S. (now Mercy/McAuley), she has always been a member of a ‘trendsetting’ crowd, and Westwood Works is a continuation of that mindset.
Mama J graduated from Mt. St. Joseph with a degree in art education. She followed that thread of creativity through decades of teaching on the junior high level, first at White Oak Jr. High, then at St. Catharine School. Even before retiring from a formal position, Mama J volunteered with Tukandu, a cycling club that pairs vision-impaired/blind members with sighted captains. She has been taught what it is to trust in others who share similar interests and passions. Volunteering for more than a decade with Habitat for Humanity has taught her to work constructively (pun intended) with teams of people with diverse abilities and backgrounds. Caring for our community has led to stints on the Town Hall gardening team, chairing the Adopt-a-Pot program through the Westwood Civic Association, and serving disadvantaged neighbors through her parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Mama J has always believed in Westwood, its people, and its potential, and she is delighted to see so many positive changes in the neighborhood she loves. She has been blessed and privileged to play a small part in its growth and encourages others to join in our shared visions!
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.”
John (he/him) moved to Westwood with his wife, Andi, in the summer of 2020. He loves the diversity of the neighborhood and the way it reflects his multi-ethnic family. As a lifelong westsider, he also loves the cultural history and beautiful architecture of the area. He has built deep community ties through active participation 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 the reading specialist at James N Gamble Montessori High School, where he has taught for 8 years. He is a Secondary Montessori Certified teacher with a background in literacy intervention and support. He serves on the Positive School Culture Committee and has been a member of the Instructional Leadership Team and Local Schools Decision-Making Committee. He received his undergrad degree in English at Ohio University, and his master’s in Middle Childhood Education at UC. He completed his Montessori certification at Xavier.
When it’s time for fun, John enjoys golfing, playing poker with friends, watching 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.
Emily Reynolds (she/her) is the board chair of Westwood Works. A 15-year resident of Westwood, Emily has been actively engaged in community building for 10 years. She loves Westwood for its passionate residents, walkability, vibrant energy, and the plethora of trees and greenery. Her role with Works allows her to share her enthusiasm for bringing old and new neighbors together to create a better neighborhood for everyone.
Emily is a senior graphic designer for Marketvision Research, where her work is fueled by the same creativity and optimism that fuel her dedication to our community. Speaking of creativity and optimism, Emily is a plant lover, a gardener, and a maker of beautiful things. She shares her Westwood home with her husband, son, two big dogs, and many, many plants. Her recipe for successful relationships within her family and community is always making plans together.
Originally from around the corner in Green Township, Zach (he/him) and his wife, Katie, moved to Westwood in 2024 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati and a short stint in Chicago. Cincinnati was Zach’s first home, and the growing family of the two of them and four pets meant it was time to find a real home, so they decided to look for somewhere to put down roots shortly after their engagement. They found a beautiful, walkable neighborhood with character and even more room to grow in Westwood.
Zach enjoys being outdoors, playing recreational volleyball with his wife and friends, and new experiences. As a Board Member, Zach brings a fresh perspective and a strong foundation in the urban planning field. He loves meeting new people and is very motivated to make inclusive improvements to this already great community.
Tricia has been a proud resident of Westwood for the past 22 years, cherishing its diversity and welcoming atmosphere. She admires the unique architecture and distinctive homes that set the Westwood community apart. Tricia is thrilled to be part of a group dedicated to achieving great things for Westwood and focusing on future opportunities. With a nineteen-year tenure as a teacher at St. Ursula Villa, Tricia is also deeply passionate about education. She holds an Early Childhood degree from Mount St. Joseph University and pursued graduate studies at Xavier University.
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.
