John Prout, President and CEO of TriHealth, Inc., is chair of the board. Thane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden; Dr. Gregory Williams, President, University of Cincinnati; and Michael Fisher, President and CEO of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center are board members as well. The Consortium board is rounded out by:

• ­Beth Robinson, President and CEO, Uptown Consortium, Inc.
• Robert Ambach, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, University of Cincinnati 
  
• Tony Condia, Vice President External Affairs and Executive Director, University Hospital
  
• Dee Ellingwood, Senior Vice President of Planning and Business Development, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ­
  
• Will Groneman, Executive Vice President/System Development, TriHealth, Inc.
  
• Dave Jenike, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
  

Beth A. Robinson:  President and CEO

Beth A. Robinson is President and CEO of the Uptown Consortium, Inc.  She leads the Consortium's efforts to revitalize Uptown Cincinnati including financing, real estate development, and advocacy.

Beth served as the Interim President and CEO of Uptown Consortium for seven months as an executive on loan from the University of Cincinnati.  She has over 20 years experience in community and economic development with particular specialization in neighborhood revitalization, development financing, and business attraction and retention.  At the University, she served as Director of Real Estate Development where she managed the University's real estate development activities in the Uptown area.

Prior to joining the University, Robinson served as the Director of Business Retention and Attraction for the City of Covington, Kentucky, where she was responsible for real estate development activities, Brownfield redevelopment, and small business loan products in addition to recruiting and retaining businesses.  Previously, Robinson served as the Economic Director for the City of Springdale, Ohio and held various positions with the City of Cincinnati where she managed real estate development projects ranging in scale from large downtown commercials developments to small neighborhood-based infill projects.

Robinson is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and holds a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional designation from the National Development Council.  She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Public Administration from the University of Cincinnati.

 

Janelle M. Lee: Director, Business Affairs

Janelle M. Lee is the Uptown Consortium's Director of Business Affairs. She has been with the Consortium since its inception in 2004. Ms. Lee is responsible for managing the business, administrative and operational affairs of the Uptown Consortium and related entities.

Prior to joining the Consortium, Ms. Lee amassed over two decades of experience, including over 11 years in human resources at the University of Cincinnati and positions at Chiquita Brands International, Inc., Grocery Manufacturers of America, Inc., and Procter & Gamble Company.

Ms. Lee is involved with community activities. She is a board member for the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty and Lakota East High School Athletic Booster Organization.  Ms. Lee has served on the Executive Boards for the Butler County United Way’s Women’s Initiative and Black Career Women (BCW). She is a member of Alpha Tau Nu, Society of Black Women, a Notary Public for the State of Ohio, and a member of the Urban League's African American Leadership Development Program Class XV.

Ms. Lee lives in West Chester with her husband, Ralph and two sons, Cameron and Kyle.

Franz A. Stansbury: Director, Real Estate Development

Franz A. Stansbury serves as the Uptown Consortium's director of real estate development. In this position, he is responsible for the oversight, management, and general financial conditions of all real estate owned by the Uptown Consortium. He brings with him over 34 years of experience in real estate development, construction, development management, urban planning and design.

Prior to joining the Consortium, Franz worked on such diverse projects as high-rise resort hotels, condominium towers, office buildings, sport and health club facilities, conference facilities, and residential developments. Locally, he has consulted on a number of commercial, educational and urban redevelopment analyses, including the Batavia Woods Plaza and Batavia Woods Center, Cincinnati School Facilities Board and the Columbia-Tusculum urban village design and development plan. In addition to the Cincinnati region, Franz has completed development projects in North and South Carolina and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This experience complements the Consortium's goal of creating new and renovated housing and promoting Uptown neighborhoods as vibrant communities of choice. Tony Brown, President and CEO of the Uptown Consortium, said "Franz's experience dovetails with the mission and objectives the Consortium has undertaken relevant to the Uptown area. His experience will be a great asset in helping us move forward with the commercial and residential development of Uptown neighborhoods."

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, Franz remains an active supporter of his alma mater. He has served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of comprehensive planning and resort development and was on several occasions a guest lecturer at the college. He has also acted as a consultant and expert witness on development, eminent domain, planning, zoning and land use matters. Professional affiliations include being a past member of the board of directors for the Horry County, South Carolina Home Builders Association and an associate member of the Urban Land Institute.

Franz earned a bachelor's degree in Urban Planning and a master's degree in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. He has also completed additional course work in real estate finance, construction management, and appraising. He currently resides in Mount Lookout with his wife, Chantal.

James A. Mathes: Corporate Controller

James A. Mathes is the Corporate Controller for Uptown Consortium and related affiliates. He brings over 30 years of experience in both for-profit and non-profit organizations to his position.

Prior to joining the Consortium, Jim spent six years as the Controller and CFO for a not-for-profit corporation which developed professional training programs for both State and Federal departments giving him extensive experience with government grants and contracts. He also has significant experience as a certified public accountant having practiced for over 15 years performing financial audits as well as managing a small business accounting and tax practice. Jim spent the first 12 years of his career working for Pitney Bowes and Cincinnati Milacron in a progression of management positions in both the corporate internal auditing and divisional accounting departments.

A native of Cincinnati, Jim graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He received his status as a certified public accountant in 1986. Jim is a member of the Ohio society of Certified Public Accountants and serves as a legislative key person for the society.

J. Lajuana Miller:  Consultant for Neighborhood Services

J. Lajuana Miller serves as the Uptown Consortium’s Neighborhood Services Executive. Joining the Consortium in October of 2006, Lajuana is responsible for activities related to community development, public safety, and special projects.

Lajuana brings more than 16 years of management consulting experience to the Consortium. Serving as the president of a management consulting firm, she specializes in a wide range of services including community development, organizational development, employee training and special event production. She has worked for the Proctor and Gamble Company, where she held several finance and operations positions, and Firstar Bank (now US Bank), where as Vice President of Community Development, she oversaw the Fair Lending Compliance functions of the corporation and all affiliate banks.  She has provided consulting services to Procter & Gamble, US Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the US General Services Administration, and more than 100 clients throughout the nation.  In 1995, she expanded her community development efforts by authoring a book entitled How to Finance Your Small Business Start up or Expansion.

Lajuana is an active member of the community and devotes her time to many local organizations. She has served as President of the following Boards of Directors/Trustees: the Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, the Arts Consortium of Cincinnati, the Greater Cincinnati African American Heritage Institute, the Cincinnati Black Ambassadors, and the Self Esteem Institute.  In addition, she served on the Boards of the United Way and Community Chest, Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cincinnati Education Television, and the Emanuel Community Center.

She is a native of Loganville, Georgia and a graduate of the University of Georgia with the B.A. in Speech and Communications.

 

Sheila D. Posey:  Administrative Assistant

Sheila D. Posey serves as the Administrative Assistant for the office of Uptown Consortium, Inc.