Our People - Meet Our Team

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Board of Directors

Mimi Geswein
Mimi GesweinExecutive Director
Mimi is the Executive Director of Women Affirming Women and has been a member of the WAW Board since 2021. Mimi graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in English, and with a Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Mimi spent over 20 years in private practice with the law firm of Ice Miller (formerly, Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn). Following her legal career, Mimi joined Bishop Watterson High School as a business teacher, and enjoys educating her students in the areas of entrepreneurship, sport management, real estate, business law and financial literacy. Mimi also served on the Board of Rebuilding Together and the Ohio Women’s Bar Association. Mimi was a volunteer coach for Bishop Watterson’s boys tennis team and Mock Trial team, leading the Mock Trial Team to the state, regional, and district competitions during her coaching tenure. Mimi loves spending time with her husband, three children and friends, reading, playing pickleball and golf, gardening, and hanging out with her sweet, fluffy Bernedoodle.
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Mary Filice
Mary FilicePresident
Dr. Mary Filice served as the past Executive Director of Women Affirming Women and played a key role in transforming a respite program from Saint Stephen’s Community Center into its own non-profit in 2011. She is an educator, scholar, and businesswoman who developed Dr. Mary's Method of Transformation® (MOT ®) by merging philosophy with science to help others understand what it means to be fully human and live their truth. As an Accredited Professional with the International Enneagram Association, an expert in Dr. Gabor Mate's trauma-informed psychotherapy approach, and student of Dr. Daniel Siegel’s Mindsight Institute, healing and flourishing are to her not simply what the mind does TO you, but what the Spirit does FOR you. Dr. Mary believes the world is abundant and it is through the art of collaboration and relationship that humankind becomes whole. She is committed to the networking of combined disciplines to elevate effectiveness of distinct programs that aim at helping humanity transform.
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Terry Briggs
Terry BriggsSecretary
Terry has been the secretary for Women Affirming Women for three years. Her mother was one of our founders. After seeing the impact that the Respite program made on her mother’s life and the lives of the women they served, Terry wanted to help carry on the founders’ legacy. Terry has a long history of working and volunteering in churches, schools and the community, including as a teacher’s aide, Big Sister and hospital volunteer. She is currently part of the Harmony Project and the St. Pius choir. Terry has a BA in journalism, was previously a technical writer and is now an administrative assistant at Columbus Jewish Historical Society.
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Kim Newcomb
Kim NewcombTreasurer
Kim is the Treasurer of Women Affirming Women. She attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated in 1992 with a B.S. in Accounting. Upon graduation, she worked for Clark, Scheafer & Hackett and Deloitte & Touche. At these firms, she represented small and medium sized companies, supporting their accounting and tax needs. Thereafter, she joined her family business, Newbury Homes. Kim is the proud mom of three adult children and lives in Powell with her husband and business partner, Steve.
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Jan Petrozzi
Jan PetrozziDirector of Community Relations
Jan has a history of volunteering which spans over 40 years. Jan served on the Board of Trustees at the Westerville Civic Symphony and the Worthington Arts Council. She also was a class member of Leadership Columbus. Jan has worked in public relations and promotions with the Columbus Chapter of Women of SBC and Ameritech Women of Tomorrow. She received her Bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Otterbein College, followed by a Master’s degree in Theology from Ohio Dominican University. Jan serves as our Director of Community Relations and has been instrumental in forging reciprocal relationships with our community partners.
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Board Members

Carol Anderson
Carol AndersonBoard Member
Carol is a former Fortune 200 Human Resources executive with extensive Board experience. Her legacy work was to give a voice to those who are often not seen and not heard. Carol spent 23 years at Capital One, where she held various leadership positions and led the organization through its DEI journey to create a culture of belonging. Carol serves as Vice Chair of James Madison University's Executive Advisory Council, and is a member of P.E.O, an organization which supports the education of women through scholarships, grants, and awards. Carol received a B.S. in Economics from James Madison University and an MBA from The University of Virginia’s The Darden School.
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Jeanne Caligiuri
Jeanne Caligiuri Board Member
Raised in upstate New York by her Puerto Rican parents, Jeanne is a proud graduate of Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University Medical School, where she also competed on the OSU Ballroom Dance Team. Jeanne completed her residency at OSU, then began working for Central Ohio Primary Care as an Internist, before transitioning to Ohio State. For the past 20 years, she has focused her practice on preventive medicine and wellness. In 2013, Jeanne received the Excellence in Teaching Award at OSU, and has appeared in Columbus Monthly as one of Ohio’s Best Doctors in 2022 and 2023. When she is not seeing patients, Jeanne loves spending time with her husband, three children, and their dog, Biskit. She taught Zumba for 14 years, but now enjoys CrossFit with her husband and friends. In her spare time, Jeanne enjoys traveling, hiking, reading and connecting with friends and family.
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Sue Capretta
Sue CaprettaBoard Member
Patricia Hill Callahan
Patricia Hill CallahanBoard Member

Patty is currently the Vice President for Advancement at Mount St. Mary’s University. Previously, Patty led advancement for The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center.  Patty and her team, including the Wexner Medical Center and health science colleges, raised over $1 billion of the University’s $3 billion But for Ohio State campaign, the success of which was celebrated in the fall of 2016. Before joining Ohio State, Patty served as Associate Vice President for Principal Gifts at Johns Hopkins University.   Earlier in her career, Patty served at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she directed a development program that raised more than $50 million a year. Patty earned her BA in History and Fine Arts from Mount Saint Mary’s University, and graduate certificates in the business of medicine from Johns Hopkins University and fundraising management from Goucher College.

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Terri Davis
Terri DavisBoard Member

Terri is a Sales Coordinator at Vertiv Corporation, currently working towards completing her Bachelor's degree and project management certification at Ohio Dominican University. In 2003, Terri joined the Women's Respite team, initially as the go-to person for pedicures. Spending time with each participant, sharing stories, laughter, and tears, she quickly discovered her passion for volunteering. Terri eventually became the Respite program coordinator, and served for four years as the Board’s Vice President. Terri describes her journey with WAW as “transformative” and “life changing,” fostering her personal growth and providing her with valuable life lessons. Terri currently serves on the Board of New Directors Career Center.

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Denise DePalma
Denise DePalmaBoard Member
Denise DePalma is the Chief Legal Counsel for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Previously, Denise was the Director of the Labor and Employment Unit at the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office. Denise has also practiced labor and employment law at Schottenstein, Zox, & Dunn, and served as the Director of Human Resources & In-House Legal Counsel at The Grote Company. Denise served on the Board of Komen Columbus, as Co-Chair for Evening of Excellence (Bishop Hartley High School), and as a Girl Scout and Cub Scout Co-Leader. Denise has a Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University, and a Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
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Judy Ketterer
Judy KettererCo-Founder
Judy has been associated with Women's Respite from its founding and serves as on the Board of Women Affirming Women. She is a former president of WAW. Judy also served on the Spirituality Network Board and was a committee member for Living Faith Awards Breakfast for several years. Judy has been a longtime member of St. Philip The Apostle Catholic Church and was a member of the choir, a lector, president of the Altar Rosary Society, organized retreats, bake sales and a member of the Bereavement Committee. She is a widow, has three children, eight grandchildren and two great grandboys.
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Andrea Pannell
Andrea PannellBoard Member
Andrea believes that having a safe and inviting space for women to be seen, heard, and affirmed is invaluable. She is incredibly honored and grateful to be invited, trusted, and affirmed in this sisterhood. Andrea is an energetic speaker, retreat leader, and a creative soul. Her passion for creating a nurturing environment for women aligns seamlessly with the mission of Women Affirming Women. Andrea is a practicing Spiritual Director and Coach and the co-director of The Spirituality Networks – Spiritual Directors Association of Ohio, and is a member of the coaching team with Families that Flourish. Andrea has worked professionally in fundraising and development for over 24 years, and is currently the Vice President of Stewardship for The Catholic Foundation. Andrea is also a Dominican Sister of Peace Associate. Andrea has participated in and led sister circles experiences and retreats for more than 20 years.
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Sharon Reed
Sharon ReedBoard Member
Sharon has 40 years of combined experience in education, spiritual direction and counseling. Sharon has been a professional counselor at the Pontifical College Josephinum, Ohio Dominican University, and in private practice. While at Ohio Dominican, she was the Director of Counseling Services, Dean of Student Life, and Vice President for Student Development. Sharon has been an avid supporter of Women Affirming Women for years, and believes strongly in our mission of empowerment and advocacy for underserved women. Sharon graduated from the University of Dayton with a BS in Education and Cleveland State University with a Master’s in Counselor Education.
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Tamani Thompson
Tamani ThompsonBoard Member

Tamani is a full-time wife, mother and professional life coach who has devoted her life to inspiring and motivating people from all walks of life. She is a believer of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible. Alongside her Pastor/Husband, she is committed to demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ and sharing the principles of the Bible. As a chemical dependency counselor assistant, Tamani was able to minister to women in recovery and make lasting connections. Currently, she also serves as a substitute teacher for Columbus City schools. She always finds time to volunteer for Envision Proven Success, Team HYPE, The Salvation Army, and Feeding Me While Serving You, all nonprofits that focus on the needs of the community. Tamani holds an Associate of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. She has been a certified foster parent with Buckeye Ranch for over 15 years. In the midst of juggling her schedule, she makes time to create memories with her family, friends and especially her grand-dog Reese.

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Jaci Volles
Jaci Volles Board Member
Jaci is an accomplished marketing executive and CMO with over 25 years of experience driving transformative growth for leading consumer brands. Leveraging expertise across B2B, B2C, and DTC channels, she specializes in crafting data-driven product development, branding, and commercialization strategies that open new markets and cement category leadership positions. Throughout her career, Jaci has led high-impact global teams and helped elevate household names including Oneida, Libbey, Anchor Hocking, Pfaltzgraff, and Homz. Her channel distribution and product innovation programs have fueled exponential sales growth with retail giants like Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot, Amazon, and Bath & Body Works. Jaci proudly serves on the board of Women Affirming Women, aligning with her passion for empowering and supporting disadvantaged women. She also volunteers her marketing expertise for her church and other local causes close to her heart.
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Women Affirming Women is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by law.

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