Girl Scout Mission
To build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
She Leads: A Celebration of Changemakers
Presented by Girl Scouts of Western Ohio & Women of Distinction
Thank you to our event sponsors for this year’s She Leads: A Celebration of Changemakers ceremony—John & Betsy LaMacchia, 4BIS, The Cincinnati Insurance Companies, Bartlett Wealth Management, USI, Trophy Nut, GE Aerospace, and Insperity. We’d also like to humbly express our appreciation to those who sponsored tables and attended the celebration. Our sponsors and donors help ensure that every girl will have the opportunity to become a changemaker in her corner of the world by participating in Girl Scouts. Keep an eye on our website for an announcement about our 2025 event.
Meet the 2024 Honorees
Meet the 2024 Honorees 
Ann Kim has been a Girl Scout for 13 years. She earned her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards in Girl Scouting. Ann is currently serving as the 2024 Butler County Fair Girl Scout Queen. She has previously served as the Ambassador for Girl Scouts at the Butler County Fair and Jr. Fair board member in the Girl Scout department for 4 years. In addition to her participation in Girl Scouts, Ann is heavily involved in Ohio 4-H as part of two different clubs — one for which she serves as president. Her time in 4-H has allowed her to share the Girl Scout experience with many at her fair activities.
This fall, Ann is headed to Miami University, where she plans to study Applied Biology in Environmental Science, with hopes to become a naturalist for a park system.
Dr. María I. Ortiz is the Executive Director of the University of Cincinnati Faculty Enrichment Center and has taught Spanish as a second language at UC Blue Ash College. She previously served as the Co-Director of the Learning and Teaching Center at UC Blue Ash. María’s past honors include: induction into the University’s Academy of Fellows in Teaching & Learning, receiving the 2020 University of Cincinnati's Mrs. A.B. Dolly Cohen Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Excellence in Teaching Awardee for the Annual Celebration of Teaching of The Greater Cincinnati Collegiate Connection Consortium, and 2017 UCBA Innovative Teaching Award.
María earned her Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Cincinnati, receiving a master’s degree in Spanish and Doctorate in Philosophy on Romance Languages and Literatures.
Sydney Ramsey has been a Girl Scout since 2012. She served on the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Board of Directors as an Ex Officio Girl Member and earned Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards in Girl Scouting. Her Gold Award project focused on educating seniors and minorities about internet and telephone scams. Her project garnered significant attention, being featured on WHIO Channel 7 and Yahoo! News.
In high school, she was St. Mary’s Academic Captain, National Honor Society Treasurer, International Thespian Society Secretary, Robotics Club Co-founder, and Spanish Club Co-President. She is a Congressional Award Gold Medal recipient, National Merit Commended Scholar, National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, and an AP Scholar with Distinction.
This fall, she will begin her freshman year at Dartmouth College, where she plans to major in government on a pre-law track. She is also a Congressional Award Gold Medal recipient.
Teri Shirk is the President/CEO of the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI). Ms. Shirk provides strategic direction and administrative oversight for CABVI’s vision services, such as orientation and mobility, independent living skills, low vision clinics, early childhood and youth services, music therapy, adaptive technology training, radio reading services, and social services. She also oversees CABVI’s 3 major business lines — manufacturing, ecommerce, and logistics — which employ over 80 individuals with visual impairment in a wide variety of positions.
With 30 years of experience in nonprofit management, she previously held positions with Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Miami Valley Industries, and the Alzheimer’s Association. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati.
Melanee is the Director of Athletics at Mount St. Joseph University (MSJ). She previously served as the Associate Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator and women’s basketball coach.
Under Melanee’s leadership, several sports have seen their highest successes in program history. The softball team advanced to NCAA Super Regionals. The football team completed a 10-0 regular season and advanced to an NCAA playoff game. The wrestling program became a National Champion when Cornell Beachem Jr. won his weight class. Beachem earned All-American honors in wrestling and football and footballer Danny Mabe earned academic All-American status. The Mount has earned 4 HCAC Championships.
Prior to Melanee’s arrival at MSJ, she served as the Division I
basketball coach at American and Jacksonville University. Before her
coaching career, Wagener played professionally overseas. Melanee
received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and
Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from MSJ.
Why "She Leads: A Celebration of Changemakers"?
Past Women of Distinction Honorees
Thank you to our 2024 sponsors!
Presenting Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Friends of Girl Scouts
Friends of Girl Scouts
Friends of Girl Scouts
Friends of Girl Scouts
Friends of Girl Scouts
Congratulations 2024 Changemakers!
The Girl Scout Mission, Promise, and Law
