John Prout, President & CEO of TriHealth, Inc., is chair of the board. Thane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden; Lee Ann Liska, Senior Vice President of University Hospital; Dr. Gregory Williams, President, University of Cincinnati; and Michael Fisher, President & CEO of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center are board members as well. The Consortium board is rounded out by:
- Beth Robinson, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, Uptown Consortium, Inc.
- Tony Condia, Vice President External Affairs & 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 & Botanical Garden
- Gerry Siegert, Associate Vice President for Community Development, University of Cincinnati
Beth A. Robinson: Interim President & CEO
Beth Robinson was appointed Interim President & CEO of the Uptown Consortium on November 1, 2009 as an Executive on loan from the University of Cincinnati.
Tony T. Brown: Special Consultant To the Board of Directors
Tony T. Brown served as the President and CEO of the Uptown Consortium from 2004 through 2009. His distinguished record of achievement as a banker and leader in the field of community development finance has helped him to position the Consortium as both a premier community partner and the driving force of redevelopment in Uptown Cincinnati.
Since joining the Consortium, significant progress has been made within Uptown Cincinnati’s individual neighborhoods, as well as in establishing Uptown Cincinnati as a region. Under Mr. Brown’s leadership, over $400 million has been invested in Uptown for use towards redevelopment, new construction and neighborhood improvement initiatives. The Consortium also closed a $52 million New Markets Tax Credit Fund in February 2006 and has funded $11.5 million in projects investments to date.
In addition to these important community and economic development projects, Mr. Brown has guided the Consortium in improving urban design and transportation, neighborhood services and public safety. These efforts include an historic study for land use planning around Uptown’s parks system, in collaboration with the Cincinnati Parks Board; addressing such topics as parking, public transit, signage for way-finding and alternative designs for an interchange at I-71 and Martin Luther King; executing a brand-building strategy for Uptown Cincinnati; and working with the Cincinnati Police Department to identify and eradicate crime hot spots.
Mr. Brown began his career in banking in 1982. In 1985, he joined Bank of America in Florida. His tenure at Bank of America included a number of senior management positions in community development. From 2001 to March 2004, Mr. Brown served as the Director of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, a government-owned corporation at the United States Department of Treasury, to which he was nominated by President George W. Bush. Under his direction, the CDFI Fund made a significant contribution to creating jobs and stimulating economic growth in the nation’s low income communities. Mr. Brown also successfully implemented the $15 billion New Markets Tax Credit program.
In addition to his position at the Consortium, Mr. Brown’s involvement in community and economic development is quite extensive. He currently serves on the Federal Reserve Board of Governor’s Consumer Advisory Council as chair, and is also a member of the Community Reinvestment Fund Board of Trustees. His present board memberships include the national New Markets Tax Credit Coalition, Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, Downtown Cincinnati, Inc., Cincinnati Park Board Advisory Group and the Talbert House. Brown is an advisor to several University of Cincinnati programs: Member of the President’s UC|21 Strategic Planning Council, Institute for Policy Research and the University’s School of Real Estate Executive Advisory Council. He has previously served as a member of the United Way of Cincinnati’s Vision Council; director at the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Suncoast Chamber of Commerce (African-American business group), Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches and the Black Business Investment Board in Palm Beach County.
Mr. Brown is a graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio with a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs and Business. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife, Lawanda and daughter Savannah.
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.
