Seven highly skilled older adults have been selected as the newest fellows for The Dayton Foundation’s Del Mar Encore Fellows Initiative, which deploys retired or career-transitioning older adults to address significant community issues. Each fellow brings valuable talent and experience to nonprofit organizations tackling critical needs throughout Greater Dayton.
Since the initiative launched in 2016, Del Mar Encore Fellows have been placed in 35 organizations and have contributed more than 65,000 hours of professional service, providing an estimated $4.6 million in value to the Greater Dayton economy. This initiative is made possible thanks to generous grants from the DMH-Dayton Fund of The Dayton Foundation. Serving for the next year as Del Mar Encore Fellows are the following.
Debra A. Brathwaite, Ph.D. is working with the University of Dayton Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to broaden access to lifelong learning opportunities and social engagement for underserved older adults throughout Greater Dayton. Brathwaite is an accomplished educator, transformational leader and passionate advocate for students, educators and communities. Her background includes a 50-year career in education. Brathwaite has dedicated her life to creating opportunities, strengthening schools and inspiring others to reach their fullest potential.
Gail Feix is working with We Care Arts to help expand Art Can Work, an adaptive workforce-readiness arts initiative that creates connection, opportunity and meaningful experiences for individuals with disabilities. Feix has more than 30 years of experience in education, program development, instructional design, technology integration and strategic leadership, including serving as an Ohio Teacher Leader Ambassador with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Most recently, Feix has expanded her work in educational technology as a customer enablement specialist with TeachTown, designing and facilitating training to support the implementation of evidence-based instructional programs.
Beth A. Holten is helping the House of Bread to develop a countywide initiative to assess, design and advance a sustainable system of public showers and laundry facilities for individuals experiencing homelessness. For over 30 years, Holten has employed degrees in both theology and business administration to provide leadership both within local United Methodist congregations as well as area nonprofit agencies. She has a deep compassion for unhoused individuals and a strong belief in the dignity and worth of all people.
Ken McCall is working with Bike Miami Valley to help create safer experiences for all users on our streets and roads by strengthening and expanding the organization’s chapter program. McCall has 30 years of experience as a newspaper reporter in California, Las Vegas and Dayton where he often reported on outdoor recreation and alternative transportation. He also a former Bike Miami Valley board member and chairman of the organization’s Regional Advocacy Committee.
Arnecia Patterson, Ed.D, is working with The Abiding Place, a Dayton Dream Center initiative, providing strategic research, systems analysis and planning leadership to help adolescent girls impacted by foster care involvement and relational trauma. Patterson has deep experience leading and advising a wide range of nonprofit and education organizations. Her professional contributions can be traced to local, regional and national arts, philanthropy and education organizations, such as Dance USA, Dayton Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dayton Opera, the King Arts Complex, Mansfield City School District, the National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Dance, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Wallace Foundation. Most recently, Patterson taught composition and creative writing for the University of Dayton’s English department.
Christy L. Schaub is working with the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) to advance the WorkOhio initiative, a regional workforce development effort designed to reduce unemployment and strengthen workforce participation across the 12-county Greater Dayton region. Schaub will focus on individuals who face barriers to employment by working to address systemic employment challenges. Schaub’s background includes performance management and learning management systems, talent acquisition, onboarding and assimilation, succession planning, employee engagement and leadership development. Most recently, she held the role of lead faculty for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program at Sinclair Community College and worked alongside her husband in their small business located in Centerville.
Keith E. Valiquette, MBA, is working with the STEM Talent Development Center, a transformational STEM education and workforce initiative at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Valiquette is a seasoned energy and infrastructure executive with more than four decades of experience spanning utilities, private industry, the public sector and nonprofits. He currently serves part-time as a senior account executive at Energy Systems Group, where he leads business development and project delivery for clients in Greater Dayton.
These seven new fellows join current fellows Arnie Biondo, assisting the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission's Institute for Livable and Equitable Communities on its Age-Friendly Initiative; Dan Foley, serving with the Employers' Workforce Coalition, a leadership initiative of The Dayton Foundation; and Noreen Willhelm, serving with Yellow Springs Home, Inc. These fellows have spent the past year advancing the Foundation’s community leadership initiatives.
For more information about the Del Mar Encore Fellows Initiative, please contact Leigh Sempeles, executive fellow, at lsempeles@daytonfoundation.org or (937) 225-9949.
About The Dayton Foundation
The Dayton Foundation has been the Greater Dayton region’s trusted charitable giving partner for individuals, families and organizations since 1921. Ranked among the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.6 billion in grants since its founding and currently manages assets totaling $1.4 billion across more than 4,400 charitable funds. For more information about how The Dayton Foundation can help you help others, visit daytonfoundation.org or follow the Foundation on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram.