EmpowHer & Move is run by women volunteers in our community who give their time 1 night per week during the summer to teach the leadership lessons and workout with the group. It’s an amazing group of women who are truly passionate about this program and inspire confidence, community, and leadership within our girls.
Peer Leaders
Peer Leaders are upper-class women (Juniors & Seniors) who completed a 2-step interview process and were selected for leadership roles with the program for the summer. They take on particular ownership leading assigned small groups each week and are expected to lead by example, both inside and outside of our weekly sessions.
Peer Leaders for Season 6 in 2024 include:
Anna Burkhart, Rising Junior, Turpin HS
Ellie Carnahan, Rising Senior, Turpin HS
Maya Gomaa, Rising Junior, Anderson HS
Reagan Lynch, Rising Sophomore, Anderson HS
Callie Ziegler, Rising Senior, Anderson HS
Mentors
Maggie Frye, Founder/Mentor & Board President
Maggie’s family moved to Anderson Township in 2014, and her two sons attend Forest Hills schools. She has worked in organizational development for 20 years and since 2014 has been the Founder & CEO of Core Consulting Group – a business leadership and strategy consulting firm. Maggie also serves on the board of directors of a female entrepreneur accelerator. High school isn’t a great memory for Maggie – she lacked confidence and found friend groups difficult to navigate. She’s fortunate that wasn’t the case in her 20’s and beyond, but wishes this confidence and ability to lead herself and others would have sparked earlier in life. It was her personal teenage experience that drove her to create this summer program, along with her love for exercise and its connection to strong mental health. Women supporting women + fitness + leadership development = Trifecta!
Haley Gilbert, Curriculum Chair & Mentor
Haley grew up in Anderson Township and graduated from Turpin High School in 2013. From then, she went to attend Bowling Green State University for her undergraduate degree and then to Xavier University for her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Haley is a clinical therapist for teens to adults in Florence, Kentucky. She loves being a mentor to give back to the same community that she grew up in. She found her passions while being at Turpin High school, running and helping others, and hopes to do the same to the girls in this group. She just completed her first marathon and enjoys all types of workouts. Haley LOVES this program due to trying out different workouts and showing the girls we mentor that exercise can be fun. She is excited to meet the girls this summer and to guide them to be a strong leader and peer in the Anderson Township community.
Katie Ziegler, Sponsorship Chair & Mentor
Katie is an Anderson Township resident with her husband and three kids, two at Anderson High School and one at Summit Elementary. This is her second year as a mentor in the EmpowHer & Move program. Katie is a graduate from Turpin High School and the University of Cincinnati and loves being involved in the Anderson Township community. Katie works in commercial real estate as her daytime career and is also the Executive Management Team at the Junior League of Cincinnati – where she mentors and leads a group of women in various positions. Katie has a passion for empowering girls and women to become strong leaders and is excited to work with high school girls in the area this year. Katie makes mental health and physical fitness a priority in her daily life and enjoys a combination of running, yoga and strength workouts!
Debby Cowles, Mentor
Debby moved to Cincinnati in 1987 and lives in Anderson Township with her husband and their two cats. She has a degree in Journalism and Psychology from Indiana University and is retired from Delta Air Lines. This is her second year as a mentor and she became involved through CERG. Debby feels that it is important to listen to and respect the views of high school aged persons. She believes that programs like EmpowHer & Move encourages young women to find their voice and helps give them the confidence to use it; as well encouraging them to develop good exercise habits that can benefit them throughout their adult lives. Debby is an avid runner, enjoys theatre and traveling the world.
Sara Mangrum, Mentor
Sara moved to Cincinnati from Utah 6 years ago, and lives in Turpin Hills with her husband, 14 & 11 year-old-daughters, 5-year–old son, dog and kitty. She is a busy working mom, juggling her kids’ various sports and music events with her job as the Head of Operations for a few product lines at SoFi, a personal finance company out of San Francisco.
Anne Miller, Mentor
Anne and her family moved to Anderson Township in 2010. Anne is married to her college sweetheart and together they have two kids, a rising Junior at St. Xavier High School and a rising eighth grader at Nagel Middle School. Following a tenured career in the Property & Casualty Insurance space Anne traded in her corporate status to become a full-time stay at home parent and community volunteer. In addition to her involvement with EmpowHer & Move, Anne is a member of the Women’s Committee of Cincinnati Parks, the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee in Anderson Township, co-leads the Teacher Treat Trolley for the Nagel PTO and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Cincinnati where she spent several years leading training and development committees and initiatives. This is Anne’s third summer with EmpowHer & Move and she is looking forward to another great summer with the program. Growing up Anne’s family relocated several times, including during high school, so she knows first-hand the value of developing meaningful friendships and the power of inclusion when welcoming new faces into a group. Anne is passionate about healthy relationships, healthy lifestyles and supporting the development and success of all women.
Liz Palcisco, Mentor
Liz grew up on the west side of Cincinnati & graduated from Colerain High School and then University of Cincinnati degree in Industrial Engineering. Throughout college & the start of her professional career, Liz experienced many situations where she was the only female in a male dominated situation. She has a passion for helping other women be successful and is excited to work with high school girls. She has lived in Anderson since 2013 with her husband, two kids and yellow lab. She loves being active and keeps busy between hikes in Johnson hills, running, triathlon training, yoga and strength training.
