Board Emeritus

Charlita Anderson-White is the 2023 Community Foundation Chairperson. Charlita is a recently retired Domestic Relations Court Magistrate who has served the Lorain County justice system for over 20 years, including five years as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.  Ms. White received her Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications degree from Northern Michigan University, her Juris Doctor from Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. Charlita has served on our Board since 2016 and has recently served as the Governance Chair.

Charlita joined the Board of the Community Foundation in 2016. She has served many other Lorain County organizations throughout her career, including Lorain County Children Services, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club, Lorain County Free Clinic, Lorain County Urban League, Genesis House, Lorain County Bar Association, and the National Council of Negro Women. 

Charlita resides in Oberlin with her husband, Dr. Clovis White. Charlita is a mother to one grown son, Christopher.

Kevin Donovan is a Shareholder at the Fauver Law Firm, which provides a wide-range of legal services to closely-held businesses and their owners in Lorain County and throughout Northeast Ohio. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Boston University School of Law, Mr. Donovan focuses his practice in the fields of Entity Selection, Business Acquisitions, Succession Planning, and Tax-Exempt Organization Law. He is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, Ohio and Colorado and to appear before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the United States Court of Military Appeals and the United States Tax Court. He is a former Air Force Judge Advocate and Assistant Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Appointed to the Community Foundation Board of Directors in 2014, Mr. Donovan also volunteers with the Ohio State Bar Association, the Lorain County Bar Association and Kids in Flight, which uses aviation related activities and airplane rides to give children with serious illnesses or disabilities an opportunity to escape by soaring above their crises, complications and struggles.

Kevin and his wife Linda reside in Amherst and are parents to three daughters and grandparents to four grandchildren.

Susan Bowers is an expert in the fields of healthcare, quality, administration, leadership and business operations and brings extensive knowledge and experience to her role as Board President of the Community Foundation of Lorain County. Mrs. Bowers served as the President of Mercy Allen Hospital, Chief Nursing Officer and, most recently, as Chief Quality Officer Mercy Lorain System until her retirement.

Mrs. Bowers attended Lorain County Community College before receiving her B.S. in Nursing from Bowling Green State University and her M.B.A. from Tiffin University.

Bowers joined the Community Foundation Board in 2012.  She is a founding member of 100 Women Who Care About Lorain County, a member of the Leadership Lorain County Class of 2004 and is an active member of First Lutheran Church, Lorain. Additionally, Bowers has been involved with the United Way Impact Analysis and recently joined the board of directors for the Specialty Hospital of Lorain.

Sue resides in Sheffield Village with her fiancé George. They enjoy spending time with their three children, five grandchildren, and one rescue puppy.

Tim is the President and CEO of the Insurance Board, a niche $50M insurance program that provides property-casualty insurance to more than 4,300 clients across 50 states through a network of independent insurance agents. Previous to the Insurance Board, he spent his first 12 years in the business with a Fortune 500 company, having responsibilities for the strategic oversight and direction of profit and loss for both medical malpractice and supporting property-casualty lines of business. He also spent 12 years as an insurance broker which included work with large commercial clientele, including several public entity insurance pools.

Tim is also very active in the community. In addition to the Community Foundation, Tim has served as President of the Board for a charitable health center delivering quality healthcare to the uninsured. He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors for Save Our Children in Elyria. He is a member of the board of 5805 Euclid Inc, the organization responsible for acquiring land and constructing the UH Rainbow Center for Women and Children, and the board of University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Tim also serves on the board of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission which attracts and leverages sporting events to advance economic development in Northeast Ohio.

Ms. Farnaz Ansari Berna is the Vice President of Marketing and Sales at United Church Insurance Association (dba Insurance Board).  She is responsible for the overall growth of revenue generated by the organization’s distribution force and the execution of marketing and communication strategies. Previous to her time at the Insurance Board, Ms. Ansari Berna served as a Relationship Strategist for PNC Bank and as a Private Banker for First Merit Bank. She has received a BSA from Kent State University and has earned her Property and Casualty Insurance Liscense.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Farnaz is active within our community by serving on the Ethics & Grievance Committee for the Lorain County Bar Association and serves on the Mercy Health Foundation Lorain Board of Directors.  Farnaz was also awarded the 2016 Difference Makers Award/Emerald Award Honoree for Inspirational Leadership from Leadership Lorain County.

Rev. Brian Burke currently serves as the Interim Minister for Valley City Emmanuel United Church of Christ, after serving congregations in Wellington and Amherst.  Before his time with the UCC, Brian served as High School Band Director for Sandusky and Oak Harbor School Districts. Rev. Burke received his Bachelors of Music from Bowling Green State University and his Masters of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary.  

Rev. Burke joined the Foundation Board of Directors in 2018.  In addition to serving on the Foundation’s Grants Committee, Brian serves as the Treasurer for the Wellington Kiwanis, performs with the Patriots Symphonic Band as the principal clarinetist and concert narrator, and is a founding member of the Lake Erie Winds, a northern Ohio clarinet quartet.  He is also a former member of the Board of Directors for MercyHealth Lorain Region.  

Brian, and his wife Carol, reside in Wellington. They have two children, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In their free time, they enjoy attending theater productions and traveling.  

Ms. Maria Grega, RN and MSN Educator, currently serves as the Special Project Coordinator for the Centers for Dialysis Care in Cleveland, the largest, non-profit, outpatient dialysis provider in Northeast Ohio providing of outstanding patient-focused dialysis treatment, education, support, and training for the past 40 years. Prior to her time at Centers for Dialysis Care, Maria was employeed at Dialysis Specialists of Northeast Ohio.  

Ms. Grega joined the Board of the Community Foundation in 2018 and currently serves as the Grants Committee Chairperson. Maria is also one of the founding members of 100 Women Who Care About Lorain County. 

Maria currently resides in Elyria with her husband Michael.