Board of Directors

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.

Lee Belardo is a graduate of Youngstown State University and Cleveland State University College of Law. He currently manages his own private legal practice, L.E. Belardo, LLC. in Avon and has worked with various non-profit organizations during his tenure.  

Mr. Belardo is currently the Legal Counsel for Filipino American Foundation of Ohio. He is a Past President of the Ohio State Bar Foundation and served a Board Member for Boy Scouts of America, Lake Erie Council. Lee also served as an At-Large City Council Member for the City of Avon. 

Keith Brown serves as the Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development for Lorain County Community College. Previous to his current position, Mr. Brown served as the Director of Campus Security.  He has received a Certificate of Completion for Crisis Leadership in Higher Education from Harvard University School of Government, and a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor degree in Public Safety Management both from Cleveland State University. 

Mr. Brown joined the Board of Directors for the Foundation in 2021 after serving most recently on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Lorain County. Keith has also served the Lorain County Urban League and the American Red Cross. 

Keith resides in Sheffield Village with his wife, Helen, and sons Keith Jr. And Kylen.   

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. Veronica Gilbert is the Vice President of Human Resources for HDT Global, which delivers innovative solutions to military, government, industrial, and commercial markets. Before HDT Global, Ms. Gilbert spent time at Moen and earned an M.B.A. from Ashland University and a B.S. from Baldwin Wallace University.  

Ms. Gilbert was appointed to the Community Foundation Board of Directors in 2019. Throughout her tenure, she has served other nonprofit organizations including Adopt-A-School with the Elyria City Schools and is an active member of House of Praise, International.   

A native of Lorain County, Veronica is honored that much of her extended family still reside locally and share her love of this area.  A resident of Elyria, Veronica enjoys spending time with her family at Cascade Park. 

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.  

Board Member Since: 2019

Assistant County Prosecutor

Mrs. Judy Recknagel is the owner of The Mermaid’s Tale, a boutique located in downtown Amherst specializing in clothing, jewelry, and accessories for women. As a long-time entrepreneur, Judy brings a vast amount of business and community relations experience to the Board of the Foundation.

Mrs. Recknagel was appointed to the Community Foundation Board of Directors in 2019. Throughout her tenure, she has served on the Boards for other organizations including Main Street Amherst, the LCCC Business Advisory Board and the Design Review Board for the City of Amherst. Judy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Northern University.

A native of Lorain County and graduate of Admiral King High School, she and her husband, Bill, live in Lorain.  Their daughter, Stacey, works alongside her mom at the Mermaid’s Tale.

Donna Rivera-Wells is one of the Foundation’s newest Board members, joining in 2022. Ms. Wells serves as Deputy Chief Probation Officer at Lorain County Domestic Relations Court.  For the past ten years, she has also served as a Faculty Lecturer and Instructor at Youngstown State University. 

Ms. Wells received her Bachelor of Arts and Science in Psychology from The University of Toledo and her Master of Social Science and Administration from Case Western Reserve University. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education in Leadership for Organizations from the University of Dayton. 

Her work in the nonprofit arena is vast, with years of dedication to various nonprofit organizations including Lorain County Digital Equity Coalition, Lorain County STOP Task Force, Lorain County Domestic Violence Task Force, Blessing House, Elyria Sunrise Rotary, and Lorain International Festival Committee. 

Mr. Nick Ross is President of Ross Builders, a leading commercial builder located in North Ridgeville specializing in healthcare, religious, and restaurant construction. Mr. Ross has received his Healthcare Construction Certificate by American Society for Healthcare Engineering and is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. Mr. Ross earned his Bachelor of Science in Technology, Construction Management from Bowling Green State University.

Nick joined the Community Foundation Board of Directors in 2019. Additionally, Mr. Ross is involved in several professional organizations including the Society of Construction Professionals.

Nick, and his wife Laura, have two children.

Mike Shebak is the Senior Managing Director and Head of Institutional Consulting for Clearstead Advisors, a private financial advisory firm dedicated to building strong families and communities through strategic investments. In this role, Mr. Shebak sets the direction and manages the firm’s institutional consulting practice and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) business. Prior to joining Clearstead, Mike led the investment advisory product management and investment operations functions for two large regional banks.   Mr. Shebak received his B.A. in Management from Wittenberg University and his M.B.A from the Ohio State University.  

 Mr. Shebak joined the Community Foundation Board in 2017. In addition to serving as the Foundation’s Investment Committee Chairperson, Mike also volunteers with several youth organizations including St. Jude’s CYO program and the Positive Coaching Alliance.  

 Mike resides in North Ridgeville with his wife Cara and three children.  

Eileen Torres is known for her work in the salsa music and dance industry. She has presented programs for The Kennedy Center, National Geographic Society, and various Smithsonian Museums. She has designed and directed dozens of Latin-flavored events for arts and civic organizations, produced two Hollywood films, and a music and dance revue at the Atlas Theater in Washington, DC.

Seats on the Community Foundation of Lorain County, Hispanic Fund, and the Roberto Ocasio Foundation allow her to repay the community she loves.

Eileen is alumni of Leadership Lorain County, National Hispana Leadership Institute, and Center for Creative Leadership. She will publish a book on gender inequities and female empowerment in late 2022.