Board of Trustees

Phyllis "Seven" Harris’ has 25+ years of experience with nonprofits, including program management, fundraising, and upper-level management positions. She is a social justice champion and is committed to advancing equity issues to create meaningful change.

With the executive leadership of Ms. Harris since 2012, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland has experienced unprecedented, transformational growth and expansion. As a successful fundraiser, Phyllis raised capital funds which allowed the Center to construct a new and spacious facility to serve the community. She increased the Center’s budget tenfold creating a more expansive set of services throughout the county now serving 25,000 LGBTQ+ youth, professionals, elders, and community members annually. In 2015, Phyllis and her team launched Pride in the CLE, a family-oriented and community-driven LGBTQ Pride festival that continues to grow every year.

Phyllis is an experienced and skillful consultant owning her own consulting business specializing in equity & inclusion, social justice, non-profit management, and  leadership development.She is deeply committed to helping nonprofits improve by offering professional development, DEI strategy and planning, coaching and more.

Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Harris directed a major capital campaign for the Cleveland Sight Center, served as Vice President of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and spearheaded youth initiatives at Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio. Her leadership in local nonprofit circles also extends to service on local and national nonprofitboards including the Women of Color Foundation, Graffiti HeArt art museum and CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers. Phyllis is a graduate of the 2019 class of Leadership Cleveland and served as one of the co-chairs of the Transition Team for the newly elected City of Cleveland Mayor, Justin Bibb. 

Phyllis has received numerous awards recognizing her passion, commitment and success in the nonprofit arena. She received the Cleveland Foundation’s Homer C. Wadsworth award, CWRU Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Hall of Achievement, Northeast Ohio’s Most Influential Women, Human Rights Campaign Leadership Award, Cleveland Magazine’s CLE’s 500,  Human Rights Campaign Cleveland, and more. 

Ms. Harris holds a master’s degree in non-profit management from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace College.

Victoria started her career as a graphic designer at Lincoln Electric but found her true calling in sustainable development. At Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S), she engaged the sustainability community in learning and creating a sustainable regional economy. Her impact grew at Cleveland State University's Monte Ahuja College of Business, where she led the Center for Sustainable Business Practices and taught MBA-level sustainability courses. Victoria's entrepreneurial spirit then led her to Case Western Reserve University's LaunchNET, where she helped students transform their innovative ideas into reality. Then came the big leap to Venture Forward Strategies, a sustainable business consulting firm that she co-founded with Danielle Doza. At VFS, she guided companies in elevating their sustainability reporting and strategies. She recently joined Lubrizol, where she is focusing on designing a sustainable sourcing strategy.

One of Victoria's greatest strengths is building communities that make sustainability change happen. She co-founded the Northeast Ohio Women Working in Sustainability group (320 members and counting!) and co-created Eco Meet CLE because she believes the best ideas emerge when people who love their communities come together. Victoria tackles challenges with endless curiosity and a knack for connecting the dots. 

Erin Benay is Associate Professor of Early Modern Art at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.  She is the author of three books and numerous articles about early modern art, print history, and global circulation. In addition to her work in the field of global early modern studies, Erin is also dedicated to the cultivation of public humanities initiatives in Cleveland and works closely with area non-profits to incorporate art history into community-engaged practice. 

Ainsley received a BFA in General Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture and Printmaking from Maryland Institute College of Art. She is the Director of Prototyping, Art, and Community Engagement at Sears think[box], Case Western Reserve University’s Innovation Center. At think[box], she runs the prototyping floor, which consists of 3D printers, 3D scanners, laser cutters, embroidery, sewing, and electronic equipment.  Ainsley develops and implements program offerings to engage students, faculty, staff, and community in prototyping and digital fabrication. Ainsley’s role also includes overseeing the art initiative to enrich the think[box] ecosystem with art that has a strong foundation in concept and craft, celebrating the intrinsic connections between art and innovation. Before working at think[box], Ainsley worked for four years at Progressive Arts Alliance, a non-profit organization providing arts-integration programming in the Cleveland Public schools, focusing on STEM and project-based learning. 

Hélène Caniac, MBA, PCC is a business owner, mindset and communication coach, and advocate for personal and professional growth. As the founder of The Reclamation and Self-Expression Academy, she has helped clients secure executive promotions, transition into fulfilling careers, and build businesses aligned with their passions. With a background in fraud investigations and organizational development, she has overseen 300+ investigations for the US Air Force, honing expertise in leadership, conflict resolution, and strategic communication. Passionate about fostering creative expression and community engagement, Hélène is committed to supporting Cleveland’s artistic landscape and the role Zygote Press plays in expanding access to the arts.

Claire O’Connor is an attorney in the Real Estate and Environmental practice group at Benesch Friedlander Coplan and Aronoff and focuses her practice on commercial leasing in retail, industrial, warehouse, and office spaces. Claire has a Bachelor of Social Work degree, a J.D.,and a Master of Public Administration degree from Cleveland State University. Prior to law school, Claire was a licensed social worker and practiced throughout Cleveland. She lives on the near west side of Cleveland and when she has free time she likes to travel, hike, bike, figure skate and, honestly, watch TV.

John Driesbach received his MA from the University of Iowa and his MFA from Indiana University. He taught in Rockville, Maryland (three years) and then in Sacramento, California (twenty-six years.) While serving on the faculty of CSU, Sacramento he updated the printmaking facility with redesigned ventilation and safety compliant storage. As Chair of the department, he oversaw reaccreditation, organized artist residencies, and editioned prints for artists visiting Sacramento.

John attended his first Southern Graphics Council conference is 2000, which led to his participation in, and organization of exchange portfolios. Innovative packaging became a focus of his proposals. Images printed with or inspired by food, map-covered clamshell boxes, refrigerator magnets, and round “tondo” portfolios were organized and eventually archived at the Southern Graphics Council International collection.

After moving to Ohio, John began volunteering in assisting immigrants acclimate to the United States. Citizenship preparation classes and literacy programs have been rewarding experiences where he taught refugees and immigrants from countries across the world.

With his wife, Jan, John enjoys travel, including forays to both Europe and Latin America. John’s “year abroad” was spent in Mexico City and his Spanish has become rusty, but sufficient to get around in most situations. Post Jan’s retirement, textiles and weaving have been added to their interests.

Chris Fornadel is a Cleveland, Ohio based arts administrator and fundraiser. His professional focus and passion is building genuine and equitable relationships, and fully engaging audiences through personal outreach, sustainable data driven engagement strategies, and meaningful programming. Chris holds a B.A in Theatre Studies and a Master of Business Administration from Kent State University.

He currently serves as the Director of Development at Piano Cleveland. He is also a freelance Fundraising consultant and professional charity auctioneer. Before joining the Cleveland Playhouse, Chris served as Director of Development at the Cleveland Playhouse, and Director of Philanthropy in the College of the Arts with his alma mater, Kent State. Previous to that, he worked for nine seasons in a variety of roles, including Audience Engagement Manager and Development Manager, with Great Lakes Theater.

Chris is a co-founder of the popular Cleveland Citizens Voice Social Media Account @IntheCLE, voted “Best of Cleveland” 2016 and 2017 by Scene Magazine. He served a two-year term as a Downtown Cleveland Alliance City Advocate and nine years as a member of the Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance Advisory Board. 

An avid outdoor adventurer, Chris enjoys back-country hiking and trail running.

Conservator, Galloway Art Conservation + Adjunct Professor, Case Western Reserve

Conservator Heather Galloway is the principal conservator of Galloway Art Conservation in Cleveland. A Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation, she has over 35 years of experience. She completed her conservation graduate studies at New York University and holds an MA in Art History from Williams College. She has worked at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Cleveland Museum of Art. She opened her private practice in 2015 after working at the ICA Art Conservation for 16 years. She has taught about courses about art conservation and the history of art materials and techniques at Oberlin College, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Oslo. She has a deep commitment to hands-on learning and the intersection of science and the arts.

https://www.gallowayartconservation.com/

With over 15 years of dedicated experience in membership engagement and development, Terri is committed to cultivating relationships and building a sense of community in Greater Cleveland. She is currently at COSE and the Greater Cleveland Partnership where she works to connect members to the resources, programs, products, and services they need to grow their businesses. Her journey in the arts and culture sector started at the Cleveland Museum of Art where she worked for 15 years. She served as the Membership and Annual Fund Manager and she ran the mid-level membership program and Annual Fund campaigns. She directed the solicitation and renewal process for annual gifts and cultivated many meaningful connections with museum donors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with a Minor in Psychology from Bowling Green State University. She lives in the Gordon Square neighborhood of Cleveland with her husband, two children, two cats and dog.

Jeff Hopcian is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and staff anesthesiologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Hopcian earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency and fellowship training at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Hopcian's medical career has ranged from academic research -- with a focus on acute pain management in chronic pain syndromes -- and medical education in chronic pain management and regional anesthesia. Since moving to Cleveland in 2014, Dr. Hopcian has been an active supporter of the arts as a patron as well as an occasional participant in community musical ensembles and literary workshops. He enjoys sailing, traveling, and endurance sports including long-distance running and triathlons. 

Jennifer Leach is an artist working primarily in relief printmaking. She earned a BFA in graphic design and illustration from Kent State University, and a post-baccalaureate in art education from Cleveland State University. 

Following a career as a graphic designer, Jennifer began making art full-time and her work has been shown nationally and locally in galleries and institutions such as at The Providence Art Club, Worthington Yards Gallery in Cleveland, The Gallery at the Met Store in NYC, the Salmagundi Club in NYC, Boston University, The Fawick Gallery at Baldwin Wallace University, Manhattan Graphics Center, the Erie Art Museum, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve. 

In addition to making and showing her prints, Jennifer has worked collaboratively to organize and curate multiple exhibitions in Northeast Ohio.

Private and public collections have acquired Jennifer’s work including the Summa Hospital Healing Arts Collection, Dalad Art Collection, Dealer Tire Art Collection, and Newark Public Library Special Collections.

Jennifer is a member of The Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA), a NYC-based printmakers organization, and serves on its board. She is a past president and board member of The Print Club of Cleveland.

Dr. Lissauer  has been a member of Zygote Press since the organization's inception. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Lissauer earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. He earned his medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.He completed his internship and residency at the University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics in Chicago, Illinois. Moving to Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Lissauer entered the fellowship training program in gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation between 1974 and 1976. Immediately upon graduation, he joined Gastroenterology Associates of Cleveland. For many years, Dr. Lissauer was an attending physician teaching in the gastroenterology fellowship program at Mt. Sinai Hospital and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1992, Dr. Lissauer received a commendation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for his clinical excellence and outstanding abilities as a teacher. Again, in 2003, Dr. Lissauer received a Public Service Achievement Award for providing outstanding healthcare service to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Glenn Research Center employees. He and his wife, Linda, are avid print collectors, and widely recognized supporters of the arts. They shared their collection in three exhibitions at the Gastroenterology Associates of Cleveland office: In 2020, "Retrospective of John Knudsen Prints", in 2021, "Women Print Artists of NE Ohio" and in 2022, "Print Artists West of the Mississippi." In 2023, Artist Archives of the Western Reserve mounted a show of prints from the Lissauer collection made by artists who are also teachers, entitled "Handing it Down." Over the years, individual prints from the collections have been loaned for exhibitions at AAWR, the Canton Art Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Additionally, several pieces from Jack and Linda's collection have been accepted as donations to the collections of the following respected institutions: Akron Art Museum, Allen Memorial Art Museum in Oberlin, Baltimore Museum of Art, Allen Memorial Medical Library, Dittrick Medical History Center, Cleveland Museum of Art, Shaker Historical Society, and Cleveland Public Library. Dr. Lissauer brings a wide range of previous board experience with organizations like The Print Club of Cleveland, The Temple Museum of Jewish Art, and the Gastroenterology Associates of Cleveland.

Joining the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2022 as a Development Coordinator, Daniel C. Noel currently serves as the Manager of Development and Board Relations, where he works directly with the Board of Trustees and Donors, overseeing engagement and philanthropy. Prior to this experience, he served as the Program Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Art, from 2021 - 2022, where he worked to create dynamic adult programming, meant to operate in conjunction with the museum's many exhibition and gallery rotations. Moving to Cleveland in 2021, Daniel is committed to the NE Ohio arts community and its continued growth. 

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the History & Criticism of Art with a Minor in Museum Studies from Florida State University in 2017 and a Master of Science Degree in Museum Studies with a Concentration in Theory & Practice from the University of Glasgow in 2018.

Britany Salsbury is a curator of prints and drawings at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she specializes in modern and contemporary works on paper. Britany holds a BA in art history and English from Case Western Reserve University, a MA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a MPhil and PhD from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Prior to returning to Cleveland in 2018, she held curatorial and research positions at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the RISD Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Morgan Library & Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago, and she founded and served as co-president of the Association of Print Scholars. Britany loves learning from printmakers and everything related to Cleveland.

Katie L. Steiner is an associate in Hahn Loeser & Park’s Business Practices Area.  She provides counsel to a wide array of for-profit and non-profit clients on matters involving commercial transactions, compliance, intellectual property, and litigation.  Katie focuses primarily on the firm’s Nonprofit & Art Law practice, which has a national reach and serves arts-based organizations in the advancement of their charitable and educational missions.  She is also a 2023 graduate of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Cleveland Bridge Builders program.

Zachary Thomas is a Cleveland-based arts administrator, poet, and writer. He was the co-founder and the executive director of Writers in Residence (WIR)—a nonprofit dedicated to teaching creative writing to youth who are incarcerated, empowering them to find their voices, and assisting their re-entry into society. Born out of Mr. Thomas’ volunteer experiences at the Juvenile Detention Center in Cleveland, WIR got its start in 2017 as a student-led, all-volunteer organization at John Carroll University. He wanted to transform the way youth who are incarcerated serve their time and help them imagine a better future through the power of creative writing. In 2018, Mr. Thomas received a Cleveland Foundation Fellowship, allowing him to turn the student organization into a nonprofit. Under his leadership, WIR has grown to manage 12 cohorts led by teaching artists across the Buckeye State; established partnerships with other organizations and state agencies; and developed both curricula and a handbook to guide each cohort. More than 1,500 youth have participated in the transformative program, producing more than 2,500 creative pieces distributed through chapbooks.

Alongside his work with WIR, Mr. Thomas was a member of Network Ohio for Arts and Healing (NOAH)—a group focused on arts, healing, and justice in Ohio. As a volunteer with NOAH, Mr. Thomas has been able to work across the state to help create a vibrant support system for Ohio’s justice-impacted individuals and communities. He recently received his master’s degree in nonprofit administration from his alma mater.

Carol Treska is a partner in Pease Bell, CPAs Accounting and Tax group, which caters exclusively to closely held, entrepreneurial, and family-owned businesses. She is a licensed Ohio Certified Public Accountant as well as a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs (OSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). With her 20+ years’ experience in the public accounting and professional services industry, she has extensive experience in both accounting and tax and leads her department of 15+ professionals. Prior to joining Pease Bell, CPAs in 2014, Carol held positions as a senior tax accountant with one of the largest CPA firms in the country as a director of family office administration and business entities for a wealth management firm. As an almost lifelong inner-city Cleveland resident, Carol is passionate about the city and various causes specifically addressing hunger and homelessness. She also regularly lends her support to Junior Achievement and is an active volunteer for the Cleveland Foodbank, St. Augustine Hunger Center and other hunger charities.

Esther Tseng, MD FACS is a trauma and acute care surgeon, educator, and researcher at MetroHealth Medical Center. After obtaining their medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, they completed surgical residency at Temple University Hospital and surgical critical care fellowship at UTSouthwestern/Parkland Memorial Hospital. Their professional work is centered upon patient care, student and trainee education, clinical outcomes research, and DEI in trauma surgery. As a lifelong enthusiast of the arts and science, they believe passionately in the power of these two fields to help people solve problems, enrich their lives, and transform communities for the better. 

Adam Tully received his Bachelor’s in Music Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and his Master’s in Library and Information Science from Kent State University. His passion for art, music, and education have converged in his job as Children & Youth Services Librarian for the Cleveland Public Library system. With nearly 20 years of public service under his belt, Mr. Tully has leveraged strong community partnerships throughout his career. Adam lives and works in the Collinwood neighborhood where along with his husband, John Farina, they manage a home of senior kitties (at last count they were at 'catpacity' with a clowder of six at home, and one gallery cat). Speaking of galleries, they both co-own Maria Neil Art Project, located in the heart of the Waterloo Arts & Entertainment District