YWCA of Alton announces new board members

ALTON – On August 30, 2017, YWCA of Alton Board of Directors welcomed four new members: Cameo Foster, Ashlyn Green, Tamika Jackson and Kennedi Koetzle. Board members are charged with the goal of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. YWCA of Alton board president, Gail Donnelly Bader stated, “I am awed by the amount of enthusiasm and talent our new members bring to this board, including our two high school students. YWCA of Alton is on a mission to serve all women and girls in our area and to promote social justice. These four new members reflect YWCA’s ongoing commitment to finding the very best community leaders to lead and guide the YWCA of Alton. Their knowledge, skill and expertise will be invaluable to YWCA of Alton as we strategically advance our work on eliminating race and strengthening and supporting women in our community.”

Cameo C. Foster is the City Treasurer of Alton, IL. Prior to being elected as City Treasurer in April, 2017, Cameo worked under former City of Alton Treasurer Cynthia Roth for almost 4 years. Many of her adolescent years were spent at the YWCA taking dance classes, participating in the multiple programs it offered, including swimming. Cameo is a 2006 graduate of Alton High and a 2006 recipient of the YWCA’s Josephine Marley Beckwith Future Leaders Scholarship. Cameo has an Associate degree in Science from Lewis and Clark Community College and a Bachelors in Business Administration from Fontbonne University, where she is currently working towards her MBA.

Ashlyn Green, Junior, Alton High School, is active and outgoing and hopes to support the mission of YWCA of Alton by communicating and collaborating with fellow students to make this community the best it can be. She participates in various athletic programs and loves to write. Ashlyn believe that it is important for all women to know their worth and equality and will put forth my time and effort to serve this purpose.

Tamika Jackson has a background that includes a fellowship with the New York non-profit Stonewall Foundation, which focused on equity, LGBTQ housing and homelessness, and grants benefitting programs to serve youth. Tamika is graduate of Columbia University with a bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and has an Associate’s degree from Seattle Central Community College in Liberal Studies. While in Seattle, Tamika enjoyed outreaching to at-risk women of color, facilitating meetings surrounding positive behavior change, and organizing resource drives with her community college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter. Tamika currently teaches yoga in Alton, including at the YWCA. Her hope is to bring together her experience as a Community Health Worker, her passion for preventative health care, and her drive to live a sustainable life to benefit and support the YWCA’s present and future.

Kennedi Koetzle, Junior, Marquette Catholic High School, believes the YWCA mission of eliminating racism and empowering women brought her to the Board of Directors of YWCA of Alton. Kennedi states that “we as a community must do everything we can to fulfill this mission and strengthen our community.” Kennedi is active with AP Classes, Cross Country, Track, Student Council and a variety of other clubs and organizations.

Established in 1918, YWCA of Alton is part of the largest and oldest women’s organization in the world. YWCA of Alton tailors our programs to meet the unique needs of our communities, as aligned with three key national platforms: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls.

YWCA of Alton is proudly sponsored by Morrissey Contracting Company, Inc., Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery, and Simmons, Hanley and Conroy, a national law firm.

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