Staff & Board

Stacy Sims (she/her) is a mind-body educator and author. In addition to founding the programs of The Well, Sims is a novelist, playwright, and children's books author. She has produced multiple theatrical works as part of her social practice of gathering stories out of community engagement. She talks about why she started the programs of The Well here.

Bryce Kessler (he/him) came to The Well in 2021. Born into a family of educators, Bryce has personally experienced the lifelong impact of amazing music and arts education. He's been playing piano and cello for 15 years and has a deep love and appreciation for orchestral music. In this role, he combines his personal passions for music, education, and arts administration to deepen The Well's national impact with Mindful Music Moments and Mindful Poetry Moments. He is a proud graduate of Baldwin Wallace University's (Cleveland, OH) Arts Management & Entrepreneurship program and Princeton High School (Cincinnati, OH).

Kami Lerma (she/her) transitioned from the Board to The Well staff in 2022. Kami is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and the founder of Wheelwork Integrative Wellness, LLC. Her work weaves coaching strategies, energy medicine, and body-mind-spirit practices to bring clients to a deeper understanding and connection with their true selves which leads to healing and authentic, lasting, positive change throughout their lives.

Patrick Raneses (he/him) is a Cincinnati-based musician and writer who joined The Well late 2022 to assist The Well's staff in the handling of the organization's communications channels and Mindful Music Moment's extensive music library, in addition to hands-on assistance across The Well's programs. His experience with a variety of nonprofit programmatic work alongside his personal passion for music, poetry, wellness, and education drives his day-to-day work with The Well's staff and their collaborators. Patrick is a graduate of Fordham University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature.

Julia Orquera Bianco (she/they) was born in Argentina and lived in Mexico before moving to the United States. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Universidad del Museo Social Argentino (Buenos Aires, Argentina) in 2012. In 2018 she graduated from the MFA program at Roski School of Art and Design, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. In 2020, Bianco earned a Certificate on Sustainability from University of California, Los Angeles. In 2022, Bianco was an intern in the Medicinal Plant Conservation Program at United Plant Savers (Rutland, OH). In 2023, she earned a Certificate in Permaculture Design from Cincinnati Permaculture Institute. She is currently working to get certified as a Yoga Innstructor.

Bianco works through interrogating constructs from Modern Western Culture, collective memory, and the experience of migration, through the lens of a guest on the Land she inhabits. This allows her to think about identity and belonging as something constantly being renegotiated and in motion, in deep relation and conversation with the environment and the community she is immersed in.Her explorations use her family legacy of labor, craft, and storytelling, as strategies to build knowledge and understanding of Place, experiencing while remembering. Her work has been showcased and published in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States.

This residency is made possible by NEA MATCH Fellowship with Wave Pool Gallery and U.C.

Rylie has been teaching education and yoga for the past 8 years, all throughout Cleveland, Hawaii, and Guatemala. She launched her own company, called “The Spirit Teacher” in 2021, with visions of sharing more yoga and wellness with the world, specializing in education. She graduated from Cleveland State University with a bachelors and licensure in Early Childhood Education. She believes that a strong foundation leads to healthier and happier human experiences.

Rylie is the lead My True SELF teacher, embedded in Imagine Bella Academy in Cleveland, OH. This is The Well's third year of working in partnership with this unique school to fortify mindfulness, expressive arts and wellness as part of the school community.

Julianna Eidle is a Cincinnati-based performer, organizer, and educator. A passionate collaborator, Julianna is Artistic Director of the Cincinnati New Music Ensemble, a resident Performing Artist with the Contemporary Art Music Project in Tampa, FL, and Assistant-Director of New Downbeat, a Cincinnati chamber ensemble rooted in intersectional feminism. Julianna holds degrees from Indiana University (BM and Performer Diploma) and the University of Cincinnati (MM,) where she is currently pursuing her DMA. Julianna has additional studies in Deep Listening, Yoga Teacher Certification, and The Well’s My True SELF program.

Dr. Tiffany N. Hinton is a long-time educator. Dr. T., as her students affectionately refer to her, is also a daily meditator, a dedicated yoga practitioner, a breath work enthusiast and an avid gardener. She is excited to join the Well as a True Body facilitator. With a Ph.D. in English, specializing in Africana Literary and Cultural Studies, Dr. T. has more than 20 years’ experience designing, facilitating and administering educational programs, including 12+ years as an English professor. As owner/operator of The ENGLISH Professorional, she combines competencies in culturally responsive/ sustaining, evidence-based curriculum and program development as well as facilitation to deliver a range of services to organizations and individuals, alike.

Ashley Miley is a facilitator and forever student of embodied living. Ashley is a My True SELF/True Body Project facilitator at The Well/A Mindful Moment, currently serving John P. Parker School and Dedicated Senior Medical Center. Ashley was drawn to MTS/TBP as it provided an opportunity to teach others what she had learned on her own trauma healing and embodiment journey-mindfulness, somatic work, energetic work, nervous system regulation, embodiment, and creative expression-while supporting others on their journeys. Ashley is also very passionate about trauma-informed, relational, and sacred sexuality work. She is working to create individual and group programs and retreats interweaving these various domains together to create holistic embodiment experiences. The teachers she has worked with include Kendra Cunov, John Wineland, Damien Bohler, Layla Martin, and David Treleaven.

Brooke Thomas (she/her) is a high school math teacher and mentor, trained in facilitating meditation and mindfulness practices for individuals and small groups. She advocates for the integration of mindfulness in education as a way to promote mental health wellness and create equitable and inclusive learning communities.

Alisa is an innovation strategist and consultant with over 25 years of innovation experience. She focuses on blending strategy, innovation, and a genuine drive to create meaningful connections in every endeavor. While her professional achievements are remarkable, what truly defines Alisa is her belief in the transformative power of community, art, and well-being.

Jane is the Chief Financial Officer of Cavalier Distributing companies, distributors of American craft and specialty import beer.

She started in public accounting and then moved into the non profit sector as Finance Director of the Contemporary Arts Center before joining Cavalier. She is a CPA and MBA.

She also serves on the Finance Committee of the Cincinnati Observatory and is a docent for the CAC.

Jill Smith has been the CLCI Resource Coordinator at the Academy of World Language since 2010 after a decade of nonprofit leadership. She was the Executive Director of the Center for Peace Education and then worked for four years for KnowledgeWorks Foundation and its subsidiaries.

Philanthropy has been a mainstay throughout Maggie's career. She has experience in both traditional and digital fundraising and currently focuses on strategic growth, program development, and client success. A professional enthusiast at heart, Maggie has a passion to connect, engage and support people and organizations with missions that are aligned with music, youth and nature.

Heather is the founder and director of DANCEFIX and HBDC. She is a choreographer, dance educator and an advocate for community connections through dance.

Britt's choreographic reach spans nationwide, from work for professional ballet companies to commercial dance choreography.

The New York Times has recommended Heather’s popular DANCEFIX dance workout classes for out-of-town visitors and Cincinnati's CityBeat named DANCEFIX "the best dance classes " in the city in 2023 and 2024. Britt has been recognized for her work in the community by the City of Cincinnati, as well as a 2022 Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year. She has also been named Equality of Ohio’s Southwest Ally of 2022 and a YWCA Rising Star.

Michelle D’Cruz is a creative strategist with roots in community-grounded, non-profit, and health-driven initiatives. She currently leads campaigns at the hyper-local, state, and national level, strategically advises brand development from the ground up, and conceptualizes and builds story-driven experiences—informed by a multi-disciplinary and inclusive approach. Michelle is Founder and strategic lead at MDC Design Studio—a creative hub for socially-focused problem solvers. From national policy and resource-driven campaigns, to statewide initiatives connecting youth and young adults with mental health and substance use disorder services, MDC uses its creative capacities to lift up the work of community-centered organizations, to shape how individuals interact with educational content, and take those learnings back out into the world.

Rana Dotson has worked for over 20 years on labor and human rights, public policy, and international development. She is a senior international affairs officer at the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), working to fight labor exploitation around the world. Rana is a co-founder and lead organizer for the international human rights collective Border of Lights. She is a fellow with the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP), and National Security Education Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Graduate Fellowship. She lives in the DC metro with her family.

Nkemjika's social impact journey began in a call center fundraising role in 2012, leading to an unexpected passion. A transformative service-learning trip to Haiti revealed a dedication to ethical stewardship and community empowerment. Subsequent experiences, including a trip to Ghana in 2013, solidified her commitment to influencing positive change in the world. Over a decade in the nonprofit sector, Nkemjika remains passionate about helping others live out their full potential.

Her hobbies include: art/crafts, creating, expressing, writing, cooking, health and wellness.

Morgan works at Procter & Gamble in Finance and Accounting, having held various roles across Corporate, Brand and Product Supply Finance. Morgan has nearly 10 years of experience where she has built a reputation for operational excellence, forecasting accuracy, and a deep commitment to organization morale and culture.

Morgan serves as the Co-Chair of Procter & Gamble’s annual ArtsWave Campaign, raising over $2 million to support Cincinnati arts organizations. Previously holding leadership roles in various organizations including Women’s Networks, New Hire/Intern Programs, as well as several workplace culture teams. In her spare time, Morgan enjoys baking, hosting dinner parties, and supporting Cincinnati sports.

Brian Raphael Nabors (b.1991, Birmingham, AL) is a composer of emotionally enriching music that tells exciting narratives with its vibrant themes and colorful harmonic language. Nabors' music has been performed by the Boston, Atlanta, Nashville, Cincinnati, Detroit, Fort Worth, and Munich Symphonies, among others. His music has been performed at many events across the US and internationally, including the National Orchestral Institute (NOI) and the Tanglewood Music Festival. Nabors’ music draws from combinations of Jazz Funk, R&B, and Gospel with the modern flair of contemporary classical music.

He was named a 2021 composition fellow of the Tanglewood music festival; a 2019 composer fellow in the American Composers Orchestra’s Earshot program with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; a 2019 composer fellow with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s Composer Lab; and 2019 cycle five grand prize winner of the Rapido! National Composition Contest. Nabors was also a 2020 Fulbright scholarship recipient to Sydney, Australia, studying with composer Carl Vine at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Nabors earned a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degree in Composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and a Bachelor of Music Theory & Composition degree from the School of the Arts at Samford University.

Mike Nauman is currently the Director of Commercial Analytics for Cincinnati Insurance Company. Mike is a benevolent leader focused on creatively removing boundaries and empowering those around him. He has over a decade of broad leadership experience, between co-founding a local design firm to being a director of a national analytics program. Mike is passionate about helping organizations find sustainable strategic success through their most valuable resource, its people. He is a longtime performing musician currently in collaboration with his biggest inspiration, his daughter.

As director of community outreach and philanthropy for integrative medicine at UC Health and UC’s College of Medicine, John Tew lectures frequently about the links among longevity, cognition and the pillars of healthy living.

Susan Tew is a strong supporter of education. She is an Emeritus Board Member of the Catholic Inner-City School Education board of trustees.