OUR Board of Directors

Alen Amini
Board Member

Anisha Bhirud
Board Member

Anisha is a Cincinnati native who works as the Brand Manager for Little Passports. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Bachelor of Science in Biology from Xavier University and her Masters of Business Administration from the Williams College of Business at Xavier University. Anisha has worked in marketing in the Cincinnati area for over 10 years. An advocate of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Anisha graduated from the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s leadership development program, Building Cultural Competence in 2021.

She and her husband, Ashwin, live in Hyde Park in Cincinnati. They have a son (Bodhi) and a rescue pup (Archie). Along with the COVERD board, Anisha is also serving on the board of The Association of Volunteers in support of the Convalescent Hospital Fund for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Anisha learned about Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank through her volunteer work with the Junior League of Cincinnati. She decided to get involved after becoming a new parent and learning the harsh reality that diapers and personal care products are not covered by social services. She is incredibly honored to be joining the cause as a board member and excited to help spread awareness of Sweet Cheeks as part of the Development Committee.

Marcus Celestin
Board Vice Chair

Marcus is a Cincinnati native who works as a Vice President of Business Transformation at Field Aerospace, an aerospace and defense company headquartered in Cincinnati. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Supply Chain Operations & Management at Miami University. He began his career in business systems consulting working with manufacturing, transportation, and logistics organizations then moving into corporate strategy development and implementation across multiple industries. Marcus and his wife live in Northern Kentucky with their daughter. As a new parent, Marcus grew to understand the challenges which come with raising a newborn, ultimately leading him to Sweet Cheeks. As a board member, Marcus looks forward to helping further the mission of the organization. 

Laura Del Cid
Board Chair

Laura is Director of Treasury and Mortgage Risk Management at Fifth Third Bank.  After having worked for over a decade in various senior finance roles in Corporate Treasury both in Cincinnati and Los Angeles, in addition to obtaining her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, Laura moved into risk management in 2016 and oversees market and liquidity risk for the Bank.  She is a graduate of the University of Dayton and is a passionate Flyers basketball fan.

Laura became involved with Sweet Cheeks through participation in the BOLD program for board leadership development locally.  As soon as she learned about the diaper bank, she knew she had to get involved in the work to support the health and well-being of Cincinnati’s children and families.  Laura is honored to join the board and is excited to help the organization continue to grow.

Laura and her wife, Jessica, live in Madeira with their son, Alexander, and daughter, Corinne.

Cara Cross
Board Member

As Professional Development Director for Messer Construction Co., Cara supports business growth by identifying, attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent. She works collaboratively across the company to create strategies that maximize employee engagement and on-the-job development.

Cara earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Education in Human Resource Development from Xavier University. She is a graduate of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s WE Lead leadership development program, and is a certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-CP).

Cara coaches volleyball and Girls on the Run, and looks forward to perfecting her diaper-packing skills while serving on the board of Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank. She and her husband, Tyler, live in Kenwood with their daughters Addie and Maeve.

Lori Holiday
Board Secretary

Lori is the Program Manager for Mercy Serves an AmeriCorps program which is a volunteer corps serving in Mercy Health Emergency Departments in the Cincinnati region to prevent and reduce substance and opioid use. Prior to working with Mercy Heath, she was the Director of Member Services and Technology Solutions at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Serving at the Chamber for over 20 years, she held several roles on the membership team throughout her career including Member Relations, Director Customer Focus Center and Membership Development Director. Born in Springfield, MA but raised in Cincinnati, she is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.

Along with the COVERD board, she is also serving on the Retail Operations Committee for Portaluca, the retail shop for Dress for Success, and the Community Outreach Committee for Hospice of Cincinnati. She is a graduate of WE Lead Class 1 and previously served on the Executive Committee and Membership Committee with the Cincinnati Chamber Alumni Network. She was a long-time mentor with the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and also served on their Volunteer Management Committee. She worked as the Secretary of the Board for Girls on the Run of Greater Cincinnati for a five-year term along with volunteering on their Race Committee and Governance Committee.

She has been married to Tom for over 30 years, and they have one child, Rachel, who currently lives in California working in the animation industry.

She is incredibly honored and excited to serve on the Board and Governance Committee for COVERD.

Lauren Horn
Board Member

Lauren is a CPA at FORVIS, specializing in audits of manufacturing companies and employee benefit plans. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Miami University. Lauren resides in Hyde Park with her husband and two kids. During her free time, she enjoys exploring all that Cincinnati has to offer, and she loves spending time with family and friends.

Lauren first learned about Sweet Cheeks through the BOLD program. Learning about the overwhelming need for diapers and personal care products within her community got Lauren excited about the organization. After starting her own family and seeing how the lack of these resources can strain parents and families, she decided to get involved. Prior to joining the board, she served as a member of the finance committee. She is honored to be part of such an amazing organization and looks forward to furthering the mission as a member of the board.

Anecia Johnson
Board Member

Anecia Johnson is an incredibly multifaceted individual. Workwise she is a dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in organizational leadership, process improvement, human resources and data management. Her greatest business strengths are her ability to direct others, make timely decisions, remain flexible, and ensure that processes run at maximum efficiency.
 
She is a graduate of the BOLD Program, hosted by the Leadership Council for Nonprofits. Anecia is no stranger to non profits and spent the early part of her career working in afterschool programs in Appalachia, and Early Childhood Education/Head Start in NYC.

In her personal time she is a full-time student of life. Anecia is a newly licensed foster parent, an advocate, spirited dancer, budding energy worker, and beginner sound healer. She believes that each individual has divine purpose within their community, and that it is our shared responsibility to protect, nurture, and develop these gifts into useful tools of progress.