LADIES OF LEGACY 2019
Ladies of Legacy is our annual fundraiser that serves both to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of women in our community who are achieving their dreams, and honor those who give towards helping fulfill our vision. The fundraiser also aids Limitless Ambition in raising funds to continue our programs and outreach in the area. Last year we had over 125 people in attendance and raised over $4,000!
2019 LADIES OF LEGACY HONOREES
LaToya Smith
LaToya has been a valuable team member of Fifth Third Bank since August 1999. She has the responsibility for attracting, acquiring, and advancing top diverse talent into the bank. Additionally, she leads a team of Talent Acquisition Consultants for Bancorp.
LaToya is a graduate of Cleveland State University and holds an M.B.A. from The University of Phoenix.
LaToya is actively involved in the community with organizations including EL Barrio Job Readiness Program, Dress for Success and Youth Opportunities Unlimited. LaToya is very philanthropic; she recently started a Giving Circle, Our Hope, Our Future. She has received professional development accolades from Kaleidoscope Magazine’s Forty/Forty Club, Who’s Who in Black Cleveland and Verizon Everyday Heroes Award.
She has also received the Horizon Outstanding Team Lead at Fifth Third Bank, Outstanding LINK Mentor Award, Crain’s HR Leader Finalist, Northcoast Nurses Coalition Inc. Unsung Hero Award, Women of Color Stephanie Tubbs Jones Courage Award, El Barrio Amigo Award and the CSU Link Distinguished Alumni Award, The Girls Scout of North East Ohio Women of Distinction Award and NAACP Unsung Hero Community Award. Additionally, she is recent graduate of Cleveland Bridge Builders, 2018.
LaToya is the past Board Chair of Sankofa Fine Art Plus. She was responsible for driving the mission of the organization, serving in the senior board leadership role, managing community projects over $200,000 and executing the key strategic goals of the organization. Her most significant accomplishment with Sankofa was installing a large scale mural of Ruby Dee located at the Karamu House. Additionally, she serves on many boards including The United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Workforce. She is active member of Delta Sigma Theta and Eta Phi Beta Sororities. Also, she is a certified TantraNova and Reiki Practitioner. Additionally, she is a part-time Adjunct Professor at Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University. And has a consulting business call Eros Heart LLC.
Noelle Beck
Noelle Beck is the founder and director of First Glance Student Center since 2000. Noelle and her team work hard to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of teens in Kenmore. Noelle is a StratOp Facilitator through the Paterson Center in order to help other non-profits, churches, and businesses in Akron become more focused and strategic in fulfilling their missions. She also started a conference, that highlights the amazing women of Akron, called Akron Women on Purpose. In addition, in 2013 Noelle received the Glass Half Full Award from the GAR Foundation. This award is given to "Summit County leaders for their inspiring and optimistic leadership of community organizations.”
Noelle’s adventures take place in the Kenmore community of Akron where she resides with her amazing husband of 18 years, along with any housemates they pick up along the way. She has the distinct pleasure of being Enoch’s mom. She loves frothy coffee, Jeeps with no doors, and bike riding adventures. Her life goals include biking across America, wearing. Converse until she’s 80, and taking over Akron with the truth and love of Jesus!
Clotea Mack
Clotea was born in Cleveland, Ohio to a single mother who raised her with a passion for education, reading and writing. After becoming a teenage mother at the age of 16, she later pursued an English degree from Case Western Reserve University in order to become a Language Arts teacher, which is a calling she still loves today after 24 years. She also received her Master’s degree as a Reading Specialist from Kent State University.
As the founder and CEO of Lifted in Love, LLC, whose mission is to “Empower women to live their BEST lives NOW!”, Clotea presents workshops on the freedom of forgiveness and also does public speaking engagements in the both the religious and secular arenas.
As a part of the mission to empower women, Clotea hosts Forgiveness Forward workshops monthly in both public and private settings. Clotea has also carried the message of forgiveness over the airwaves as a frequent guest on the radio show I Will Live Until I Die and Jewels in His Crown “I Speak Life”. Writing weekly for Auspicious Living magazine and hosting a show on Elevations Radio bringing awareness to critical issues in the community are also allowing her to widen the sphere of her influence. In addition to using her Master’s Degree to tutor students from all over the city, she also teaches praise dance to various city-wide ministries of all ages.
Being a mom to four amazing children does not stop her from being a part of the Praise Team ministry, leading small group facilitators and heading the Chosen Generation Helping Hands volunteer efforts of the Youth Ministry at her church. Her goal is to make sure that she leaves the earth having touched and impacted as many lives as possible. Her favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
2019 LADIES OF LEGACY SPONSORS
CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc.
