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Rita McNeil Danish, Esq.
Board Member

Rita McNeil Danish is a savvy problem solver, strategist and advocate with real world experience in the public and private sectors.

Based in Columbus, McNeil Danish has more than 30 years of professional legal experience there and in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Chicago. She has been involved in a range of industries and business sectors, including service as a Commissioner on the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, as City Attorney for the cities of Cincinnati and Dayton, as a Franklin County Judge, legal counsel in the Ohio governor’s office and the Ohio Department of Commerce. McNeil Danish was appointed Judge by Governor Kasich, and most recently was Partner and DEI Strategic Business Partner at Taft Law, where she provides counsel to municipalities and small, minority, and women owned businesses. Across her many roles, McNeil Danish has been dedicated to building bridges across party, racial, and gender lines, fostering open cultures, dismantling prejudices, and empowering individuals.

Rita graduated cum laude with a Bachelors of Business Administration from Howard University. She received her Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University College of Law.

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Doug LinkhartPresident Matt LeighningerVice President, National Civic LeagueDirector, Center for Democracy Innovation Ibrahim BazyanProgram Manager Anna CorningProgram Associate Kathie HamiltonDirectorOperations and Finance Mike McGrathDirectorResearch and Publications Derek OkuboDirectorCivic Assistance Mikayla TownsendProgram Manager Rebecca TroutDirectorWashington DC Office and All-America City Award Program Nick VlahosDeputy DirectorCenter for Democracy Innovation Jillian YoungbloodDirector, Deliberative Democracyand Executive Director, Civic Genius Carolyn LukensmeyerCo-DirectorHealthy Democracy Ecosystem Map Gretchen Armijo, AICP, LEED APSenior FellowFounder & President, Equity Policy Solutions, LLC Jan BrennanSenior FellowCEO, Forward LLC Rick GarciaSenior FellowRetired Government and Public Policy Expert Joseph Hoereth, PhDSenior FellowDirector of the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Mike HugginsSenior FellowRetired City Manager Benoy JacobSenior FellowDirector, Community Development Institute, University of Wisconsin - Madison Dante J. James, Esq.Senior FellowCo-Founder & Managing Partner, The Gemini Group, LLC. Angela LawsonSenior FellowCouncilwoman, Aurora, CO Lindsay M. MillerSenior FellowFounding Principal at Beyond Growth Strategies, LLC Kimberly L. NelsonSenior FellowProfessor of public administration and government at the School of Government Larry SchoolerSenior FellowMediator, Facilitator, Public Engagement Consultant, and Educator
Mayor G.T. BynumChairFormer Mayor of Tulsa, OK Diana Romero CampbellVice ChairCouncil Member, Denver District 4 Adam CarlisleTreasurerVice President of Labor Relations, Southwest Airlines Anthony SantiagoSecretaryPrincipal, Outside N Strategies Mayor Malik D. EvansPast ChairMayor of Rochester, NY Ray BarayBoard MemberFormer Chief of Staff, ICMA Hon. Mary Ann BorgesonBoard MemberNACo Immediate Past President; Commissioner, Douglas County, NE T.C. BroadnaxBoard MemberCity Manager, City of Austin Maia ComeauBoard MemberPresident Comeau & Company Todd ConnorBoard MemberCEO, Veterans for All Voters Mayor John DaileyBoard MemberMayor John Dailey, City of Tallahassee, FL Johnny DuPreeBoard MemberFormer Mayor, Hattiesburg, MS Ayeola FortuneBoard MemberVice President, Impact Programs, United Way Worldwide Dr. Joshua FranzelBoard MemberSenior Executive and Director of Research & Data Analysis at National League of Cities Mayor Patti GarrettBoard Member (Former Chair)Mayor of Decatur, Georgia Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr.Board MemberMayor, City of Edinburg Heather A. JohnstonBoard MemberChief Operating Officer, Winthrop & Weinstine Rita McNeil Danish, Esq.Board MemberCEO, Signal Ohio Angela MontezBoard MemberSpecial Counsel, Eversheds Sutherland Tony PeytonBoard MemberExecutive Vice President & Chief of Staff, National Center for Families Learning Monte RoulierBoard MemberPresident & Co-Founder Community Initiatives Inc. Mayor Vince WilliamsBoard MemberMayor of Union City, GA Wendy WillisBoard MemberExecutive Director, Deliberative Democracy Consortium

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