GLORIFYING THE LIONS

MEET THE 2026 LIONS

Thane Maynard retired from his role as Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on December 31, 2025. He now serves as Executive Chair, remaining actively engaged in advancing the Zoo’s mission by raising awareness through storytelling, conservation advocacy, and public engagement.

Maynard has written more than a dozen books focused on wildlife and conservation. His most recent work, Hope for Animals & Their World, was coauthored with primatologist, Dr. Jane Goodall. For many years, he also brought science and environmental stories to audiences nationwide through his long-running public radio program, The 90-Second Naturalist.

Mr. Maynard’s travels have spanned five continents in support of biological diversity, natural history, and wildlife conservation—efforts that earned him membership in the prestigious Explorers Club. He is an active member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Margo Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, a Washington, D.C.–based organization dedicated to primate conservation.

Born and raised in central Florida, Mr. Maynard earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and a master’s degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources.

Dr. C. Keith Melvin is a native Cincinnatian and graduate of Withrow High School. He earned a BA in Chemistry from Fisk University and received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1980. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, where he was only the third African American male to train in Internal Medicine.

Dr. Melvin’s medical career spans emergency medicine, critical care medicine, and general internal medicine. He currently practices at Mercy Health and serves as faculty for The Jewish Hospital Internal Medicine Graduate Medical Education Residency Program. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, teaching medical students throughout their four years of study. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Cardiology and has been recognized as one of America’s Top Physicians and a Top Internist by Leading Physicians of the World.

A sought-after lecturer and motivational speaker, Dr. Melvin has presented nationally in more than 25 states and has served as a Distinguished National Grand Rounds Lecturer. He is also a longtime media presence, appearing on local radio and television and on the covers of several regional magazines.

Dr. Melvin has received numerous honors, including induction into the Withrow High School Hall of Fame, multiple Health Care Hero awards, the Business Courier Healthcare Hero Award for Community Outreach, and the Daniel Drake Humanitarian Award—the Academy of Medicine’s highest honor. He has also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from Closing the Health Gap and the Gaskins Stem Foundation.

Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Melvin is President and CEO of Community Health Speaks, Inc. and President of the Black and White Cancer Survivors Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and survivor celebration. The foundation has received proclamations from state and local government leaders. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Melvin served as lead physician for the first inner-city COVID testing site, testing more than 5,000 individuals.

He serves on several boards, including the American Cancer Society and the Cancer Support Community, and is a member of numerous professional and civic organizations. A 25-year cancer survivor and survivor of a second cancer diagnosed in 2026, Dr. Melvin continues to be a resilient advocate for health equity and community wellness. He was also named one of Cincinnati’s “McDreamy Doctors” by The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Dr. Melvin was married to his late wife, Cassandra. He is the proud father of three children—Brooke, Adam, and Shawn—and grandfather of seven.

John C. Merchant, a partner with Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, focuses his practice on public finance law. Over the past 35 years, he has participated in traditional governmental, economic development, and health care transactions and served as bond, underwriter, disclosure, and bank counsel for the issuance of tax-exempt and taxable bonds, notes and lease obligations in transactions throughout Ohio and Kentucky. He has served as underwriter’s counsel for many national financial institutions. His longstanding clients include the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board, The Turnpike Authority of Kentucky, and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.

He has decades of experience advising elected and appointed officials of state and local governments regarding complex bond financing, participating in discussions with rating agencies, preparing bond documentation, and managing closings. Prior to entering into private practice, John participated in public finance transactions in various positions with the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mr. Merchant earned his bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University and law degree from the University of Kentucky, Rosenberg College of Law.

He and his wife Debra have been married for 44 years. They have one daughter Leah (Dean) and two grandchildren, Emmett and Addison.

Sheila A. Mixon is President/CEO of Sheila A. Mixon dba The SASH Effect LLC, a coaching consultancy enterprise, and Business Advisor, Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program.

Ms. Mixon is the former Senior Vice President of the Business Development & Entrepreneurship Department for the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio (ULGSO). In addition to providing vision, leadership, organizational governance, and strategic direction for the department, she served as the Executive Director of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council Ohio River Valley (WBEC-ORV) for 7+ years. She has over 45 years of experience in business development, the financial services industry, and not-for-profit organizations.

Ms. Mixon’s extensive list of community service included the Ohio Women's Coalition (OWC) Board of Directors, MetroHealth Supplier Diversity Advisory Council, City of Cincinnati Department of Economic Inclusion Advisory Board, WBENC RPO Leadership Council, WBENC Board of Directors, HCDC Entrepreneur Assistance Committee and Board of Directors, Cleveland Clinic Supplier Diversity Advisory Council, Kauffman Foundation Advisory Group, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Programming Committee, and the City of Cincinnati’s Small Business Advisory Council. Most recently, she was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Women of Color Foundation.

Ms. Mixon has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration (concentration Finance) from The Ohio State University.

Maribeth S. Rahe is President and Chief Executive Officer of Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Western & Southern Financial Group. Under her leadership, Fort Washington is one of the largest investment advisors in Ohio, providing asset management services to a diverse set of clients and valued partners.

Prior to Fort Washington, Rahe served as president and board member of the United States Trust Company of New York, vice chair of the board of The Harris Bank (now BMO) in Chicago and held various positions at J.P. Morgan in London and New York.

A native of Chicago, Ms. Rahe graduated from Bowling Green State University, earned her MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and was a Ph.D. candidate at The Ohio State University. She received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University and Mount St. Joseph University.

Ms. Rahe serves on many boards, including The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati Arts Association, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Xavier University’s Williams College of Business, First Financial Bancorp, and Cincinnati Country Club. She was named a 2025 Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year for leadership, service, and philanthropy.

Deborah White Richardson is President and Chief Executive Officer of DWR and Associates LLC, a boutique consultancy on legislative, regulatory and community affairs and corporate social responsibility. Ms. White Richardson has an extensive background in the areas of public affairs, government relations, corporate sustainability and social responsibility, and community outreach. She held senior level positions at Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Washington, New York, and Chicago. She retired from Kraft in 2013.

Her mother left a legacy of achievements. The late Clarise White, was honored as a Lion in 2008 and was a former Cincinnati Urban League Board Member and a President of the Guild. She was also selected as a Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year in 1977. Following in her footsteps, Ms. White Richardson was named a 2023 Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year. For four years, she served on the Board of Trustees of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio and as President of the ULGSO Guild. Under her leadership, the Guild won national and regional awards from the National Urban League.

Ms. White Richardson served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Lighthouse Youth & Family Services from 2023 – 2025. She continues to serve on the Lighthouse Board and has volunteered with many activities and events, including as a Co-Chair of a capital campaign in 2021 that raised over $4 million to expand a residential treatment facility for girls, ages 11-17, who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma.

Ms. White Richardson served from 2021-2024 on the Executive Board of the Cincinnati Woman’s Club, an educational and philanthropic nonprofit organization. She is also a member of the Cincinnati Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She has also served on several other boards and committees in the community and in her church, the Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

A Cincinnati native, Ms. White Richardson earned her Bachelor of Science Degree, Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning, from Howard University.

Carolyn Wallace is a Cincinnati entrepreneur and community builder who has spent decades connecting people through music and nourishing food. Carolyn started her career as Executive Director of Bond Hill Redevelopment Corporation. This led to becoming the first Black woman general manager for the largest shopping center developer in the United States. In 1985, as the new GM of Swifton Commons Mall, she founded It's Commonly Jazz (ICJ), initially creating the music series to bring customers to the mall. What began as a local initiative evolved into one of Cincinnati's longest running free concert series. ICJ is now hosted at Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park and The Findlay Market. Featuring local and national artists and attracting thousands of attendees for the past four decades.

After dedicating over a decade of service to Swifton Commons Mall, she moved on to become Marketing Director of the Avondale and Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation. This position helped build her next bridge of nurturing the community. Carolyn started her catering service, The Perfect Brew, in 2000 and made it a full-time priority. Always evolving and creating ways to share, Carolyn launched The Shoe Box lunch as a part of her catering services. This is a collectable piece of art which teaches the Green Book history through story telling while enjoying your meal. Her culinary work emphasizes her commitment to community wellness and supporting local food producers, businesses and artists.

Her efforts have been recognized by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, NPR’s StoryCorps, YWCA, Imagineers, Impresarios, Inventors for Cincinnati’s Arts and the Power of Her, GCNK AACC Black Business Hall of fame, and BLAACC Leadership Issue.

From building It’s Commonly Jazz and continuing to develop The Perfect Brew, Carolyn is still looking forward to what’s next. Carolyn is a firm believer that she is because God is within her.