2022 Honorees

Jill Miller is President & CEO of Bethesda Inc., a strategic partner of TriHealth and creator of bi3, a philanthropic initiative to transform the health of all people in Greater Cincinnati. Since 2010, bi3 has invested more than $86 million in TriHealth and community-based organizations to improve health and advance health equity. Jill is most proud of the fact that 200 babies are alive today due to the collaborative efforts bi3 has funded to reduce infant mortality in Hamilton County. She is passionate about leading the way to a day when every person has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, when a person’s health can no longer be predicted by race, ethnicity, ability or zip code. Jill is a recognized industry thought leader, sharing her expertise at national conferences, including Grantmakers in Health, the Gratitude Symposium, and regional seminars in Florida and Ohio. Throughout her 18-year career, Jill has worked in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In 2012, she co-founded and led MLB’s Reds First Baseman Joey Votto’s public foundation. Jill holds a Business Economics degree from Ohio’s Miami University and MBA from Xavier University. She is a 2016 YWCA Rising Star, a member of Leadership Cincinnati Class 39 and the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2016 Forty Under 40 class. She recently received the Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service for Chairing the COVID-19 Regional Response Funders Collaborative.

Sherry Murray has been an indispensable member of the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department since 2008. Ever since 2011, she has served as the Associate to, Head Football Coach. In her current role, she works closely with Luke Fickell, scheduling all appearances for the sixth-year head coach and overseeing all day-to-day administrative duties and operations of the football office. Additionally, she supervises student staff, leads event-planning and assists with recruiting efforts for the football program. She also serves as the athletic department liaison for the football families and is a member of the department’s One Team Committee. Prior to joining the football staff, Murray served as the administrative coordinator in the UCATS office from 2008 to 2010 where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the UCATS office and coordination of all UCATS events. Before coming to UC, she was employed by the Northwest Local School District from 1999 to 2008, working as the assistant to the head football coach and assistant principal as well as in the school board administration office of student services. The lifelong Cincinnati resident earned her associate degree in applied business from the University of Cincinnati in 1991 and her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2000. She and her husband Mark, whom everyone knows as ‘Droopy,’ are the proud parents of Jacob and Luke Murray. Murray is also the stepmother to Matt Murray and guardian to Leanne Shollenbarger.

Impassioned after surviving the Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio, Whitney cofounded Whitney/Strong with her husband, an organization focused on finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions. Under her leadership, Whitney/Strong has executed a number of responsible gun ownership solutions including securing the first hearing on gun safety legislation in Frankfort in over a decade. She joined Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to announce the STRONG Ohio legislation, a response to the community call of “Do Something” after the Dayton Oregon District shooting in 2019. Whitney/Strong helped distribute over 12,000 gun locks across Kentucky and Ohio thanks to a partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics and with the support of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The organization trained over 500 people in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by gun violence in methods to reduce gun violence. And most recently, they lobbied Senators Mitch McConnell and Rob Portman to ensure passage of the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Prior to her calling, Whitney was employed by Fifth Third Bank for 15 years as Vice President, Digital Lending Product Manager. In 2018, Whitney and her team launched the first omnichannel digital lending application in the industry. A wife and a mother of two, Whitney resides in Louisville, Kentucky, where she earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Louisville. She enjoys travel with her family, musical theatre, the Bengals, college basketball, and getting outdoors.

Christine Neitzke is an award-winning entrepreneur, marketer, and executive. A Cleveland native and Miami University business graduate, Christine has put her skills in media relations, strategic planning, marketing, design, and events management to work in both the public and private sectors. After directing communications and public relations for government and private environmental agencies, Christine tapped into her creative side by opening her own interior design practice, which maintained a thriving clientele of over 30 private customers. That’s when life changed for Christine. A devoted mother and wife, her life was turned upside down when her son, Matt, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age ten. Motivated by the lack of support some of Matt’s fellow pediatric cancer patients and families had in their lives, Christine, along with her husband Jim, created The Dragonfly Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to bringing comfort and joy to young cancer and bone marrow transplant patients. Five years later, Matt Neitzke is cancer-free, and The Dragonfly Foundation is renowned in the Cincinnati area for its dedication to pediatric cancer patients and their families. The organization just reached its 12-year anniversary and continues to grow to support Cincinnati, Dayton and Chicago children’s hospitals.

In February of 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Teresa A. Theetge was appointed Interim Police Chief for the Cincinnati Police Department. Colonel Theetge is the first female in the City of Cincinnati's history to be appointed to the Interim Police Chief position full-time. She now commands a department of close to 1,000 sworn members and 120 civilian staff. Colonel Theetge has been with the Cincinnati Police Department for over 30 years. In 2016 she  was promoted to Assistant Chief and in 2020 assumed the role of the Executive Officer. Throughout her career, Colonel Theetge has had a multitude of assignments at varying ranks. She has experience in Patrol and Investigative assignments as well as Internal Investigations. During her time with the Cincinnati Police Department, Colonel Theetge also attended Xavier University where she completed her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and her master's degree in Human Resource Development. Colonel Theetge is a graduate of the following law enforcement programs: Southern Police Institute (SPI), Police Executive Leadership College (PELC), Certified Law Enforcement Executive (CLEE), Senior Management Institute in Policing (SMIP) and the FBI’s National Executive Institute (NEI). She is also a graduate of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce’s Women Excel Leadership (WE Lead) program and Leadership Cincinnati. Colonel Theetge is a lifelong Cincinnatian, grew up on the Westside and a graduate of Western Hills High School. Colonel Theetge and her husband Bob have four adult children and eight grandchildren.

Julie Raleigh is the original FUN raiser, driven by boundless energy, and a compassion for helping the under-served. She is a proud ‘82 alumna of Mother of Mercy High School. Julie went on to graduate from UC and the Christ Hospital School of Nursing. A true Cincinnati girl, Julie cheered for her hometown team as a Ben-Gal for four years. Julie married Channel 9 Chief Meteorologist Steve Raleigh and had four kids. While they were living in North Carolina, Julie worked as the Director of Nursing at Holy Angels, run by the Sisters of Mercy. After a move to California, she became involved in several organizations and brought each one to new heights. Julie’s dynamic, unique approach to fundraising put her in high demand. Once home in Cincinnati, Julie continued to create unique events that raised record-breaking numbers for organizations across the city. In 2008, Julie was recruited by Sr. Marjorie Rudemiller to work at Mother of Mercy as a fundraiser, and then served as the Director of Donor Engagement and the Annual Fund at Mercy McAuley. In January of 2019, Steve and Julie lost their youngest daughter, Madison, to the struggles of mental illness and addiction. The Raleigh’s declared war on these two diseases and founded Madi’s House, the first of its kind in the country. It is the missing piece after inpatient and outpatient treatment. Over the last three years, Julie opened Madi’s Annex, which provides a judgement-free zone of support and fun for young adults. Recently, Bon Secours Mercy Health partnered with Madi’s House and gifted them an 8,500 sq. ft. estate, which will provide more programming and services for struggling young adults. Julie and her family share, “If we can save just one life, it will all be worth it.”