About

Charnon Barnes is a proud native of Columbus, Ohio, and is a self-proclaimed “Rec Kid”. She serves as Executive Director of the Central Ohio Youth Sports Collaborative (COYSC), where she works with like-minded individuals and organizations to ensure that every child; regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, income, or ability has equitable opportunities to be active through sports, play, and outdoor recreation. COYSC will focus on social-emotional learning, skills development, and safety that will positively impact the number of youth participating in sports. Concentrating on play equity and increasing high-quality youth sports opportunities, COYSC takes a teamwork approach to strengthen the youth sports landscape and bring youth-serving organizations together to help support youth athletes, their families, and the whole community.

Charnon started her youth sports career with the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. As Assistant Manager at Whetstone Community Center, she served as camp director, fitness instructor, preschool art teacher, and soccer commissioner, where she had operational and programmatic oversight of 900 players, parents, and volunteer coaches annually.

Charnon then served as the Youth Sports Manager, managing 7 sports leagues, 8 summer camps, and quarterly special events for the city’s 28 recreation centers. She led the creation of the PLAY Youth Sports Scholarship where the department granted over $30,000 in need-based athletic scholarships in its inaugural year. In this position, she partnered with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, The Lindy Infante Foundation, OSU LiFEsports at The Ohio State University, the Columbus Division of Police, the Columbus Division of Fire, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Columbus Crew, The Aspen Institute, the National Recreation and Parks Association, USA Lacrosse of Central Ohio, and others to provide and support youth sports opportunities.

Charnon is a proud graduate of Marquette University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Marquette University. She is a facilitator for the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Soccer for Success program which provides free soccer programming to underserved communities and the Coach-Mentor Training program that trains coaches to serve as mentors and create positive connections with youth. She is also a member of the I.D.E.A. Advisory Committee for Girls on the Run Central Ohio which focuses on advising, supporting, and implementing strategies that promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, sports, trying new foods, and having new experiences.

Andee Cochren is in her eighth season with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the senior director of community development and executive director of the Blue Jackets Foundation.

In her roles, she is responsible for creating and implementing a community investment strategy for the brand, incorporating both philanthropic endeavors and team-driven initiatives. She spearheads initiatives to enhance the central Ohio community through educational programs, collaborations with the community, and engaging youth hockey grassroots activities. As the head of the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, she has furthered its mission to enhance the health & wellness of children in Central Ohio by focusing on pediatric cancer, education, health and safety, and the growth and development of youth hockey.

During the most recent season, the Blue Jackets and Blue Jackets Foundation surpassed $2 million in collective community investment, supported over 900 different organizations, touched the lives of 90,000+ youth, and provided grants to 34 local non-profit organizations. The Foundation has contributed more than $14 million to support children’s health and wellness initiatives in central Ohio since its inception in 2000.

Prior to joining the Blue Jackets, Andee spent more than twenty years in the National Hockey League with the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers. She currently serves as a member of the NHL’s Advisory Committee for Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs. Andee is also a proud graduate of the Leadership Columbus Signature Program, Class of 2023.

A Long Island native, Andee was raised in Las Vegas and is a graduate of the University of Nevada – Las Vegas with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Leisure Services. She also played college hockey at the University of Denver. In her free time, Andee is dedicated to giving back to her local community and regularly volunteers throughout central Ohio.

Danielle Ghiloni Walter is a native of Columbus, Ohio and proud graduate of Bishop Ready High School, the Ohio State University and DePaul College of Law. She currently serves as the Director of Legal and Compliance at Scotts Miracle-Gro, where she manages a team responsible for overseeing the Company’s Global Corporate Compliance Program. She also serves as a member of the Company’s Risk team, the Mergers and Acquisitions team, and on the Board of the Scotts’ Women’s Network.

Prior to arriving at Scotts Miracle-Gro in 2019, Danielle worked at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for 10 years where she developed extensive collegiate sports experience related to student-athlete eligibility issues, agent and amateurism concepts, policies regarding academic standards and gender-equity concerns. Danielle also served as a liaison to coaches’ associations, was responsible for developing and delivering Youth Clinics across the United States at the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Final Four events and served as a national office staff liaison to the national Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She has also held positions as Legal Counsel at a Columbus law firm, athletics compliance roles at both DePaul University and The Ohio State University and served as an adjunct faculty professor in the Sport Management program at Ohio Dominican University.

Danielle’s passion for community engagement, activism, and youth development through sport and activity is exemplified in her many volunteer opportunities throughout the Columbus area. She currently serves on the Board of the Union County YMCA, is President of the Immaculate Conception School Athletic Association, and has fulfilled numerous coaching positions for several organizations with varying levels of competitive play.

Dante Washington is in his first season as the Director of Strategic Partnership and Business Development for Columbus Crew SC, having joined the Club on July 9, 2019.

Washington most recently worked for Nationwide Insurance as a Senior Consultant in Strategic Partnerships Business Development. In his role with the Crew, Washington will be in charge of youth player development affiliation outreach, alumni relations for the Club, and other business opportunities to connect with the community.

During his time with Nationwide, Washington worked with multiple departments to launch different initiatives and assisted with relationship building efforts for sports groups in the portfolio. Washington’s background also includes a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.

During his 13-year professional soccer career, Washington spent six seasons with the Crew, playing for the Crew during the Club’s inaugural season in 1996, before returning and play for the Black & Gold for the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005 seasons. In all, Washington made 76 regular-season appearances for Crew SC, scoring 28 goals and providing 14 assists, while helping the Club win the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – the Crew’s first piece of silverware – as well as the 2004 Supporters’ Shield.

A two-time MLS All-Star (1997-2000), Washington also played for FC Dallas (1996-1999) and Real Salt Lake (2005), finishing his career with 170 MLS regular-season appearances (113 starts), 52 goals and 32 assists. Prior to becoming a professional player, Washington played for Radford University from 1989-1993, and was named to the First Team All-American in 1991. At the international level, Washington earned six caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team, scoring two goals.

Dawn Anderson-Butcher has a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology and is a licensed clinical social work worker in Ohio. She currently is a Professor of Social Work and Affiliate Faculty Member in Kinesiology at The Ohio State University (OSU). At OSU, Dawn serves as the Co-Executive Director of LiFEsports (lifesports.osu.edu    ), overseeing the research, curriculum development, and training components of this nationally recognized sport program. Dawn also serves as the Executive Director of the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute.

Dawn is an internationally renowned scholar, publishing over 120 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters focused on coach education, youth sport, afterschool programming, and school mental health. Recently Dawn served as the Principal Investigator for the National Coach Survey, funded by The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, Nike, and the Susan Crown Exchange. She also leads Ohio’s Coach Beyond initiative, a coach training partnership among LiFEsports and the Ohio High School Athletic Association She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and Research Fellow in both the Society of Health and Physical Educators and the Society of Social Work Researchers. Dawn was a collegiate soccer player and soccer coach for many years. Now she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, golfing and working out at the gym.

Rebecca (Becky) is currently the Associate Director of LiFEsports at the Ohio State University. In this position, she is responsible for the day-to-day management and leadership of all current programs. In addition to this role, she supports and manages teaching/learning, research, and fundraising endeavors within LiFEsports. Becky joined the LiFEsports Initiative in 2008. Outside of LiFEsports, Becky is an independent licensed social worker in the State of Ohio, coached middle school soccer in Grandview Heights City Schools for 15 years, and is currently enrolled in the Master’s of Sport Management program at the Ohio State University.

In Dawn’s role as director of strategic partnerships, she is responsible for overall strategy and successful revenue production by creating and implementing key community and business partnerships. Stewart also leads fundraising efforts for major events hosted by the Sports Commission.

Prior to joining the Sports Commission, she spent 20 years in intercollegiate athletics as a sports administrator at various NCAA levels. Most recently she was Otterbein’s Vice President of Student Affairs, serving in a dual role of Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of Athletics.

During Stewart’s time at Otterbein, the Cardinals experienced great competitive success with top 60 finishes (out of 400+ schools) in the Learfield Director’s Cup. Otterbein earned a combined 50 OAC titles and made 25 NCAA appearances while the women’s programs won two consecutive OAC all sports trophies. Stewart also restarted the Otterbein Wrestling program in 2016. In addition, her most notable fundraising activities were $2 million Turf and Track project in Memorial Stadium and the implementation of the Otterbein Athletics Corporate Partnership Program. Stewart established naming rights and improvements to nearly all on-campus athletic facilities, added five new endowments and secured a $350,000 equipment gift in-kind from former NBA head coach George Karl.

Prior to Otterbein, Stewart spent four years as Director of Athletics for Capital University where she managed 18 sports along with 50 full- and part-time coaches and administrative personnel.

In 2016, Stewart was named one of four Under Armour AD of the Year winners within Division III by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). She was one of 28 ADs and just six women across the nation to be selected.

She has extensive national professional development committee service and leadership includes NACDA Executive Committee, CEFMA Executive Committee, and Coast Guard Academy Women’s Leadership Forum Board.

Doug Wolf serves as Chief Executive Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio (BGCCO) leading a team of dedicated professionals in pursuit of this nation’s most important secular mission – to enable young people to reach their full potential.

Doug has served young people and communities for more than two decades. Prior to being named Chief Executive Officer in 2020, he served in several roles at BGCCO, including Director of Strategic Initiatives, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Program Officer.

As Chief Executive Officer, Doug has led the organization through significant transformation and growth achieving historic high member experience and staff experience scores, recovered and surpassed “pre-COVID” service volumes, and completed a comprehensive campaign that exceeded the $13.5 million goal by nearly $2 million.

Doug has also served in leadership roles in national collaborative efforts focused on innovative, multi-sector and multi-disciplinary partnerships to build capacity and optimize outcomes for children, whole families and communities. He currently serves on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) National Strategic Planning Commission and served a variety of BGCA leadership task forces including trauma informed standards; diversity, equity and inclusion standards; evidence-based practice; and innovative business models.

Doug also currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board for the BGCCO Milo-Grogan Holding Company, is a gubernatorial appointee to and treasurer of the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund Board of Directors, and a member of The Professional Association Board of Directors – an organization serving as the voice, advocate and recognition vehicle for Boys & Girls Clubs professionals across the country. He is a past Board member of Boys & Girls Clubs Ohio Alliance, Ohio HOSA-Future Health Professionals, Bikes for All People, Healing Companions and Gift of Adoption Ohio Chapter.

Prior to BGCCO, Doug worked for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, America’s largest pediatric hospital and research center. While there, he served in several management roles including obesity prevention, community wellness, and community engagement.

Doug holds a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training and sports management/wellness from Wilmington College. He also holds a Master of Science degree in allied health/health promotion from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in healthcare administration from Tiffin University.

Doug and his wife, Jan, reside in Bexley, Ohio. They have two children, Cooper (age 12) and Luca (age 9) and a house full of pets including a bearded dragon, fish, a cat and two dogs.

At the heart of YMCA Central Ohio's leadership team, Garry Linn brings an extensive background in steering community-focused programs and initiatives. As the current Chief Operating Officer, Garry's strategic vision and operational expertise are central to advancing the Y’s mission. His journey with the YMCA began over a decade ago in Greater Kansas City, where his contribution was pivotal in catalyzing growth and operational distinction.

Before his move to Central Ohio, Garry's leadership as the Senior Vice President of Operations was marked by overseeing pivotal projects and strategies that significantly advanced the organization's impact. His career is a testament to his unwavering dedication to leadership excellence and his passion for community engagement. Garry is an alumnus of Upper Iowa University, where his studies in Sports Science and Fitness Management were complemented by his active involvement on the football field. This combination of academic rigor and team-oriented mindset has been influential in his professional approach, positioning him as a cornerstone of the YMCA Central Ohio's ongoing dedication to enhancing community well-being.

Stephanie is the Co-Founder and President of the Lindy Infante Foundation and is responsible for the foundation's vision, strategy, and fundraising efforts. The foundation has been serving children and youth in Ohio since 2018, partnering with organizations such as the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, KIPP Columbus, Columbus Recreation and Parks, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio, LiFEsports at Ohio State University, Girls on the Run, and many others. To date, they have helped over 40,000 children.

The foundation created the "Sports in A Bag" initiative to keep kids active during the pandemic. It provided sports equipment to Ohio children during school closures and has continued its efforts by partnering with local organizations and nonprofits.

In addition to running the foundation, Stephanie has served on the board of the OhioHealth Foundation for five years and the State of Play Central Ohio Advisory Council. She is also on the Boys and Girls Club of Central Ohio boards, the Advisory Council for LiFEsports at Ohio State University, and the Central Ohio Youth Sports Collaborative Advisory Council.

Stephanie is a physical therapy graduate from Broward College with a Sports Philanthropy Certificate from George Washington University. She is a mother to three boys and is married to Brad Infante, son of the late Lindy Infante, a former NFL head coach. The foundation was established in Lindy's memory to help underprivileged children through sports, giving them the same opportunities as Lindy.

Tony Collins is a servant leader focused on the growth and wellbeing of our Central Ohio communities. Tony is the President and CEO of the YMCA of Central Ohio. He works with a team of committed professionals to strengthen the spirit, mind, and body of our neighbors in Franklin, Delaware, Logan, and Pickaway Counties. The YMCA of Central Ohio develops youth, promotes healthy living and fosters a sense of social responsibility through its thirteen community centers, 100 child care sites and by providing emergency shelter and supportive housing for those most in need in our Community.

As a leader in Central Ohio, Tony serves with his colleagues on the Economic Mobility Coalition, the State of Play Central Ohio Advisory group, and the Future Ready Early Childhood Advisory Council. Tony also serves as a council member of the Ohio Alliance of YMCA’s. Prior to joining the YMCA, Tony served as the Executive Director of Recreation & Parks for the City of Columbus and as a Parks & Recreation Director for the City of Gahanna. Tony has a bachelor's degree from Ohio University and a MBA from Franklin University. Tony and his wife Becky are proud parents of four very active children.