BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Classroom 2 Capitol's executive director, Stanley oversees the organization's home office and works closely with the Executive Board to fulfill the strategic plan. 

Stanley graduated from Ohio Dominican University with a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Studies Education and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, which he uses on a daily basis in his job as a 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher for Youngstown City Schools.

Stanley’s experience in the field of education is extensive and diverse. In 2010, Stanley accepted a role as an adjunct professor of History and Political Science at Ohio Dominican University, teaching courses such as U.S. Constitutional Law, Justice, Rights, Liberties, and The American Presidency, among others, in a role that he held for four years. During the 2011-2012 school year, Stanley was hired by the Ohio History Connection as a creative writer for the state-wide 8th grade supplemental textbook, creating primary source-based lessons that were aligned to Common Core standards. In 2015 Stanley accepted a position as a Program Manager of Research and Education at ACUHO-I, an international student affairs association at the Ohio State University.

In 2017 Stanley became involved in Youngstown-area business, becoming the Vice President of Operations for Whistle & Keg, LLC. His duties of managing the staff, overseeing financial operations, event campaigns, and working with government and other local business associates provided invaluable experience into the cross section of community/business relations. Always with education on the brain, however, Stanley took a side job with Prodigy Student Travel in 2018, becoming an educational tour guide to Washington, D.C. for students in school districts throughout Ohio, a position that helped inspire the creation of Classroom 2 Capitol. Stanley stepped back from his operations role at Whistle & Keg in the fall of 2019 in order to refocus on K-12 education as a classroom teacher. Always passionate about civic duty and serving the community, in 2020, Stanley entered the race for state representative, won the primary election, and was the Democratic candidate for state representative in the 59th Ohio House district. He currently serves on the Mahoning County Democratic party executive committee. 

Stanley currently resides in Youngstown and is a husband to a talented educator, Morgan, a father to three vivacious daughters, Rylee, Olivia , Lylah, and one charming little boy, Samuel. He is also the owner of Teddy Roosevelt the Dog and Ringo Stella the Cat.

Ermelinda Soto Gomez was born in Puerto Rico as 1 of 14 children.  She traveled to the United States at the age of 6, and has lived in Florida, New Jersey, New York City and Youngstown, Ohio.  Earning her GED at the age of 19, she went on to study education at Youngstown State University and earn a degree as an Intervention Specialist.  

She now works as a TESOL teacher at Martin Luther King Elementary school of Youngstown City School District, and also works as an English teacher for adults at the English Center in Youngstown.  She has also worked as a radio personality in Northeast Ohio for 8-years with stations such as WGFT, WASN, WYCL, and WHWN.  

She is married with 4 beautiful children, 2 boys and 2 girls, and enjoys camping, traveling, nature, reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Mrs. Soto is also a parishioner and committee member of the Sta. Rosa de Lima Catholic Church, a partners of the Caribbean Caterers business, and acts as a recreation and activities coordinator for summer camp at the OCCHA.  

Anthony Stratis serves as our Director of Community Engagement. Anthony is a life-long resident of Mahoning County. He also works as a Publishers Representative for Macmillan Learning where he works with colleges and universities in northeast Ohio. Anthony has always had a passion for education, social justice, and equity.  He obtained his Master of Applied Politics Degree at The University of Akron as well as his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with minors in Philosophy and Law. He also holds a certificate in Conflict Management. 

Anthony has worked heavily as a Political Consultant having assisted or ran more than forty campaigns across the United States. His campaign resume stretches from being an active member of the Ohio Democratic Party serving as an Organizer for presidential races to fundraising for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in conjunction with Senator Sherrod Brown. He has also served as a legislative liaison for multiple advocacy organizations ranging from The Ohio Environmental Council to The ALS Society.  Anthony believes all politics is local and that shows through his dedication to help elect leaders who share his vision. He has worked every Mayoral Race in a major city in Ohio and has worked with multiple members of the General Assembly. As a first generation American, Anthony believes that the future leaders of our community are those who believe in the beauty of their dreams regardless of the person's background. 

Anthony is proud to say he is from the Youngstown Area. Growing up in Campbell , he understands the work ethic and the impact our immigrants have and what is truly Youngstown Grit.  His parents instilled the idea of work ethic in him at a young age as leading by example with creating a successful painting company. More than work ethic, Anthony was instilled with compassion growing up with a sister with Autism and another sister who now works for Youngstown City Schools. He believes that teachers are our society's unsung heroes and deserve more credit for the work they do. 

Anthony now resides in Canfield with his wife Stephanie and golden retriever, Stanley. Stephanie is a proud small business owner who owns Stephanie Leigh Bridal with her mother.  Anthony is a brother of Phi Delta Theta.  He and his family are members of Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church. Anthony is honored to serve his community in a capacity to bring real change for the next generation of leaders.

Rev. Dr. Lewis W. Macklin, II is a returning member of the Children Services Board for a four-year term. Prior to his departure and after serving several consecutive terms, Rev. Macklin led the Board as Chairman. Rev. Macklin has been a passionate advocate and ardent champion of the welfare of children. He served as past National Vice President of the One Church One Child, Inc. and local chairman of the   Mahoning County’s “One Church One Child” initiative to encourage foster and adoption. The Vindicator newspaper recognized Rev. Macklin as one of the “Persons Who Made a Difference,” for supporting initiatives of the Youngstown City School District. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Macklin has an undying commitment to nurture and strengthen family. He and his wife, Dorothy are blessed with the joy of 4 daughters and a son and an ever-expanding extended family who include other youth the pair have committed to mentor. Dubbed “Father Abraham” Pastor Macklin cites the blessing of having natural and “supernatural” children as the Macklins openly practice and support adoption and caring for children as their promise! The Macklin Family is blessed to usher another generation with the birth of their six grandchildren.

Carla J. Baldwin is a lifelong resident of the Mahoning Valley. She presently serves as the Administrative and Presiding Judge of Youngstown Municipal Court where she presides over misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic cases. She also is proud to serve those who have served by presiding over the Veterans Treatment Court, which is a specialized docket certified by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Judge Baldwin also presides over the Drug Court, which is also a specialized docket.

The Judge received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Capital University (Columbus, OH). She obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Lansing, MI) with a concentration in Litigation. She has been a member of the Ohio Bar since 2008.

She most recently worked as a full-time Magistrate in Mahoning County Juvenile Court. Prior to this appointment she worked for the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office for eight years serving as an Assistant County Prosecutor in both the Criminal and Juvenile Divisions. She presently serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Eastern Gateway Community College. She has served as an Adjunct Instructor in the Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences Department at Youngstown State University.

Judge Baldwin presently serves on the boards of Inspiring Minds, Basement Ministries, Raymond John Wean Foundation, Opera Western Reserve and The Butler Institute of American Art. She is a member of the Mahoning County Corrections Planning Board, Youngstown Warren Black Caucus, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Mahoning County Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association and the Greater Youngstown League of Women Voters. She is a past member of the Mahoning County Young Democrats, Sojourner House Advisory Board, Junior League of Youngstown, Junior Civic League, Mahoning County CASA , YWCA of Youngstown, Nathaniel R. Jones Inn of Court and Youngstown Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She has also served as Parliamentarian for the Ohio Young Democrats.

Judge Baldwin and her husband Brandon are lifelong residents of the Mahoning Valley.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown-Jamael Tito Brown was elected the 51st Mayor of the City of Youngstown on November 7th, 2017.

Formerly the Chief Deputy Treasurer overseeing day-to-day operations of the Mahoning County Treasurer’s office, Brown has also served as the Director of the Human Relations Commission for the City of Youngstown.

The Mayor has been a Community Organizer for Youngstown State University Urban & Regional Studies Department and a Caseworker for Mahoning County Children Services Board.

His community involvement includes positions on the Board of Directors for Mahoning Valley Sanitation District, as Secretary of Wick Neighbors Inc., and as Chairman of Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Partners (MYCAP).

Mayor Brown previously served the residents of Youngstown as President of Council, as 3rd Ward City Councilman, and as a Member of the Youngstown City School Board.

Tito Brown is married to Lynette C. Frost Brown. They have 4 children: Aaron, Camille, Clarisa, and Quentin. He and his family are members of Union Baptist Church of Youngstown, Ohio.

Brown earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Youngstown State University.

He is a lifelong resident of Youngstown in the 3rd Ward.

Michele Lepore-Hagan entered electoral politics in 2014 after a successful career as an educator, administrator and community activist. Now serving her third term in the Ohio House, she is recognized as an aggressive and effective advocate for the residents of Youngstown, Austintown, Struthers, Campbell, Lowellville, and Coitsville.

A lifelong resident of the Mahoning Valley, Michele is the granddaughter of Italian and Irish immigrants and the daughter of respected educators. Her mother, Jean, was a passionate and dedicated public school teacher who believed her profession was a vocation, not merely a job. Her father, Jim Lapore, was both a professor at Youngstown State University and a renowned artist whose abstract paintings have been displayed in numerous museums and galleries across the United States, including the Butler Museum of American Art.

Michele is a Magnum Cum Laude graduate of Ohio University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance. She also took post-graduate classes in Graphic Arts and Education at Youngstown State University. After pursuing a career in modern dance in New York City, she returned to Youngstown and was hired by YSU where she was eventually named director of the University’s performing arts series.

In that position she supervised employees, administered the department’s budget, and secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for YSU’s music and theatre programs. In addition to her work at the University she served on the boards of directors of the Youngstown Area Urban League, the Youngstown Area Arts Council, the Potential Development Center, and Ballet Western Reserve. She left YSU after 27 years to run for the Ohio House.

Rep. Lepore-Hagan's legislative priorities reflect her upbringing and life experience. She has become a leading voice for women's, civil, human, and worker's rights, fought tirelessly to improve public education, demanded increased state funding for local governments and First Responders, preserved critical programs that benefit our seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities, and brought home millions of dollars for YSU and other projects that have improved the quality of life in our community.

Michele has been married to former state senator and state representative Robert Hagan for 33 years. They have two children, Jimmy Lepore Hagan and Natalia Lepore Hagan. She is also the proud step-mother of Jennifer Hagan Kadel, Kristen Hagan Iezzi, and Tommy Hagan.

Kristen served as the Grants Coordinator for the Mahoning County Sanitary Engineering Department for eight years. Her grant writing has secured millions of dollars for our community and local non-profit organizations.

Through her consulting firm, KO Consulting, LLC, Kristen currently serves as consultant and project lead on many economic development projects in the Mahoning Valley; works on business and grant development for multiple clients in the Rust Belt region; and is actively facilitating the development of Opportunity Zone projects to bring economic development and growth back to the Youngstown area.

Kristen volunteers her time in the community on numerous projects in organizations that include Big Brothers Big Sisters; CASTLO Community Improvement Corporation; Mahoning County Young Democrats; Mahoning/Trumbull Democratic Women’s Caucus; The League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown; Struthers Rotary Community Corps; and YWCA of the Mahoning Valley.

Kristen published her first book in 2015 entitled “Winning Elections: A Blueprint for the Public Servant in US” and a grant course in 2021. Through this course, she makes more opportunity for the valley by teaching young talent the ins and outs of securing funds for pivotal projects.

Dr. Cryshanna A. Jackson Leftwich is an Associate Professor of Public Affairs and Politics at Youngstown State University where she also serves as the Program Coordinator of the Political Science Program and the Urban Internship Coordinator. Her research interests focus on anti-racism, social equity, cultural competence, and gender equality. Since joining the faculty at YSU Dr. Jackson has served on numerous committees.Dr. Jackson joined the faculty at Youngstown State University in 2007 as an Assistant Professor.She was granted tenure in 2012 and promotion in rank to Associate Professor in 2013. She teaches an array of courses including American Government, African American Politics, Public Budgeting, Public Management, and Public Policy and Analysis. Her research interests focus onpublic polices pertaining to social equity, civil rights, and gender equality. Since joining thefaculty at YSU Dr. Jackson has served on numerous committees. She was the Chair of the CLASS promotions committee, served on the search committee for the Provost in 2014, the search committee for an Assistant Professor in 2012, and the search committee for the Dean of CLASS in 2015. Dr. Jackson currently serves on the Intercollegiate Athletic Council, on the College Fees Committee, as the Department Assessment Coordinator, and on the Dean’s Assessment Committee, she is a former member of the Academic Senate.Commitment to students is always a top priority, Dr. Jackson serves as an advisor and mentor to a number of students. Her advisory role includes her serving as a faculty advisor for the Department of Politics and International Relations and as a faculty advisor of a number of students groups including YSU’s Black Student Union, the NAACP collegiate chapter, and theNational Society of Collegiate Scholars. Dr. Jackson also served as an external evaluator of a successful dissertation defense at Howard University in 2016. Dr. Jackson Leftwich has published several articles in the Journal of Public Management &Social Policy and two book chapters. Along with her research interests she has worked on the evaluation of a number of federally funded grants. She is involved in several professional organizations including serving as a member of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA), the Section of Women Public Administrators (SWAPA), The Conference of Minority Public Administrators and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Management andSocial Policy. She is also very active with the YWCA of Mahoning Valley where she serves as First-Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, Chair of the Young Women with Bright Futures, and is a member of the executive committee. Dr. Jackson Leftwich has been awarded the Distinguished Professor of Service (2013) and the Distinguished Professor of Teaching (2018) honor at YSU. She received her Bachelor of Sciencefrom Miami University in 2001, her Master of Science degree from West Virginia University in 2002 and her PhD from the University of Akron in 2006. Dr. Jackson resides in Akron, OH and is an active member of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. She is married to Michael T. Leftwich, Esquire and they have a son, Clayton M. Leftwich.

Schiavoni was selected in 2008 to replace Senator John Boccieri who had been elected to the United States House of Representatives. Schiavoni easily won the party nomination in 2010 and was elected in the general election with over 60% of the vote.  In November 2011, Schiavoni was named Assistant Minority Whip in the Senate, but quickly rose to Assistant Minority Leader under Eric Kearney in January 2012. Schiavoni would serve in that capacity for two years until 2014, when he was unanimously elected by his colleagues to be Minority Leader.  In 2020, he was elected as a Mahoning County Judge.

Schiavoni is a member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Mahoning Valley, Curbstone Coaches, the local Farm Bureau, Boardman Civic Association, Italian-American Education Foundation, and the Legends of Leather Boxing Organization. He is also a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Mahoning County Bar Association. He has served as Co-Chair of the Public Relations Committee for the Mahoning County Bar Association. Schiavoni is married to Margaret Schiavoni, a nurse-anesthetist, and they have two children together. They reside in Boardman, Ohio.