About NE Ohio Suffrage
The Northeast Ohio Suffrage Centennial Committee
The Northeast Ohio Suffrage Centennial Committee developed the Valiant Visionaries of the Vote Trading Card Project, an initiative that aims to bring awareness to the achievements of local women’s suffrage advocates and to increase tourism to the historical organizations around the region that share these local histories with the public. The group was organized for the purpose of fostering community engagement in commemorating the women's suffrage centennial. This website is intended to supplement the trading cards by providing more in-depth information about the subjects, as well as additional resources to learn about the Women's Suffrage Movement on a local, state, and national level.
The Valiant Visionaries of the Vote project is made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The project could not have taken place without collaboration with our site partners and the many volunteers who have dedicated their time and resources to the project.
Head to the Valiant Visionaries tab to learn more about the historic sites that will host the trading cards, along with extended narratives of the featured subjects.
Meet the Project Organizers
Mia Owens
Mia Owens is an Ohio History Service Corps Local History Member representing Region 4 at Trumbull County Historical Society. She has a B.A. in Global Studies and French from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Mia has taken on the responsibilities of Chair of the Committee. She is excited to be collaborating with organizations and volunteers across northeast Ohio to celebrate women's suffrage.
Kayla Metzger
Kayla Metzger is an Ohio History Service Corps Local History Member representing Region 4 at Youngstown State University. She has a B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology from Kent State University. She has taken on the roles of Marketing Coordinator and co-author of the Ohio Humanities grant for the Valiant Visionaries of the Vote project.
Brianna Treleven
Brianna Treleven served as the 2018-2019 Ohio History Service Corps Local History Member for Region 4 at Youngstown State University. Brianna organized and Chaired the Committee in early 2019 with the goal of fostering community collaboration to commemorate the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Brianna has a B.F.A. in Fine Art Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an M.L.I.S. from Kent State University, and is currently the Executive Director of Shaker Historical Society.
Meet the Humanities Professionals
Richard Dana
Richard Dana is a 1995 graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. In addition to his work as an attorney, he has served as an acting judge. Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor of Justice Studies and Criminology, Department of Sociology, and Instructor of Business Law and Ethics at Kent State University Ashtabula. Richard is a frequent speaker on topics related to the law, as well as the important role that the Western Reserve held in the history of the Underground Railroad, women’s suffrage, and the Civil Rights Movement. He currently serves on the Board for the Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum.
Dr. Amy Fluker
Dr. Amy Fluker is an Assistant Professor of History at Youngstown State University. Dr. Fluker earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in American History at the University of Mississippi. She specializes in nineteenth century United States history and Civil War memory, and her research interests include women’s history, Midwestern history, and local and regional history.
Dr. Katharine Delavan
Dr. Katharine Delavan is Dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies. She earned her M. Ed. in early childhood education and her Ph.D. in education and early childhood curriculum at Oakland University. She currently serves as an Ohio Department of Education, Network Regional Leader in English Language Arts and as a workshop facilitator for the Ohio Performance Assessment Project. Her primary research interests are the local Underground Railroad history and the impact of state and national mandates on pre-service teacher preparation.
Meet the Student Researchers
Alexandra Strawbridge
Alexandra is a history major at Lake Erie College, class of 2021. She is very passionate about American History, particularly the Colonial and Victorian eras. While her course of study is general history, she personally enjoys researching and recreating historical costumes and fashions, and participating in living history events. After completing her undergraduate degree, she plans to obtain her masters degree in Museum Studies. In her career, Alexandra hopes to work in a museum setting as a museum director or curator, with a focus in historical costuming.
Kayla Clark
Kayla is a sophomore at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, where she majors in history, competes on the women's basketball team, and is involved with choir. For her future career, she is interested in working in museums or as a history teacher.
Brian Pete
Brian is a Graduate Assistant in his first year at Youngstown State University working towards his M.A. in History. He previously received his B.A. in History from Gannon University in Pennsylvania. Brian has been assisting the Valiant Visionaries of the Vote project by compiling women's history resources.
Meet the Site Partners
A special thanks to our partner organizations and committees for their efforts in bringing the project to fruition!
Ashtabula County
Richard Dana, Meghan Davis, Cheryle Chiaramonte, and Dr. Jessica Leveto
Norma Waters (President), Jefferson Historical Society
Susan Hill (President), Ashtabula County Historical Society
Trumbull County
Meghan Reed (Director) and Sarah Moell (Education and Outreach Coordinator), Trumbull County Historical Society
Janet Schweitzer (President), Sandy Mahaffey (Vice President), Sandy Sarsany (Curator), and Ken Conklin, Board of Directors, The Upton Association
Columbiana County
Ginger Grilli (President), Salem Historical Society
Mahoning County
Traci Manning (Education Curator), Mahoning Valley Historical Society
Dr. Amy Fluker (Assistant Professor), Youngstown State University
Brianna Treleven ('18-'19 alumna), Ohio History Service Corps
Lake County
Dr. Katharine Delavan (Dean of the School of Education), Lake Erie College
Geauga County
Carole Drabek, Sandy Woolf, and Bill Ward, Trustees, South Newbury Union Chapel
Lorain County
Liz Schultz (Executive Director) and Amanda Manahan (Museum Education and Tour Coordinator), Oberlin Heritage Center
Riley Thomas ('18-19 alumna) and Katrina Walker ('19-20 Local History Member), Ohio History Service Corps