CHRISTINE NEITZKE, PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER
Christine Neitzke is an award-winning entrepreneur, marketer, and executive. An Ohio 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. Christine later tapped into her creative side by opening her own interior design practice, which maintained a thriving clientele of more than 30 private customers.
Like most, Christine and her husband Jim never thought their family would be affected by pediatric cancer. Unfortunately, in 2010, their 10-year-old son Matt was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Fortunately, Christine, Jim, Matt and Sam, who was 12 at the time, had the support of family, friends, and the community; many other inpatients/families were not as fortunate. Motivated by the lack of support some of Matt’s fellow pediatric cancer patients had in their lives, Christine, together with her best friend Ria Davidson, created The Dragonfly Foundation. Today, Matt Neitzke is cancer-free and The Dragonfly Foundation has grown to support thousands and thousands.
Christine, a leading influencer in Cincinnati, OH, has been honored with multiple awards, including the Jefferson Award, Lead Magazine’s C-Suite Award, Venue Magazine’s Women of Influence and Civic Leadership Awards, and the Maureen Donnelly Courage Award.
Outside of her work at The Dragonfly Foundation, Christine enjoys spending time with her husband and their basset and bloodhound. She and her husband also relish every opportunity they have to visit their two boys at Miami University in Oxford, OH (Christine's alma mater).
RIA DAVIDSON, VICE PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER
Ria Davidson has more than 20 years of experience as a public relations consultant specializing in environmental communications and crisis/reputation management. Ria is an experienced public speaker who welcomes the opportunity to share Dragonfly’s mission and vision to as many people as she can.
Ria and her family directly experienced the challenges of cancer. In 2009, Ria's mother-in-law was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain and lung cancer, and Ria became the primary caregiver until her mother-in-law passed away six months later. The experience was incredibly traumatic for Ria and her family. A few months later, as they continued to process their grief, Ria's best friend’s little boy was diagnosed with Stage 3A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Again, Ria did everything she could to help. However, the little boy's cancer experience, as well as that of his family and their struggle to support him, was even more traumatic to watch. The situation opened her eyes to the emotional, relational, practical, and financial challenges that follow a life-limiting diagnosis, for the patient and the family. It also became clear that hospitals needed support to enhance quality of life programs for pediatric cancer patients and families. Not able to look away from this need, Ria and her best friend, Christine Neitzke, co-founded Dragonfly in 2010. Ria believes that everything in her career has prepared her to do what she is doing to support families affected by pediatric cancer through Dragonfly.
Ria has been recognized throughout her career for being among the top in her field. She has received numerous awards for her achievements, leadership/influence, ethics, and dedication. The honors she has received include: the Jefferson Award, Venue Magazine’s Women of Influence and Civic Leadership Awards, and the Women of Excellence award.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Ria enjoys spending time with her husband Matt, her daughter Jessica, her son Drew, and her sheepdog Leo.
AWARDS RECEIVED BY DRAGONFLY
Under Christine and Ria’s guidance, The Dragonfly Foundation has been recognized by Lead Magazine as recipient of the Emerging Business Award (2018), a finalist for the 2016 Business Awards in the Non-Profit Category by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Northern Kentucky Regional Chamber’s Emerging 30 (2015) Duke Energy Children’s Museum as a Difference Maker Award nominee in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014-2015.
Greg Vehr
Executive Vice President
Ally Brokaw
Director of Business Operations
Carrie Ellis
Director of Patient/Hospital Programs
Zak Geier
Patient/Family Relations Manager
Maureen Scahill
Manager of Student Programs (Part-time)
Kathy Doering
Finance Manager (Part-time)
Mike Witham
Property Manager of the New Landing
Dave Cook
Investor, Philanthropist and Vice Chair of Dragonfly Board
Robert Brown, Esq
Board Secretary & Attorney at Graydon Head
Jim Neitzke
Board Treasurer & President/Chief Financial Officer, TTRI, LLC
Bill Carigan
Regional President, ProMark
Jennifer Chung, MD
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The Christ Hospital Health Network
Peter Clayton
Executive Director,
Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati/UC Health
Dwayne Emerson
Chief Technology Advisor, Worldwide Technologies & Dragonfly Board Member/Volunteer CTO
Tom Fahey
Central Region Territory Manager, Lamar Advertising
Laurel Markley
Vice President, Ameriprise Financial
Regan Schmidt
Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Tom Stieritz
Executive Director/COO, The Christ Hospital
Marty & Amanda Brennaman
Hall of Fame Broadcasting Legend, Voice of the Cincinnati Reds on Radio & Dragonfly Spokesman
Mark & Melissa Matson
CEO, Matson Money; President of Matson Family Foundation
Jim Browning
CEO, Marsh Brand Partners
John Burns
Founder & CEO, Encore Technologies
Greg Elam
Co-Owner at Agra Greenhouse Group LLC
Trish Elam
President, Midwest Cactus & Pandy Cotton Candy
Tony Ricci
Owner/Operator, Tony’s Steaks & Seafood
Scott Seger
President, CBTS
Wayne Speer
Entrepreneur/Consultant at L.W. Speer& Associates LLC & Markley Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies and Corporate Innovation at Miami University, Oxford, OH
Steve Wanamaker
Founder and CEO at Lead Tribune Media Group
Bob Wysocki
Chief Technology Officer, Microland
Capital Campaign Leadership for Cincinnati
The Dragonfly Foundation in Cincinnati has initiated a capital campaign to support our new patient/family space at 506 Oak Street, Cincinnati, OH.
The initiative is being managed by:
Christine Neitzke
Ria Davidson
Dave Cook, Capital Campaign Chair & Dragonfly Board Member
Jim Neitzke, Treasurer & Dragonfly Board Member
External Relations Committee
The Dragonfly Foundation has created a committee of evangelists, speakers and marketers to provide advocacy support.
The committee includes:
Brad Cates, Dragonfly Board Member & CEO, ProSource
Jim Browning, Dragonfly Board Member
Bill Carigan, Dragonfly Board Member & Regional President, ProMark
Jen Chung, MD, Dragonfly Board Member and Doctor, The Christ HospitalDwayne Emerson, Technology & Business Strategy Executive, Dragonfly Board Member & CTO, and ConsultantTom Fahey, Dragonfly Board Member and VP, Territory Manager, Lamar AdvertisingMark Fields, Sales, iHeart
Tory Kennedy, Wordsworth CommunicationsKalonji Martin, Senior Solutions Manager, Frontline EducationMegan Ossenbeck, Property Manager, Cushman Wakefield
Regan Schmidt, Esq., Attorney, TaftTom Stieritz, Dragonfly Board Member & Exec Dir. Physician Division, Christ Hospital
Greg Vehr, VP, Vehr Communications & Dragonfly Board President
Dwayne Emerson
Technology Strategy Consultant and Dragonfly CTO & B
Bob Wysocki
Chief Technology Officer, Microland
Greg Grewe
Software Developer, EASi
Jude Schramm
Chief Information Officer, Fifth Third
Krishna Babu Mohan Babu
Tata Consulting Services
Matt Berning
Uplift Studio
