The YES! Columbus Executive Board is compromised of young professionals in our community who have a passion for empowering others through service, professional development, and networking.
All elected Board Members are required to complete a Board Member Application and be voted on to the Board through majority vote.
Brenna Bartlett | President | Ohio Department of Education
Brenna Bartlett serves as an Assistant Director in the Office of Career-Technical Education at the Ohio Department of Education, overseeing work-based learning and workforce equity initiatives for the state of Ohio. Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Brenna attended Northern Kentucky University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. Upon graduating, Brenna served as the Special Projects Coordinator for Dress for Success Cincinnati and developed a lifelong passion for the mission of women’s empowerment. Now a full-time resident of Columbus with her fiancé Ryan and their dog Bobbie Dylan, Brenna has served on the YES Executive Board since 2019. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Ohio’s state parks and supporting the arts, most notably theatre.
Makyla Zimmerman | Vice President | OhioHealth
Makyla is a Credentialed Trainer at OhioHealth. In this role, she supports the training and development of our new associates and continual education for any established associates. She has a passion for helping others, which has led her to becoming involved with Dress for Success and YES! Columbus. After meeting other ladies in this organization and attending the volunteer events, she could not wait for an opportunity to become more involved. In her free time, you can find her running on the Olentangy Trails, traveling or at her monthly book club.
Brittany Savko | Treasurer | The Ohio State University
Brittany (she/her/hers) joined the YES Executive Board in 2019 and is excited to support in a new capacity this year as Treasurer. In her professional life, Brittany works at The Ohio State University in Undergraduate Admissions. She previously supported students in their personal & career development, and that passion, along with a desire to be more active in Columbus, led her to Dress For Success and YES. Raised in Columbus, Brittany is a proud Buckeye having earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree in workforce development & education from Ohio State. In her free time, Brittany enjoys traveling, exploring Columbus Metroparks, and searching for unique murals and vintage comic books.
Morgan Poczekaj | Secretary | M+A Architects
Morgan Poczekaj (she/her/hers) is currently a marketing coordinator at M+A Architects. A local architect firm in Columbus, Ohio, Morgan oversees the marketing needs for the private market sectors and the internal and digital marketing efforts. Serving on her second year of the YES! Columbus Executive Board, Morgan is excited to help elevate the group by bringing fresh and new ideas to the board as the 2021 Secretary. She is passionate about making new connections to YES and the Dress for Success mission.
Erin Hackett | Immediate Past President | Morgan Stanley
Erin Hackett is a financial advisor with The Fortis Group at Morgan Stanley. Her practice involves working with women and families to craft and implement financial plans to help them reach their lifestyle goals or plan for a major purchase or life event. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with degrees in English and Political Science and a minor in Professional Writing and Communications. She is a member of various women’s clubs in Central Ohio and is an advocate for women’s issues, especially pertaining to women and their finances.
Helen Speiser | Events | WBNS 10TV/Pixelent
Helen Speiser is the Director of Digital at Pixelent – a division of WBNS 10TV. Helen had been in the digital industry for 13+ years and specializing in developing digital strategies for customer acquisition, growing ROI, and leading a team of digital professionals. Helen is a graduate of Lake Forest College with a BA in Communications and Spanish. At Lake Forest she played on the Women’s Soccer Team and was accepted into Phi Sigma Iota – the foreign language national honor society.
A 2019 graduate of the Leadership Columbus Signature Program, Helen is passionate about finding ways to give back to the city she has made her home and being a steward of civic engagement. She is an active member in Together in Digital, serves on the Development Board for Star House, and is the Events Chair for YES! Columbus.
Amanda Gibson | Communications | Ologie
Amanda Gibson (she/her/hers) is an Associate Strategy Director at Ologie, a marketing and branding agency. As a strategist, she helps clients make connections — with a focus on connecting their goals with brand, marketing, and communication strategies to achieve their goals. Amanda is passionate about empowering women and girls, which led her to get involved with the women of YES! Columbus. In her free time, Amanda can be found climbing the leaderboard on her Peloton and hunting for her new favorite book at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Caitlin McTigue | Advocacy | Club Pilates Owner
Born and raised in Columbus and a two-time Buckeye grad, Caitlin owns five Club Pilates studios, a boutique Reformer Pilates franchise concept. Before stepping in to entrepreneurship full-time this past Summer, Caitlin worked at CoverMyMeds as a Key Account Manager, and held Sales & Account Management roles at various companies within the healthcare industry prior to that. With a passion for promoting women in the community both professionally and personally, Caitlin is excited to be a part of the YES! Columbus team this year to help spread awareness for the amazing benefits the organization provides. In addition to YES and running her businesses, Caitlin is involved in several fitness groups, is a member of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Development Board, and is working towards her comprehensive Pilates certification! Outside of work and volunteering, you can find Caitlin trying new restaurants around Columbus or hanging with family and friends.
Rena Shak | Member-At-Large | Franklin County
Rena Shak is a criminal defense attorney at the Franklin County Public Defender’s Office, and is currently a 2021 judicial candidate for the office of Franklin County Municipal Court Judge. As a Public Defender, Rena represents clients who fall below the State of Ohio indigency guidelines and are in need of legal representation as well as social services. She has handled cases ranging from traffic offenses to the most serious of felonies. Rena has a passion for public service, fundraising, and volunteer work- making it her mission to serve the residents of Franklin County in and out of the courtroom.
Rena holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Political Science from The Ohio State University, as well as a Juris Doctorate degree from Capital University Law School. In her free time, Rena spends her days with her husband, toddler son, and two rescue dogs.
Though a Columbus native, she never tires of exploring the city. In her free time, she can be found sampling new restaurants, testing recipes from her travels, exploring regional Metroparks, or visiting local art installations.
Jillian Rodney | Member-At-Large | Landor & Fitch
Jillian Rodney is an Account Coordinator for Landor & Fitch, servicing the Walmart account and managing various projects that aim to transform the in-store shopper experience. An ardent communicator and writer, she has a varied marketing and communications background, having worked in both traditional agency and non-profit sectors, sparking her desire to pour back into her community. As a passionate advocate for the empowerment of women and young girls, Jillian is looking forward to joining the YES team and advancing their mission in the service of others.
Anthony Granitsas | Member-At-Large | Fonte Cucina
Anthony Granitsas believes social entrepreneurship is the key to creating equity. Studying public affairs and business administration at The Ohio State University introduced Anthony to the world of social enterprise. Driven to make tangible change in Columbus, Anthony has taken the reigns in building his own social enterprise. As founder of his own venture, Fonte Cucina, Anthony aims to make a difference in the world of food insecurity. He’s working to form relationships with like-minded leaders and missions in Columbus, as well as with food-insecure communities across the city. Anthony intends to lead by example in the food industry by serving customers beyond those who can afford to pay, promoting equity and community investment in the food space.
