A Letter From Alicia Miller, new executive director of the Women’s Fund

Dear Women’s Fund Supporters—

I am deeply honored to introduce myself as the Executive Director of the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. I proudly embrace this role and intend to carry the torch already ignited by the Women’s Fund’s incredible staff, Leadership Council and supporters, like you.

I come to the Women’s Fund with nearly a decade of professional experience working with marginalized populations. As a public defender, I represented hundreds of indigent clients who had been written off due to discrimination and racial disparities. I am a single Black mother who has suffered from inequities in my own career. Based on my personal and professional experiences, I am keenly aware of how inequitable systems impact Black women and girls and apply an intersectional lens to all my work. Brazen acts of generosity to uplift Black women and girls is the most exciting undertaking of my career.

As a long-time supporter of our work, I know you are aware the Women’s Fund has recently made a huge impact with its first-of-its-kind research project in the region regarding the economic mobility of Black women. This research came from the Women’s Fund ability to pivot priorities according to the swiftly changing economic landscape, and the opportunity to activate this research to influence public policy and job quality is an honor we are humbled to champion.

I am no stranger to adjusting priorities. In my previous role, I helped people address criminal-records-based barriers to employment, housing, and professional licensing. I transformed in-person legal services and outreach clinics to serve hundreds of people remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Women’s Fund, we are looking forward to working together to address the immediate needs of women through systemic interventions. I assure you we will rise to the occasion. We are excited to continue working with you to move gender and racial equity forward.

In the coming weeks, I look forward to meeting many of you and hearing the inspiring stories that brought you to this work.

Sincerely,

Alicia Miller