SICKLE CELL
Alliance Foundation
ABOUT US
Board & Staff
Lisa Meatchem
Executive Director
Tasha Heisel
Program Manager
Sonya L. Moore
Director of Public Relations
& Marketing
Rochelle Bankhead
Board Member
Ricarla Boyden
Board Member
Kissha Smith-Lee
Board Member
Launched in May 2014, Sickle Cell Alliance Foundation is a passionate non-profit, commu-nity-based organization. It is committed to being a valuable resource to guide and help families and patients—children, teen and adults—living with the life-threatening sickle cell dis-ease. Our goal is to ensure the appropriate programs and needed resources are available and offered to the patient and care giver.
Through this strong connection with the families, Sickle Cell Alli-ance Foundation will be “their voice”. This will help as we advo-cate, partner and develop rela-tionships with hospitals, schools, companies and public officials to heighten awareness and the much-needed funding to find a cure for sickle cell.
Lisa Meatchem
Founder/Executive Director
Lisa Meatchem is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, OH. She is raising her two daughters with her husband of 19 years in this same city. Lisa graduated from Xavier University with a Bachelors of Liberal Arts in Organizational Leadership by way of Xavier’s accelerated weekend degree program. She has spent the last 16 years of her professional career working in the Insurance Industry helping families recover from the unexpected. She has served on parent advisory boards as well as other social service organizations servicing the homeless and underprivileged children within the Greater Cincinnati. As a parent of a child with Sickle Cell Disease, she is dedicated to helping improve services and treatment for all patients and families suffering with this disease. It will be thorough Sickle Cell Alliance Foundation (SCAF) that she will continue to advocate for, fund raise and support these patients and families. In her spare time she spends time with family and friends traveling and enjoying life.
Tasha Heisel
Program Manager
LaTasha is a Register Medical Asst. at Mercy Healthcare System. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with 1 son the other one lives in California, 1 niece, 1 nephew, 1 sister preceding in death from Sickle Cell Disease. She volunteers with non profit organizations with a strong focus on youth ages 4-13. Preparing them for the the world of sports. She strives to learn new ways of doing things and takes on new challenges that are sometimes out of her comfort zone. LaTasha has strong interpersonal skills by building confidence from colleagues that work around her and across the organization. It is LaTasha's unusual ability to communicate and bridge the gap between what has been done and what others say can't be accomplished,that makes her stand out above the rest when it comes to leadership and abilities. She excels with all levels of organizations, leads by example, builds diverse and high performing teams, earns respect and follows through on commitments, extremely disciplined with firm integrity. Managed multiple organizations through significant changes such as, aligning operations with finance which resulting in cohesiveness within the organization. She refuses to give up on a challenging task and constantly thinks out-of-the-box.LaTasha is a Register Medical Asst. at Mercy Healthcare System. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with 1 son the other one lives in California, 1 niece, 1 nephew, 1 sister preceding in death from Sickle Cell Disease. She volunteers with non profit organizations with a strong focus on youth ages 4-13. Preparing them for the the world of sports. She strives to learn new ways of doing things and takes on new challenges that are sometimes out of her comfort zone. LaTasha has strong interpersonal skills by building confidence from colleagues that work around her and across the organization. It is LaTasha's unusual ability to communicate and bridge the gap between what has been done and what others say can't be accomplished,that makes her stand out above the rest when it comes to leadership and abilities. She excels with all levels of organizations, leads by example, builds diverse and high performing teams, earns respect and follows through on commitments, extremely disciplined with firm integrity. Managed multiple organizations through significant changes such as, aligning operations with finance which resulting in cohesiveness within the organization. She refuses to give
up on a challenging task and constantly thinks out-of-the-box.
Sonya L. Moore
Director of Public Relations
Sonya L. Moore, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, loves her family. She is a wife, married to her husband of 17 years; mother of two teenagers, a son and daughter, respectively. She is the Founder of ‘Nati Naturalistas (www.natinaturalistas.com), a natural hair society launched in 2012 and established to educate, uplift and promote self love during all phases of the natural hair journey. Sonya has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing, as well as an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science and she is certified in project management. Furthermore, Sonya has more than 20+ years in corporate America, currently specializing in Learning & Development for a large, fashion retailer, but also has a background in the marketing, legal and banking industries. With her vast work experience, Sonya has a passion for learning, leading, and empowering women, by lending her personal gifts and talents by being an advocate and educator of sickle cell disease, as her daughter lives with this chronic illness; being a staff writer for Sepia Prime Woman Magazine and contributing writer for the Sharp Heels website; and mentoring young professionals. In her spare time, Sonya enjoys watching her son play high school basketball, reading novels, and watching her daughter in competitive hip hop dance.
Rochelle Bankhead
Board Member
Rochelle was born and raised in Cincinnati and a mother of two, Rochelle is the Owner of Under the Sea Daycare centers I, I I & III. She has catered to the needs of children and families for their daycare needs for the last 13 years.
Ricarla Boyden
Board Member
Ricarla is a wife and mother to five beautiful children, and owner of Infinity Beauty and Barber Salon. She is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of Xavier University with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts. Before becoming a business owner, she worked in the social services industry with both Community Action Agency and Hamilton County Job and Family Services. She is passionate about helping others and eager to serve the Sickle Cell Community.
Kissha Smith-Lee
Board Member
Kissha Smith-Lee is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of Withrow High School. She is the owner operator of Kradle to Krayons Childcare Center in Newport, KY.