The Plexus Mission

To provide proactive business development for the LGBT business community and allies.

Plexus is an affiliate of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

Ambiance, the Store for Lovers, was created in 1981. The company’s aim is to help couples "enhance the romance" in their intimate relationships. Ambiance provides a comfortable, upscale retail shopping environment featuring an extensive selection of personal, romantic and erotic products. Under Downey's leadership, Ambiance has grown to eight stores and an e-commerce web site.

Jennifer is a fixture on local radio and television and in the print media as Ambiance's spokesperson, and has received numerous business awards over the years, including the Woman Business Owner of the Year. Downey was also named an Athena Award finalist in 2004, for her tireless volunteer efforts in the Northeast Ohio community.

Jennifer joined the Plexus Board because she believes that we all need to work together to make this region a better place to live.

Eric is the principal consultant and founder of Forward Thought, a leadership development firm in Cleveland.. Eric is also the President of SoTre Properties, a real-estate development firm specializing in redevelopment of properties and in community building in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland. Eric holds degrees from Kent State and Case Western Reserve and additional certifications from the Gestalt Institute.

As a believer in Northeast Ohio’s potential, Eric sought out the talent and resources to launch Plexus. Eric believes that business is a driver of innovative change. Because of his belief, he saw an opportunity, through Plexus, to drive economic growth and workplace equality for the LGBTA community in northeastern Ohio.

John Seaman is the President of Future Light, a company that manufactures specialty equipment and software for the entertainment lighting industry and education. John previously worked in the areas of operations, project design and management, service and inside sales for a local lighting company and as an audio visual specialist for a local school system.

John has worked with local professional companies as an assistant lighting designer working with resident and guest lighting designers and as lighting designer for other local community theatres.

John is currently involved as a member and officer of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology/Ohio Valley Region. John served for six years on the board of the Insight/Cleveland a GLBT organization from the founding in 1994.

John has recently joined Plexus as a business member and is excited about the possibilities that an organization like Plexus can bring to the GLBT and business community in the Greater Cleveland area.

James Simon is a member of the Business, Real Estate, Nonprofit and Public Law practice groups of the law firm of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP, resident in the Firm's Akron office. Jim started his legal career with Buckingham in 2000. From late 2003 - 2006, Jim was the Director of Administration for the Summit County Engineer, responsible for a $16 Million annual budget, labor relations, audit oversight, and IT management.

In 2007, Jim returned to Buckingham to resume the full-time practice of law. Jim's clients include individual entrepreneurs, small and medium businesses, real estate developers and shopping center owners, large nonprofit organizations and public and semi-public agencies. Jim is also a frequent presenter on campaign finance law topics and issues involving political activity by nonprofit organizations.

Jim is deeply involved in his community serving on the boards of his undergraduate college, Bennington College, United Disability Services, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation, Inc. and the Autism Family Foundation of Northeast Ohio. Jim also chairs the Stewardship Committee of his parish, Church of Our Saviour, Episcopal and United Disability Services' Development Committee.

Jim is a 1997 graduate of Bennington College with a concentration in American Studies and a 2000 graduate of the University of Akron, School of Law, summa cum laude. In his free time, Jim enjoys hiking, biking, walking, working on his house, gardening, reading histories and biographies and feeble attempts at golf.

Drew Small is currently an Assistant Director of Service Management for the Americas IT business unit of Ernst & Young. Drew has been with the firm since 1994, starting out in the Health Care Software group in the Cleveland office. He has been on the national office staff his entire career with the firm until recently when he joined the Americas staff which has responsibilities for operations throughout the Americas from Canada through South America. Drew has done various jobs within the IT organization of Ernst & Young including training, help desk, development, analysis, financial services, and customer relationship management. Currently in Service Management, Drew is deployed to pin point any areas where there may be issues within IT and develop solutions to improve IT operations throughout the Americas.

Prior to joining Ernst & Young, Drew worked for the Pharmed Corporation in Westlake, Ohio as an Implementations Analyst, installing software into nursing homes which the corporation supplied as well as conducting software training. Drew began his career with Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio as a Cost Analyst for Aultcare, the hospitals insurance organization and was instrumental in maintaining low costs for employers who used the insurance plan.

Drew Small currently resides in Avon Lake, Ohio. He grew up in Canton, Ohio, graduating from Timken High School. He attended and graduated from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio with a bachelors degree in Business Management and Finance and a minor in Information Systems.

Ann Swider is a small business owner and has independent contractor status with Remax Crossroads. Ann has been a realtor since the beginning of 2002. Before that she was a professional photographer with her own free-lance business for twenty years. She knows the needs of small business people and has been actively involved in the LBGT community for twelve years, ever since first coming out.

Ann attended the Cleveland Institute of Art for her post graduate work in photography and design. She was the rooky of the year 2002, Branch Transaction leader 2004, multi-million dollar producer, historic home specialist through the national trust for historic preservation. Ann contributes to the children miracle network, is and is on the board for Cleveland's Women's Network. Member HRC, Stonewall Dems, and Plexus business member.

Ann feels strongly that Plexus in Cleveland is a vital organization both locally and as part of the NGLCC nationally. It is very important in contributing to our community.

Jonah moved to Ohio from the San Francisco Bay Area in early 2008, where he had served as Director of Public Information for a public transit agency. Having spent most of his life in California, which has a far more friendly and tolerant climate for diversity issues, he looks forward to being part of the effort to expand that in this region as well. Jonah has more than 15 years of experience in strategic communication, with a focus on media relations and crisis communication. On the lighter side, he has been a member of several improvisational comedy troupes over the past decade, including the National Comedy Theatre in San Diego, ComedySportz in San Jose, and most recently with Something Da Da here in Cleveland. Jonah lives in Cleveland Heights.

Todd Lloyd joined Prudential in 2009. His work involves addressing the needs of the LGBT community with a specialty in financial and retirement planning for individuals and businesses.

Prior to joining Prudential, Todd served as Vice President of Education for the Ohio Grantmakers Forum, helping funders increase their impact in communities across the state. He looks forward to advancing Plexus's mission of creating a more vibrant and inclusive business environment in Northeast Ohio.

Todd has an MBA from Case Western Reserve University and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. He is a board member of Facing History and Ourselves as well as a member of HRC, Equality Ohio, Lake Erie Volleyball Association, The Cleveland Museum of Art and Prudential's employee group EAGLES (Employee Association of Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered Individuals).

Michelle Tomallo and her partner, Micki Tubbs, founded SchoolOne in 1999 to develop web-based software for the K-12 education market. In response to client needs, the company broadened its scope of services over time to become a provider of IT solutions. In 2008, the company created FIT Technologies to serve the business community, while continuing to support its education clients through the SchoolOne brand.

The corporate offices are located in downtown Cleveland, home to 60 local employees. Another dozen staff work in states outside the region supporting clients onsite. FIT Technologies is certified by WBENC as a female-owned enterprise and is celebrating its first year of certification with NGLCC as a gay/lesbian-owned business.

The organization has had a history of growth and as a result of the company's success, Tomallo and Tubbs were selected as winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award for Technology for the North East Ohio region in 2008, and the company was in the Top 10 of the Weatherhead 100 in 2009, and was selected as Best IT Services Company by NEOSA.

Tomallo has 12 years of senior-level management experience in both private and non-profit organizations with an emphasis on start-up organizations and programs. Her areas of focus are in marketing, sales support, and organizational change.

Prior to co-founding the company, Tomallo worked as a strategic development/marketing consultant for a non-profit group, was Vice President of New Life Hospice, and was director of marketing/development for a consortium of long-term care/home care facilities.

Tomallo also has 10 years of experience in adult education/training and corporate event planning. She is an active supporter of local and national non-profit organizations and, along with her partner and their staff, was honored with a Pillar Award for Community Service last year. She incorporates her commitment to diversity through her involvement in women's business organizations, Plexus, and HRC Federal club, and through her support of political initiatives and candidates.

David Phillips is the Senior Director of Member Experience at COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises). He has over twenty years of experience in sales, customer service and training. David began his career working in the hospitality industry where he implemented training programs that ensured associates created loyal customers. David then managed the operations and training department for a national optical insurance carrier. Here David was responsible for process redesigns that helped to improve key performance metrics. In his current position at COSE, David oversees the strategy for sales, service and retention for one of the country's largest regional Chamber of Commerce with over 16,000 members.

David received his Masters of Education from Cleveland State University with a focus on Adult Learning and Development. His bachelor's degree was achieved in business management from Marshall University in Huntington, WV.

Opher is an Executive Director in the ECSA Advisory Services practice. His primary focus is Information Management and Data Analysis Services including Data Governance. Opher held a leadership role in the National office where he helped start the firm's data analysis practice and created the firm's data analysis infrastructure. Opher is one of the firm's Advisory subject matter resources for the support, execution and design of audit sampling.

Opher developed and led data analysis training and provided national and global support. He helped create the firm's data analysis methodology used at audit clients; was part of an International Task Force used to develop the ACL for Windows product sold by ACL Services, LTD; and led, performed and evaluated data analysis and data conversion projects for clients across the country. Opher has more than 25 years of data analysis experience with Ernst & Young.

Thomas Hawn is a Senior Vice President at KeyBank. Thomas has responsibility for: the Client Experience at Key Bank, Mass Market, Emerging Cultural Markets, and, the Underbanked Consumer Segments . Prior to this he was product manager for Direct Consumer Credit Products. He also chairs Key Bank's Gay and Lesbian Employee Business Networking Group.

Prior to joining Key Bank in 1999, Thomas served as the Chief Financial Officer of Slavic Village Development (SVD). SVD, a member organization of Greater Cleveland Community Shares, is a Cleveland based neighborhood development organization committed improving the quality of life in the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland through housing, community organizing and commercial revitalization. Prior to this, Thomas served as Board President of Broadway Area Housing Coalition, a predecessor organization of Slavic Village Development. During that time, Thomas held a variety of roles and responsibilities at the Progressive Corporation from 1982 through 1994.

"I chose to become involved with Plexus to help transform the Northeast Ohio community into a vibrant diverse, welcoming, and, economically growing region."

Steven has been a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley for over twelve years and has been in the financial services industry for more than 20 years. Aside from portfolio management, financial and investment advice Steven's client relationships have spanned from routine home financing and life insurance services to assisting business owners with Investment Banking and highly complex Risk Management strategies.

teven graduated from Baldwin Wallace College with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance and a minor concentration in French. He also served as Vice-president of the Baldwin Wallace College Chapter of Financial Management Association. Steven enjoys involvement in many charitable activities and serves on the non-profit Boards of Trustees of Wesco Housing Corporation, Welcome House Inc. (as Treasurer), Solutions at Work Inc. (as Treasurer), the Rocky River Adult Activities Center's Parent Teacher Community United Foundation Board (as Treasurer and Delegate to the County) and the Plexus Education Foundation. He is also a member of University Hospitals Health System's Diamond Advisory Group, was a 2008 Nominee for The Center for Community Solutions Most Treasured Volunteer Award, previously served on the West Haven Foundation Board of Trustees (as Treasurer, Chairman of the Investment Policy Committee and recipient of their Board Leadership Award in 2009), was recipient of the Ohio Provider Resource Association's Outstanding Volunteer Award for 2009 and was profiled in WVIZ's Making a Difference documentary.