Are you interested in joining a dynamic working Board of Directors? The ExtraOrdinary Women Project BN is looking for more board members to help shape this fledgling local project. Our full Board will total 15 and we currently have openings. If you are passionate about empowering women and have a desire to share stories that lift up others and inspire our community we are looking for you to join our Board. The Board meets once a month for one hour via Zoom and for occasional community outreach or marketing events. We are looking for members who want to be active in our community and who can dedicate the time and energy to give our new nonprofit wings! Our Board of Director’s Application is below. If you are interested, please fill out the form and email it to us at extraordinarywomenbn@gmail.com.
Board of Directors
Shelly Bozarth
Shelly was a Mortgage Loan Originator for various local banks from 1995 until 2009. In 2006 she obtained her real estate license to further her knowledge of real estate while still originating loans. In 2009 she chose to be a Licensed Real Estate Agent full time and has been helping buyers and sellers ever since. She loves helping people and has a natural talent for building relationships, calming her clients during stressful times and is a strategic thinker. She is a volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul at St. Patrick’s Church of Merna and is passionate about helping the less fortunate obtain financial and emotional support. She served for 20 years on the Selection Committee for the local Habitat for Humanity and was on the fundraising committee for four years at Big Brothers Big Sisters. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and has lived in Bloomington-Normal since 1986 when she moved here from her hometown of Taylorville, Illinois to attend college. In her spare time she loves to travel with her family and especially enjoys visiting her son in Denver, Colorado and building sand castles with her daughter on Sanibel Island. She firmly believes God has a plan for everyone and if we can be still and let Him guide us, He will make the rough road smooth again. You simply must believe that he will.
Melissa Donovan
Melissa Donovan is the owner of CPG Print & Marketing, LLC based in Bloomington. Her family business has been a staple in the Bloomington/Normal community for over 47 years and Melissa has been involved in it formally since 2001. She became the owner in January 2023 and took on another level of responsibility and challenge while also mourning the late owner, her mother, Virginia Rude.
As a lifelong member of the Bloomington/Normal community, Melissa first attended Unit 5 Schools graduating from Normal Community High School. She then attended Heartland Community College to earn an associate’s degree and finally earned a Bachelor in Business Administration from Lincoln College in 2013 graduating Summa Cum Laude. Melissa is proud to be considered a "townie" and believes in this power of community. She is passionate about making connections, especially as they pertain to helping others find success, building strong relationships, and supporting her community. She’s actively involved in BNI, Heartland Community College Foundation Board of Directors, Professional Women of Mclean County, ExtraOrdinary Women and her church, First Baptist Church of Bloomington. Outside of work and volunteer obligations Melissa is a devoted runner and a far less devoted triathlete, loves cooking, reading, travel and spending time in the home she shares with her husband, Michael; children Reece and Rylee; and English Springer Spaniels, Barley and Simcoe.
Renee Fehr
Renee graduated from Stetson University College of Law and started practicing with a large central Florida Law firm when she was just 23 years old. Thirty-five years later, she is General Counsel for Heartland Bank and Trust Company and resides in a small town in Central Illinois not far from where she grew up.
Since 1990, when her oldest sister, Sheryl, was murdered by her husband in the middle of a divorce, she has devoted a substantial amount of time pursuing justice for Sheryl. Twenty-seven years after Sheryl’s murder, her biggest personal success came when an Illinois jury convicted and sentenced Sheryl’s husband, Greg, to prison for her murder. The judge made sure that he would spend at least one year behind bars for every year he was able to live free after having brutally murdered her and left her hanging in her garage for her six-year-old son to find.
Since the conviction, she founded Fehr Advocacy and Consultation, a company dedicated to speaking and advocating for every person’s right to live free from domestic violence and see their abusers held accountable. She shares her story knowing that personal stories provide hope to other victims.
“I’m honored to be a member of the Board of ExtraordinaryWomen and look forward to recognizing other women with the courage to tell their own stories to provide hope and instill inspiration in others,” she shares.
Luisa Gomez
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
― Audre Lorde
Luisa Gomez is a transplant from Mt. Clemens, Michigan, where she was born and raised. What was supposed to be a three to five year stay in Bloomington, Illinois, for Luisa and her family has turned into a twenty-three year stay!
Luisa has served on various boards and organizations in Bloomington over the years. She is the current vice-chair of the McLean County Democratic Party, board member of the ExtraOrdinary Women Project and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Kappa Epsilon Sigma Alumnae Chapter. Grounded in community service and the empowerment of Women and Girls of Color, Luisa can be found with her youngest daughter Angel (sometimes reluctantly) encouraging and uplifting marginalized women and the Bloomington/Normal community. With an easy smile and whit Luisa is a proud Afro-Latina, Black Feminist who doesn’t back down even when it’s uncomfortable.
Luisa loves to spend quality time with her family, boating during the summer season, having family fun nights, cheering on the Detroit Lions and LOUDLY supporting her daughter during sporting activities. As a mom, wife, and friend Luisa celebrates and cherishes each moment she gets to spend with her friends over moments of commune and her LARGE blended family of 12 which includes four beautiful grandchildren and two daughter-in-loves.
Domonica Hilt
Domonica Hilt is a dutiful Ministers’ wife of 23 years and mother of three young adults and one teen in her Senior year of high school.
She is originally from Chicago, IL, where she attended Northwestern Business College, as well as owned and operated, D.C.J. & M Creative Cake Designs and Catering.
Domonica was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) over 16 years ago, as she gives God the glory this didn’t stop her.
Domonica has been an advocate for those who are unable to fully do for themselves as she is a former LIFECIL (Life Center for Independent Living) Board Member.
Today she is currently the Administrative Assistant for one of the Pastors of City of Refuge Ministries, along with serving on City of Refuge’s Women’s Ministry where they, Lead to Jesus, Love like Jesus, Live by purpose and Reach Community.
Charlene Homan
Charlene Homan is a writer and founder of Touchstone Storytelling which she established in 2015. Through Touchstone Storytelling she writes, edits, and designs personal histories and family stories, creating custom family books.
Additionally, Charlene works as a freelance writer, editor, book designer and business communication manager. She has worked in corporate communications, public relations, and development for over 17 years.
She has served on the Board of the Professional Women of McLean County, Faith in Action and co-created the ExtraOrdinary Women Project.
Rebecca Lynn
I am Rebecca Lynn. I have lived and worked in this community of Bloomington–Normal for over 20 years. During these years, this community has supported me, while pursuing my master’s degree. I am a woman of faith who trusts God with impossible tasks in my life.
My educational pursuits include earning an associate’s from Heartland Community College and my bachelor’s of science from Illinois State University. My first job after college was at Home Sweet Home Ministries, which stirred my curiosity about Mental Health and Addiction. I returned to school to earn a Certificate as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor from Illinois Central College in Peoria, IL, and then received extensive training from Chestnut Health Systems to sharpen my counseling skills and techniques.
My pursuit of knowledge is never-ending. I have witnessed personally and professionally the power of healing through counseling, which lead me to return to school at Capella University, where I earned my master’s in Mental Health Counseling. More recently, I received my clinical professional licensure through the State of Illinois and begin to narrow my expertise to focus on trauma and addiction. I have earned my Certified Clinical Trauma Professional through PESI training and the International Association of Trauma Professionals. I have an ongoing connection with a local clinician and healer in order to provide mentorship with the complexities/responses of trauma.
In December 2018, I established my private practice, Blue Skies Counseling, LLC to provide a more intimate space and time to connect with others in order to walk beside them on their journey of healing. I look forward to encouraging and supporting you on your personal journeys.
Megan Patterson
Megan is not a Bloomington-Normal resident by birth, but she is a Bloomington-Normal resident by choice. Growing up surrounded by extraordinary women (mainly her four older sisters and amazing mom), Megan has always been determined to fit in with her flock. In 2015, she graduated from Western Illinois University with Summa Cum Laude Academic Distinction with a bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. Part of her program required an internship, so she chose to intern at a local juvenile detention facility. This experience ignited Megan’s passion for social justice, which led to her returning to school for her graduate degree. Megan chose Illinois State University and completed her master’s degree in Criminal Justice Sciences in 2022. Her thesis research focused on safety and care of children inside of juvenile detention facilities, something she continues to bring attention to any chance she can get. She plans to continue her education at Illinois State in the Fall of 2024 for a Ph.D. in Leadership, Equity, and Inquiry.
Professionally, Megan serves as the Internship Connections Coordinator for Career Services at Illinois State University. Her love for education and social justice are beautifully mixed in this role as she works to create paid professional opportunities for Illinois State students. She also has the genuine pleasure of teaching Interdisciplinary Studies at Illinois State, which is a course that helps first-year college students transition and succeed in college and in life.
When she is not working or studying, Megan enjoys reading, doing yardwork, snuggling with her pets, and taking her 100-pound reactive pit-bull on walks while listening to podcasts. She is physically very active and has trained as a powerlifter, weightlifter, CrossFit athlete, and professional wrestler. She has also earned a brown belt in combative mixed martial arts. More than anything, Megan loves spending time with her beautiful partner, Kalyn, and their two determined, intelligent, and kind children, Cadey and Cooper.
Katherine Sawyer
Kathy Sawyer is a nonprofit consultant, researcher, and creative partner now based in Bloomington. After traveling quite a bit domestically and internationally, she went through most of her school years in Unit 5 and earned her bachelor's degree from ISU, then moved to Washington, D.C. for graduate school and stayed for many years. In D.C., she worked in fundraising roles for a number of nonprofit organizations.
In addition to ExtraOrdinary Women, she serves on the boards of the West Bloomington Revitalization Project, Autism McLean, and Autism Friendly Community, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Miller Park Zoo Society and as an adult mentor for Illinois Prairie Community Foundation's Youth Engaged in Philanthropy donor circle.
In her free time, Kathy enjoys traveling, cooking, knitting, and attending live music and theatre performances. She also enjoys puns and seeing the world from others' perspectives.
Feli Sebastian
Feli Sebastian is the co-founder of The ExtraOrdinary Women Project BN. She is a retired licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Labyrinth Outreach Services to Women, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive aid to formerly incarcerated women when they return to their community. The organization merged with the YWCA McLean County (Illinois) on July 1, 2016.
Feli is Vice President of the Board and co-developer of start-up Dreams Are Possible, a non-profit venture which strives to help women find sustainable employment by providing them with free training and materials to learn trade jobs.
Feli is also on the Advisory Board of For A Better Tomorrow and a member of the Sober Spirituality committee of Recovery Oriented System of Care, McLean County (ROSC). She was awarded the 2018 APA (American Psychological Association) Citizen Psychologist Award in 2018 for her sustained community engagement and leadership in working with underserved women and minority populations of McLean County. In 2014 she was presented the United Way Phil Covey Award.
Feli earned a BA in History at College of the Holy Spirit (Philippines), a BA in Religious Studies at Lourdes University (Ohio), a Master’s in Guidance and Counseling at Ateneo de Manila (Philippines), and a Ph.D. in Counseling at The University of Toledo (Ohio).
She is an Oblate of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Illinois.
Feli released Broken & Beloved, her first book in September 2020.
Takesha Stokes
Takesha R. Stokes, a native of Greenwood, Mississippi, prides herself on being a Southern girl. She has an infectious personality, giving heart and represents the epitome of servanthood. As a Servant-Leader, she is actively engaged in the Bloomington-Normal community, where she selflessly gives of her time and talents.
Takesha is a lifelong learner who is committed to ongoing development to ensure she remains sharp and on the cutting edge. Takesha attended Illinois State University where she received both her bachelor and master’s degrees. She prides herself on being knowledgeable and continues to exude humility as she serves in various roles and positions within her profession, community, church and various organizations. Takesha lends her expertise to many constituents, but she has a keen focus on efforts that support the growth and development of African American women and children.
As a community leader, local school districts have benefited from her as a resident expert, facilitator, and trainer in the field of race relations, implicit bias and cultural competency. You will often find Takesha within public and private corporations providing executive-level coaching, leadership guidance and organizational management facilitation. Takesha has frequently served as a consultant to executives who serve as school superintendent and HR director, providing advice and guidance on several confidential legal matters. The vast knowledge and wisdom she has is rare and is often sought after.
Takesha is the current 1st vice president of the B-N Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she serves as membership services chair, emergency response team chair, fundraising committee & annual Gospel Brunch chair and scholarship committee member. At her local church, Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, she serves as the church clerk, Food Pantry director, OWDBA scholarship board member, and the Black History Month program assistant. She considers herself blessed and attributes all her accomplishments to God. She acknowledges that it is only by His grace and the support of her parents that has afforded so many wonderful opportunities.
Takesha may hold many titles and serve in various roles, but there is no title more honorable than “Mom.” Being a mother to her beautiful daughter brings joy to her heart. It’s a part of the reason she accepts assignments, helping to make the future brighter for her daughter and other girls around the world. This Servant-Leader is always thinking of others, lending a helping hand, and seeking out opportunities to help, advocate for and serve those who will never be able to repay her.
Ruth Teubel
Ruth is a Certified Public Accountant and owns Heartland Business Services in Fairbury. Her firm prepares income taxes for individuals, businesses and organizations, and provides payroll and accounting services.
She is a graduate of Illinois State University with a B.S. in accounting and her career has been in public and corporate accounting and in banking.
She has been involved with several organizations including American Red Cross, Dominy Memorial Library, Fairbury Lions Club, Fairbury Fair, Fairbury Echoes Museum, Salvation Army, Labyrinth House, and Dreams are Possible. Her favorite pastimes are gardening and flowers.
Sarah Burkhardt, Intern
Sarah was born in the Chicagoland area, then moved into the northern suburbs of Chicago for her high school career at Elk Grove High School. In 2020, she decided to pursue her academic career further by attending Illinois State University. After a couple of catastrophic events along the road, she realized that moving back home to obtain her associate’s degree at her community college, William Harper College, would benefit her in the long run.
After achieving a 4.0 GPA and emotional and mental support from her Grandmother, she returned to Illinois State University to not only earn a bachelor's degree, but to prove to herself that even with a bumpy start, there can always be a great finish.
Given Sarah’s adversity, she discovered the beauty behind writing. Not only did it act as a therapeutic outlet, but it guided her into becoming an English Studies Major. Sarah has read multiple self written poems at different open mics all around Bloomington including, Bobzbay Books and the Coffee House. She hopes that her writings offer some sort of guidance when it comes to grief to anyone who might need it. With finishing up her bachelor’s degree this winter, she aspires to become a journalist.