Meet The Board
BOARD PRESIDENT
Kristen Schunk Moreland
Is a certified expert facilitator and change management practitioner and the President of Schunk Moreland Strategies. She has over 25 years of experience working in nonprofits, higher education, and the public sector, as well as many years in the private sector. Her experience includes strategic planning, facilitation, board development, leadership and team development, organizational development, talent development and training, change management, creative problem solving, policy development and analysis, grant development and administration, project and contract management, and fiscal, legislative, and business process improvement. She resides with her two children and husband in Indianapolis, Indiana.
BOARD TREASURER
Christy Gelback-Diaz
Currently serves as the Campus Controller for Indiana University, Indianapolis, where she is the campus liaison to the University Controller’s Office and assists with financial, accounting, and internal controls compliance. Prior to joining IU, Christy served as the Director of Finance & Operations for the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP), overseeing the organization’s finance, human resources, information technology, and development functions. She also spent 10 years in a variety of grant development and accounting roles, including serving as Assistant Vice President for Finance and Controller, for Ivy Tech Community College. Outside of work, Christy enjoys spending time with her family and friends and volunteering with the Indiana CPA Society, Westfield Aquatics, and the Hamilton County Llamas.
BOARD SECRETARY
Lisa Dandridge
Is currently the Chief of Staff to the CEO at CNO Financial Group. In this capacity, she provides support to the CEO and Executive Leadership team by assisting in the development and implementation of core company initiatives, including strategy planning and quarterly business reviews. Her responsibilities encompass coordinating CEO projects, managing the flow of information to and from the CEO, and facilitating effective communication with the board, investors, associates, and other stakeholders.
Prior to her role as Chief of Staff, Lisa served as an IT Lead Scrum Master and Project Manager at CNO Financial Group, where she led teams in deploying complex IT solutions. She collaborated with senior leadership to devise and execute IT strategies for the business. Lisa has been with CNO Financial Group for over seven years.
Lisa is actively involved in the community and has served on several non-profit boards, including Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY), City of Indianapolis Audit Board, Noble of Indiana, Unite for Change, Indiana Black Expo (Treasurer), and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) Finance Committee. She is a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Public Service Sorority, Inc. and has received awards for her community involvement, including the United Way of Central Indiana Community Service Award and YWCA Women of Leadership Award. Currently, Ms. Dandridge serves as the secretary for the board of directors for Ladies Under Construction.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with a Finance concentration from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Detroit. She has obtained several certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Advanced Certified Scrum Master (ACSM), Release Train Engineer (RTE), and Product Owner/Product Manager (PO/PM).
Ms. Dandridge is a servant leader with proven analytical, communication and problem-solving skills that leads to organizational success.
BOARD MEMBER​
Carla Pierce
Serves as a board member for Ladies Under Construction Nonprofit, leveraging her expertise in marketing and branding to advance the organization’s mission. With a background in Business Management and Branding, Carla is committed to driving positive change. She actively supports community initiatives and believes in the power of collaboration to make a lasting impact.
BOARD MEMBER​
Tracy L. Morris,
A distinguished Sales Director at Hexaware Technologies, brings over 20 years of sales leadership expertise to the IT consultancy sector, with a focus on the Workday ecosystem
for Fortune 100 companies. Originally from Gary, Indiana,
and now residing in Indianapolis, IN, Tracy holds both a Bachelor's and Master's in Business Administration, with a minor in Information Technology Systems from Indiana Wesleyan University.
In her professional career, Tracy has made significant strides by introducing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and leading initiatives such as Lean-In and Toastmasters International, enhancing professional development within her organization. Her extensive experience encompasses sales strategy, leadership, and IT consultancy, positioning her as a key influencer in her field.
Tracy's commitment to community service is evident through her active board membership with Ladies Under
Construction and her volunteer work with the United Way of Central Indiana, Dress for Success, Second Helpings, Big Brother Big Sister, Inc., and Habitat for Humanity. Among her notable accomplishments, Tracy led a major community outreach program benefiting underprivileged families and completed a marathon, underscoring her dedication to both community and personal achievements.
In her spare time, Tracy enjoys cooking for loved ones and friends, practicing Pilates and yoga, and traveling. Tracy's dynamic career and personal life reflect her relentless pursuit of excellence, passion for empowering others, and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in her community.
BOARD MEMBER
Lynnea Redmon-Williams
Is a native of Terre Haute, IN. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in organizational leadership. Professionally she currently serves as the Associate Director of Literacy and Engagement at RISE INDY located in Indianapolis, IN. Lynnea is the proud Owner and CEO of A Spoonful of Fruit, LLC., where she offers strategic life coaching strategies and specializes in therapeutic crisis intervention. With over two decades of public speaking and community advocacy, she has used her voice and work to build strong teams with non-profit organizations and businesses, provided direct services to families in crisis and women who suffer from substance abuse and mental health issues, all while challenging the harmful norms in communities of color. Grounded in faith with a mission to empower women, Lynnea loves creating spaces where women can come together and connect, share, become self-aware, and gain essential tools needed to become visionaries for their lives. She has been married to her husband, Javonte “JT” Williams, for 22 years. They have three children: Branden, Kora, and Addysen. Lynnea loves to laugh out loud, watch movies, do interior design, and spend time with family and friends. One of her favorite quotes is by Maya Angelou, “I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
BOARD MEMBER
Annette Basham
Is a cross-functional project manager at J.S. Held for the Construction Advisory and Project Support Services teams. She has served as an owner's representative on projects for non-profits with $2M budgets to for-profit projects over $500M. Annette excels in leading organizations through decision-making and integrating end-user workflows to inform building design. Annette earned her Master of Science in Organization Change Leadership from the University of Wisconsin and plans to use these skills to assist the Ladies Under Construction board. She is an avid local arts and music supporter in the Indianapolis area.
BOARD MEMBER
Duane Ingram
Is RISE INDY’s Vice President of Community Affairs where he leads all programming (including high-quality literacy + math programming leadership development training) and external relationship management.
​
Duane spent 15 years as a community development professional and in Indianapolis non-profit community development organizations. He ran for Indianapolis
City-County Council in 2019 in a Southside district where he lost by fewer than 300 votes. In 2020, Duane successfully managed Kenneth Allen’s campaign for IPS At-Large school board campaign where Commissioner Allen unseated a
two-term popular incumbent commissioner. Ingram serves in the Indianapolis community as the Vice Chair of the Board of Public Health and Safety, an Indianapolis Foundation Fellow,
a Board Member of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, and a member of the English Foundation.
As an Indiana University – Bloomington School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) graduate, Duane has a real passion for service and desire to see all people successful. Duane is a husband, father, mentor, and Dad Joke enthusiast.
BOARD MEMBER
Hamid Saahir
An Indianapolis native, is a multi-state-barred attorney with a focus on providing justice and exceptional representation for his community. Graduating from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, he has extensive experience as a legal advisor and consultant. Mr. Saahir has assisted law firms with high-stakes personal injury cases and worked on major civil rights cases in a public relations capacity. Beyond his legal career, he has been involved in education, graphic design, photography, and publishing. He also gives back to the community by mentoring students and holding various leadership positions in bar associations and civic groups.
BOARD MEMBER
Rachel L. Kartz, PhD
Currently serves as Chancellor for Ivy Tech Hamilton County. She has over fifteen years of experience in higher education as an educator and an administrator. She began
her career with Ivy Tech in 2014, serving as English faculty. Rachel has held successive roles at the College since then, serving as English Department Chair and then Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences and Education. In April 2021, Rachel became the inaugural Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs at Ivy Tech Hamilton County. Born in Wisconsin, Rachel was raised in the Milwaukee and Chicagoland areas. She was the first in her family to attend college. She has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Marquette University, a Master of Fine Arts in
Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University, and a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Indiana State University. Rachel’s serves as Vice Chair for the LEAP Indiana Executive Committee, as a member of the board of directors for OneZone Chamber and Invest Hamilton County, and as a volunteer for the Indianapolis Zoo.
BOARD MEMBER
Kristen Phair
Had the privilege of joining the board of Ladies Under Construction in January of 2023. Their mission is close to my heart as I am devoted to uplifting and empowering our children, especially our young ladies. My admiration for Ms. Moore and her dedication to our city’s youth is my primary motivation for serving on LUC’s board.
​
A graduate of Purdue University where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. In 2008, I graduated from the IU McKinney School of Law Indiana here in Indy and became a deputy State Public Defender. My career involved representing indigent individuals in post-conviction proceedings across the State of Indiana to ensure they received their constitutional right to a fair trial.
​
At the end of 2018, I left the State Public Defender’s office to stay home with my three young children. As they grew, I committed more of my time to volunteering and advocating for the public school system in which my children attend. These experiences have given me a profound appreciation for our school teachers. I am honored to share my time and talents to support Ladies Under Construction as they work tirelessly to serve our city’s youth through mentorship, programming, and positivity.