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Renee Schmidt
Renee Schmidt joined Engage! Cleveland in March 2024 as the Operations Assistant with a background in travel and higher education. She previously worked for Pack Up + Go, a surprise travel company and in the financial aid department at the University of Akron. Although not a Cleveland native, Renee is passionate about the city and all it has to offer young professionals. She previously served as the Assistant Director of Summer on the Cuyahoga, helping to bring students from across the country to Cleveland for internships and events. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Adrian College in Communication and a master’s degree from the University of Akron in Higher Education.
Renee can also be found at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse and Cleveland Browns Stadium as a member of the game day promotions teams for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Monsters and Cleveland Browns. She also spends her weekends running her own company, Doggy I Do, where she escorts couple’s dogs to their weddings.
Outside of work Renee is an avid reader and traveler. She and her husband enjoy trying new Cleveland restaurants, kayaking and spending time with their 8 dogs and 2 cats.
Abby Petty
Abby joined the Engage! Cleveland team in September 2023 and serves as our Events Manager. Abby earned her BA in Journalism and Promotional Communication at Cleveland State University. While she was not born and raised in Cleveland, she started planting roots in the area during her college years and has been a die-hard Clevelander ever since! With a proven track record in social media strategy and management, coupled with experience in office sales, administration, meeting and event coordination, and non-profit advocacy, Abby is dedicated to planning and executing seamless events that leave a lasting impression on young to mid-career professionals in the Greater Cleveland Area. While not in the office, you can find her trying out a new coffee shop, catching a local music show or hitting up the antique/thrift shops! Abby looks forward to continuing the mission of EC: to attract, retain and engage young talent, while also highlighting the people and places that make Cleveland the reason!
Lisa Fuentes
Lisa is a part-time accountant with Engage! Cleveland where she oversees our finances. She handles day-to-day functions, as well as reporting and working with our auditors. Lisa has over 25 years of experience and is a sole proprietor working with many non-profit clients. Not only is she a small business owner, but she is also a native Clevelander and a graduate of the Cleveland Public Schools system.
contact@engagecleveland.org
Belle Mercurio
As the Marketing & Communications Manager she is excited to bring her love for this city to her work everyday through creating marketing and social media content for EC! She will be responsible for creating Engage! Cleveland’s email newsletters, managing our social media channels, maintaining our website, amongst other marketing duties.
belle@engagecleveland.org
Megan Brown
Megan joined the team in 2021 and serves as our Membership and Sponsorship Engagement Manager. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in office management, executive support, event planning, and higher education. As a native Clevelander, she relishes her role in helping to build a vibrant and diverse environment for young professionals in this wonderfully evolving city. Megan loves Cleveland’s extensive culinary culture and the city’s sprawling green spaces. She also plays competitive pinball in leagues, and founded Ohio’s first women’s pinball club, Belles & Chimes CLE.
Megan holds a Master of Arts from Ohio University in Film Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio University in Russian Language. Outside of work, Megan loves to explore Cleveland’s extensive culinary scene and the city’s sprawling green spaces, as well as playing in competitive pinball leagues and founding Ohio’s first women’s pinball club, Belles & Chimes CLE.
Megan@engagecleveland.org
Ashley Basile Oeken
Ashley is a dynamic leader with over ten years of experience in the nonprofit field. As the organization’s Founding Executive Director and now President, Ashley oversees all aspects of the organization while driving strategic initiatives to increase the impact Engage! Cleveland can have on the community and young professionals. She consults with employers and nonprofits to attract, engage and retain the best and brightest talent.
Ashley remains active in Cleveland’s civic community serving on a variety of committees and boards, and has received many honors and recognition for her work throughout Greater Cleveland.
Ashley holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Youngstown State University. Additionally, she is a graduate of the LEADdiversity Class of 2015, PRADCO’s Women in Leadership Class of 2013, Cleveland Bridge Builders Class of 2012, and the Spring 2009 Civic Leadership Institute.
