Who's That Girl Archives

Who’s That Girl: Lauren Treece Blair

Wife, Mom, and Artist Written by Tawana Bain | Photo submitted by Lauren Treece Blair As a child, Lauren Treece Blair dreamed of becoming a wife, mom, and artist. She received a full scholarship from the University of Louisville to pursue a degree in fine arts and married her high school sweetheart, BJ. While BJ went to dental school, Lauren worked in interior decorating and kitchen and bathroom design. She became a stay-at-home mom after having three wonderful girls. Lauren started to paint again with BJ’s encouragement. Her childhood dream was now a certainty, but [...]

By Sara Jessick|2023-03-01T11:58:35-05:00March 1, 2023|Who's That Girl|

Who’s That Girl: Valerie Combs

Director of Development for Diversity and Engagement Written by Tawana Bain | Photo submitted by Valerie Combs Valerie Combs is Director of Development for Diversity and Engagement at University of Louisville, where she leads the philanthropic support for diversity initiative units on campus. She is a former star women’s basketball player. She attended Butler High School where she led her team to the State Championship twice. Ranked the No. 2 women’s basketball player in Kentucky, in 1976 she was the recipient of one of the first full scholarships given to women by UofL. Valerie was [...]

By Sara Jessick|2023-02-01T01:13:28-05:00February 1, 2023|Who's That Girl|

Who’s That Girl: Lynnise Smith

Supplier Diversity Leader, Executive Director, Board & Council Member Written by Tawana Bain | Photo provided by Pamela Thompson Lynnise Smith is a leader in the supplier diversity industry, where she uses her vision and leadership to create long-lasting opportunities. With a career spanning over two decades, she has gained extensive experience across industries and has worked in fields such as Education, Banking, and Technology. She has led national supplier diversity initiatives and provided strategic development and management of systemwide supplier diversity programs including becoming the first Supplier Diversity Manager for OhioHealth in 2017. As [...]

By Sara Jessick|2022-12-31T00:28:33-05:00January 1, 2023|Who's That Girl|

Who’s That Girl: Pamela Thompson

Finance & Investment Professional, Community Board Member Written by Tawana Bain | Photo provided by Pamela Thompson Pamela Thompson is a finance and investment professional, currently serving as Managing Director overseeing the Louisville market for Mariner Wealth Advisors, a nationally-ranked investment and wealth management firm.  A 1992 graduate of Washington University, prior to opening Mariner’s first Louisville office in 2019, she worked in Cincinnati for 15 years, where she was a Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Fifth Third Asset Management before joining Mariner’s predecessor firm.   Though she is a Louisville native, Pamela didn’t grow [...]

By Sara Jessick|2022-11-30T21:28:48-05:00December 1, 2022|Who's That Girl|

Who’s That Girl: Brielle Cotterman

“Celebrity Maker”, Advocate & Award-Winning Businesswoman Written by Tawana Bain | Photo provided by Brielle Cotterman Brielle Cotterman has spent the last decade helping clients craft and scale dream careers to seven figures. A self-described “celebrity maker,” Brielle is instrumental in helping her clients leverage their personal stories and passions in order to maximize their brands. With clients representing a multitude of professions, she has spearheaded wildly successful speaking tours, coordinated appearances for award-winning authors, procured top media placements and also inspired millions of people with her own personal story. The survivor of domestic violence [...]

By Sara Jessick|2022-10-31T15:59:59-04:00November 1, 2022|Who's That Girl|

Who’s That Girl: Christy Chatham

Executive Director, GEDDI Written by Tawana Bain | Photograph provided by Christy Chatham In her new role as Executive Director of the Louisville-based Global Economic Diversity Development Initiative (GEDDI), Christy Chatham brings a proven history of developing strategic relationships and processes. A US Army veteran and former military intelligence analyst, Christy has many years of experience servicing underserved populations with a specialized interest in veteran’s issues. Christy previously led veteran-serving programs for Mental Health America of Greater Houston, the Women Veteran Services program for Catholic Charities and the Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston, Texas. [...]

By Sara Jessick|2022-10-10T20:04:56-04:00October 1, 2022|Who's That Girl|