Our Board

Meet the passionate team behind the Rita June Foundation.
Stitch Design Element
Stitch Design Element

The Hearts Behind
The Rita June Foundation

Rita June Board Chair Lisa Dischinger headshot in blue circle

Lisa Dischinger

Board Chair

Lisa

Board Member
Rita June Foundation Chair

Lisa is one of the co-owners and founders of LDG Development. She works full-time as the Chief of Resident Experience for LDG Development. As one of the first employees for the organization, Lisa was the organization’s “asset manager” and worked directly with residents who lived in the hundreds of single-family homes owned by LDG. It was during this time that she gained a direct understanding of the challenges and issues families living in poverty face. These experiences led her to start the Rita June Foundation in honor of her grandmother. This is LDG’s first non-profit foundation focused on providing support services that include shelter, education, and food security.

Under Lisa’s leadership, the Rita June Foundation has piloted and is expanding several out-of-school-time educational programs that are focused on boosting reading scores for elementary and middle school students. Lisa cultivated a partnership with Bezos Academy to bring tuition-free, full-day preschools near LDG communities.

As a life lifelong Louisvillian, Lisa is a graduate of the University of Louisville.

Read Full Bio
Rita June Board Member Christi Lanier-Robinson headshot in blue circle

Christi Lanier-Robinson

Board Member

Christi

Rita June Foundation Co-Chair
Executive Vice President
Communications and Strategic Initiatives
LDG Development

Christi is the Executive Vice President for Communications and Strategic Partnerships for LDG Development. In this capacity, she oversees the organization's communications, branding and marketing activities and helps it develop partnerships with community groups and agencies that can provide on-site resources to the more than 40,000 residents who call an LDG community home.

Christi has more than two decades of experience developing communication and marketing plans that support the strategic initiatives of leading organizations and projects that have a significant economic impact on the community.

Christi was born and raised in Louisville. She holds a master's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from Grambling State University. Christi married her college sweetheart, Donald, and they are the proud parents of two children, Darian and Alexis.

Read Full Bio
Rita June Board Member Ashley Novak Butler's headshot in blue circle

Ashley Novak Butler

Board Member

Ashley

Executive Director
Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation

Ashley serves as the Executive Director of the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation. Her work includes developing and managing grant investments with the Foundation’s strategic nonprofit partners, overseeing board communication and staff development, marketing, financial investments and grant evaluation. She joined the Novak Family Foundation in 2010 and has since created and implemented the Foundation’s investment strategy in the key areas of hunger relief, student leadership development, juvenile diabetes, early childhood education and military family support.

Ashley serves on the boards of various nonprofits, including Dare to Care Food Bank, Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Guiding Team for the Metro United Way’s Ready for K Alliance. Prior to joining the Novak Family Foundation, she worked for Southwest Airlines as a Marketing and Corporate Relations Manager. Ashley earned a B.A. in Political Science and Human Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University and is from Louisville, Kentucky. She is married to Jonathan Butler and has three amazing children: Audrey, Claire, and Luke.

Read Full Bio
Stitch Design Element
Stitch Design Element
Rita June Board Member Marland Cole headshot in blue circle

Marland Cole

Board Member

Marland

Executive Director
Evlove502 — Louisville’s Promise from Cradle to Career

Marland is the executive director of Evolve502, a public-private partnership working to ensure every child in Louisville is prepared for college, career and a successful, productive life. Evolve502 does this work by convening and organizing community partners to link youth to better resources to ensure academic success and provide access and funding to pursue postsecondary education, beginning with the class of 2021. Focusing on systems, scholarships and supports, Evolve502 is committed to removing and mitigating the systemic barriers of poverty and racism and ensuring an educated, growing and vibrant community where all citizens can prosper.

Marland previously served as assistant vice president of governance and board support for Baptist Health, where she was responsible for activities related to the function, recruitment, education and engagement of the Baptist Health Boards. Prior to her time at Baptist, Marland served as vice president of institutional advancement for Simmons College, Louisville’s HBCU, as chief public affairs officer for Hosparus, the community’s hospice provider, and as assistant vice president for Jewish Hospital and St. Mary’s Healthcare. She has an MBA from Bellarmine University and a bachelor’s degree in communications, with an emphasis in public relations, from the University of Louisville.

Active in the community, Marland has served on the Board of the Leadership Louisville Center, as board chair for the Lincoln Foundation and as co-chair for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Luncheon and the YMCA Mayor’s Thanksgiving Breakfast. She also served on the executive committees for the YMCA of Greater Louisville, Metro United Way and Maryhurst boards. Marland has presented at a number of national, regional, and local convenings and conferences, including the National Education Association’s national conference on its summer learning and enrichment collaboration and the Power of Place convening hosted by the William Julius Wilson Institute.

Marland recently received a Nonprofit Visionary Leader Award from Business First, was a 2019 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame award honoree, received the Metro Council Community Leadership Award for District 11, the Spirit of Louisville Award from the YMCA of Greater Louisville and was named to Louisville Magazine’s “Most Powerful Under 45” list. She is a 2004 Leadership Louisville graduate, a 2019 Bingham Fellows participant, and a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. member.

A native of Bardstown, KY, Marland and her husband Bryan have one daughter.

Read Full Bio
Rita June Board Member Audwin Helton headshot in blue circle

Audwin Helton

Board Member

Audwin

Owner and President
Spatial Data Integration, Inc.

Audwin was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. After attending public schools, he attended North Carolina Central University and, in 1981, received a BS degree in Geography with a minor in Cartography. Audwin later obtained a Master’s degree in Human Resources from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. He is also a 1987 graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College.

Audwin began his career as a cartographer with the Defense Mapping Agency. In his twelve years with the Agency, now known as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, he rose to become the Director of the Agency’s Louisville Field Office. Seizing a unique opportunity, he left the Agency to pursue his dream of building his own company.

In 1994, Audwin became the owner and president of Spatial Data Integrations, Inc., a Geospatial Mapping firm. The company has operated for 30 years, produces software applications, and holds patented software toolsets.

Audwin serves on the following business and community boards: U.S. Bank Advisory Board, Rita June Foundation, North Carolina Central University’s College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Advisory Board, University of Louisville’s President’s Council, 15,000 Degrees Education Attainment (Co-Chair), Evolve502 (Chair), Evolve502’s Operating Committee(Chair), Jefferson County Public Education Foundation and the Theta Omega Inc. Foundation. Audwin is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a co-founder of the Men of Quality Mentoring Initiative, and a JCPS School Choice Community Advisory Council member.

In 2012, Audwin and Mrs. Helton donated to the University of Louisville, which resulted in the creation of the “Audwin and Rae Helton Geographic Information Systems Laboratory.” Additionally, they recently created “The Audwin and Rae Helton Charitable Trust Endowment,” a first at their Alma Mater, North Carolina Central University.

Audwin received the 2017 WLKY Bell Award, recognizing individuals who dedicate their time and energy to better our city. Audwin is the recipient of the 2022 Zeta Phi Beta Image Award.

Audwin is heavily involved in Louisville’s public education and post-secondary sectors. He is also involved in Louisville’s golfing community as a player and as the coordinator of a major charitable event.

Audwin and Mrs. Helton are the proud parents of two sons, Collin (Deonna) and Carson, and two granddaughters.

Read Full Bio

Staff Support

June Board Member Lisa Becker in blue circle

Lisa Becker

Treasurer

Lisa

Rita June Foundation Officer, Treasurer
Executive Vice President

Lisa is the Executive Vice President of Finance at LDG Development. She has served as head of accounting for the company and its related parties for the past 25 years. Her current role is primarily overseeing tax return preparation and tax planning, plus strategic planning and troubleshooting.

Read Full Bio
Rita June Secretary Alicia Lewis headshot in blue circle

Alicia Lewis

Secretary

Alicia

Rita June Foundation Officer, Secretary
Foundation Assistant
LDG Development

Alicia is the Foundation Assistant at LDG Development. She has served as a sales representative for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, District Field Director for U.S. Congresswoman Anne Northup, and part-time for her church as an administrative assistant to Care Ministries. Her current role is overseeing the organizational duties of the Rita June Foundation.

Read Full Bio
Facebook Linkedin Instagram

Connect With Us!

Donate

Rita June Foundation © 2024 | Website Designed, Built and Powered by Current360