ABOUT US
Dedicated to Mindful Economic Development on the Hilltop
Our Journey
We identified a pressing need for an Economic Community Development Corporation (CDC) during a meeting with then-City Council Member Michael Stinziano. After overcoming a few challenges, we officially incorporated in March 2022, organized a press conference with the Mayor in July 2022, and began recruiting an Executive Director in the fall of 2022. Since then, we’ve been on a mission to revitalize and uplift The Hilltop community.
We recognized several crucial reasons for establishing an economic CDC for The Hilltop. We needed a dedicated advocate and a full-time expert with a proven track record to champion our community. Our belief in The Hilltop is about unifying, strengthening, and advocating for the area we call home.
Our Mission & Vision
Our mission is to facilitate mindful economic growth and development on The Hilltop. We’re committed to supporting new and existing businesses, property owners, and the community as a connector to valuable resources, opportunities, and one another. What sets us apart is our unwavering dedication to building strong and resilient communities through purposeful economic growth and development.
Our vision for The Hilltop is simple yet powerful: to be a thriving, united, and prosperous community. We believe in taking pride in our past while making ambitious plans for our future.
The Impact of the Envision Hilltop Plan
In 2020, the City of Columbus published the Envision Hilltop Plan, a community plan aimed at making The Hilltop a more vibrant and inclusive place to live, work, and thrive.
We understand that The Hilltop deserves more than just studies and plans on a shelf. Our meetings with the community, informed by the Envision Hilltop Community Plan, led to the recommendation for the formation of a CDC that could effectively utilize resources and unlock The Hilltop’s true potential. We see ourselves as the champion of the Business & Economy goals to ensure this part of the plan is implemented.
Staff
danny peterson
executive Director
Danny Peterson has been a Hilltop resident since 2013 and has a strong record of grassroots engagement and leadership. He served as a board member for the Hilltop Arts Collective from 2016 – 2024, supporting neighborhood-based arts and community initiatives. It was while serving on the Arts Collective’s board and working in data analytics in the corporate world that he realized he wanted to make a career change and do community work full-time. This led him to joining Hilltop RISE in January 2025 as Executive Director. Danny is a passionate community connector, Hilltop nerd, and jack-of-all-trades who enjoys the problem-solving inherent in community work.
Ashley Montana
deputy Director
Ashley Montana graduated with a Bachelor of Science in City & Regional Planning at The Ohio State University and previously worked as the Director of Community Engagement at Franklinton Development Association for 9 years. At FDA, she managed the Financial LifeSkills Program, ran the social media accounts, updated Franklinton.org and HilltopUSA.org, planned neighborhood events, and oversaw the Youth & Family Empowerment Grants. She has lived on The Hilltop since 2020 and serves on the Greater Hilltop Area Commission.
Executive Board
Betty Jaynes
Chair
Cleve Ricksecker
Vice Chair
Emily Willis
Treasurer
Victoria Klein
Secretary
Susan Keeny
Member at Large
Board of Trustees
Hilltop RISE is guided by a diverse and highly skilled Board of Trustees bringing deep experience in community development, finance, preservation, law, social work and senior services, construction, public service, research, and nonprofit leadership. The Board also benefits from expertise in affordable housing, aging services, and community-based care, strengthening its ability to support aging in place and long-term neighborhood stability.
Grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience, 9 of 12 trustees have strong personal connections to The Hilltop—as longtime residents, business owners, advocates, and community leaders.
Together, the Board combines strategic insight with authentic neighborhood knowledge to ensure Hilltop RISE’s work is responsive, responsible, and rooted in the priorities of the people who call The Hilltop home.
Betty Jaynes
Board Chair
Betty Jaynes spent 40 years living and investing on The Hilltop, raising her family, and building strong community ties. She witnessed firsthand both the challenges the neighborhood faced and its immense potential. As she watched other areas of the city and state revitalize, she knew The Hilltop could thrive as well—if the community finally had a strong, well-resourced organization dedicated to its future. Betty’s passion for The Hilltop strengthened her resolve to help build an organization that could champion equitable growth and support residents and business owners.
After retiring from Procter & Gamble, she founded Hilltop RISE Economic CDC, creating the kind of organization that The Hilltop long deserved. As Board Chair, Betty draws on decades of advocacy and strategic leadership experience, along with deep neighborhood roots, to guide the organization with a steady, community-centered approach.
Cleve ricksecker
Vice Chair
Cleve Ricksecker brings a long view of neighborhood transformation shaped by lived experience. While living in the Short North in the early 1980s, he saw how history, culture, and local leadership—when paired with intentional investment—can help a community flourish. That experience informs his belief in The Hilltop’s capacity for resident-centered growth grounded in partnership and trust.
As Hilltop RISE Board Vice Chair, Cleve contributes decades of leadership experience from organizations including the Short North Business Association, downtown special improvement districts, and the Riverfront Commons Corporation. His work has consistently focused on collaboration, place-based economic vitality, and strengthening public spaces. Cleve is honored to support Hilltop RISE’s efforts to help the neighborhood grow in ways that reflect its character and serve the people who call it home.
Emily Willis
Treasurer
Emily Willis has called The Hilltop home since 2018 and is proud to be part of a neighborhood shaped by residents who care deeply about its future and work to strengthen it. She serves as President of the Columbus Squirrels Rugby Club and volunteers as an election poll worker, valuing the relationships and shared experiences that make The Hilltop unique.
Professionally, Emily works in supply chain and operations at Columbus Instruments, aligning systems, people, and resources to move work forward effectively. As Treasurer of Hilltop RISE, she brings a strategic, detail-oriented approach to financial oversight, supporting responsible stewardship and long-term progress. She is passionate about advancing practical solutions and sustainable investment that strengthen the community for all who call The Hilltop home.
Victoria Klein
Secretary
Victoria Klein is a clinical research professional who believes meaningful change happens when data and community insight inform one another. She brings a thoughtful, evidence-based perspective to the Hilltop RISE Board, helping ensure that decisions are grounded in both research and residents’ lived experiences.
Victoria previously served on the Greater Hilltop Area Commission, where she worked alongside neighbors and stakeholders to support civic engagement and neighborhood priorities. Outside of her professional and volunteer roles, she enjoys attending local events, spending time outdoors, and exploring The Hilltop with her two dogs—activities that keep her closely connected to the community’s everyday rhythms, which she is proud to serve.
Susan Keeny
Member at Large
Susan Keeny is a licensed architect and LEED Accredited Professional whose career has centered on the care and stewardship of meaningful places. As former Preservation Director at Columbus Landmarks, she worked to protect and celebrate historic buildings across the city, including direct involvement with the Home Preservation Program on The Hilltop. She believes the neighborhood’s historic structures reflect its culture, identity, and shared story.
Recently retired, Susan is energized by the opportunity to devote more time to service and to support a growing, community-centered organization. She was drawn to Hilltop RISE by its commitment to strengthening the neighborhood while respecting its architectural and cultural history. Susan looks forward to contributing her expertise to ensure preservation and progress move forward together.
Neal Bronder
Board Member
Neal Bronder has spent his career helping turn ideas into lasting, community-serving investments. After 47 years in the construction industry as President and Partner of Renier Construction, he understands the role thoughtful development can play in strengthening families, small businesses, and neighborhoods. He believes Hilltop RISE is an essential partner in building long-term opportunity on The Hilltop.
Neal and his family have lived on The Hilltop for more than 40 years, with deep ties to local schools, faith communities, and civic life. Together, they established the Bronder Family Scholarship to support graduating Franklin Heights seniors pursuing higher education. Neal has also dedicated decades to service through his church, more than 50 years in Scouting, leadership with the Simon Kenton Council, BSA, and service on the Greater Hilltop Area Commission.
Paula Cosby
Board Member
Paula Cosby was born and raised on The Hilltop, a place that shaped her values and sense of responsibility to the community. When she and her husband returned to Central Ohio, she sought meaningful ways to reinvest in the neighborhood that nurtured her. Her professional work in community-led revitalization helped her quickly recognize The Hilltop’s strengths, challenges, and promise.
A Certified Nonprofit Professional, Paula brings extensive nonprofit and public-sector leadership experience to the Board. As former Director of Development for Dayton’s Wright-Dunbar Business Village, she supported reinvestment in a historic commercial corridor through collaboration and strategic fundraising. She serves as a Trustee and is a member of RISE’s Hilltop Preservation Committee, and she believes strongly that healthy families and healthy communities are inseparable—and that both must guide the work forward.
Dan Fagan
Board Member
Dan Fagan is a Hilltop resident whose roots run deep — from growing up in Holly Hill and graduating from Bishop Ready High School to living in the Brookshire neighborhood today. Guided by a background in social work and public service, he has dedicated his career to strengthening communities, supporting older adults, and helping seniors stay connected to the neighborhoods they call home.
Dan served on the Greater Hilltop Area Commission from 2019 to 2025, including several leadership positions, where he worked alongside residents, city partners, and local organizations to support thoughtful development and advocate for The Hilltop’s future.
Professionally, he has spent more than two decades in affordable senior housing and community-based care, bringing that experience home to support aging in place and strengthen connections for older adults across The Hilltop.
Eric Green
Board Member
Eric Green was born and raised on The Hilltop and has deep roots in the Highland West neighborhood, where he has owned and operated Good Life Barbershop for more than 17 years. As a longtime small business owner, Eric understands the role that neighborhood businesses—especially culturally diverse barbershops—play as trusted community hubs where relationships are built, stories are shared, and conversations about the neighborhood’s future take shape.
Through his continued connection with childhood friends and fellow community leaders, Eric remains closely tied to the people and lived experiences of The Hilltop. Serving on the Hilltop RISE Board allows him to bring a business-owner-centered perspective, grounded in everyday interactions and local knowledge. Eric hopes his board service will help support change that grows from within the community and reflects the voices of those who have long called The Hilltop home.
Kareem Jackson
Board Member
Kareem Jackson is a Columbus-based Realtor, real estate investor, and emerging developer committed to strengthening communities through responsible investment and meaningful engagement. His work in residential real estate, along with experience in commercial development, reflects a belief that thoughtful projects can create lasting value for residents and neighborhoods.
As a West Columbus resident and property owner on The Hilltop, Kareem brings both personal investment and a strong sense of responsibility to the community’s future. A graduate of the Emerging Developers Accelerator Program (EDAP), he supports sustainable, community-driven growth grounded in equity and opportunity.
Kareem stays closely connected through mentorship and service, including teaching Muay Thai and working with foster youth. Through Hilltop RISE, he is dedicated to creating opportunities that benefit current residents and future generations on The Hilltop.
jennie keplar
Board Member
Jennie Keplar grew up on N. Ogden Avenue and has long carried a vision of The Hilltop as a culturally vibrant, economically thriving community that honors its past. That lifelong connection fuels her dedication to preserving the stories and places that define the neighborhood.
As a Hilltop Historian and creator of the Hilltop USA Memories Facebook page, Jennie works to share local history and build connections among longtime residents and newcomers to the community. Serving on the Hilltop RISE Board allows her to help strengthen a shared sense of identity and belonging—ensuring the neighborhood’s past continues to inform its future.
Adam Seeley
Board Member
Adam Seeley brings a public-service mindset and legal expertise to the Hilltop RISE Board. As a public finance attorney at Bricker Graydon, he works at the intersection of law, local government, and economic development, helping communities navigate complex systems to support long-term, equitable growth.
Adam’s commitment to neighborhood-based investment is also personal. When purchasing his first home, he intentionally chose Linden, recognizing its similarities to The Hilltop in both challenge and potential. In 2025, Adam and his partner welcomed their first child, deepening his appreciation for the importance of strong, supportive neighborhoods where families can put down roots and thrive.
Board Members
Neal Bronder – Retired partner in Reiner Construction and Former Greater Hilltop Area Commissioner
Paula Cosby – Former Director of Development for Dayton’s Wright-Dunbar neighborhood and certified Nonprofit Professional; born and raised in the Hilltop
Eric Green – Hilltop Business Owner and Neighborhood Legacy Group; born and raised in the Hilltop
Jennie Keplar – Lifelong Hilltop resident, Greater Hilltop Area Commissioner, and Hilltop Historian
Adam Seeley – Attorney with a focus on economic development and local government counseling
Impact Reports
Find us in the news
October 2026 HR Newsletter
This past month, our staff spent a few days in Athens with our peers from around the state in economic and community development at the Ohio CDA’s annual conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Rooted in Place.”
Due to our work being hyper-focused on the Hilltop, it’s easy to forget that our community’s challenges are being faced by similar communities all over Ohio (and elsewhere). Among many other things, we learned how other communities are addressing their challenges, about creative funding solutions for redevelopment projects, and the statewide advocacy the Ohio CDA is working on. It was exciting to see examples of great work being done throughout the state, particularly in and around Athens.
Back in Columbus, our Executive Director participated in a Zone In Gallery event hosted by Council Member Melissa Green for District 6 residents. You can learn more about Zone In Phase II and how to visit the in-person Zone In Gallery here. Don’t forget to submit public comments for Phase II by October 24th.
September 2026 HR Newsletter
We had a busy and rainy August! Our staff and Board Chair kicked off the month by attending 2026’s third CDC Thinktank hosted by Eastland Development for Growth & Equity (EDGE) along with Columbus Redevelopment Corporation (CRC), Linden Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), and the City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods. We learned about the redevelopment efforts taking place in the Eastland area and collaborated with the other partners. Later in August, EDGE celebrated its official launch event to the community which we also attended.
August 2026 HR Newsletter
We had a busy month! Our Historic Preservation Committee hosted its first Historic Walking Tour on July 15th. It was a great success. 35 community members braved the heat and joined us to learn about the Hilltop’s early history and several Hilltop landmarks, including St. Aloysius Church, Old Fire Station 17, Highland Elementary School, Highland Youth Garden, Hilltop UMC, and the J. Ashburn Jr. Youth Center. Our committee plans to offer additional tours in the future.
Then on July 25th we partnered with the Westgate Neighbors Association and North Hilltop Neighbors Association for a West Broad Street clean-up and weeding event.
July 2026 HR Newsletter
We hope our neighbors are staying cool in this heatwave. We have two featured business spotlights: Purified Beauty Bar and Krown Construction. Continued is our series introducing our Board of Trustees. Read on for a behind-the-scenes look at the past month as well as details for upcoming events.
June 2026 HR Newsletter
As we prepare for summer, we have been busy behind the scenes. Interior demolition wrapped up at our Broad & Westgate properties, with construction beginning very soon. In May, we spent the afternoon in Linden learning and networking with other CDCs across Central Ohio. Beard and Blades Barbershop on Sullivant Ave is our featured business spotlight. We included a new series below introducing our Board of Trustees. And, last but certainly not least, our Historic Preservation Committee has planned its first walking tour for mid-June!
Read on for a behind-the-scenes look at the past month as well as details for upcoming events.
May 2026 HR Newsletter
We hope you celebrated Earth Month by beautifying your community. Our staff participated in three Hilltop neighborhood clean-ups in April. Last month, we shared details about the Power of One grant application and we have good news: the deadline has been extended until May 29th! If your business is looking for an exterior refresh, the Power of One application is live.
Read on for a behind-the-scenes look at the past month, 2 business spotlights, as well as details for upcoming events and business resources.