Our Team

Mario brings a career of passionate advocacy for children to FRC, with over 20 years of experience leading successful transformative change efforts in schools and school districts across Ohio.  His mission is to create a world where all children, regardless of their background, can dream big and achieve greatness in their lives.   

Mario earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Cal State Fullerton, a second bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education from Northern Kentucky University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Miami University, Oxford, and a School Superintendent’s license from Xavier University.  Before joining Future Ready Columbus, Mario’s career included service as a substitute teacher, junior high and high school teacher, assistant principal, principal, school law professor, senior vice president, and superintendent. 

Throughout his career, Mario has been honored to work closely with educators and community leaders to achieve big things for children.  These include significantly increasing academic achievement for African American and economically disadvantaged children, creating and successfully implementing several strategic planning efforts, and establishing a training center for innovative learning practices.

WHY THIS WORK

Mario’s passion and mission to improve the lives of poor and marginalized children stems from his own background as a child of color, raised by a single mother in poverty.  Just as he was able to overcome the odds as a first-generation college graduate who rose out of generational poverty, he believes his life’s work is to help children like him achieve their dreams.

Mario is grounded in the belief that all children can break out of the cycle of poverty and racism.  The work of Future Ready Columbus is to imagine, believe in, and implement the conditions and supports for that to happen.  Through a collective impact approach working closely with public/private partnerships, the Future Ready by Five plan has all of the elements necessary to break the cycle and ensure that all children in Franklin County are ready for kindergarten by age 5.   

WHY THIS COMMUNITY

Columbus and the surrounding Franklin County region are amazing places to work and live.  Mario is particularly in love with the region’s commitment to diversity, vibrant arts, sports, and culture scene, and its innovative spirit.  With its energy and impactful public/private partnerships, Columbus and Franklin County can lead the way in altering the trajectory of children growing up in under-resourced neighborhoods.

By implementing Future Ready by Five, we have a great opportunity to set the standard for community change strategy.  If implemented with fidelity and commitment, the plan can transform the lives of children not only in Franklin County, but also across Ohio, the Midwest, and beyond.   

Vanisa Turney, Ed.D. is an accomplished educator and visionary leader with a keen sense for strategic planning and execution. She has 20 years of experience in education as a teacher and administrator in P-12 settings, as well as an instructor at the college level. Dr. Turney earned Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in middle childhood education from Wright State University and obtained licenses in administration and curriculum, instruction, and professional development (CIPD) from the University of Dayton. In addition to administration and curriculum instruction, Dr. Turney’s areas of expertise include math and STEM education. She also possesses a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction and a superintendent license. Dr. Turney uses her passion, talents, and vision to advocate for educational excellence. Her leadership has resulted in improved student outcomes.

WHY THIS WORK

Dr. Turney is excited to assume the role of Future Ready Columbus’ Chief Operating Officer. Her ability to design and implement organizational strategies, plans, and procedures will aid the organization in meeting its kindergarten readiness goals. She is excited about the opportunity to set comprehensive targets for performance and growth and establish policies that promote Future Ready Columbus’ culture and vision.

Dr. Turney believes that education is a right, not a privilege. Her work in low-income districts has revealed many gaps that ultimately create an increased number of at-risk students. She has created curriculum plans that have aided many teachers in meeting established goals. Dr. Turney’s experience and skill set, paired with the transformational work of Future Ready Columbus, will move the organization forward in prioritizing equity and early exposure for all students, regardless of their background, parents’ level of education or ethnicity. This work will help early learners to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

WHY THIS COMMUNITY

Dr. Turney was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, a metropolitan area that is comparable to Columbus with similar struggles and needs. As Future Ready Columbus’ Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Turney will focus on eliminating poverty through education, which is her personal as well as professional mission.

Columbus is one of the most diverse Midwestern cities and attracts a young demographic, and Dr. Turney believes the goals and objectives identified in Future Ready Columbus’ strategic plan will have a tremendous impact on future generations. Having witnessed the effects of early exposure and education, Dr. Turney is confident that she and the Future Ready Columbus team can improve the outcomes for some of the city’s youngest residents.

Neeta is a native Ohioan who brings over 20 years of experience in K-12 education and business. Her mission is to identify and eliminate educational barriers for all students in order for them to reach their fullest potential regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic or demographic status.  

She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University and her master’s degree in Elementary Education from Northwestern University. Before joining Future Ready Columbus, Neeta’s career included positions with the Ohio Department of Education, Columbus City Schools, NWEA, Edmentum and teaching in Chicago Public Schools.  

Neeta has worked throughout her career to ensure equity gaps are addressed at both the state and local level. She believes in using student data with fidelity to meet students where they are in order to ensure they have the resources and pathway to be successful. She continues to advocate for ongoing, professional learning and support for educators, administrators and families to support the needs of the whole child.   

WHY THIS WORK

Neeta believes that it takes a village to raise a child. All children deserve access to opportunities and resources to get ready for kindergarten. She is committed to finding partners and developing relationships with organizations who are passionate and dedicated to providing wrap-around services for Franklin County’s families.   

Evidence suggests that gender, race and economic status can significantly impact kindergarten readiness for children. As a collective impact organization, Future Ready Columbus strives to break the structures down and build more equitable opportunities for families to pursue as they prepare their child for school.  

WHY THIS COMMUNITY

Franklin County is the fastest growing county in Ohio and is the largest in the state. With that impending growth, research shows a significant increase in Franklin County’s children that are starting kindergarten unprepared. Ready or not, Columbus is booming and unfortunately so are the gaps for children. Franklin County’s youngest residents need our help. Its families need our support. Its communities need to come together to close the gaps for all.  

Neeta’s roots in Columbus are strong as an Ohio State Alumni and as a parent to three kids in the metro area. She and her family made their way back to Columbus about 5 years ago, and she is proud to call it her home. She wants to see Columbus continue to grow in prosperity and diversity while supporting ALL kids. It’s important to her to help lead an organization who is conscious of their social footprint and who is committed to making things better than they were before. She is proud to be the Vice President of Advancement and Community Relations.  

Angela is innately driven by a curiosity to gain knowledge, understanding and efficiency so she can better contribute to the world around her. It is that same curiosity and passion for growth that inspired her to attend DeVry University to obtain her degree in business administration and move into a career as a financial expert.

Since joining the team in 2017, she is proud to have led Future Ready Columbus to a Gold Star rating from Guidestar. This commitment to excellence paired with her dedication to serving others makes Angela an outstanding member of the FRC family.

WHY THIS WORK

Angela feels blessed to hold this position with Future Ready. She loves that the nature of her work allows her to provide relief to her fellow team members. As a result, they can use their unique gifts to the absolute best of their abilities. It’s this top-tier teamwork and support that helps move this organization one step closer to achieving 100% kindergarten readiness in Franklin County.

WHY THIS COMMUNITY

Angela believes the Columbus area is a special place to pursue both personal and professional endeavors because it is a tight-knit community with big-city opportunities.

For Angela, Central Ohio is the perfect place to nurture her love of learning. She is always open to increasing her knowledge of history, religion and serving others. She is a proud mom who finds purpose in taking care of her others and giving back. She does so through her job at FRC, volunteering with her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop and being an active member in her church community.

Amanda joins Future Ready Columbus with an extensive nonprofit background, having worked at notable organizations including Nationwide Children’s, National Alliance for Mental Illness, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This coupled with her background as an English teacher make her the perfect fit for Future Ready Columbus.

WHY THIS WORK

Throughout her experience as a teacher, Amanda saw and was frustrated by an overemphasis on test scores. There was no measurable way to consider the challenges each child faces outside of the classroom and how that is reflected in test results. She is especially thrilled that FRC is addressing these complex disparities which affect children’s Kindergarten readiness.

Amanda is thrilled to be working alongside a team that is not only having conversations and conducting studies but pushing the needle forward into the implementation stage and toward real, tangible change.

WHY THIS COMMUNITY

Amanda moved to Ohio 6 years ago from Atlanta, Georgia. She sees Columbus as a thriving city and appreciates that it maintains a friendly, welcoming vibe while providing extensive and diverse opportunities to community members.

Amanda contributes to her community inside and outside of work. Her front yard is home to a Columbus Blessing Box, which supports those struggling with food insecurity. Amanda is also a certified yoga teacher.

Melissa joined Future Ready Columbus in early 2023 after spending nine years as a paralegal at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Before that, Melissa spent twelve years as the assistant to the president of Media Network of Central Ohio. Melissa brings her passion for helping others to her work – she thrives off helping the FRC team achieve their goals.

To deepen her skills as an administrative professional, Melissa earned her Certified Administrative Professional credential with a specialization in Organization Management.

WHY THIS WORK

Melissa cares deeply about helping children and is excited to work for an organization that promotes education. In particular, she appreciates that FRC reaches children before they start school instead of waiting until they are behind. Melissa has a passion for helping her local community through her work. 

WHY THIS COMMUNITY

After spending most of her life in Central Ohio, Melissa appreciates the diverse and artsy nature of the area. She lives with her husband, and has two children and two grandchildren. When not at work, you can find her riding her bike, gardening, hiking, and walking dogs at the Humane Society.