Community Leadership Series: Christine Sweeney & Sonia Flunder-McNair

531 Pinewood Avenue,Toledo OH 43604

03 November, 2022

Description

Leadership Toledo's Community Leadership Series focuses on the core mission words of Lead, Connect, Grow, and ServeLead: Become a more confident leaderConnect: Become more connected to your communityGrow: Grow stronger in self-awarenessServe: Identify service that is meaningful to youWhat to expect:A conversation between Christine Sweeney (The Art Tatum Zone) and Sonia Flunder-McNair (Urban Wholistics), moderated by Hayley Studer (Achi). Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at these organizations, how they serve the community, what collaboration looks like between the two, and where the organizations are going in the future. Lunch will be provided. Stay for a tour of both organizations following the presentation, weather permitting. Bios:Christine Sweeney was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and is proud to call the city home. She graduated from the University of Toledo with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and dedicated her life to the education of children as a teacher with Toledo Public Schools for more than 19 years. She recently retired and has stepped into full time leadership as the Executive Director of the Art Tatum Zone, a nonprofit focused on strategically and systematically assisting students and families in the Junction Neighborhood and surrounding community. Christine served in numerous capacities within the schools in which she taught, including, but not limited to, as a member of the Intervention Response Team, Building Leadership Team, Positive Behavior team, as well as many other leadership roles. Because of her extensive educational experience and her experience as a parent and a member of a faith-based organization, Christine brings a unique paradigm to conversations regarding education, family and community, and she is a sought-after consultant, working with high level leaders in for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Christine works extensively with the leaders and staff of the Art Tatum Zone overseeing the organization’s day to day operations. She also serves faithfully as part of the pastoral staff at the Tabernacle, a thriving and growing church situated in the heart of the city with her husband, Dr. Calvin Sweeney. She finds fulfillment in using her God-given ability to help others identify and fulfill their purpose, and to thrive in their God-given gifts. Christine and Calvin have been married for 24 years and are the proud parents of four children, Christina, Calvin Jr., Caroline, and Heaven, who are by far the proudest accomplishments of their lives. Sonia Flunder-McNair is the CEO and founder of SONIA Organics Products, LLC. SONIA Organics’ line of health, hygiene and beauty products are designed to help you live, feel and be well. After being hospitalized for 3 and a half weeks due to a complicated surgery that resulted in a blood infection, Sonia was on the brink of death. This led her to research natural ways to heal her body and soon she discovered the power of herbs. She began to get rid of her unhealthy favorite foods and body products, instead switching to items that came from the earth. Eventually her infection went away and her mission became clear, she realized that she was meant to teach people how to plant and maintain their own gardens. Armed with this purpose, Sonia turned her efforts toward rebuilding her community. She coordinated with community members, The Lucas County Land Bank, Bench Farms and the Junction Neighborhood Community to construct Tatum Park by SONIA Organics, a wholistic green space located right next to the historic Art Tatum House near downtown Toledo. Sonia has also established connections with many organizations to spread natural health education and resources including the Lucas County Land Bank, in the past has offered summer internships to a few of The University of Toledo Cosmetic Scientists, The Monroe Street Neighborhood Center, The Lucas County Sustainability Commission, CAP of Youngstown, Oh., Promedica, TMA, Boys and Girls Club of America, Shared Legacy and Bench Farms. A few of her proudest achievements were her mayoral appointment to the Lucas County Sustainably Commission, community awards, and most of all the time spent teaching our youth self reliant life skills. To further her reach, Sonia has appeared on several podcasts and local programs that has created the opportunity in 2021 to serve as a Woman Fore Solheim, a group of diverse Toledo women who want to create opportunities so that everyone can enjoy the LGPA tournament. She’s also the founder of Urban Wholistics, a grassroots initiative created to beautify open land in neighborhoods that have been historically excluded from access to wholistic green spaces. Sonia believes that it is her God-given mission to teach what she has learned. She hopes to create an urban farming revolution by establishing Toledo’s first school of urban agriculture and establishing a wellness culture that will include organic product formulation, botany and herb education. This series is generously sponsored by First Energy Foundation