Our Leadership Team

Angela Whiteside Smith joined the Of Color, Inc. Board of Directors in 2022 and serves as Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Allscripts Healthcare, LLC, a healthcare IT company. Angela has been a legal executive at Allscripts for over a decade in increasingly more senior roles. Her current responsibilities are broad and varied: she serves as primary legal counsel for two of Allscripts business units and in those roles she provides balanced legal and commercial counsel to senior company executives in support of complex and strategic commercial initiatives.

Additionally, Angela is the inaugural Executive Sponsor of the Allscripts Black Alliance, an Allscripts ERG formed in 2021. Prior to joining Allscripts, Angela was a lawyer for Accenture and at Schiff Hardin LLP. Before attending law school, Angela held increasingly responsible positions in the banking industry, including operations and project management roles. Angela is a former Vice President of the Chicago Black Women Lawyers' Association and has co-chaired its Young Lawyers Committee. A former Public Interest Law Initiative Fellow, Angela also volunteered for several years with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services as a Guardian ad Litem in juvenile guardianship cases. She also served as a youth mentor with Link Unlimited for a number of years, sponsoring four students through each of their respective high school careers. She earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law and a B.S. from Northwestern University.

Karen A. Swinger joined the Board of Directors at Of Color, Inc. in 2022 and is the CEO and Founder of Midwest Management Services LLC, a consulting firm providing project management and organizational development services to for-profit, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations.

Karen has over 30 years of executive leadership experience managing large-scale operations, construction projects, and diverse teams. Throughout her career, she has held senior management positions with responsibility for business development, process improvement, and operational oversight across both domestic and international projects.

She holds an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management, a Bachelor's degree in Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship from DeVry University, and a Social Enterprise Certificate from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Karen is a past Board Director of the Oak Park-River Forest Rotary Club and has served on a municipal advisory committee. She is passionate about creating opportunities that help individuals and communities reach their full potential. Karen currently serves as Vice Chairwoman for the Of Color Inc Board of Directors and co-leads the board Development Committee.

Sandra A. Moss joined the Board of Directors at Of Color, Inc. in 2022 and is a Team Lead and Senior Process Analyst for USG, a Financial Shared Services company in Chicago, Illinois. She has extensive experience in manufacturing and insurance accounts receivable. Sandra focuses on improving the customer accounting experience while reducing uncollectible debt. She also enjoys mentoring and takes pride in helping others to grow their skills.

Sandra holds a Business Administration degree and has been married to her husband Bryant for over 25 years. They have two adult daughters. She is also the newly elected Board Treasurer for Of Color, Inc. as of 2025.

Brenda is still active and one of the founding Board members for Of Color, Inc. She served in the role of Board Treasurer from 2019 to 2025. Brenda is also a seasoned Human Resources Executive whose career has focused on healthcare and non-profit organizations. She is currently the owner and Lead Consultant for her HR consulting company, Ally HR Solutions. She consults with small and mid-sized companies, primarily non-profits, to help them enhance their HR practices and stay compliant.

Prior to that, Brenda served as the divisional director of Human Resources for Franciscan Health in Olympia Fields where she had oversight for Human Resources, Education and Security. She also previously served as Vice President of Human Resources and Facilities for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) a global, not-for-profit organization focused on helping healthcare organizations have better health through information technology. Prior to joining HIMSS, Brenda held increasingly responsible HR positions for other organizations including the Regional Transportation Authority and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Brenda was selected for Crain’s Chicago Business 2020 Notable Leaders in HR. She has an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication from Bradley University. Brenda also holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation and a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designation.

Cosette Ayele joined the Of Color, Inc. Board of Directors in 2025 and is a community builder who is native to the Southside of Chicago. She mothers, loves, and organizes through a Womanist Lens and brings her full self to the work-- be it policy making, data analytics, research, or service. She previously served as the Director of Advocacy and Workforce Initiatives at Illinois Partners for Human Service. Cosette is also the Founder of Chicago Quilombo, an organization built out of BYP100's She Safe, We Safe Campaign to create housing opportunities and third spaces for Black women, girls and GNC young adults. Prior to these roles, Cosette supported the proliferation of mobile crisis teams across the country as alternatives to police as Organizing Director at Community Response Works, and she led spatial and data analysis, and annual federal reporting at the Chicago Housing Authority. Cosette holds a MPP from the Harris School at the University of Chicago, where she also completed her bachelor’s degree and certificates in Survey Research and Data Analytics.

In her spare time, Cosette loves to take long walks or visit different parks around Chicago with her husband Michael and daughter Nazari or try out a new restaurant with her close group of girlfriends.

Paige Clincy, MBA, serves as a Program Manager for CountyCare Health Plan, the Medicaid Managed Care Community Network of Cook County Health. In this role, she provides system-level coordination and infrastructure across housing programs, with a particular focus on the Flexible Housing Pool (FHP).

As the Housing Program Manager, Ms. Clincy leads a groundbreaking partnership between CountyCare and multiple community-based housing organizations. Through these partnerships, she helps connect individuals with linkage to the medical system to ensure they are not only focusing on their housing needs but also their medical needs. Her work drives long-term housing stability, improved health outcomes, and a more equitable care system.

With 15 years of experience in social services and housing, Ms. Clincy brings a diverse background that includes:

• Case Management

• Employment services

• Mental Health practice

• Experience with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)

Her career reflects a deep commitment to health equity, housing stability, employment stability and community well-being.

Ms. Clincy earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from North Park University.

Paige joined the Of Color, Inc. Board of Directors in 2026. She brings her excitement to help us fulfill the goal of community enrichment and helping others.

Melina Higbee is a visionary strategist, dynamic leader, and an Of Color Inc founding board member. She served as Secretary during the first year of the agency’s incorporation and then Board Chairwoman from 2021- 2025. With a rare ability to translate bold ideas into transformative programs, Melina has built a reputation for driving innovation, equity, and lasting impact in mission-driven spaces.

Her leadership is defined by strategic clarity, empathetic decision-making, and a deep commitment to community empowerment. Melina is known for her ability to assess complex challenges, mobilize teams, and build relationships that fuel sustainable change.

Her passion for entrepreneurship and social innovation led her to found The Bee Experience, LLC, a venture dedicated to helping women—especially women of color—transform their ideas into thriving businesses. Through this work, she continues to champion inclusive economic development and cultivate spaces where creativity, collaboration, and purpose converge.

Whether leading boardrooms, mentoring entrepreneurs, or designing high-impact initiatives, Melina brings a powerful blend of insight, integrity, and action to every endeavor. She continues to do this through her services at Of Color Inc and now works alongside the new chairwoman to build on her strengths through mentorship and support.

Azia B. Provine joined the Of Color, Inc. Board of Directors in 2025 and is a Chicago native. She currently serves as the Regional Human Resources Business Partner serving the American Heart Association’s staff and leaders in the Midwest. With a passion for bringing unconventional perspectives to the table, Azia adds value to nonprofits, associations, corporations, small businesses, and government entities alike. Her expertise spans national, regional, and local levels, addressing organizational behavior, development, and human resource well-being needs.

In her current role, Azia provides valuable insights on employee engagement in the workforce, serving as the Lead for Education, Training, and Engagement on the American Heart Association’s Midwest Together Task Force for the Midwest Region. Previously, she served as Corporate Health Equity Director, where she partnered with Deloitte and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) on key initiatives advancing workforce equity.

Azia is a DISC Certified Practitioner and is currently demonstrating her training in Situational Leadership® through The Center for Leadership Studies, applying these principles in her current role. She was also a featured panelist for Loyola University’s School of Public Health at the Health Equity Quest Summit in 2024.

She attended Benedictine University for undergraduate studies in Business Administration and Human Resource Management. Azia continued her education at DePaul University’s School of Professional Studies, the University of Chicago, Morgan State University, and the American Contract Compliance Association, where she received certifications in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Civic, Construction & Infrastructure Management, as well as Grant and Proposal Writing.

Azia has curated and led summits at both national and local levels, promoting unity, belonging, workplace policies, and actionable strategies to build healthier workforces through a socially, economically, and data-driven sustainable lens. Beyond her professional endeavors, she enjoys mentoring youth, advocating for STEM education, exploring museums, and being a proud mother to her son, Donovan, an amazing teenager, future endocrinologist, and National Honor Student.

Jamie Ricks joined the Board of Directors at Of Color, Inc. in 2024 and has over ten years of experience providing strategic leadership in the education, counseling, nonprofit, and workforce development sectors. She has a Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and currently holds the position of Senior Workforce Development Specialist for ComEd. Prior to joining ComEd, she managed a partnership program to increase diversity in the labor pool for the energy efficiency sector at Walker-Miller.

Jamie also served as the Director of Programs for a national youth workforce development nonprofit located in Chicago, IL. Jamie specializes in program development, expansion, and evaluation. She is passionate about increasing the capacity and mobilizing the power of nonprofits to address issues of access and inequity. Her past work experience consist of building volunteer capacity in the office of the Mayor of Chicago, serving as the inaugural program director for Urban Alliance Chicago, and spearheading grant-funded programs for both the Obama and Pritzker Foundations.

Jamie resides in Orland Park, IL, with her family, which includes her three children. In her spare time, she can be found enhancing her DIY skills with her father.

Matt Strauss is a Founding Board Member of Of Color Inc., dedicated to empowering communities and fostering equitable opportunities. With over a decade of experience building and scaling mission-driven organizations, Matt drives social impact through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships.

Through his executive coaching business, Strauss Impact LLC, Matt coaches entrepreneurs guiding them to scale sustainable, impact-focused ventures.

Matt believes opportunity should be accessible to all and leverages his expertise in business development, partnerships, and community engagement to advance Of Color Inc.’s mission. He is especially proud of the organization’s work supporting homeless veterans.

Matt lives in Glenview, IL, with his wife, Brooke, and is honored to serve as a Founding Board Member at Of Color, Inc. between 2019 and 2025.