BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Introducing our Board of Directors – a group of passionate individuals who generously give their time and expertise to empower women to thrive. Their enthusiasm for the Women’s Opportunity Center aligns perfectly with our mission of helping women overcome obstacles and shedding light on the complex barriers they face due to factors like gender, race, class, and sexuality. Let's break down these barriers and strive for true equality together!
susan barnett, Treasurer
Susan Barnett is immediate past Chair of the Board of the Women's Opportunity Center, and current Treasurer. She has been a board member since 2012. Born in England, she moved to the U.S. in 1985 and has lived in Ithaca since 1993.
She worked as a Management Consultant for McKinsey & Company and recently held a position as a Visiting Fellow at Cornell University. She has degrees from Cambridge (B.A., Psychology), Harvard (MBA), and Cornell (M.A. & Ph.D., Developmental Psychology). Susan also serves as the Treasurer for the Golden Opportunity Tutoring organization and is a member of the Village of Cayuga Heights Zoning Board of Appeals. She enjoys running, biking, playing soccer, and skiing in her free time.
nancy oltz, Secretary
Nancy Oltz has been a WOC board member since 2013. She is a lifelong Ithacan and retired from Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit in 2017 as Manager of Operations, following a 40-year career in local transit.
She is active in the community beyond her work with the WOC, serving on the Gadabout board of directors for 35 years. Nancy is married with one daughter and two grandchildren. She enjoys the many community events that Ithaca has to offer, as well as spending time with her family and friends
Tamer Elshourbagy
Tamer Elshourbagy is the Managing Director of Investments & Strategy for Market Street Trust Company. Tamer is responsible for managing, developing, and implementing investment strategies for families, individuals, and institutional investors with $2B in assets under management.
He has 25 years of investment experience in portfolio management and fundamental investment research. Prior to joining Market Street Trust Company, Tamer spent 5 years with Tompkins Financial Advisors as a Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager. At TFA, he managed $4B in assets under management across a number of multi-asset investment strategies for high-net-worth clients and institutional investors. Before Tompkins Financial, he served as portfolio manager and head of research for John Ullman & Associates, overseeing $1 billion in assets under management. Additionally, he spent over 10 years with Brandywine Global Investment Management as an equity analyst for the firm’s large-cap value strategies and assets under management of $7 billion.
Serena K. Jackson
Serena K. Jackson is a lifelong resident of Syracuse, NY. Serena received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science/Kinesiology from Norfolk State University, and later received her Master of Science in Exercise Science/ Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania. Subsequently, she earned her certification as a Kinesiotherapist.
Serena has spent the majority of her professional life working for those who cannot advocate for themselves by working over 15 years. in the Human Service field, specifically with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, holding various roles. Serena later entered the Human Service field working with the Aging population and helping to combat isolation and loneliness.
Outside of her professional duties, Serena is a mom of one daughter, and active in the community, especially within her church community.
Kate Shanks-Booth
Kate Shanks-Booth serves as the Director of the Tompkins County Youth Services Department in Ithaca, New York, a role she has held since 2019. In this capacity, she oversees strategic investments in youth programs, collaborates with community partners, and advocates for data-driven policies that support the well-being of young people across the county.
Prior to this, she was Executive Director of the Women’s Opportunity Center, with locations in Ithaca and Syracuse, where she focused on empowering women through workforce development and support services.
Kate holds an MBA and an advanced certificate in nonprofit management from SUNY Empire State College, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Economics from Missouri Western State University. She also chairs the Youth Oversight Committee of the Tompkins County Workforce Development Board, where she helps guide investments in youth employment and training initiatives .