Anchor Institutions Task Force (AITF)

Director, Center for Campus and Community Engagement at Ohio University

Mary Nally has served as the Director of the Ohio University Center for Campus and Community Engagement since 2018. Born and raised in Southeast Ohio, she has a personal interest in contributing to the sustainability of the region by developing strong community resiliency. Mary holds a Master’s of Science in Environmental Studies and a Bachelors of Arts in Social Work from Ohio University.

Social justice issues have been the driving force for her career; for ten years she worked with people experiencing homelessness, chemical dependency and brain disorders, before returning to Ohio to focus on community health policy and food justice issues. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Community Food Initiatives for over 6 years. Mary serves on the Athens County Healthy Community Coalition, is a board chair at the Athens Metropolitan Housing Authority and Athens-Hocking-Perry Community Action, and an advisory board member for Ohio Campus Compact.

Chief of Staff at College Unbound

Michael Reaves is a seasoned leader in higher education and the nonprofit sector with a deep commitment to building community through authentic partnerships and anchor institution strategies. Currently serving as Chief of Staff at College Unbound, he ensures that the Board of Trustees and alumni community remain connected and supported through strategic programming and resources, aligning their contributions with the institution’s mission and growth.

A proud alumnus of College Unbound, Michael rejoined the college in 2020 as Director of Alumni and Career Services, where he established a career services program to prepare students for a competitive job market and developed an engaged alumni network. He has also served as an instructor, leading courses—including the capstone seminar—that highlight how student projects strengthen connections to their communities.

Beyond College Unbound, Michael has advanced opportunities for diverse communities across New England. As President of the Rhode Island Career Development Association, he championed efforts to expand access for leaders of color by building meaningful partnerships with local employers. His leadership reflects a belief that institutions hold both the power and responsibility to cultivate ecosystems where diverse communities thrive.

A devoted husband and father, Michael models continuous learning, resilience, and personal growth for both his family and students. As a 2026 Anchor Fellow, he looks forward to advancing strategies that connect institutions to their communities in pursuit of inclusive sustainable impact.

Professor of Literacy Education and Special Advisor to the Provost on Community Engagement and Public Partnerships at CUNY-Hunter College

With over two decades of experience bridging university scholarship and community practice, Dr. Jenny Tuten has established herself as a leader committed to equity and collaborative partnerships in urban education.

As Acting Dean of the School of Education and former Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Jenny demonstrated strong leadership across Hunter College’s four schools. In her role as Associate Provost, she oversaw faculty development initiatives, tenure and promotion processes, and served as the president’s liaison for Hunter’s centers, galleries, and arts programs. Her scholarship is practitioner-focused, closely aligned with the challenges and opportunities facing teachers as they strive to meet the needs of diverse literacy learners in urban schools, the development of responsive professional development models to improve literacy instruction in urban schools, and family, community and school engagement.

Jenny’s most significant community impact comes through her direction of READ East Harlem/Hunter College, a multimillion professional development initiative funded by the New York Community Trust’s Brooke Astor Fund for Public Education. This collaborative project united university faculty with K-3 teachers and school leaders across all East Harlem elementary schools, creating deep, trusting relationships. This initiative developed into a true collaboration that recognized and leveraged the expertise present in both university and community settings.

Currently Jenny is serving Special Advisor to the Provost on Community Engagement and Public Partnerships. In this role, she will help enhance publicly engaged scholarship, build partnerships with organizations and communities, and coordinate critical activities and projects across the college to further Hunter College’s mission as an anchor institution.

Director of the St. Louis Anchor Action Network

Stefani brings 20 years of professional experience as a community engagement strategist serving at many different levels in non-profits, higher education, and community organizations from direct service to senior leadership roles. She currently serves as the director for the St. Louis Anchor Action Network leading a coalition of anchor institutions investing in disinvesting areas of the St. Louis region.

Before this appointment, she directed the strategy for the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis as the assistant director of community engagement. These efforts included creating programs, coalitions, and partnerships for the students, staff, and faculty with St. Louis community partners. She also served as program director at NCCJ St. Louis and Interim Executive Director at Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnerships providing advocacy and community organizing for the state partnerships.

Weeden-Smith is alumna of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where she earned a master’s degree in professional studies and completed additional certificate with Baruch College in non- profit management. She completed her undergraduate studies in Marketing at Rockhurst University.