Make-A-Day Founders & Board of Directors
Kyle Barger
CO-FOUNDER, FORMER BOARD PRESIDENT
What doesn’t Kyle do? You can find him either running around events, engaging in push up contests, checking in on guests, or sharing a laugh.
Outside of service, Kyle is a social entrepreneur leading Barger Property Ventures, Vohnt On-Demand Car Care, The Champion Trading Group, and loving on his girls Lisa, Charlie, and Cleopatra.
Alex Emrich
CO-FOUNDER, BOARD SECRETARY, & FOOD SERVICES MANAGER
Alex is the man behind the meal. Serving up award winning Burgers and Fries from his food truck Street Thyme (vegan options too!). Alex has a passion for bringing people together through food.
When Alex isn’t creating the next mind blowing menu item he enjoys CBJ hockey, frisbee golf, his pup Riley, live music and his little lady Lauren.
Rebekah Lowe
CO-FOUNDER, BOARD MEMBER
Rebekah and her team are the engineers behind the smiles, confidence and joy from each of our guests after their street salon experience.
When Rebekah isn’t serving she runs B.Rose Beauty Bar, Mom’s 3 beautiful babies and teaches salon owners and stylists all over the country how to level up!
Alison Forche
BOARD PRESIDENT
Alison is a key member of Gerber’s business development team, building strong referral relationships with local business leaders and partners. A people-person with boundless energy, she enjoys attending networking events and supporting locally owned businesses. She earned a BA in psychology from The Ohio State University and a Summa Cum Laude Juris Doctorate from Capital University School of Law. Before joining Gerber, Alison managed Rob Forche Orthodontics and practiced law in family and eldercare mediation. Originally from Memphis, she married her high school sweetheart Rob in 1995, and they live in Pickerington with their children, Ashley and Dylan. Outside of work, Alison enjoys yoga, hiking, skiing, volunteering, and continuous learning through podcasts and books.
Shauntae Green
BOARD VICE PRESIDENT
Shauntae Greene currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Contract Management with Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority. Shauntae has 16 years of affordable and market rate housing experience which she leveraged when starting her own consulting company. Shauntae is a proponent of higher education, having earned her Associate of Arts in Accounting, Bachelor of Arts in Finance, and Master of Business Administration from Morehead State University.
Shauntae is passionate about mental health advocacy and efforts to improve affordable housing opportunities within marginalized communities.
Christina Brown
BOARD MEMBER
Christina Brown has been with Huntington National Bank for the past 13 years and is currently the regional director of community philanthropy and engagement. She specializes in strategic leadership of community partnerships, grant programs, and colleague engagement with nonprofit organizations.
Make-A-Day Staff
Christy Hayes
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Christy is a passionate and dedicated executive leader with 20 years of non-profit experience developing programs and leading projects in housing, early education, mental health, and youth justice. Christy values diversity and inclusivity and is known for creating solutions that transform and improve organizations. As a former foster youth, she understands the value of finding home.
Christy is a recent Ohio transplant and lives with her partner, Alyssa, and their two dogs. You can find her running races in costume, hanging out in her library, or watching Supernatural.
Wade Biglin
HOUSING RESOURCE SPECIALIST
An Ohio native and OSU Alumni, Wade is MAD’s Housing Resource Specialist. After years of volunteering in the Columbus community and seeing the gaps our most vulnerable fall into, he was drawn to help with the emerging housing crisis. You can find him at our events assisting those with housing instability in finding creative solutions to their housing problems.
When he isn't fighting for affordable housing, Wade enjoys scuba diving, video games, good books, woodworking, game nights with friends, and tinkering on bikes in the garage.
Anthony Brown-Varner
OUTREACH SPECIALIST
A Michigan native, Anthony is dedicated to serving individuals in need, regardless of their background. With experience in diverse fields such as direct care for persons with disabilities, mental health and substance abuse, homelessness, and re-entry, he brings a compassionate and non-judgmental approach to his role at Make-A-Day. As a certified Peer Support Specialist and chemical dependency counseling assistant (CDCA), Anthony focuses on providing empathetic support, staying client-centered, and building community connections to help clients succeed. He lives in the greater Columbus area with his husband and their rescue dog, Solomon, and enjoys church, cooking, bike riding, walking, playing UNO, and spending time with family.
Amanda Radke
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Amanda is Make-A-Day's newest AmeriCorps VISTA, serving to build up MAD's volunteer program. Although originally from the State Up North, she was raised an OSU fan and received a bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Otterbein University in the spring of 2024. There she also ran track, hosted a radio show, and served as a first-year mentor.
When not serving, Amanda enjoys traveling, reading books of all genres, tending to her plants, and taking advantage of all the adventures Columbus offers.