Sheena made history as the first out LGBTQ+ woman of color elected to a school board in Northwest Ohio!
Biography
Sheena Barnes brings years of community engagement experience and serves as a Subject Matter Expert with regard to trauma-informed care and diversity, equity, and inclusion. They have a vested interest in seeking to address the correlation of trauma to reactive negative behaviors in youth and is a passionate advocate for youth crisis intervention resources. As Director of Inclusion and Access for The Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board, where Barnes provides support for the advancement of inclusion and access throughout TLCHB and the local homelessness response system.
In 2019, Sheena Barnes was elected by Toledo voters to serve on the Toledo Public School Board. In addition to TPS, Sheena also serves as a board member for Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE)/ Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO), Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center, Scouts of America for Erie Shores Council, The National Black Justice Coalition and The Buckeye Flame. Director Barnes previously served on the Family House Board of Directors.
Prior to joining TLCHB, she served as Executive Director of Equality Toledo and also founded a consulting business— Just ACTS LLC— that assisted non-profit agencies and businesses in creating affirming work environments for their staff and customers with a focus on intersectionality with the LGBTQ+ community. Sheena Barnes is a Flint, Michigan native who has resided in Toledo, Ohio for 15 years with their three children. In her free time, Sheena likes to learn new things.