FAIRFIELD, OH (January 31, 2022)—The team at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields has just landed four top-prospect acquisitions.
After a unanimous vote by the current board at their January meeting, The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields are excited to welcome Chad Clemons, Jennie Endsley, Heather Innis, and Nicole Packer to the organization’s Board of Directors.
“Our great team just got even greater with the induction of these new board members,” said Kim Nuxhall, volunteer president and board chairman of The Nuxhall Foundation. “We are committed to creating a board full of individuals who have diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and each of our new members approach the work we do from a different vantage point. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that our Board of Directors is moving in the right direction.”
Chad Clemons
Chad Clemons is a licensed financial advisor with Edward Jones, who manages his own practice in Fairfield. A committed member of the community, Clemons currently serves on the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce Board and is a past president of the Fairfield Rotary Club. Having volunteered with his family at The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, Clemons has seen the difference made by The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields in the Greater Cincinnati community.
“My family and I love to give back in the communities where we work and play,” says Clemons. “I have always had a passion for children and adults with special abilities, and I can’t wait to help extend the vision of The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields throughout the region.”
Clemons lives with his wife, Erin, and two children, Mary Alice and William, in West Chester. Both Chad and Erin were student-athletes in track and field at Kent State University.
Jennie Endsley
Jennie Endsley is the Senior Finance Specialist with The Great Miami Valley YMCA, and has led the Y’s Youth Miracle League program since 2017. Endsley’s leadership of the youth league, especially her adaptive leadership during the COVID pandemic, have ensured recreational opportunities for hundreds of special needs athletes in our community.
“My experience with the Nuxhall Miracle League Fields began in 2013 when my daughter asked me if she could volunteer there,” says Endsley. “I hadn’t planned to get involved, but I was asked to step in as a coach—and I was immediately hooked. My Saturdays have been more joyous as a result of the time I spend at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, and I’m looking forward to advocating for our players as we make decisions for the organization.”
Jennie lives in Fairfield and has two daughters, Beth and Anna.
Heather Innis
Heather Innis is a Special Education Instructional Aide in a social communication classroom at Hopewell Early Childhood School, and is also a Miracle League parent. Her son, Ethan, has found purpose as a player in the Great Miami Valley YMCA Youth League, which introduced Innis to The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields. In 2016, Innis completed the prestigious Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and The University of Cincinnati. With an extensive volunteer and advocacy resume, Heather has served in numerous volunteer capacities for the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Family Advisory Council, the Autism Speaks Family Advisory Council, and Ohio’s Department of Health Infant Mortality Cytomegalovirus (CMV) initiatives.
“Watching my son experience a true sense of belonging at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields inspires me to serve so we can create that opportunity for many more families throughout our region,” says Innis. “I am excited to help create new opportunities and partnerships that benefit the players and families we serve.”
Innis lives with her husband, Richard, and son, Ethan, in West Chester. Both Heather and Richard are graduates of Ohio University.
Nicole Packer
Also a Miracle League parent, Nicole Packer is a preschool teacher with the YMCA. Nicole’s son, Levi, is a familiar, smiling face at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, having previously served as an ambassador for the organization. Nicole and her family can often be found in the grandstands at the fields, watching Levi experience joy and a sense of belonging through the Great Miami Valley YMCA Youth League.
“My experience as a parent of a special needs child and YMCA preschool teacher give me unique insights on the needs of the families we serve,” says Packer. “I am honored to bring these insights to the leadership table, and I plan to serve initiatives and programs that will continue the legacy of this wonderful community treasure.”
Packer lives with her husband, Larry, in Cincinnati. They have five children: LeDon, Ashley, LeMar, Christopher, and Levi.
Sustainability in Leadership
As the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields “round third and head for home” on their first decade of operation, ensuring a sustainable leadership team for the future was a primary objective says Nuxhall Foundation executive director Tyler Bradshaw.
“Within every component of The Nuxhall Foundation, we are committed to creating initiatives, programs, and facilities that reflect permanence. We want everything we create today to be bigger and better centuries from now. Just like The Ole Lefthander himself, we are focused on long-term loyalty to this community and our vision.”
Directed by The Nuxhall Foundation, the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields provide an entirely accessible baseball and recreational facility where every player with every challenge gets every chance to play. More than 200 players between ages 4 to 78 participate in programs at the Miracle League Fields. The Nuxhall Foundation is the legacy foundation for former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, Joe Nuxhall. For more information, visit http://www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org.