The Bridge 3/26: Outstanding Women of Beaver County and the start of spring

March is Women's History Month, and to celebrate, The Bridge asked Beaver County residents to nominate outstanding women in the county.

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Jeannice Barrett

Jeannice Barrett is "the strongest woman I know," her nominator wrote. She is a kidney transplant survivor, the creator of an online platform called Hope & Help that focuses on women's issues and includes topics such as mental health, nutrition, heart disease, Black history and more.

She is heavily involved in her community serving on numerous boards and volunteering at a variety of nonprofits and initiatives including SJO Cares, Beaver County Community & Law Enforcement Coalition (BCCLEC), Midland Economic Development Corp., Unity Choir through Inclusion Diversity & Awareness Council (IDAC), Community Development of Beaver County, Chozen Pieces and more. In addition to working part-time she also cares for her elderly sister who has Alzheimer's disease.

"She just keeps going like the energizer bunny. We are so thankful for her and we thank God that she is still making an impact in her community and in Beaver County," her nominator wrote.

Seairra Barrett

Seairra Barrett is an athlete who received dozens of accolades during her time playing four sports at California University of Pennsylvania (now Penn West University), including playing professionally overseas in Iceland and Finland. She worked as a head coach at CCBC until she became Program Manager of Community Development of Beaver County.

In addition to her work for the county, she also started her own nonprofit in 2025 called C-Bear Cares which supports mental health initiatives and provides resources to dismantle barriers faced by low-income individuals and those in threatening situations. She also volunteers at a variety of nonprofits and initiatives in the county.

"Seairra is about the people and the community," her nominator wrote. "She is working on so many ventures to help Beaver County — to the kids, the homeless and others in between."

Kara Dornish

Kara Dornish is "a tireless advocate, compassionate leader and transformative force in the lives of families across western Pennsylvania affected by bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, von Willebrand disease and other rare bleeding disorders," her nominator wrote.

As the executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Bleeding Disorders Foundation (WPBDF), she provides essential resources, education and support to families navigating challenging diagnoses. She has spearheaded initiatives that address critical gaps in care, with a particular focus on the unique issues women and girls face when living with bleeding disorders—conditions that are often underdiagnosed or misunderstood in female patients.

Her all-women team describes her leadership as "graceful, empathetic and inspiring. She fosters an environment of mutual respect and shared purpose that allows the foundation to thrive."

Additionally, her nominator wrote, "awarding her this recognition would celebrate not only her personal excellence but also the profound difference one dedicated individual can make in an entire region's health landscape."

Nathalie Dragan

Nathalie Dragan is a minister and worship leader at Living Water Family Church in Center Twp. She and her husband Doug have been in ministry for 30 years at various locations and neighborhoods throughout Beaver County. Nathalie was trained on the violin for 12 years and taught herself how to play the guitar.

Nathalie loves to spend time in the community and getting to know people. Through her church, she listens to community members, gives food donations to those in need and offers prayer wherever she can. In addition to serving her community, she loves her golden retrievers, who often sit on her lap all at once.

"Nathalie is a selfless individual who dedicates her time and effort tirelessly to her church and community," her nominator wrote.

Wendy Elwell

Wendy Elwell runs Elwell Funny Farm in Baden. The farm has goats, chickens and beehives, and she has a variety of homemade goods for purchase in a shed storefront at the start of her property. In May, she will host a farmers' market in Baden as a way to promote local businesses and bring the community together.

"She is so ambitious, generous and always has her heart set on being kind and providing whatever she can for the people around her," her nominator wrote.

In fact, she gave goat milk soap and tallow balm to editor Dani Brown during The Bridge's visit with her. For Wendy, it's not about getting rich when she makes and sells these products — it's about providing something handmade with love to the community.

"When I turned 50, I wanted to give back. I want my grandkids to know me as someone who gave, not as someone who cares about how much they have," Wendy said.

Tina Price-Genes

Tina Price-Genes is an active member of the Aliquippa community. She serves as the president of the Aliquippa School Board, is an advocate and partner for youth at Aliquippa Impact and she teaches in her church. She also works in District Attorney Nate Bible's office as an Executive Administrative Assistant.

She is passionate about education and investing in youth and loves to build connections through collaborations. She leads with dignity and empathy and is devoted to seeing students, teachers, parents and families have the resources they need.

"Tina is full of joy, and full of love for her community," her nominator wrote. "She takes seriously her role as a leader in her city. She doesn’t boast, she just shows up for the young people in Aliquippa, whether it’s her own children or the students she serves on the school board. She is really present."

Photo by Latonya Owens

Amy Kerlin

Amy Kerlin is "the strongest, most loving, caring and compassionate person I have ever met," her nominator wrote.

She is a lawyer with K&L Gates, an adjunct law professor at Duquesne Law School as well as a wife, sister, mom, daughter and friend. She finds fulfillment in teaching the next generation of lawyers. To be a good lawyer, she says, "you have to be a good listener."

"She takes care of everyone and goes above and beyond for strangers. When I saw the post about nominating Outstanding Women of Beaver County, I immediately thought of her. She is not only my best friend but the person I most look up to," her nominator wrote.

Nina Kramer

Nina Kramer is the owner of Off the Hook Exotic Pets in Ambridge. She loves working with children and families to give them hands-on experiences with reptiles, amphibians and other exotic pets. She partners with various home school programs and is dedicated to teaching the public about how to care for their pets.

She is passionate about working with youth. In addition to teaching proper care for exotic pets, she also provides leadership opportunities as a way to help students to gain more confidence in themselves.

"One of the students that comes to the shop even won a big-time science fair in Pittsburgh," her nominator wrote. "She does a lot and is deserving for her dedication to the community and how she looks to make her store a focal point for Ambridge and the greater Pittsburgh pet community!"

Kari Nesmith

Kari Nesmith is the founder, owner and operator of RESET, a state-licensed women’s halfway house that provides a safe, structured and supportive environment for women in recovery. "Through RESET, Kari has created more than just a place to live—she has built a community centered on healing, accountability and hope," her nominator wrote.

Her program helps women rebuild their lives by providing stability, guidance and encouragement during one of the most vulnerable stages of recovery.

"What makes Kari truly outstanding is her ability to turn hardship into meaningful action. Her leadership is rooted in empathy, understanding and authenticity. She meets women where they are, offering both support and the belief that lasting change is possible. Because of her dedication, many women in Beaver County have been able to regain confidence, reconnect with their families, and move forward into healthier and more stable lives," her nominator wrote. "Her story and her work embody the true meaning of an outstanding woman—someone who not only rises above adversity but uses that journey to lift others along the way."

Jikkiko Owens

Jikkiko Owens is co-founder and CEO of SJO Cares, which holds events and programs such as the Young STAR Awards, Gracefully Broken Widows Retreat, Shon Owens Memorial Veteran Golf Outing, Unity Prayer, Kingdom Living Seminars, Shon Owens Unity Week and more. She also runs the Midland Economic Development Corporation and helps with the Beaver County Community & Law Enforcement Coalition (BCCLEC), along with being a part of Undivided in Christ, Hope & Help, Inclusion Diversity & Awareness Council (IDAC), Beaver County Collaborative Group, the Housing & Homeless Coalition and she is also part of the Beaver County Community Development board.

Jikkiko works at PA Cyber Charter School where she is an advisor to the high school and middle school clubs. Each club works on leadership skills through mentoring, mental health, community service and public speaking.

She is "one of the nicest and sweetest people," her nominator wrote. "She always does things out of the kindness of her heart. She is always looking for ways to improve and make an impact on others. It has never been about her…it has always been about glorifying God and the people! She is always behind the scenes and never wants to be seen or heard. She lost her husband unexpectedly in May of 2023 and she is still going by the grace of God. She is so deserving of this nomination and much more!"

Christina Siceloff

Christina Siceloff is a South Beaver Twp. resident who, after the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, became an advocate for her community.

"While most people were just trying to make sense of what happened, Christina put herself on the front lines to protect her community and the communities downstream," her nominator wrote.

Christina has spent countless hours monitoring creeks and waterways that run through both Ohio and Pennsylvania, often at personal risk to her own health. She has been a steady voice for residents who felt dismissed or unheard and has helped people ask questions, demand transparency and fight for long-term health protections.

"She helped bring attention to environmental concerns that directly impact Beaver County and the broader region, understanding that pollution does not recognize state lines and that the health of our communities is connected," her nominator wrote. "Christina Siceloff represents resilience, selflessness, and grassroots leadership. For the people of Beaver County and the surrounding region, she has been a watchdog, an advocate and a neighbor who refused to look the other way."

Tonette Whitted

Tonette Whitted is the owner and CEO of Perspective Insights, where she offers professional counseling services. In addition to owning and managing her own private practice, Tonette is also a keynote speaker, workshop presenter and trainer.

"Tonette is a vital part of her community," her nominator wrote. "She is a wise therapist, a devoted friend and family member, and invests heavily in breaking down generational barriers to success in Black communities through her professional work and her work with the Black Action Network Committee."

Tonette loves her community and is an advocate for self-discovery, agency and unmasking trauma. She has been a therapist for more than 15 years.

"I am really impressed with how she takes her professional skills, her spiritual discipline and her love for her community and pours back into where she came from and the people there," her nominator wrote. "I learn something every time I hear her speak."

Photo by Michael Lang

HANOVER TWP. — As the weather warms and spring slowly makes its debut, it’s as if the Earth can finally take a deep breath.

Patricia “Trish” Noss calls spring a “jumpstart.”

“Everything starts with spring,” said Trish, operator of beef cattle and grain farm, Highland Homestead. “There’s new growth, new life. That’s when crops start to be planted and raised. That's when the trees come back to life. That’s when the baby birds show up. That’s when we get our baby pigs. Spring is definitely the jumpstart of the year.”

But even when the snow felt ceaseless and our cars and boots were coated in salt, many farmers are still busy. While many aspects of the Ag industry slow down or stop — like growing and harvesting crops and keeping pasture-raised chickens when it's 2 degrees outside — others accelerate.

In addition to operating Highland Homestead full time with her husband, Bud, Trish also owns a food truck and provides catering during the winter months. She partners with four or five local farms each month to provide a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box. And she sells her products at Janoski’s Farm and Greenhouse all year long and at the Sewickley Farmers’ Market over the winter, which remains open on the third Saturday of every month.

And in a little over a month, in Beaver County, farmers’ market season begins.

As a full-time farmer — as well as the president of the Beaver County Farmers’ Market and a board member of the Beaver and Lawrence County Farm Bureau — Trish, 32, is often thinking about how she can both keep her business viable for her family and make food more accessible for those who need it.

“We joined the farmers’ market just as vendors to begin with,” Trish said. “And then the more we got into Ag and the more our future kind of depended on it and our viability, I just felt the need to be involved. This is our future. Agriculture in Beaver County is important to me, and if you want it to stay alive and viable, you either help it or you don’t.”

So, when the previous farmers’ market president’s term was up, she decided to run for the role. She is about to enter into the last year of her first three-year term, two of which can be served consecutively.

The paperwork isn’t always fun, Trish joked, but there are “so many things that are.”

“I’ve gotten to connect with so many people, so many farmers. We get the opportunity to try to highlight agriculture in Beaver County and have connections between our community and our farmers — and that’s important to me,” Trish said.

She spearheaded the partnership between the Beaver County Farmers’ Market and RiverWise to accept SNAP benefits at the Ambridge and Chippewa Twp. markets. It was a historical move that made locally-grown produce more accessible in the county. For Trish, the decision was a no-brainer.

“If you can get more good food into the hands of more people, who loses? Nobody,” she said.

Changes in agriculture

“I’m a first generation farmer. I married into this gig,” Trish said with a laugh as we trekked portions of the 242-acre beef cattle and grain farm. While her mother-in-law Ellen owns the land, she and husband Bud run the farm.

When Trish and Bud started farming together, they wanted to sell their meat directly to the public rather than only offering half and whole cows, and they also wanted to increase what they kept on the land. So, they got a few chickens and pigs. Not long after that, Trish said things quickly took off.

“We went from raising four pigs to 50 pigs,” she said. “We went from raising 100 chickens a summer to now we raise 1,000 every six weeks.”

Trish and Bud didn’t become full-time farmers until the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also when they bought their food truck and continued expanding their business.

The pandemic left no industry — or individual, for that matter — unscathed. But Trish said it caused the public to start asking important questions related to agriculture.

“For the first time people learned about food insecurity,” she said. “For the first time people were asking, ‘Why are the shelves empty at my grocery store’ or ‘Where is my food coming from?’”

In many ways, the pandemic highlighted the need for local farmers. In fact, Trish said there are so many important roles in agriculture, and they’re all needed.

“Everyone’s important,” she said. “There’s not a one-size-fits-all for agriculture at all. We all play our own roles.”

From dairy and cattle farmers to produce farmers and beekeepers to those who own a few chickens — it’s all valuable. In fact, Trish said being a part of agriculture doesn’t even require owning a lot of land.

“I don’t think people actually realize how much they can produce on an acre. It’s very underestimated,” she said. “If your goal is just to provide for your family, chickens are a great place to start. They produce something every day. They don’t take up a lot of room so long as you live wherever that doesn’t have ordinances against them. But even produce, you don’t have to have a ton of property at all to be a part of agriculture.”

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture by the USDA, the average age of farmers in the U.S. is 58 years old. But recent trends on social media such as the #FarmGirlSummer is romanticizing farming, and some younger women farmers say it’s bringing more visibility to the industry. This article published in The Packer features four farming influencers who discuss why the “farm girl aesthetic” is increasing awareness of agriculture

Social media is also popularizing homesteading, according to an article by the Seattle Times. “Hashtags like #homesteading, #selfsustainable and #offgridliving, with billions of views collectively, have helped homesteading content reach new heights,” the article reads.

For Trish, while romanticizing farm life isn’t necessarily up her alley, she would love to see the younger generations step into the industry.

“Young people definitely have an opportunity in Ag,” she said.

Follow Highland Homestead on Facebook here.