September 2026 Ascending Women

Join us for our September Ascending Women Panel!

Ascending Women is an event series featuring strong, inspiring women who have overcome big challenges. It's an opportunity to connect, learn from, and grow with each other.

This Ascending Women event will focus on A Celebration of Executive Presence

This panel will include:

• LaNae Barnes Market Executive Bank of America

• Michele O’Rourke CEO O’Rourke Wrecking Company

• Paaras Parker Chief Human Resources Officer Optro

Panelists -

LaNae Barnes Market Executive Bank of America

LaNae Barnes serves as Market Executive for Bank of America in Cincinnati, where she leads

the development and execution of the local market strategy to drive business growth,

strengthen community partnerships, and enhance employee engagement. LaNae brings a

values-driven leadership approach grounded in equity, inclusion, and strategic impact.

In her role, LaNae partners with the Market President Leadership Team to connect

clients—ranging from individuals and families to small businesses and large

institutions—with the full breadth of Bank of America’s financial capabilities. She also

oversees philanthropic investments, sponsorships, and nonprofit partnerships, aligning the

bank’s resources with the needs of the community to address economic mobility and

advance racial and social equity.

Since joining Bank of America in 2015, LaNae has held multiple leadership positions,

including Preferred Lending Market Leader for Ohio and Pittsburgh. She is actively engaged

in enterprise-wide efforts that foster professional development and cultural transformation,

and she serves as a champion for inclusive leadership through her involvement in the Black

Profession Group Employee Network as Executive Co – Sponsor of the Ohio Chapter.

She resides in West Chester, OH with her husband and their twin daughters. She also serves

on the Board of Directors for the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, Cincinnati Parks Foundation,

and The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.

Michele O’Rourke CEO O’Rourke Wrecking Company

Michele O’Rourke is the CEO of O’Rourke Wrecking Company (O’ROURKE), a Cincinnati-

based, family-owned demolition and environmental remediation contractor founded in 1962.

With more than 30 years in the construction industry, she leads complex projects nationwide and

is a strong advocate for mentorship and workforce development. Michele serves on the Ohio

Governor’s Workforce Board, is a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati, and has been recognized as

a Cincinnati Business Courier Women Who Mean Business honoree.

Paaras Parker Chief Human Resources Officer Optro

Paaras Parker is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Optro, where she is passionate about building inclusive, high-growth workplaces that unlock the potential of people and teams. She oversees all facets of the people function, from recruitment and talent strategy to compensation, benefits, learning, diversity and inclusion, and organizational design.

Before joining Optro , Paaras served as the Chief People Officer at Greenhouse Software and Chief HR Officer at Paycor, Inc., and held HR leadership roles at well-known consumer brands including Victoria’s Secret, U.S. Bank, Global Lead, Macy’s and Kroger. Across her career, she has built a reputation for advancing talent development, driving equity and inclusion, and scaling people practices in high-growth environments.

Outside of work, Paaras is deeply engaged in her community. She serves on the Advisory Board for Airvet and is on the Board of Directors for the YWCA. She previously served on the Boards of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Her leadership has been widely recognized, with honors including CHRO of the Year, Forty Under 40, and Top Woman in Grocery. She is also a proud alum of Leadership Cincinnati, C-Change, and the Harvard Executive Women on Boards Program.

Moderated by Rhiannon Hoeweler - MadTree Brewing Co.

Proudly presented by Amend Consulting LLC & Burke.

In partnership with Power to Pursue.