The International Women’s Gathering is an annual event that brings women together in celebration of International Women’s Day. Under the International Women’s Day 2022 theme “Break the Bias,” a dynamic panel of diverse speakers will share their journeys of their rise to success. Learn more about our speakers and performer by reading their bios below. Purchase tickets to the International Women’s Gathering here.
Myla Eldridge
Gloria Griesinger
Anita Lerche
Rupal Thanawala
Tiffany Vivo
Clerk Myla A. Eldridge
Myla A. Eldridge is a dedicated public servant who has a decade of experience in the Marion County Clerk’s Office. Her experience, skills and passion for people led her to become the First African American Clerk of Marion County in 2015. Clerk Eldridge’s priority is to make sure Marion County residents are always first. Her focus is ensuring that everyone has access to voting and those who want to cast a ballot is able to do so; providing excellent customer service to everyone who utilizes the Clerk’s Office; improving the administration of justice by making it easier for people to file court cases; and helping citizens understand the government that exists to serve them.
Clerk Eldridge brings over a decade of experience administering elections to the Marion County Clerk’s Office. Clerk Eldridge previously served as Director of Elections and Deputy Director of Elections the Marion County Election Board. While working for the election board, Ms. Eldridge created a poll worker recruitment program, and provided training for over 3,000 poll workers each election. To date, Clerk Eldridge has had a major role in conducting 16 Primary and General Elections, and two Special Elections, totaling 18 elections.
Additionally, Clerk Eldridge serves as an advocate for the community where she frequently speaks about the voting process and Election issues throughout Marion County. Clerk Eldridge manages special outreach programs such as the “yVote” initiative that teaches high school students about the importance of Democracy. Under the “yVote” program, thousands of eligible high school students in Indianapolis have registered to vote. Clerk Eldridge also attends weekly Naturalization ceremonies, where the Clerk welcomes immigrants that becomes new U.S. citizens. Clerk Eldridge has helped thousands of new citizens do their first act as a U.S. citizen—register to vote.
In her capacity as Marion County Clerk, Ms. Eldridge serves as the Secretary of the Marion County Election Board; Member of the Enhanced Access Review Committee; Chair of the Criminal Justice Planning Council, and Member of the City of Indianapolis’ IT Board.
From 2001-2006, Ms. Eldridge served the City of Indianapolis in the Peterson administration as an Executive Associate in Economic Development and Cultural Tourism. Myla previously served in the Indiana Department of Commerce in the Frank O’Bannon administration as an Information Specialist for the International Trade Division and in the Joe Kernan administration as the Communications and Education Specialist for Indiana Main Street and Tourism Division.
Clerk Eldridge currently serves as a proud member of the National Council of Negro Women (Indianapolis Chapter), and the Association of Clerks of Indiana Circuit Courts of Indiana. From 2008 through 2012, under the umbrella of Mount Zion Apostolic Church Clerk Eldridge served as the Executive Director for NICSC – The Northeast Indianapolis Community Service Corporation and previously served on the Board for The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, Inc. Clerk Eldridge is a native of Indianapolis, attended Indianapolis public schools, and is a graduate of John Marshall High School. Ms. Eldridge also attended Lockyear Business College.
Gloria L. Griesinger, CTP
Assistant Treasurer – Global Pension Investments and M&A Support
Cummins Inc.
Gloria has nearly 40 years of experience in international corporate finance, treasury, risk management and investments with multinational firms including Cummins Inc., Whirlpool Corporation, Eli Lilly & Company, Ingredion, Goss Graphics Systems and Ball Corporation. At Cummins, Gloria has responsibility for global pension investments, the Cummins Foundation and the Dynamo captive insurance fund. Previously, she led global treasury operations at Cummins. She began her career designing systems to simulate genetic engineering, had a development role in pharmaceutical sales and spent time administering benefit plans. Her treasury and finance career began in pension investments and subsequently held leadership positions in all areas of treasury. In addition, Gloria has lived and worked in Brasil, where she maintained her own consulting business for agricultural investing. Gloria studied at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantitative Business Analysis and a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing. Gloria is fluent in Portuguese and speaks Spanish. She is also a member of the board of advisors and the investment and finance councils for the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and the investment committee of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. She has two adult children, Rachel and Benjamin who live in New York City and Los Angeles respectively.
Anita Lerche
Anita Lerche is a Billboard Top-5 Charting internationally acclaimed award-winning singer, songwriter and composer. She originates from Denmark and was the first non-Asian woman from the West to release an album in Punjabi. Anita’s voice is extremely versatile and she masters music genres like Musical Theatre, Pop, Cabaret, Devotional and Bhangra. Her latest solo album ‘Love Is My Religion’ conveys a strong message of love and unity across all borders and religions. The album won Anita the ‘Best Female Vocalist Award’ at the Global Music Awards 2021.
Anita is a voting member of The Recording Academy.
Rupal Thanawala
Rupal is a business and digital strategy executive with deep expertise in providing Virtual CxO advisory services to start-up to Fortune 500 clients to drive business outcomes through Innovation, M&A Divestitures and Digital transformation. Her experience ranges from establishing new business operations and clients, launching new products, leading large-scale global engagement, owning P&L, branding and marketing management to corporate responsibility. She provided strategy and digital solution services for supply chain, finance, HR, manufacturing, social media, regulatory compliance and quality across multiple industries. She is passionate about her community and champions programs related to mentoring youth and women, education, technology, entrepreneurship, education, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Tiffany Vivo
Tiffany U. Vivo was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States when she was 11 years old. She grew up in Merrillville, a town in Northwest Indiana, just outside of Chicago, Illinois. She attended Merrillville High School.
Ms. Vivo attended Valparaiso University. She majored in Political Science and Communications and minored in Japanese. After graduating from college, Ms. Vivo attended law school at Valparaiso University School of Law. Following graduation in 2000, Ms. Vivo moved to Indianapolis. She worked at a bankruptcy law firm and later opened her own practice that focused primarily on family law. Ms. Vivo incorporated immigration law into her practice and later transitioned her practice to serving only immigration clients. Ms. Vivo’s immigration practice included representation in family-based petitions, affirmative petitions such as asylum, appeals and deportation defense.
In addition to her private practice, Ms. Vivo was a Contract Public Defender for Marion County. Ms. Vivo defended parents whose children were removed from the home by DCS as a result of abuse and/or neglect and she also represented parents whose rights were being terminated. Ms. Vivo also served as a part-time intake attorney for the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society in which she screened clients for eligibility.
In 2011, Ms. Vivo was appointed to serve as Commissioner in the Marion Superior Court bench. She served in this capacity for 4 years. She was later promoted to Magistrate in Marion Circuit Court where she served for 5 years. Ms. Vivo returned to Marion Superior Court as a Magistrate in 2020. In December, 2021, she was appointed by Governor Holcomb as Marion Circuit Court Judge. Marion Circuit Court was created under the Indiana Constitution. Ms. Vivo is the first Asian American to hold this office. Ms. Vivo’s background on the bench includes criminal, civil and family law.