On November 4th, The Modern’s President, Jessica Barry, participated in the 2023 Dancing with the Kettering Stars fundraiser hosted by the Kettering Police Foundation at the Presidential Banquet Center in Kettering, Ohio. Faculty and staff attended the event to support the local police and cheer on their president.

During this community event, board members shared moving stories of the Foundation’s work, which has improved the quality of life in Kettering. The strength of the Kettering community was evident through inspirational stories shared by those who have benefited from the Foundation’s mission.

The Foundation paired Barry and other community leaders with professional ballroom dance instructors from Arthur Murray Dayton, and they performed dance routines for a panel of judges. With no ballroom dancing experience, Jessica and the other participants spent the past few months training for the event at Arthur Murray Dayton’s Miamisburg studio. She and her partner, Kaleb Dilger, performed the Swing to a Cincinnati Bengals-inspired routine.

Kettering City Manager Matt Greeson and his dance partner Rebekah Harris won the People’s Choice award. Kettering Crime Analyst Meghan Yost and her partner Orion Gullett won the Judge’s Award. Other participants included Kettering City Schools Superintendent Mindy McCarty-Stewart, Miami Valley Hospital Director of Cardiology and Respiratory Services Mike McKewen, and Former US Air Force Officer and current Dor-Wood Optimist Club President Mike Zywien.

The Modern was pleased to give back to the Kettering Police Department and thank them for their many years of service to The Modern. Faculty and staff members enjoyed networking with community leaders, neighbors, and friends of The Modern.

“We are grateful for the support the Kettering Police have provided us throughout our 40-year history in Kettering, and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to thank them by participating in this fun and meaningful event,” states The Modern College of Design President Jessica Barry.