Idotha Bootsie Neal

Idotha Bootsie Neal is the President of Wright Dunbar, Inc. Wright Dunbar, Inc. is a non-profit Main Street Program dedicated to the revitalization of the historic Wright-Dunbar commercial district in Dayton, Ohio. She earned her B.A. Degree in Sociology with a minor in Secondary Education from Howard University, in Washington, DC and her Masters Degree in Counselor Education in Human Services from the University of Dayton.

Idotha has completed post-graduate coursework towards a Masters Degree in Public Administration at the University of Dayton. She is a motivational speaker and the owner of Neal and Associates, a training consulting firm. She has presented at the United Nations and conducted numerous workshops nationally and internationally. She has been a guest lecturer/speaker in South Africa, Brazil, Bosnia, Germany, Japan, and Zambia. In 1989, she was appointed by the Governor of the State of Ohio to serve as a Commissioner on the Ohio Lottery.

In 1991, Idotha was elected the first African American female to serve on the Dayton City Commission. She supported legislation to reduce poverty and to stop predatory lending. Idotha proposed civil services changes to diversify the safety forces and formed non-partisan partnerships that helped move the city of Dayton forward. Also, Idotha is the recipient of many prestigious awards for her community service