Mark Lantz

Mark Lantz Alumnus

CSU alumnus Mark Lantz knows firsthand the value of a CSU education. Mark has built a successful career in advertising, but it wasn’t without challenges in making ends meet to stay in college and earn his degrees. After learning about CSU’s 2-for-1 tuition promise, Mark decided to explore what he could do to incentivize students to stay in college and graduate.

In December of 2020, Mark established his second immediate use scholarship at CSU, The Mark Lantz Next Step Scholarship Fund. Mark stated, “I know a lot of Cleveland State students are proud of putting themselves through college. I’m one of them. That doesn’t mean we can’t use a little help along the way. And that’s what this scholarship fund is trying to do.”

Student retention from freshman to sophomore year is critical and an early indicator of academic success. Attrition rates trend less with each academic year once students stay in college during this important transition. The Mark Lantz Next Step Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance to students entering their sophomore year who met the criteria for and received the 2-for-1 tuition promise the previous spring, have declared a major in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), and have demonstrated financial need. The first of these scholarships were granted in the fall of 2021. One of the scholarship recipients, an Art and Design major, made the following statement of appreciation to Mark for his support: “I am so thankful for your generous donation. You have given me the opportunity to pursue a career that I am passionate about. You have helped me and many other young people in more ways than you can imagine, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Mark earned his BA in English in 1987 and his MA in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology in 1990 from CSU. Mark co-founded Factory Detroit Inc., a creative agency, in 2013.

Just prior to co-founding Factory Detroit, Mark was Chief Strategy Officer with McCann Erickson in Detroit and one of the creators of the groundbreaking tourism campaign “Pure Michigan.” Mark also held positions at FCB San Francisco, Ogilvy & Mather Chicago, Rubin Postaer in LA and Wyse Advertising in Cleveland.

Mark became reconnected with CSU when he joined the CLASS Visiting Committee in 2016. Before establishing the Next Step Scholarship Fund, Mark created his first immediate use scholarship fund in 2015 which provided scholarships to graduate students studying Applied Communication Theory and Methodology. Mark also donated professional services to create “The Story of Us” in 2018 for CLASS. “The Story of Us” is an advertising campaign consisting of videos of three signature class programs which were accessible online, through email blasts, social media posts, a dedicated web page and posters distributed to target audiences in Northeast Ohio including community leaders and prospective students.

Dr. Allyson Robichaud, Interim Dean of CLASS, noted her enthusiasm for this scholarship: “We are grateful that Mark stepped up to share his expertise with CLASS as a Visiting Committee member, a donor and an alumnus who cares about the future of CSU and our students. His ongoing support and the Next Step Scholarship Fund are leading examples of philanthropy and pivotal to our students on so many levels. Thank you, Mark, for providing CLASS students with that important Next Step to success.”