Crain's Cleveland Business, November 20, 2023 by Crain's Cleveland Business

CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I NOVEMBER 20, 2023

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Presenting the best and brightest professionals in Northeast Ohio. CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 2023 Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40 honorees’ success sets them apart from their peers. Each individual is striving to strengthen the region and make a difference in their community. PAGE 8

Bibb reflects on ups and downs of his first two years at City Hall ◗ Lakefront development:

By Kim Palmer

◗ Crime: Bibb knows city can’t

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, the city’s 58th mayor and the first millennial to have the job, is nearing the mid-way mark of his first term. And while he’s reflecting on that time, he’s also looking toward the future.

Mayor wants a second term to work on latest plan. PAGE 36 succeed without tackling real and perceived problems. PAGE 37

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“Hell, yes. Hell yes. I’m running in 2025,” Bibb told Crain’s during an extended interview at his office in early November. “I look forward to talking about the progress we’ve made and the progress that’s to come, as the administration continues to build this ‘Cleveland can’t wait’ movement.”

But before discussing what he hopes to accomplish ahead of that run and in a potential second term, he walked through some of the ups and downs of his first two years as mayor. A mayor can be considered the city’s CEO and, undoubtedly, Bibb came into office with more private

than public sector experience. (He was even a Crain’s 40 Under 40 honoree in 2020.) During his campaign, he promised to leverage that corporate and non-profit background to reimagine and modernize Cleveland’s city hall See BIBB on Page 38

REAL ESTATE More investors are seeking Ohio tax credits tied to Opportunity Zone projects. But high interest rates and a lending pullback could dampen momentum. PAGE 3

11/17/23 1:33 PM

Browns RB Nick Chubb gets a Hallmark moment By Joe Scalzo

Well, way up north where the air gets cold There’s a tale about Christmas that you’ve all been told. And a real famous Brown who hurt his knee. But that won’t keep him off your tree. It’s the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)! It’s the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)! — If there’s one positive that’s come out of a disappointing season for Nick Chubb, it’s this: He got his Hallmark moment. The Cleveland Browns running back — who has achieved near-sainthood during his six seasons with the team — was one of five NFL players chosen by Hallmark for its 2023 line of Keepsake Ornaments, alongside Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris. The ornament, which retails for $22.99, is about 4½ inches tall and features the four-time Pro

Bowler on the move with a football tucked under his arm. That’s something Clevelanders haven’t been able to see since the Steelers’ resident Grinch, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, ended Chubb’s season with a helmet to his knee on Sept. 18, tearing Chubb’s MCL. Chubb is the first Browns player to be featured by Hallmark since quarterback Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. were immortalized in 2020. (Hallmark also turned then-Browns linebacker Scott Fujita into an ornament in 2012.) “The best thing about it is I know my nephew and nieces will love the ornament,” Chubb said through the team. “I remember as a kid decorating our Christmas tree with my mom, brother and sister so it’s pretty cool to have an ornament so families can put me on their tree.” While we can’t answer the obvious question — Why did Hallmark make a Scott Fujita ornament? — we can shed some light on other parts of the process thanks to Tara Adams, the Keepsake Ornaments Merchant at Hallmark. Adams recently answered a few questions by email.

How do you choose which athletes to feature each year? Do they get input? We work with our partners at the NFLPA; through our official license, we have access to a large roster of active NFL players to choose from. We look at previous years’ collections and who is currently trending in the marketplace, and will still be on the team in the coming years. Our goal is to have representation across teams and positions.

Browns running back Nick Chubb was one of five NFL players chosen for Hallmark’s Keepsake Ornament line in 2023. | HALLMARK

Why was Nick Chubb chosen? It had been a while since we have featured a Cleveland Browns player. With Nick being a rising star, we thought he would be a great player to feature. What happens when one of the players suffers an injury, like Nick did? Does it affect sales? While we never want to see any player get injured, fans still like to support their players and teams. How are these made? Are the players involved in the process? It is a true intersection of art and science. After using trends data to select our roster of players, our creative staff and artists use the likenesses of the players to inspire the concepts and bring the ornaments to life through drawing, sculpting and molds where they then work

on paint colors and any added attachments. Once everything is perfect and approved by the NFLPA, the ornaments are off to production.

with their own favorites. Each ornament series has a group who loves them. The wide variety of series allows us to be part of people’s traditions and memories.

How popular are NFL ornaments, compared to some other options (Peanuts, Star Wars, etc.)? There is a large community of ornament collectors, each

Anything else we should know? We are excited for Cleveland fans to celebrate one of the team’s top players with this addition to their holiday décor.

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11/17/23 8:08 AM

Opportunity Zone activity picks up in Ohio More investors are seeking tax credits tied to projects, but high interest rates and a lending pullback could dampen momentum By Michelle Jarboe

Across Ohio, money has been pouring into Opportunity Zones, federally blessed places where investors can delay and reduce their tax payments on capital gains. And more of those investors are taking advantage of a related state tax-credit program, according to public records. In early 2023, the Ohio Department of Development issued $42.2 million worth of tax-credit certificates tied to investments in Opportunity Zones. That’s up from $26.2 million in credits a year before, due in part to a temporary funding expansion. Lawyers and consultants say the credits are helping to lure out-of-state investors to the Buckeye State. They’re enabling developers to put more money into everything from downtown Cleveland apartment towers to revival efforts in smaller cities like Elyria and Painesville. But high interest rates, a rough real estate landscape and a lending pullback could dampen that activity. Even as proponents lobby to further grow the program, the demand outlook is murky. “There’s more investors than ever contacting us,” said Mike Sikora, a Cleveland attorney whose firm facilitates Opportunity Zone deals. “There’s more developers than ever contacting us. The developers working with us are pursuing more OZ deals than they’ve ever pursued.” But, he added, “what they are actually able to get done is just going to be dependent on market forces.” The federal Opportunity Zone program, designed for investors looking to save on capital gains taxes, is opaque. It’s tough to track where the money is flowing. Ohio’s tax-credit program is more broadly accessible — and transparent. Crain’s analyzed data from the Ohio Department of Development’s annual report and other public records to get a sense of the landscape. In the spring, investors received tax credits for putting $441 million into nearly 170 Ohio projects and businesses — more than 50 of them in Northeast Ohio. Collectively, those projects drew more than $1 billion in equity from special Opportunity Zone funds, state records show. Most were real estate deals, ranging from land assembly to office renovations to a new subdivision. A few were companies, including the Cleveland Soccer Group, which aims to bring professional soccer and a new stadium to the city. In Cleveland, a string of Opportunity Zone projects stretches from Ohio City and Tremont through downtown and out to University Circle. But there’s also activity in the suburbs, in

Investors in City Club Apartments’ project in downtown Cleveland have taken advantage of the Opportunity Zone tax credit program. The tower’s first tenants could move in around the turn of the year. City Club Apartments is a Detroit-area developer. | MICHELLE JARBOE

Brook Park, Bedford Heights and Garfield Heights. There are deals in Akron, Canton and Barberton. State officials recently processed another $21.6 million in tax-credit certificates to fulfill requests submitted in July, in the program’s first mid-year application round. The next wave of applications will be due in January, when officials will put roughly $28.4 million up for grabs. “I think it encourages investment — and it works,” said Terry Coyne, a real estate investor and broker in Cleveland. “The state of Ohio credits are probably among the best in the country.” He received credits early this year for putting money into an office-renovation project in Ohio City. The modest brick building, on Lorain Avenue, is leased to an internet service provider. City Club Apartments, a Detroit-area developer, has made heavy use of the Opportunity Zone program on large downtown projects in Cleveland and Cincinnati. State records show that Michigan investors plowed more than $37.4 million into those deals last year alone. In addition to federal tax benefits, they’ve received millions of dollars in state tax credits. Many investors sell the credits and put the proceeds back into their projects, or into new projects, to take advantage of long-term savings on capital gains taxes. During the last round of sales, tax-credit buyers paid 80 to 90 cents on the dollar, experts said. Jonathan Holtzman, the chairman and CEO of City Club Apartments, described the state incentives as “fundamental” to making his projects work in a challenging economic landscape. “We’re dealing with high interest rates and inflation, which is putting incredible pressure on the ability to make one of these brand-new apartment communities economically viable,” he said. “So the state of Ohio’s programs play an important part of this capital stack.” City Club’s Cleveland project, a 23-story tower that replaced a

Euclid Avenue parking lot, contains 304 apartments. The first tenants are on the verge of moving in. The complex also will feature a dog daycare and spa, a French restaurant, a basement speakeasy and a café. In Cincinnati, the City Club Apartments Union Central project will add 281 units to a 294unit complex and merge two historic towers into one residential community. The development includes an infinity pool and neighborhood retail, such as a salon, a dry cleaner and a pet store. “Of all the Midwest states, Ohio seems to be the most pro-business,” Holtzman said. The federal government created the Opportunity Zone program in 2017 as a sweetener for investors who put money into real estate projects and businesses in economically distressed places. Across the country, state officials subsequently chose certain Census tracts to qualify for those investments. The federal program provides tax deferral and savings to investors who want to shelter profits from the sale of other assets, such as stock, bonds or real estate. In 2019, Ohio was one of the first states to create a complementary tax credit. The state program offers an income tax credit of up to 10% of an applicant’s investment in a project in an Opportunity Zone. Individual awards are capped at $2 million per biennium. The investment does not have to involve redeploying capital gains. The program picked up traction gradually. In 2022, the General Assembly temporarily doubled the pool of tax credits to $50 million in each fiscal year. Legislators also added a mid-year application round, allowing investors to apply for credits in January and July. So far, investors have never hit the funding cap. But they’re coming close as the industry gets more comfortable with the program and the nuances of the federal and state rules.

“It was scary to start, but now I think people are understanding that you don’t need to use the federal structure in order to utilize the program,” said Alex Previts, an accountant and development finance manager at Project Management Consultants, or PMC, in Cleveland. Ohio ranks ninth in the nation for Opportunity Zone investments based on the amount of equity raised, according to an August report from Novogradac, an accounting and consulting firm. And the state had the largest number of Opportunity Zone projects, by far. That’s likely due to the tax-credit program’s reporting requirement, which makes it much easier to track deals. Similarly, Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati were the top-ranked cities in the nation by sheer number of projects. Cleveland ranked 18th in the country based on total equity raised. PMC has worked with dozens of Opportunity Zone investors and manages a fund, with accounting firm Cohen & Co., to syndicate state tax credits. The fund buys credits from investors who don’t plan to use them and sells credits to wealthy individuals with liabilities to offset. “Appetite for the credits has increased,” said Ryan Sommers, PMC’s managing director of financial services. “We’ve never not sold all of our credits within 30 days of an award.” But Sommers believes Opportunity Zone investment activity has peaked, for now. “We see it decreasing based on the dislocation of the credit markets and the overall banking environment right now,” Sommers said. “The credit’s a catalyst, but it’s not going to make a deal that doesn’t pencil financially . . . move forward.” Green Harvest Capital, an Akron-area apartment landlord, has made use of the state tax-credit pro-

gram to buy and renovate older buildings, according to public records. The company is focused on modestly priced, workforce housing. A related joint venture, Spark GHC, also tapped the state tax credits for its acquisition of the Hampton Inn Cleveland Downtown hotel. That property is being upgraded with a renovated lobby and refreshed rooms, said Bhavin Patel, a Spark GHC and Green Harvest principal. “From a perspective of acquisition or capital improvement, everything helps,” Patel said of state and federal programs including Opportunity Zones. “We look at every variable.” But it’s almost impossible to get loans for hotel projects. And Green Harvest’s apartment deal volume is down 95% from a year ago, Patel said. “We’re pencils-down until there’s adjustment for various different asset classes,” he said. Despite the macroenvironment, advocates are asking legislators to put more money into the state’s program. And they’re lobbying for other changes, including the addition of insurance companies and financial institutions to the list of eligible tax-credit buyers. Today, users must be individuals, trusts, estates or pass-through entities. “I just don’t think there’s any way there’s going to be anywhere near enough to fund this program going forward,” said Sikora, who also is president-elect of NAIOP of Ohio, a commercial real estate industry group. He noted that the program’s annual cap is slated to fall back to $25 million after January. “This is one of the bright spots in commercial real estate activity,” he said. “This is a program that has finally started to realize success and benefit from momentum.”

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11/17/23 8:08 AM

New CBIZ headquarters aims to bring staffers back to office By Stan Bullard

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A blast of natural light greets visitors as they walk into the new sixth-floor entrance of CBIZ Inc., the publicly traded national financial, insurance and advisory firm headquartered in Independence. The traditional, isolated corporate reception area gets a rewrite as it is separated by a waist-high partition from a café filled with a variety of seating and a broad view of the downtown Cleveland skyline. The new headquarters, designed and built during COVID-19, is full of amenities to encourage CBIZ staffers to come in rather than work from home. With the anchor position of the new Welty Development multitenant building tied up, everything from the siting of the building on Rockside Woods Boulevard as well as the character of the offices got an exceptional level of collaboration between CBIZ, Welty and the Vocon architecture firm. Jerry Grisko, CEO of CBIZ, said in a Zoom interview that the design was built on experiences from the pandemic. “We started planning this before COVID, but during the pandemic, we learned that we can all work together in certain circumstances,” Grisko said. “Yet, it is also important we are together in a normal period of time. We really reimagined how we work together to serve our clients and the way we get the most productivity out of our team.” One result, he added, is that technology for meeting was upgraded at every level to provide a seamless on-site and off-site work experience. That’s particularly valuable because the firm has 100 offices around the country. Although staffers are not expected to be in the office every day, and frequently travel, the 220 staffers at the Cleveland office all have their own place to work, Grisko said. Those spaces range from offices in an executive wing connected to a new boardroom for the company’s director and other meetings. The hallway by the CEO’s suite to the board room is exceptionally wide to allow it to serve as a pre-function area before meetings. The office café spans the northwest corner of the building’s sixth floor and is designed to accommodate group meetings as well as a variety of seats for impromptu meetings. Booths line one wall that is covered in cork to provide more sound baffling. An outdoor patio provides a place for lunches and fresh air. All told, there are 20 meeting rooms, ranging from the 16-person board room to 10 so-called “huddle rooms” for groups of four. Brian Antonius, CBIZ director

A space for lunch and impromptu meetings greets visitors to the recently opened CBIZ headquarters offices in Independence. The room has a variety of seating, including booths, and a wall of glass that looks out on the skyline. | STAN BULLARD

of real estate, said on a tour of the office that the company followed a philosophy of “democratizing light” so all workers have access to natural light, even if they stand up to see it. Every desk in the place is a sit-to-stand desk, he said. Another lobby in the middle of the fifth floor serves as a meeting place. It’s adjoined by a glass-enclosed game room complete with a ping pong table, Nintendo Switch and candy dispensers. It’s called The Arcade, a pun on the video game room, as well as homage to the downtown Cleveland landmark. All the conference rooms are named for Cleveland landmarks or neighborhoods. They can be reserved electronically. While the space has the inevitable cubicle area, it’s a bright area with window views. There are 11 private areas and phone rooms for sensitive calls. A staff committee selected the names. In addition to the cubicle areas, one section of the headquarters is devoted to an open suite shared by seven staffers who work closely together on business development and defined contribution plans. Matt Taylor, a client services consultant, said the group named its suite “the bullpen” because many of its members played baseball in college. Midway through CBIZ’s second week in the space, Antonius and Grisko said it seemed that attendance was higher than at its former headquarters. Although there are the work and fun elements, a long game also is at play in the space. “There is a fight for talent,” Antonius said, “we wanted to create a space that does that as well as serve as a template for our other offices.” Even with all the planning, one big change was made as the building was underway. Antonius said CBIZ decided partway through the project to add a studio for TV interviews and for executives to prepare video announcements for employees. Besides the cameras and a TV anchor-style desk, the suite in-

cludes a teleprompter, a green screen like those used by TV weather forecasters, and even a sign in the hall announcing when a program is being recorded. Amy McGahan, CBIZ director of corporate and strategic communications, said the studio, dubbed a media room, was inspired to help staffers when they are on cable business news channels such as CNBC. The palette for the office is warm with wood tones, jewel tones and colors incorporating the white, green and blue of CBIZ branding, said Kerre Ovens, a practice leader in Vocon’s office-design unit. The exterior of the building has a nearly split, though glass-rich, personality. The eastern half of the building has sections of brick for a traditional appearance. The western half has the more contemporary walls of glass of newer buildings. Denver Brooker, a Vocon architect, said the styles met the desires of both CBIZ and Welty for the building. The structure is also the first new multitenant office building to rise in Independence in 20 years. The building is positioned so that the CBIZ sign atop is visible from I-480 and I-77. In a change from the past, Welty and Vocon used drones to check views at different heights of the planned building, Brooker said. Moreover, there are no keys. Staffers at CBIZ use their smartphones to gain access to their workspace. The multitenant building’s fitness center and grab-and-go food area serve the building as well as CBIZ. Don Taylor, Welty president and CEO, said in a phone interview that the team took steps so the CBIZ building would not have the familiar rectangular shape. Instead, it has a rectangular footprint on its eastern side while the western side is set off at an angle. CBIZ occupies 58,000 square feet of the 150,000-square-foot building. Taylor said that since the building has been finished, interest from prospective tenants has increased.

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Team NEO makes ploy to bring manufacturing jobs Region’s lack of ready sites is a big part of the problem, group says By Michelle Jarboe

From 2015 to 2022, Northeast Ohio won only 4% of the potential business attraction opportunities that came across economic development leaders’ desks. The statewide win rate, meanwhile, was 20%. The region’s lack of truly ready sites is a big part of the problem, according to Team NEO, a nonprofit organization responsible for aiding business growth across 18 counties. Property owners, developers and municipalities don’t always grasp that victory is about much more than acreage. “If you have land and just throw boundaries around it, you don’t necessarily have a site,” said Bryce Sylvester, Team NEO’s senior director of site strategies. To better understand – and educate – the market, Team NEO recently sifted through two years’ worth of site-selection inquiries. The nonprofit identified common threads and created a series of one-page guides that outline the site requirements of fast-growing industries. The documents focus on manufacturing, which is still a bulwark of the region’s economy. Team NEO highlighted four key sectors: electric vehicle battery production, food production and processing, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing. Andrew Coleman, managing director and local market leader for the CBRE brokerage, described the guides as an encyclopedia that will help owners and communities more effectively prepare sites. “You have a book and resource at your hand that really gives you the answers to the test,” said Coleman, who is part of a committee that advises Team NEO on site initiatives. “I think it cuts down on a lot of missed opportunities and, maybe, mistakes.” Megaprojects such as Intel Corp.’s forthcoming semiconductor fabrication plants outside of Columbus get a lot of attention. And local economic development leaders are working to come up with a sprawling mega site, of 500 acres or more, in Northeast Ohio. But 56% of the region’s recent prospects had much smaller needs, of up to 100 acres. Hightech manufacturing is driving considerable demand, accounting for 41% of inquiries, followed by the automotive industry, food-related uses, energy and information services. Some employers, like food producers, want to be close to residential areas full of potential workers. Others, like semiconductor plants, need much more space. They’re looking for untouched land that isn’t cluttered up by utility transmission lines or located near railroads. Site inquiries are coming from

A crew from Independence Excavating clears a former Ford Motor Co. plant site in Brook Park in September 2021. The 210-acre property is being remade as a business park called Forward Innovation Center West. | MICHELLE JARBOE

all over the country and from dozens of consultants. Yet the language for certain industries is surprisingly consistent, said Christine Nelson, Team NEO’s vice president of project management and site strategies. “The standards have been raised for what the companies are asking for,” Sylvester said. “Well, we’re teaching ourselves what they’re going to ask us.” The guides underscore companies’ increasing demands for power, water and natural gas. They also talk about zoning, air permits, businesses’ operating hours, expansion opportunities and some users’ preference for owning their facilities instead of leasing. An overall theme: The more due diligence and preparation that’s done in advance, the better. That includes environmental and wetlands studies and road and infrastructure plans. Of course, building a library of sites is just part of the equation. Communities also need to have a deep enough labor pool; a workforce-development strategy; and clear and efficient processes for things like permitting, the Team NEO guides indicate. The non-

profit released the documents on Tuesday, Nov. 14, as part of a report called “Developing Opportunities.” That report, which notes that Northeast Ohio accounts for onefifth of the state’s recent wins, shows how lean the region’s site inventory actually is. There are 45 sites of 100 to 500 acres, which seem like they might work for heavy manufacturing. But only three of them have the utilities and other features that site selectors commonly request. Similarly, there are 152 sites in Northeast Ohio that meet the basic parameters for food processing and other general manufacturing uses. But only 21 of them, or 13.8%, provide close proximity to public transportation and other attributes that could make them true contenders. Last year, Northeast Ohio communities responded with eight potential sites, on average, when Team NEO shared leads. Only 45% of those pitches were complete enough to share with a client, though. And only 18% of responses led to site visits. Team NEO believes its site-selection guides will help communi-

ties be more strategic. A fuller understanding of what companies need might shape public officials’ decisions about how and where to spend limited dollars, including state money slated for infrastructure, brownfield remediation and demolition. Sylvester said Team NEO aims to update its analysis annually to provide a fresh snapshot of recent inquiries and the types of properties that companies are seeking. The group also plans to work with developers to identify sites – and to counsel patience. That might mean collaborating with JobsOhio, the state’s private nonprofit economic development corporation, and municipalities to incentivize developers to sit on a large piece of land, instead of splitting it up for smaller projects and swifter cash flow. “I think the awareness of the amount of demand we’re seeing will help,” Nelson said. “I think that will help to get us into a conversation.” Team NEO is still fielding business-attraction prospects with substantial job numbers and large capital investments. Those are the projects with the most

stringent site requirements. The pipeline of expansion projects, meanwhile, is holding steady. But existing employers are moving more slowly and being more conservative about hiring projections, Nelson said. That slowdown is not unique to Northeast Ohio. Deal volume is down across the U.S. as companies contend with inflation, higher borrowing costs and economic uncertainty. During a JobsOhio board meeting in early October, representatives said the organization is seeing lots of new leads and site-selection activity. But the amount of time it takes companies to negotiate and reach a decision has nearly doubled since last fall. “We’re monitoring these headwinds very closely, and we have been for a year. And we’re making necessary adjustments to keep Ohio in position for long-term growth as the economic cycle plays out,” said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio’s president and CEO, during the recorded meeting. On top of mining site-selection data, Team NEO has been working with Cleveland-based Allegro Real Estate Brokers & Advisors to identify a handful of high-priority sites in Cuyahoga and Summit counties. The partners still aren’t ready to unveil that list of properties. “I call what they’re doing inverse site selection,” said Michael Cantor, Allegro’s president and chairman and a member of Team NEO’s site-advisory committee. “What they’re trying to do is provide as many of the answers as they can before they’re asked, which makes it a lot easier to do business in our region.” Bill Koehler, Team NEO’s CEO, said the recent market lull could play to Northeast Ohio’s advantage. It’s a good time to send new data to the real estate industry and economic development officials – and to lay the groundwork for what’s sure to be a long-term effort. “This gives us information that we can put in front of everybody,” Koehler said. “Even though it’s a quieter market than it’s been in the past, you can still sink your teeth into it.”

Northeast Ohio’s shortage of business-ready sites An analysis by Team NEO, a regional economic development organization, shows how the region’s site inventory narrows when you look beyond land to other critical attributes, including utilities. Site type

Industries

Land requirement (acres)

Suitable sites by acreage

Ready sites

Mega site

Microelectronics, electric vehicles

500 to 1,000-plus

Robust water, sewer and power

Heavy manufacturing

Batteries, electric vehicles

100 to 500

Robust utilities and rail service; 300-plus acres preferred

Light manufacturing

Food packaging

10 to 20

Proximity to public transit, road and rail service

General manufacturing

Food processing, metals, plastics and materials

25-plus

152

Food-grade buildings; public transit; road and utility infrastructure

Research and development

Health care, medical devices

5 to 20

Wet labs; proximity to major medical institutions

Warehouse/distribution

Food, pharmaceuticals, specialty storage

20 to 100

145

Cold and freezer storage; redundant electricity

Key requirements

SOURCE: TEAM NEO DEVELOPING OPPORTUNITIES REPORT, NOVEMBER 2023

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Marijuana advocacy group saw a big win with Issue 2 The Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project provided $2.8M to back the referendum By Jeremy Nobile

Stakes with Ohio’s Issue 2 weren’t high for just citizens who want access to recreational marijuana, cannabis industry stakeholders hopeful for adult-use sales that should bolster an underwhelming medical market or conservative lawmakers whose anti-marijuana platforms in a GOP-led state were soundly rejected by voters. The Issue 2 vote also was a big one for the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C., marijuana legalization advocacy group that took a special interest in Ohio’s adult-use referendum, which passed with 57% of voters in favor of the measure. With the passage of Issue 2, Ohio becomes the 24th state (plus the District of Columbia) to legalize recreational marijuana despite the overhang of federal prohibition. And that’s an important development for the state amid a national push to reform marijuana laws. MPP, founded in 1995, credits itself with helping to pass 15 medical marijuana laws, including in Ohio, and legislative reforms in about a dozen other states with adult-use programs. “MPP is proud to have been a major supporter of the Issue 2 campaign. (The Tuesday, Nov. 7) victory is the culmination of a years-long effort to bring sensible cannabis laws to the Buckeye State. MPP played a central role in the 2016 medical cannabis initiative campaign that spurred the legislature to take action and enact that policy into law,” said the organization’s executive director, Matthew Schweich. “Ohio is the seventh-most populous state in the country, so a change in state policy can benefit millions of Americans. “Furthermore,” he added, “Ohioans send a large delegation to Congress, where MPP and oth-

er advocates are pushing for long-awaited federal cannabis reform. For all these reasons, a victory for Issue 2 was a priority for MPP this year.” According to a Crain’s analysis, MPP provided $2.8 million to the campaign behind Issue 2, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, since its inception a couple of years ago. That’s nearly half of the more than $6 million contributed to the campaign as of the recent election, which positions MPP as the single largest financial contributor to the legalization effort. The second-largest contributor was Pure Ohio Wellness, a Springfield, Ohio-based cannabis company that provided $401,010 to the campaign. Schweich declined to specify how much MPP typically contributes to legalization campaigns on average. But he did say that the organization’s “level of support” for the Issue 2 campaign was “the largest in recent years.” “It’s worth noting that MPP has also donated significant amounts of in-kind staff time to many different cannabis reform campaigns over the years, which is separate from the monetary contributions,” Schweich said. “So, our support comes in different forms depending on the needs of the campaign and the resources available.” CRMLA spokesman Tom Haren said the campaign is thankful to have MPP in its corner. “When MPP stands behind a proposal, they only do so if it’s really good policy. So having their support validates that the policy of Issue 2 is good policy,” Haren said. “We were honored and grateful to have their support. It helped us get out message out to Ohioans throughout the state.” As far as interest by some state Republicans to have the recreational marijuana statute approved by voters either amended or possibly even repealed ahead

of its effective date Dec. 7, MPP is keeping tabs on what plays out. Many observers feel like amending the law is more likely than an outright repeal because of how such a move could be received by the public. “The immediate optics (of repealing a law passed by voters) may be enough to keep people from wanting to push back that much,” Douglas Berman, executive director of Ohio State University’s Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, previously told Crain’s. “Some lawmakers thinking in longer terms might say, in a sense, let’s cut our losses. If the state wanted to tweak aspects of the law or regulate (the industry) to death, so to speak, it could have the means to do that. And that may seem less politically misguided than a complete repeal. “Unfortunately, it is quite common for opponents of cannabis reform to pursue legislative changes in defiance of the will of the people,” Schweich said. “MPP and its allies have faced this challenge many times.” Schweich cited South Dakota as an example. There, in 2021, Gov. Kristi Noem led an effort to delay implementation of a medical marijuana law approved by 70% of voters the previous year, working closely with leaders of the Republican supermajority-controlled legislature to enact her bill. “However, a coalition of cannabis reform advocates ran a grassroots campaign that generated significant pressure on legislators, who ultimately rejected Gov. Noem’s proposed delay,” Schweich said. “MPP played a central role in that effort in South Dakota, and we’ve done the same in other states.” MPP intends to be involved if such a course of action is pursued by Ohio legislators. “MPP is preparing to engage in Ohio to ensure that lawmakers reject any legislation that guts the policy approved by voters,” Schweich said.

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BISHARA ADDISON 35 Director, job preparation, Fund for Our Economic Future For Bishara Addison, it’s all about the work, and doing it in the place that you love best. For Addison, a native and resident of Shaker Heights, that means helping to advance workforce issues in and around Cleveland. She came home to the region after attending George Washington University and then completing a fellowship as a resident in social enterprise at the New Sector Alliance in Boston. She couldn’t help it, she said, once she came home in 2009 to begin an internship at Towards Employment, an agency that works to prepare people for and connect them to area jobs. “I had such a great summer. All I could think about was how could I get back to Cleveland,” she recalled. “I realized how much I missed Cleveland while I was in Boston … so I made an intentional decision to come back.” Addison came home in 2011 and began working for Towards Employment as a policy associate, managing the agency’s agenda and focusing on reentry efforts meant to get formerly incarcerated people into new jobs. After that, she spent nearly three years with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, first as an executive fellow for then-CEO Eric Gordon and then as a project manager for strategy implementation. In 2021, she was hired as director of job preparation for The Fund for Our Economic Future, an economic development and workforce advancement agency working across Northeast Ohio. Now, she’s working full-time on workforce issues and couldn’t be happier. Neither could her boss, FOEF President Bethia (Cullis) Burke. “I have never met anyone so passionate about the workforce as Bishara Addison – she loves it,”

said Burke, who knew Addison through her work before hiring her. Burke says Addison has worked on everything from fundraising to helping set the organization’s strategy. Her passion is workforce issues, but she brings the same dedication, sense of civic responsibility and skills to every task. “She’s a detail person and she wants to know the ins and outs of everything,” Burke said. “She has such a strong civic responsibility at her core, and she transfers that to her day job and all the extra things she does.” Addison’s passion shows when she talks about the need to better help incarcerated people to re-enter the workforce or about workforce issues generally. But, she says, there’s a lot more to her life than the work that drives her professionally. “I’m actually a pretty chill person,” Addison said. “I just like to talk about the work that I do.” When she’s not working, though, she’s got plenty to keep her busy both socially and civically. She’s also a member of the board of directors for The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County, a volunteer for the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, serves on the African American Philanthropy Committee at the Cleveland Foundation and is a participant of this year’s class of Young Ambassadors at the Cleveland Council on World Affairs. And when she’s not working or helping the community? “I love music, but I especially love new jazz,” Addison said. “I go hiking with my dad every other weekend. I love the Cleveland Metroparks, and every other weekend, we go hiking and we talk politics and world issues.” — Dan Shingler

UNDER For over 30 years, Crain’s Cleveland Business has celebrated its annual “40 Under 40” CRAIN’S BUSINESS program, recognizingCLEVELAND some of the best and brightest professionals putting their2023 stamp on Northeast Ohio. Just as in previous years, our honorees come from a wide range of backgrounds: real estate, law, nonprofits, sports and more. Whatever their roles are, they’re each making a big impact on the world around them. Their skills and successes have set them apart from their peers, each striving to strengthen the region and make a difference in their communities. So join us in celebrating our 40 honorees and all they’ve accomplished so far. Because if our past honorees are any indication — hello, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, class of 2020! — we know there are even bigger things to come for this group. | Photography by Jason Miller/Pixelate

LEIGH R. ANDERSON 39 Executive director of the police accountability team, city of Cleveland Growing up, Leigh R. Anderson knew exactly what she was going to be. “I come from a family of law enforcement officers. My grandfather, uncles, sisters, everyone who raised me is a law enforcement officer,” Anderson said. “I was going into the police department and be a police chief. I graduated from Howard University, I applied to the D.C. police department and was accepted.” But after finishing her undergrad, she received an invitation to apply for a fellowship with Homeland Security, while completing her master’s in public administration as part of an inspector general program at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. She went on to Ohio State University to get a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from John Glenn College of Public Affairs which then led to her taking the job at Cleveland City Hall. Breaking from the long family line of police officers – started by her grandfather who was one of the first Black police officers on the St. Louis police force – was made easier when he told her she was on the right path. “He said that even though I was not going to be a police officer that there are other ways to help the police,” Anderson said. Since then, she has been part of an elite group working across the nation on police reform. About a year ago, she left Chicago to lead Cleveland’s police accountability team, overseeing the city’s compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2015 consent decree. Anderson is also responsible for community engagement and police practice as part of the city

of Ferguson’s consent decree monitoring group, which followed the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer. She took the job after interviewing with both Mayor Justin Bibb and Cleveland Police Department Chief Wayne Drummond. “The fact that I was even interviewed by the mayor and the police chief let me know that they were really invested,” Anderson said. Mark Griffin, Cleveland’s law director, said Anderson is the perfect person for the difficult position. “She has a Ph.D., she writes, she teaches and she is the most diplomatic person I’ve ever met,” Griffin said. “She is fantastic, and to watch her communicate with

both the police and the monitoring team is impressive.” In the relatively short time she has been here, the city has finally seen tangible improvements meeting the standards laid out by the consent decree. After eight years of failing to meet “compliance standards” in any of the eight policing problem areas, under her watch, the city is set to comply in three of those areas by the end of next year. “We’ve seen some positive changes, and that’s one of the things that the police accountability team is here for: to serve as a liaison, to connect the dots, to really support and encourage police officers through this process and to be a sounding board for what good progress looks like,” Anderson said. — Kim Palmer

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LOREN ANTHES 39 Head of external affairs, Yuvo Health Loren Anthes has always looked for career opportunities that allow him to help patients navigate challenges in the health care system. “I want to perpetually stay in a place of service, so the experiences that I’ve had and that my family and friends have had in the dysfunction of health care become remediated,” he said. Anthes serves as head of external affairs at Yuvo Health, an organization that focuses on value-based contracting for federally qualified health centers. He co-founded Quovis, a Cleveland-based startup that aims to eliminate barriers in medical record exchange, in 2022. He also serves as a lecturer for the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and a visiting fellow on value-based care for The Center for Community Solutions.

“He’s not afraid of going into the details in order to fix problems,” said John Corlett, president and executive director of The Center for Community Solutions. Anthes grew up in Shaker Heights. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio University and his master’s in health care business administration from Baldwin Wallace University. In 2007, Anthes had the opportunity to intern in the office of the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. That experience, he said, shaped his interest in health policy and advocacy. From there, he spent time working as a senior legislative aide for state Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard, then went on to serve as a legislative officer for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, where he monitored

state and federal legislation related to the state’s Medicaid program. “I really was fascinated by what Medicaid was as a policy area because it touched so much,” he

PATRICK BLOOM 38

PETER BODE 38

Vice president, government relations, Cleveland-Cliffs Patrick Bloom had a perfectly good job helping to drive a bus— but the bus turned into a Ferrari. That’s fine with Bloom, though, who said he’s enjoying the ride as vice president, government relations at Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. He’s been working in government relations at the company since 2008 when it was still primarily an iron ore company. It became a supercharged steel company shortly after activist investors, led by Lourenco Goncalves, took control of the company’s board and installed Goncalves as CEO. Since then, Goncalves has led the company through the acquisitions of ArcelorMittal USA and AK Steel, making it the largest producer of flatrolled steel in the U.S. Now he’s pursuing a hostile takeover of U.S. Steel. The company also purchased the big scrap company, Ferrous Processing, for $775 million, in 2021. It’s been a fun, amazing and educating whirlwind for Bloom, and a fairly smooth ride to boot, given the change in the company’s culture. “It’s been pretty incredible. When we didn’t know Lourenco and he had just executed his hostile takeover of the board, there was understandably a lot of uncertainty,” Bloom said. “But, to his credit, he really took the time to get to know his people and his team … and he’s worked largely with the management team he had in place when he got here.” Goncalves’ team often includes Bloom, who accompanies the CEO to meetings and presentations. Bloom said he appreciates that and realizes the opportunity he’s gotten to join a high-level corporate team at a young age and to be close to Goncalves as he gives a clinic on how to re-engineer a company. “Throughout my career with

said. “Medicaid is in schools. Medicaid is in our corrections system. Medicaid is an essential part of our economy.” Anthes has held positions with We Are Ohio, The Centers for Fam-

President and CEO, Nature Center at Shaker Lakes A Cleveland youth once told Peter Bode, “I’ve never seen a tree that wasn’t planted.” Bode became more determined than ever to help people encounter, appreciate and conserve nature. After several other roles in Greater Cleveland’s environmental movement, Bode in May became president and CEO of the historic Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. The site has just 22 marshy acres wedged between rapid tracks and commuter arteries. Yet it’s a national environmental landmark and, in Bode’s eyes, a potential rallying spot. “It’s not only a neighborhood nexus but a regional hub,” Bode said. He hopes to collaborate with some of his many contacts at other environmental organizations in promoting their common cause.

Cliffs, I’ve been fortunate that a lot of trust has been placed in me by the company. I was 22 years old when I started working for Cliffs,” Bloom said. “And I was 27 when Lourenco first came to Cliffs and we got to know each other really well.” Bloom’s success and ease with executives and others come as no surprise to Anna (Ania) Ediger, Cliffs’ senior manager for state and government relations, who joined the company the same year Bloom did. “Patrick’s very genuine and that comes across,” Ediger said. “When you’re in government relations, it’s building relationships and getting to know people—and being genuine helps. He’s interested in people for who they are.” It’s also no surprise to James Graham, Cliffs’ executive vice

ilies and Children and MetroHealth. In his current roles, he spends a lot of time “on the phone, in meetings, at community-based organizations, on the ground just trying to understand more about people’s perspectives and then working on ways to connect the dots and create a better, more effective, more just health system.” Anthes said his position at Yuvo Health has given him an opportunity to continue the health care justice work he has focused on throughout his career in an innovative setting. Corlett described Anthes as knowledgeable on all things Medicaid. He and Anthes worked at MetroHealth at the same time about 10 years ago. Corlett said he recruited Anthes to The Center for Community Solutions to establish the organization’s Center for Medicaid Policy. Corlett said he’s exactly what you want to see in a young leader, citing his knowledge and dedication to helping others. — Paige Bennett

president over human resources, chief legal and administrative officer, and secretary. “Patrick is a natural for dealing with community and government affairs for Cleveland-Cliffs,” Graham said. “He is able to connect on a personal level with politicians on both sides of the aisle and reach out to stakeholders from multiple points of view in the communities in which the company operates.” Bloom has also done a great job of mentoring those around him, Graham said. For Bloom, the work is never boring and he loves what he does, he said. “I really like my role. I’m excited about the trajectory of this company and what we’ve been able to accomplish in just a few short years,” Bloom said. — Dan Shingler

“I understood the importance of conservation at an early age.” Bode was raised by a wastewater engineer in North Royalton next to Mill Stream Run Reservation. “I understood the importance of conservation at an early age.” He became a landscaper, but long hours of digging led to a spinal fusion. Then he studied environmental science at Cleveland State University. He wrote a remediation plan for Cuyahoga River Restoration. He managed projects for West Creek Conservancy, including the Xtinguish celebration of the river’s 50 years of recovery since its infamous fire of 1969. He led

the Community Life Collaborative in Bainbridge Township, promoting environmental and social justice. He served on the planning commission in Seven Hills, where he lives with his wife and two sons. And he’s been involved with the Lake Erie Institute, including as a faculty member. At the Nature Center, Bode is considering improvements to the grounds, such as renovating or replacing the pavilion. The Nature Center was formed in 1966 to stop Albert Porter, Cuyahoga County engineer, from running a highway through what he dismissed as “a two-bit duck pond.” In 1974, the site was declared a national environmental education landmark for its innovative programs. Now, it draws 140,000 visitors per year. Meanwhile, a new controversy lies just upstream. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District plans to remove a beloved but troubled 1826 dam at Horseshoe Lake. The center’s board endorsed the plan before Bode’s arrival, and he said those 22 acres have room for the extra water. According to Bode, Greater Cleveland has a wealth of environmental groups planting trees, cleaning rivers and taking other steps to make the region more climate resilient. “We have to change the green infrastructure model to be able to withstand whatever’s coming,” he said. Deb Yandala, president and CEO of the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, said of Bode: “He’s a great visionary and idea person, who’s also a doer, and that’s what Cleveland needs.” — Grant Segall

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JAZMYN BARROW 39 Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins Jazmyn Barrow says that there are few young women practicing labor law, and far fewer of them are Black. But she recently helped work out a contract with the Cleveland Orchestra’s acclaimed musicians. Now she’s negotiating the first faculty contracts for the University of Pittsburgh and Miami University. “It’s hard to find your voice when people in the room don’t look like you, but you will find it,” says Barrow, a lawyer and shareholder at Ogletree Deakins. “I was advised very early that it’s about finding someone to be a champion for you and being a champion for yourself.” Barrow says good mentors “allow you to develop clients in a way that’s authentically you.” She not only appears before the bar but co-owns Blitz Sports Bar and

Grill in Cleveland Heights. She also owns four other retail or mixed-use buildings, including the former site of the popular Nikki’s Music on Buckeye Road. She serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County. And she’s raising two children in Solon. How does she make the time for all that? “I get very little sleep.” John Gerak, the firm’s managing Cleveland director, says of Barrow, “She’s always moving. She’s kinetic energy. She is a top-notch attorney, highly engaged, incredibly responsive and accountable.” Barrow was born and raised in Berea. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Marietta College and a doctorate of law at Case Western Reserve University. Then she handled labor disputes for the Ohio attorney gener-

al’s office, worked for two law firms and ran human resources at Westlake City Hall. Last year, she joined Ogletree Deakins in Key Tower. Barrow loves practicing in her home region. “It’s a great town for the law. We have some top firms here.” After decades of decline, unions are gaining strength at many workplaces, from Starbucks to General Motors. And Barrow says that the pandemic has changed workers’ goals. “It’s been an opportunity for employers to respond, and hopefully respond well, to their employees and their evolving needs. I’ve worked with employers who know how to respond not just with wages and benefits, but to allow you to have the flexibility to be a good mom or dad.” — Grant Segall

DANIEL BUDISH 37 President, Gaslamp Capital Daniel Budish is a wanderer, a self-described nomadic soul. But his heart? That’s here in Cleveland. The Beachwood native, 37, is part of the duo behind Studio West 117, a redevelopment project designed to connect and support the LGBTQ community. The first phase, the Fieldhouse, opened a year ago and blends dining, nightlife and athletics at the Lakewood-Cleveland border. Budish and his development partner, Betsy Figgie, also are working to restore the former Phantasy Entertainment Complex and to build apartments, with spaces for LGBTQ-centric health care and wraparound services, across the street along Detroit Avenue. “My parents instilled in me at a young age that work was not just about going to work and doing your 9-to-5 and leaving,” said Budish, the son of former Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and his wife, Amy. “It was about doing something to leave this earth better.” Budish knew early on that he was interested in the ways that places and people interact. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional studies and a master’s degree in regional planning from Cornell University. Then he studied city design and social science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In 2011, he took a job at Cleveland City Hall, where he got an education in complicated deal structures in the economic development department. Then he transitioned into the private sector as vice president for the Chesler Group, a local real estate development company. During his time there, Budish built up an investment fund focused on historic tax-credit projects. Then he left to launch his own company, Gaslamp Capital. The consulting firm works with devel-

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opers and investors to generate equity for deals that involve federal and state tax credits. As a consultant, Budish has freedom to rove. He splits his time between Cleveland and Rome, where his partner lives. In his spare time, he’s learning Italian. Traveling. And taking long walks – sometimes from his home in Ohio City to Studio West 117, almost 4 miles away. Asked whether he expects to tackle other development projects, Budish laughed. “I think this is it for me,” he said, describing Studio West 117 as a unique opportunity to create a vibrant and inclusive urban enclave,

one he hopes will rival LGBTQ hubs in other cities. “It needs other developers and other people who now see the vision,” he added. Liz Lazar, a friend and former colleague, said that Budish is determined, kindhearted and collaborative. “Daniel has always had kind of a lack of fear when it comes to tackling things that other people might be intimidated by,” said Lazar, director of grants management for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio. “He just has really great leadership capabilities and an eye toward what can be.”. — Michelle Jarboe

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KORY CLARK 31

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Relationship manager, KeyBank Kory Clark’s draw to finance and real estate begins with his father, Donnell, a landlord who has invested in several residential properties around Northeast Ohio. Growing up, Clark would ride around with his father checking on tenants and making repairs. It was through those efforts that the Macedonia native garnered an appreciation for improving living conditions for others in and around his hometown — something he continues to do today, just on a larger scale. “I’ve always been interested and enamored by someone buying either a dilapidated building or vacant land, having a vision for it, going through the process and then, two to three years later, seeing the finished project of something that just started as a thought,” Clark said. Studying finance and asset management at Ashland University, Clark’s goal was to use his degree to launch his own career in real estate. In one early job out of college, he worked a stint as a commer-

cial real estate broker. But sales have never been his passion. Struggling in a role paid entirely by commission, by 2019 he was broke. Clark restarted his career as a development specialist at Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc., a nonprofit community development corporation. It was the very refresh Clark had been searching for. “Whether it was replacing a porch, putting windows in a home or replacing a roof when I wasn’t supposed to,” Clark said, “... being able to help people make significant repairs to their homes that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to complete was very gratifying work.” Clark has since made a name for himself as a relationship manager in KeyBank’s Community Development Lending and Investment group. He focuses on affordable housing space with an additional mandate to identify minority- and women-owned real estate platforms for the bank to work with.

Clark is “tenacious and relentlessly motivated,” said William Willis, a senior director of development services with Cleveland Development Advisors who worked with him at the Burten CDC. Now, the two collaborate on initiatives shared by Key and CDA. Willis said Clark embodies everything it takes to be a success in his field and that he is destined for “greater success.” “Kory believes that the world moves through people, and with that, he truly embodies building relationships, taking the time to understand people and what they do,” he said. When not busy with work, Clark may be found working on art that fills his own home. But he will always be motivated by a drive to help others. “The main thing I want to do is continue to create opportunities for minorities and women in this commercial real estate space on a large scale,” he said. “That is really the big goal: doing that for a very long time.” — Jeremy Nobile

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MICHAEL DANIELS 33 Director, E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center, Kent State University Michael Daniels, Ph.D., has focused his academic research on men of color, identity development and leadership. He puts all those concepts into practice in his role at Kent State University, where, as director of the E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center, he leads an institution that aims to “cultivate a sense of belonging and cultural affirmation for our students.” He oversees a staff of four fulltime employees, plus two grad students and about a dozen undergrads, all focused on working to connect communities that encourage and support an appreciation for differences. “The students are the most energizing thing,” Daniels said of his work. “You get to see their growth and development, and how they approach challenges. This is a place they can take some risks and make some mistakes, and grow from them.” Daniels has been at Kent State since 2015. Before that, he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from John Carroll University in 2012 and, in 2015, a master’s degree in student affairs administration from Michigan State University. Last year, he completed his doctorate in philosophy in higher education administration at Kent State. In February, he received the Melvene D. Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award from the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Foundation for work focused on undergraduate Black men and how they develop their leadership identity. Daniels has been busy at the multicultural center, overseeing a summer bridge program, cultural orientation, cultural pre-commencement ceremony and other initiatives designed to support underrepresented col-

lege students. He created and implemented a three-tiered mentor program and relaunched a men of color initiative. Daniels was the first member of his family to go to college. He grew up in a single-parent household, with a mom who worked in a nursing home. Daniels said he found motivation in high school by taking part in the Upward Bound program, which offered the chance to travel around the country and meet other students. He said he had to drop from the program after a rules violation, but then asked what he could do to work himself back in, which he did. A takeaway from that experience that follows through to today: “How do I provide opportunities to people to reach their potential?” he said. Daniels also is co-founder of Rise As One Consulting Group, which assists teams and organizations in developing awareness to achieve their shared vision while working toward creating a coalition of socially responsible leaders. Ilianna Velez, assistant director at the multicultural center, said Daniels is “the lifeline of the team” who “pours a lot of work into making sure each of us is ready to be successful in our roles.” She called Daniels a man of “purpose” and said, “Everything he does is thought through and intentional.” Outside work, Daniels and his wife love spending time with their Doberman Pinscher, Apollo, the first dog for either of them. They enjoy traveling; Puerto Rico, their honeymoon spot, is a favorite, and Ghana is on the dream list of places to visit. A recent passion: golf, which he took up three years ago. “I got hooked fast,” he said. — Scott Suttell

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CHRIS DUNCAN 36 Director, EdgePoint Capital Advisors Chris Duncan always thought he would end up in New York. That belief almost came to fruition a few years ago, when Duncan was offered a job with a New York-based investment bank. Instead, he chose EdgePoint Capital Advisors, a Beachwood firm that provides M&A advisory services to private companies. Cleveland reminds Duncan a lot of Minnesota, where he grew up, but “it feels much more like a melting pot,” he said. That’s important to someone whose interests are quite diverse — to put it mildly. “Ultimately, it came down to my values, and they aligned really well with the (EdgePoint) founder and president that I met, Tom Zucker,” Duncan said. Duncan, who was promoted to director in January, leads all aspects of M&A transactions. In his first three years on the job, he worked on a handful of complicated transactions from start to finish. One, the sale of Edko to Incline Equity Partners, won an M&A Atlas Award for private equity deal of the year in 2021. The business is, of course, transactional by nature. But for the clients, who might be selling a company they’ve poured everything into, it can be “an emotional experience,” Duncan said. “It’s something that they’ve raised and built and carries a lot of meaning,” he said. Duncan brings a significant amount of “sophistication and rigor” to the transactions,

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MATT GRIMES Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

especially on the technical side, EdgePoint managing director Tom Stafford said. But what really makes Duncan stand out is his ability to build relationships. “He has a really good rapport with our clients and has helped us drive deep relationships that hold up long after our deals are done,” Stafford said. “You can’t always say that in our business.” Prior to joining EdgePoint, Duncan spent a decade working in investment banking and corporate development in Minneapolis. That region, like Cleveland, “really punches above their weight” in investment banking and M&A, Stafford said. For Duncan, the move has been every bit as enjoyable on a personal level. He’s a huge fan of Playhouse Square, along with Cleveland’s arts and restaurant scene. “Cleveland has a ton to offer from that perspective,” he said. Duncan is an avid traveler — he estimates that he’s visited at least two dozen countries — and a fitness enthusiast. He enjoys hiking, yoga and, prior to moving to Ohio in 2019, was an avid triathlete. In case he didn’t already have enough interests, Duncan recently started taking improv comedy classes in Ohio City, where he lives. “It’s about being better, personal growth, both personally and professionally, and challenging myself to develop skills that require my attention,” Duncan said. — Kevin Kleps

“He has a really good rapport with our clients and has helped us drive deep relationships that hold up long after our deals are done.” — Tom Stafford, EdgePoint managing director

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EMMA FINESTONE 35 Assistant curator of human origins, Cleveland Museum of Natural History From a young age, Emma Finestone loved animals and museums, but it wasn’t until she took a class on apes and human evolution in undergrad that she discovered her passion for biological anthropology. “It helped me to see the connection between humans to the rest of the natural world,” Finestone said. “A lot of people who study human origins are interested in the question of ‘What makes us human?’ But I’ve really always been interested in what makes us connected to the natural world.” Finestone became assistant curator of human origins at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 2022. In the summer, she travels to Kenya to excavate in search of early stone tools and to collaborate with affiliates at the National Museums of Kenya. She spends the rest of the year in Cleveland, where she analyzes research and helps translate information about human origins to the general public. She is also involved in the exhibit design process as part of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s ongoing transformation project, which will see the museum reimagine its approach to natural history by centering humans in the story. “She’s a good ambassador for science,” said Gavin Svenson, chief science officer at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

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tor at Lehman College and Hunter College. She was part of a research team that uncovered the earliest stone tools used by hominins to butcher hippos. The artifacts, discovered on the Homa Peninsula in western Kenya, are approximately 2.8 million years old and are the oldest known examples of the Oldowan toolkit, according to a study published Feb. 9 in Science.

“She’s a good ambassador for science.” — Gavin Svenson, chief science officer at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

“She can communicate science really well. I think she represents her scientific discipline and sciences all around really, really well.” Finestone grew up in the Bos-

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ton area. She earned her doctoral degree in biological anthropology in 2019 from the City University of New York Graduate Center. Prior to joining the Cleveland Museum of Natural

History, she served as group leader of archaeology and head of the archaeology laboratory unit at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany and was an instruc-

“This was a study and a finding that really opened up a lot of new questions to ask, like ‘Were human ancestors the earliest tool makers or was it actually another hominin that wasn’t our own ancestor?’” she said. Finestone said she’s excited to be part of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s transformation project and believes it will be an example for other history museums of how to make natural history accessible to the public. “(It’s) something I’m already proud of, even at this pretty early stage, where the public hasn’t fully seen what we’re reimagining,” she said. — Paige Bennett

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JENNA GAUNTNER 34 Senior associate, CBRE If you do not know Jenna Gauntner’s name yet, you are likely to learn it soon. Not only is she one of the few women specializing in industrial real estate brokerage, but she is also often listed among the top producers at CBRE’s Cleveland office. Michelle Nicholson, director of sales and leasing at Industrial Commercial Properties of Mayfield Heights, says of Gauntner, “She knows how to get a deal done,” Johnson added. “She knows how to negotiate with a landlord and fully represent the needs of her tenant.” Gauntner’s experience and confidence show. Eighteen months ago, fairly soon for someone who joined CBRE in 2017, she chose to form a solo practice rather than join a team with other CBRE agents. Going on her own helped her around what many women find is an issue making their way in business. “After I would speak at a meet-

ing with a fellow broker who is a man, the clients would look at him to see if he agreed,” Gauntner recalled. At the same time, she said she also appreciates the men she worked with who told her they were confident she had the skills to make it on her own. Her former CBRE supervisor, Keith Brandt, now an executive vice president at Industrial Commercial Properties, said Gauntner “is really making a name for herself” because of her mastery of brokerage and exceptional organizing skills. For her part, Gauntner said her Cleveland State University degree in business operations and supply chain and earlier jobs as a project manager helped in her real estate practice. Going into business was a second choice for her, as she switched from a psychology major because she learned how quickly people burn out working in counseling or social work. She pursued commercial real estate because she has family connec-

tions in the area and liked CBRE’s commitment to community activities. Gauntner said she likes pursuing cold storage leases because they require juggling multiple moving parts. She also prizes helping someone starting a company find their first business location. “When I help someone who is getting their business started, I like seeing them fulfill their dreams,” she said. Gauntner also prizes participating in CBRE’s volunteer activities. Colleagues say that as co-chair of the CBRE Cares Committee (Cleveland), she is either running a drive, such as collecting Halloween costumes for disadvantaged children or helping with a volunteer task. She also volunteers to work with abused, neglected or troubled youths as a court-appointed special advocate in Summit County. “I’ve always had a caring heart for anyone considered an underdog,” said Gauntner, a Willoughby native. — Stan Bullard

ANTHONY FIOR 39

DANIELLE GADOMSKI LITTLETON 38

Principal, St. Ignatius High School

Supervising attorney, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

“Joyfulness” and “a sense of purpose” among his own Saint Ignatius High School teachers, Anthony Fior explained, are what attracted him to Jesuit education. “They lived their lives with such meaning and direction,” according to Fior, who graduated from the all-boys Catholic school in 2002. “It was inspiring to me.” Fior, now St. Ignatius’s principal, aims to pay that inspiration forward with interest. “As an educator, if you can impact one student’s life, that’s amazing,” he said. “But, because a lot of the decisions made at the policy level can have a broader impact on the entire school community of 1,400 students, my current position represents a really amazing and humbling opportunity and challenge.” The Cleveland native studied theology and earned three degrees at St. Louis University, including a doctorate in Catholic School Leadership. His teaching career began at De Smet Jesuit High School in the Saint Louis area, where he worked for nearly six years. Fior left De Smet in 2013 to be one of six founding faculty members of Cristo Rey Columbus High School before “following his heart back” to St. Ignatius in 2014. At his alma mater, Fior served first as a theology teacher and soccer coach and later as chair of the theology department. He was named principal in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdown, and began the job during the pandemic.

Richard Klingshirn, who recently retired as CFO of St. Ignatius, said Fior’s leadership skills were evident prior to the pandemic. Yet COVID, he said, demonstrated just how deep that skill set went, particularly when it came to spearheading the school’s preparedness efforts to open the 2020-2021 school year with in-person learning. “He leads with his faith and his commitment to Catholic Jesuit philosophies and is able to balance that with being a firm, decisive leader who knows what he wants, is able to articulate it and is able to get the people around him to get it done,” Klingshirn said. Fior is also credited with recognizing that teen mental health needs were fast becoming a pandemic-era priority, prompting the enhancement and expansion of wrap-around support services that are currently available to students. “It’s very important to the culture of our school and to our mission that every student here has the opportunity to succeed, so we are always taking a hard look at what we need to do to make that happen,” Fior said. Outside of his daily duties at St. Ignatius, Fior is an active member and mentor with the Jesuit Schools Network, a group of about 60 private school leaders across the country who share best practices and guidance. He also serves on committees at Cleveland’s Saint Joseph Academy and Seton Catholic School in Hudson. — Judy Stringer

One day a week, attorney Danielle Gadomski Littleton finds herself tucked into an office in the bustling first-floor social services suite of UH Rainbow Ahuja Center for Women & Children. Across from the pediatric clinic, the Columbus native said she “can often hear babies cry when they get their shots.” But the location also puts her “a quick badge swipe and 20 to 30 steps” from exam room pop-ins when a doctor “flags a potential legal issue.” Littleton is supervisor of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s education practice group and serves as the day-to-day attorney assigned to University Hospitals Medical Legal Partnership. In the former role, she coaches, supports and manages a team of five lawyers and paralegals in cases involving special education and school discipline, often going into school districts herself to advocate for children facing health issues that impact learning. In the latter, Littleton is bootson-the-ground, fighting for the

services Ahuja patients “deserve and are entitled to,” she said. “They may be dealing with mold in their apartment, for example, and it’s affecting their children’s health or their child may be getting suspended on a frequent basis and is in need of different special education supports,” she explained. “We train doctors and nurses to recognize civil legal issues that may interfere with patient health, they make referrals to us, and we take it from there.” Advocating on behalf of others is a passion Littleton discovered after graduating from Denison University in 2007. Without a specific career in mind, she accepted a year-long assignment with Lutheran Volunteer Corps, where she worked alongside social workers and attorneys to identify and recommend safe, permanent homes for abused and neglected children. From there Littleton enrolled at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and, after earning

her law degree, spent two years clerking for a federal judge in Columbus before joining Cleveland’s Legal Aid Society in 2013. “I was excited to get the opportunity to be an advocate,” she said of the move. Katie Feldman, managing attorney of the nonprofit’s health and opportunity practice group, called Littleton a “tenacious advocate for some of the city’s most vulnerable, especially children.” “Danielle is also very creative in her advocacy,” Feldman said, “and because she has been a leader in her practice group in recent years, she has been particularly effective in training new attorneys to be as tenacious and creative in their advocacy.” Littleton said, “I feel good about anything I can do to lessen the patient or their family’s burden as they try to navigate really complicated systems that don’t always feel like they’re set up to benefit the people that they are, theoretically, set up to benefit.” — Judy Stringer

NICK HOUSE 34 Partner, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease Nick House grew up in a home run by attorneys. And no matter how much his parents tried to dissuade him from becoming a lawyer, House wasn’t having it. The youngest of four brothers was accustomed to fierce competition, and he was used to playing up. That’s why it probably wasn’t a surprise to those who know

House that, shortly after his 34th birthday, he was named a partner in Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP’s Cleveland office in January. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was little to be an attorney and a partner at a law firm. So you can check that box,” said House, who grew up in Westlake

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MATTHEW GRIMES 32 Head of diversity, equity and inclusion, Cleveland Guardians

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Members of the Lake Erie Native American Council have visited Progressive Field many times since it opened in 1994, but on Aug. 7, they did something new. They came as fans, not protestors. “You wouldn’t believe the number of tears I saw and the number of people who came up to me and said, ‘I never thought I’d be able to come to a professional baseball game,’” said Matthew Grimes, the Cleveland Guardians’ head of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI). The Guardians hired Grimes in June of 2021, and he’s spent the last two years not only shepherding the organization through the name change, but also building relationships with groups that didn’t feel like they were included in the decision. “One of my favorite quotes is from a disability rights advocate who said, ‘Nothing about us without us is for us,’” Grimes said. “It was hard for me to fathom that

we were changing the name but not doing so in partnership with the communities that needed to see the name changed in order to feel a stronger connection to the organization.” Grimes, who is biracial, grew up in Troy, New York, in a community that was predominantly Dominican and Puerto Rican. Soon after he started playing little league baseball, Grimes realized his friends on the team weren’t his friends in the classroom. Instead, they had been labeled as special education students or English language learners. Believing he could help bridge the gap, he started taking Spanish classes in seventh grade and eventually became a high school Spanish teacher in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. He soon realized that, as much as he enjoyed teaching students, he enjoyed challenging adults more. That introduced him to equity work. Besides getting his master’s degree from Harvard, he

spent two years leading the diversity and inclusion strategies for Springfield (Massachusetts) Local Schools before being lured back to Cleveland by the Guardians. “People ask, ‘Why leave education? Why leave the classroom and leave students?’” he said. “But I feel like I have a greater impact on public education, particularly on CMSD, than I did when I was within the system.” Those questions can be uncomfortable, but like a good baseball manager, Grimes has a talent for making different people feel like they’re part of the same team. “Matt is a really good human being driven by his passion to help the oppressed and marginalized,” said Kevin Clayton, the Cavaliers’ head of social impact and equity. “He has a burning desire for social justice and equity for all people. Matt combines a strong intellect with a compassionate heart to be a true leader in the DEI space.” — Joe Scalzo

brought an apartment complex and Meijer neighborhood market to what was a food desert. “Being from Cleveland, I love the city. I love the sports teams,” House said. “I always want to do everything I can to be an advocate for the city and have an impact on the city. What’s nice about the position I’m in is that, yes, we’re a very large law firm, but we have a strong local presence.” House and his wife, Karleigh, have three kids 5 and under — Finn, McKenna and Keira. He also

serves on the board of directors for the Association for Corporate Growth’s Cleveland chapter. House loves to play golf and get together with friends, but he admits his time for such activities isn’t what it used to be. Not that he’s complaining. “I couldn’t ask for a better set of mentors who helped me through the learning curve and now to have an opportunity to be their partner, I’m thrilled,” House said. — Kevin Kleps

“Being from Cleveland, I love the city. I love the sports teams. I always want to do everything I can to be an advocate for the city and have an impact on the city.”

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and started his career at Vorys after earning his law degree at William & Mary. Columbus-based Vorys has about 375 attorneys in its 10 offices. The bulk of House’s Cleveland practice is in commercial real estate. He represents developers and lenders on transactions and serves as an outside general counsel for several local companies. Bryan Falk, the manager partner of Vorys’ Cleveland office, said he’s had “the opportunity to interact with many young leaders.” Of

them, House stands out because he “is passionate, intelligent, accomplished, creative, outgoing, dedicated and ethical.” House was part of the Vorys team that represented Sherwin-Williams in the development of its new Cleveland headquarters, as well as the company’s research and development hub in Brecksville. House is also really proud of being part of the deal that produced a mixed-use development in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood. The transaction has

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NORA HOXHA 38 Architecture projects and business growth strategist, CT Consultants Nora Hoxha takes jarring life changes and turns them into opportunities. At 14 years old, she emigrated from Kosovo to Cleveland with her family. They arrived in the United States as refugees, fleeing genocide in their native country. Hoxha was quickly struck by the contrast between American and European places, and placemaking. She decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an architect, with the goal of making the world more accessible and appealing. “I feel like it’s in my core. It’s part of my soul,” Hoxha, 38, said of the profession. Since 2022, she’s led strategic planning efforts for the architecture department at CT Consultants in Cleveland. But her journey to that job was anything but smooth. Hoxha is part of a generation of architects shaken by the Great Recession, which started in late 2007. After graduating from Miami University, she joined a firm that works on hotels and other commercial real estate projects. When the market tanked, she lost her job. She poured her energy into volunteering and learning. And she started her own design studio, build-

ing up her business between brief forays back into the corporate world. In 2012, she and a group of friends formed a nonprofit to teach the public about urban planning and design. They heart-bombed historic buildings, showering them with love letters to stave off demolition and draw the community’s attention to the need for preservation.

door opened. She learned about CT Consultants through the ACE Mentor Program of Cleveland, one of many organizations where she volunteers. At the time, she was seeking collaborations. Instead, she found a job at a company that’s looking to grow and support new talent. “It’s been, really, kind of a breath of fresh air,” said Hoxha, who also is on the board of the Cleveland chapter of the American Institute of Architects and co-leads its women in architecture committee. Her partner, Andrew Bennett, nominated Hoxha for recognition. He cited her dedication to mentoring, her wide-ranging friendships and the global view that informs her work. “She brings a perspective that is committed to fairness, inclusion, quality over quantity, deep relationships and respect for everyone,” he wrote. “Nora,” he added, “is someone who invites everyone to the table and works to create an ecosystem that uplifts the collective.” — Michelle Jarboe

“Nora is someone who invites everyone to the table and works to create an ecosystem that uplifts the collective.” — Andrew Bennett, Hoxha’s partner Meanwhile, she picked up clients — in hospitality, retail, residential and civic spaces. She consulted with other design firms. Outside of work, she pursued her passions, including travel, painting, drawing, floor hockey and beach volleyball. Hoxha has been off the team sports circuit for the past few years due to an injury and several surgeries. “I feel like I’ve lived 150 years,” she said with a laugh. In the middle of that personal setback, though, another professional

CONGRATULATIONS Patrick Bloom Vice President, Government Relations Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. for being selected

CRAIN’S 2023 FORTY UNDER 40 This recognition is well deserved. Patrick has been integral to assisting Cleveland-Cliffs in being a national leader on public policy matters affecting the steel industry. He has fostered many productive relationships with elected officials and community leaders. Through his diligence and dedication to this work, he has strengthened Cleveland-Cliffs’ position as a leader in the steel industry and its integral role in the communities in which the Company operates. Your colleagues at 18 | CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 20, 2023

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ANNETTE IWAMOTO 37 Executive director, One South Euclid

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Annette Iwamoto is the first full-time executive director in the history of One South Euclid, the city’s community development corporation (CDC). The inner ring suburb CDC, established in 2009, grew out of need during the housing crisis but has since evolved and diversified to the point where it was too much to be run entirely by volunteers.

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“With the breadth of things she does for others, it just points to her being a public servant for the world.” — Rick Krivanka, One South Euclid board president “I wasn’t specifically looking to get into community development. I had been with Providence House for eight years and it was time for me to expand into leadership by going somewhere else,” Iwamoto said. “From the first conversation I had with the search committee, I knew that it was the direction for me. It was an opportunity for the organization to be defined. I saw the impact I could have and the

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impact it could have on me.” She had to create her job without a job description and, as One South Euclid board president Rick Krivanka described it, “give meaning to the job in an effective way,” which he said she has done through strong relationship building. “She relates so well to the city, the mayor and different city administrators,” Krivanka said. “She also has the ability to connect with the community and makes sure when we do events there is some sort of listening dynamic. She’s created different ways for people passing by to give input into what they most value about the community.” Since Iwamoto took the helm in the summer of 2021, One South Euclid has grown substantially. Under her leadership, the CDC has established programs for both residential and commercial grants, increased fundraising efforts and rolled out a slate of community events. As the CDC celebrates its 15year anniversary next year, Iwamoto was able to secure a $50,000 matching grant from the Mandel

Foundation CDC Leadership Program to expand a food truck park in what she wants to establish as the city’s downtown. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve really started to get more involved in place-making and downtown revitalization, really making the intersection of Mayfield and Green more of the downtown for South Euclid. It is all about creating a sense of place for our residents and a destination for the wider community,” Iwamoto said. Iwamoto, who came to Cleveland as part of a City Year program in 2008, also serves on the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Libraries Board of Trustees. She is also an active volunteer of Ohio Progressive Asian Women Leadership (OPAWL), a grassroots community that elevates Ohio women in the Asian American Pacific Islander community. “She is involved with all of these different things,” Krivanka said. “With the breadth of things she does for others, it just points to her being a public servant for the world.” — Kim Palmer

THE POWER MICHAEL DANIELS, Ph.D., connects people and builds strong communities at Kent State University. His essential work as director of Kent State’s E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center embraces and celebrates diversity throughout the university community and brings people together in cultural affirmation and a sense of belonging. THE ENTIRE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONGRATULATES MICHAEL ON BEING RECOGNIZED AMONG THE REGION’S MOST NOTABLE LEADERS IN CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 40 UNDER 40.

WWW.KENT.EDU Kent State University, Kent State and KSU are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. Kent State University, an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, is committed to attaining excellence through the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. 230260

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KENNETH KALYNCHUK 31

Director and principal, Project Management Consultants Kenneth Kalynchuk has been interested in urban planning since a formative trip to Portland, Oregon, revealed the possibilities of mixed-use development and urban transit. Playing the SimCity city-building video game franchise further cemented Kalynchuk’s attraction to building something out of nothing. After graduating from Cornell University with a bachelor’s in urban and regional studies, Kalynchuk returned home for a master’s in urban planning and development from Cleveland State University. At Project Management Consultants, Kalynchuk identifies, secures and manages financing opportunities for a myriad of Cleveland-area development projects. “There’s something special about the people here — the sense of struggle and optimism,” said Kalynchuk, an Old Brooklyn native who has spent his entire career at PMC. “I’ve always been inspired by Cleveland. I love giving people tours and building the city up as much as I can.”

Brownfield remediation and historical building restoration comprise much of Kalynchuk’s day-to-day activity. Among his noteworthy projects is garnering tax incentives for new luxury apartments in the Van Aken District. Kalynchuk is now leading development efforts at PMC after six years as an analyst and project director. Alongside management and analysis, he oversees the operations, employee training and mixed-use practices of PMC’s finance team. In 2022, Kalynchuk led a team that secured over $20.6 million in Ohio brownfield remediation grants. While client engagement takes precedence, empowering employees is a key facet of Kalynchuk’s new leadership role, he said. “Part of my growth as a leader is to be a good mentor and trainer,” Kalynchuk said. “I try to be as empathetic and responsive as possible. Ultimately, the buck stops with me. I have to be the backstop for all information and every data point. I can’t rely on someone else to do something.” Kalynchuk joined PMC in

2016, since then collaborating on many high-profile assignments with colleagues such as managing director of financial services Ryan Sommers. “Ken is a quick study,” Sommers said. “He is extremely knowledgeable in the world of corporate and development finance, and he’s great at connecting the dots for clients. He is a strong listener and a tough problem solver. He takes the time to know his clients and proactively finds ways to help them achieve their goals.” A professional development advocate, Kalynchuk started a Rising Professionals group at PMC following the COVID-19 pandemic. The group hosts numerous events, mostly informal get-togethers and volunteer opportunities. In the meantime, Kalynchuk will continue to build up his beloved hometown and even has a few dream projects in mind. “Cleveland has so many unique historical, industrial and community assets,” Kalynchuk said. “I’d love to redevelop the entire Flats along the river.” — Douglas J. Guth

“There’s something special about the people here — the sense of struggle and optimism. I’ve always been inspired by Cleveland. I love giving people tours and building the city up as much as I can.”

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Director of Workforce Innovation Bishara’s efforts to make workforce systems work better is advancing the everyone economy, where good jobs and rising incomes are within reach for all Northeast Ohioans. We are proud of her commitment, creativity and vision. Congratulations to Bishara and all of this year’s 40 Under Forty honorees.

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JENNA KEENE 38 Executive director, J.P. Morgan Private Bank While an interest in business steered Jenna Keene toward a career in finance, a drive to help others has shaped her successful career as a wealth manager. Keene, an Olmsted Falls native, recalls being fascinated by how her father, Bob Shaker, managed a local family-owned IGA grocery store and invested in the stock market. Keene opted to pursue finance at Ohio University, but soon discovered she wasn’t that attached to the strictly numerical side of things. “I had several internships over college at different firms. But that helped me decide that I didn’t want to be a number cruncher behind a computer screen,” she said. “What I loved was working with people.” Keene took a job out of college with J.P. Morgan as an investment analyst. But after a few years, she made her way into the private bank. There, she began working more closely with clients themselves, providing guidance on their own balance sheets, investments, real estate and banking. That’s where Keene really found her calling. “The most rewarding part of the job is just seeing the success and impact that I have made on my clients with their financial plans through the advice and solutions offered here at J.P. Morgan,” she said. “One of my biggest fulfillments is being able to work with individuals and families to provide that advice. They’ve all become family.” Keene’s rise to an executive director within the private bank hasn’t exactly come easy — es-

pecially for a woman in a male-dominated industry segment. Some of her greatest challenges have been simply dealing with sexism in her field. “I think women are more empowered today. I’ve overcome some of that sexism, especially with individuals who are used to working with males,” Keene said. “But I think women are more empowered today. We have evolved as a society and see more females now in the workforce, especially in finance, though we would love to see more, especially in Northeast Ohio.” That’s something of personal importance to Keene who — besides overseeing more than $1 billion in combined client assets at her job — serves on the Women in Transaction committee for the Association of Corporate Growth, where she promotes events and female involvement within the finance community. Keene is also an active volunteer with the LeBron James Family Foundation and the I PROMISE School, among other organizations. “Jenna is a standout in so many ways, and she is a role model to many of us,” said Dave Allen, head of Northeast Ohio for J.P. Morgan Private Bank and Keene’s mentor. “Beyond simply being excellent at what she does, she is helping to lead our Women and Wealth efforts internally within J.P. Morgan Private Bank and which continues to unlock capabilities and talent within our organization. These efforts make us all better, and we have Jenna to thank for leading the way.” — Jeremy Nobile

PARIS LAMPKINS 39 Director of learning and development, The Albert M. Higley Co. When Paris Lampkins’ four siblings were outside playing, she often would stay in and read. As an adult, one of her routines is buying a book every time she gets paid. “It’s kind of becoming problematic because I’m running out of space,” she said with a laugh. Lampkins is “naturally curious,” particularly about “why people do the things that they do, specific to their culture and their understanding.” With that comes a strong desire to learn. Lampkins is pursuing a doctorate in interprofessional leadership at Kent State University, and she has served in various academic leadership roles in the last 15 years. In April, Lampkins became the director of learning and development at The Albert M. Higley Co., a Cleveland-based construction manager and contractor. The role, while different from previous jobs, has some familiar focuses — learning and uplifting. “They build beautiful things, and when they’re talking to employees, it’s very technical,” she said. “But we also need to develop and hone the managers and those who are looking to climb the proverbial ladder. My role looks at those soft skills and how do we develop our next generation of leaders to ensure that we have an adequate bench strength?” As part of her doctorate, Lampkins is studying “the trials and tribulations” women endure as they attempt to advance their careers. It’s not lost on Lampkins that she’s now working in a field that is dominated by men. “I’m really committed to standing in the gap and uplifting and training and supporting women because I think that our climb in corporate America is so unique,” she said. At AMHigley, the Cleveland native helps design programs that develop the whole person, which Lampkins believes is crucial. “I have the autonomy to create, and I’m really enjoying every moment of it,” she said. “I absolutely love it, and I don’t think that I’ve been this on fire about a role in some time.” Charmaine Rice, a senior vice president at AmTrust Financial Services, met Lampkins through Rekindle Fellowship, a group

co-founded by Rice that brings together leaders from the African-American and Jewish communities. Rice calls Lampkins “a bright light in Cleveland, both personally and professionally. “She is highly self-motivated with a ‘will do’ attitude,” Rice added. Lampkins’ professional and civic obligations (she’s a member of

four boards, including Rekindle) mean she’s on a disciplined schedule, which always includes time for reading, music and travel. “It’s important for me to do all the things that I love and to do them at a very high level, so I am just very calendar-driven,” Lampkins said. — Kevin Kleps

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STACEY DIANE ARAÑEZ LITAM 36 Assistant professor of counselor education, Cleveland State University The Asian community does not have an official term for mental trauma or psychological distress, resulting in this population heavily relying on medical doctors for most every ailment, said Stacey Diane Arañez Litam. As a Filipina immigrant of Filipina and Chinese descent, Litam has a deep investment in the impact of trauma on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Litam, a fulltime member of the Cleveland State University staff since 2019, launched some of the earliest national research on pandemic-related racial discrimination against the larger Asian community. “What interests me in this research is decolonizing the Western perspective, where these theories were framed to support white middle class clients,” Litam said. “Clients are now so distinct, so how do we best work with them?” Litam, a clinical sexologist with the American Board of Sexology, is widely recognized for her creation of trauma-informed strategies for sex trafficking survivors. Over her career, Litam has published 40 peer-reviewed research papers on topics encompassing trauma and multicultural communities. Seventeen of her pandemic-centric articles, meanwhile, are published in the World Health Organization’s global database on COVID-19 literature. Many of her studies have been featured

in Forbes Health, Psychology Today and a host of other news outlets. Even when reviewing dry data, it is a challenge for Litam to separate herself from her work, she said. “That separation is impossible when you’re also part of the community,” Litam said. “I struggle to distance myself from it, yet getting this information out there and shifting the narrative away from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and focusing more on Post Traumatic Growth is so important.” Martina Moore, CEO of Moore Counseling & Mediation Services, recruited Litam early on to build out human trafficking support services at her agency. Moore praised Litam as a skilled clinician with exemplary people skills. “Stacey’s personality is one that sets goals and goes above her own bar,” Moore said. “Her work ethic is dedicated, reliable and committed to whatever she is called to do.” Moore’s guidance from early in her career – that work should not be the only thing in life became an important life lesson for Litam. She practices this advice today by playing volleyball and spending time with her husband and two young children. “I think back to Martina’s words, because she always encouraged me to find balance,” Litam said. “I didn’t see that when I was younger. I wanted to do it all, and all at once.” — Douglas J. Guth

MARCUS MADISON 36 Community relations program manager, Cleveland Clinic Marcus Madison is a community-driven individual proud to confront the generational issues plaguing Greater Cleveland. Madison’s 20 years of experience in this space includes nonprofit work, as well as a commitment to philanthropy and local government. Building better neighborhoods is at the forefront of these efforts, said Madison, whose outreach at Cleveland Clinic’s Avon Hospital includes addressing health disparities for underserved populations. “I’ve fallen in love with learning about the culture and passion of Cleveland,” said Madison, an Ohio City resident. “I’ve learned to embrace my connections with the people who live here.” At Avon Hospital, Madison tackles crucial health care shortfalls that impede care accessibility for marginalized groups. Studying the social determinants of health keeps Madison focused on the quality-of-life issues endured by Clinic patients. On the ground, this means conferring with hospital leadership and government officials on food insecurity and additional areas that have a direct impact on

a population’s well-being. “The biggest challenge we face is creating pathways and opportunities for these underrepresented communities,” Madison said. “We have to do that with people in mind – their voices are critical to this work. We are empowering them to take ownership and be ambassadors for their neighborhoods.” Avon Hospital vice president and chief medical officer Rebecca Starck initially mentored Madison when he became a liaison between the hospital system and neighborhood stakeholders. “Marcus has been instrumental in coordinating several outreach initiatives, but one that has been highly successful is our student shadow experience,” Starck said. “Students are introduced to the many caregivers and department managers who lead in the care of patients. Through this introduction to careers in healthcare, our goal is to inspire the next generation of health care workers.” Starck further lauded her mentee’s dedication to people, exemplified by 10 years as a council member in his home suburb of Elyria. “Marcus has connections with

hundreds of people in the community and has the ability to connect with each individual on a personal level,” Starck said. “He is continuously thinking of new ways to inspire individuals of all backgrounds while bringing people together for the greater good.” Simple empathy is a key compo-

two abroad. She is an editor, a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors and a leader in international research groups. Her research teams have received about $18 million in grants. Ma was raised in China’s Hubei province and earned a bachelor of science degree at that country’s Zhejiang University. She came to America for a master’s from Marquette University, then to Cleveland for a doctorate from Case Western Reserve. One of her patents was for software replacing the loud, jarring noises from conventional magnetic resonance imaging with music or silence. The change didn’t just make patients more comfortable but

helped them lie still for clearer images. All her software has been licensed by Siemens. Some of it is in clinical use in Europe and Asia. For now, it’s all considered experimental in the U.S. She said many patients volunteer for her trials at University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic, eager to help improve diagnosis and treatment of their conditions. Ma lives in Solon with her husband and daughter. “I like Cleveland,” she said. “Lots of culture. The weather is not optimal, but that’s fine.” With its wealth of admired hospitals, Cleveland is “the perfect place” for research with patients, she added. — Grant Segall

DAN MA 39 Assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Case Western Reserve University Dan Ma has created a technology that she calls magnetic resonance fingerprinting. “We’re trying to find unique tissue signatures, like a fingerprint,” said Ma, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Those signatures vary from patient to patient and also from healthy to unhealthy tissues in the same body. “We provide a faster and more accurate scan,” she said. Doctors use those scans to treat lesions or cancerous cells. They’ve cured some of those patients of epilepsy. Ma has also used her technology to scan infants for a study of prenatal opioid syndrome. “It’s awesome to use imaging to look inside the body,” she said. And it’s not invasive, like biopsies or exploratory surgery. In nominating her to be one of Crain’s 40 Under 40, Dr. Stan Gerson, dean of Case Western Reserve’s medical school, wrote, “Dan Ma is a problem-solver working to find solutions to some of today’s biggest health care challenges.” Ma has spent her career improving tissue imagery. She has published 61 papers. She has earned 25 patents in the U.S. and

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NORA MAHONEY 35 Managing director, Carleton McKenna & Co.

nent of Madison’s work, he noted. “It’s about sitting down with diverse people to listen and understand their needs,” Madison said. “By listening, I know how to fight and advocate for them. I care about individuals who care for their communities.” — Douglas J. Guth

Investment banking is more of a human enterprise than one would think, noted Nora Mahoney, an employee with Carleton McKenna since 2014. Although there is a numbers-heavy aspect to Mahoney’s duties, it’s the interactions with the people inside these dealings that fuel her fire. “I enjoy this work because every day is completely different from the day before,” Mahoney said. “I might be having breakfast with a CEO, or meeting with a client’s lawyer to talk about a draft purchase agreement.” Previous experience in commercial litigation – mostly securities and corporate law – informs Mahoney’s current capital raise efforts for Carleton McKenna. As most of the firm’s clients are owners or operators looking to exit their business, Mahoney’s team must provide entrepreneurs with the best liquidity option possible, she said. Mahoney and her staff serve as company board members, an active position that encompasses oversight and strategic planning. It’s an especially important skill

set for owners seeking to limit distractions as they continue to operate their business, Mahoney said. “When we’re negotiating a sale, there’s going to be back and forth in that process with the final group of buyers,” Mahoney said. “Who the correct buyer is and why is one of my favorite parts of the job. Understanding whether the purchase price is right or the culture is right are nuances that help me succeed in my job.” Garnering such a high level of trust makes Mahoney protective of her client’s interests, she said. “This is their life, and people view their company as part of the family,” Mahoney said. “You’re not just acting on behalf of a client, but on behalf of the generations that came before and will come after.” Dan Dugan, an enterprise cloud strategist with Amazon Web Services, knows Mahoney from their work together with the Cleveland Leadership Center, a skill-building nonprofit for area executives. Dugan called his fellow classmate a “multiplier leader” who brings boundless energy and emotional intelligence to any endeavor.

“When you interact with Nora, she is 100% present in that moment and gives you all her attention,” Dugan said. “She always builds you up and strives to take an active role in your success. Nora has a passion to learn new things and grow personally. I would call her a lifetime learner.” — Douglas J. Guth

honoring Kory Clark for his influential business leadership.

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Congratulations to KeyBank teammate Kory Clark for being recognized as one of the 40 Under 40 Honorees by Crain's in Northeast Ohio. At KeyBank, we know that the best leaders thrive in a culture where every person feels included, valued, and empowered.

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Kory is a role model in the community and to all of us at Key. Thank you for your consistent hard work and your dedication to being a great leader.

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Kory Clark Key Community Development Lending

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JESSICA MILLER MECASKEY 35

Woodland community forester, The Holden Arboretum The deep love and appreciation for nature that Jessica Miller Mecaskey brings to her role as a Woodland community forester at the Holden Arboretum was instilled by her family at an early age. “I was privileged to grow up with a family who prioritized outdoor time,” she said. And it was during these periods in nature that she also found herself filled with wonder. “Wonder has often been the flashpoint for me, of inspiration and change, personally and professionally,” she said. In her role, she gets to share her wonder with others, a habit that also seems passed down from family.

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translate what’s going on in the woods and see their light bulbs go off,” she said. It’s this enthusiasm that makes Miller Mecaskey such a vital part of the Arboretum’s mission, said David Burke, the arboretum’s vice president for science and conservation. “Our mission is public service and Jessica embraces that idea,” he said. “She embodies that effort of protecting a shared resource, a common environment.” But part of Miller Mecaskey’s gift is how she deeply she connects with others. “Her relationships with friends, family and the community are connections she values deeply,” said Sharon Seyfarth Garner, who worked with Miller Mecaskey as her spiritual director at Belly of the Whale. “She has the wisdom, compassion and love that I usually find in someone who’s lived many more years than she has. . . .She values the earth, the way the earth sustains us and that we care for the earth,” Garner added. For Miller Mecaskey, being able to do that in Northeast Ohio where she grew up has been an unexpected delight. “I didn’t think that I’d land back here. But the neat thing about working in and studying ecosystems is that ‘eco’ means home and I’ve wound up back in my home ecosystem,” she said. “Now I get to spend my days and my work actually caring for my little home and my home place.” — Marcus Gilmer

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“Wonder has often been the flashpoint for me, of inspiration and change, personally and professionally.” “In the fall, if someone was sick or couldn’t come out on one of our nature walks, my father would bring along this bulky VCR and camera and record the fall colors to share,” she said. Part of Miller Mecaskey’s job involves outreach to the community, via either written materials or potentially even site visits. But she also works with her team on the arboretum’s 67-acre Working Woods Learning Forest, promoting and demonstrating best woodland management practices for private landowners. “That’s one of my favorite things, to bring people on tours or workshops in the woods and share my passion with them,

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MARK MIKHAIEL 35 Partner, Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell Mark Mikhaiel earlier this year had an opportunity most Ohio lawyers dream of: arguing a case before the Supreme Court of Ohio. And in his first time at the plate, he hit it out of the park. Mikhaiel in May argued a case on behalf of a client, TruNorth Warranty Programs of North America, that concerned the applicability of a concept known as “res judicata” — the Latin term for matter decided. In early September, the decision came in, resoundingly (that is, 7-0) in the client’s favor, serving as a precedent in Ohio that once a trial court issues a final order, parties are legally barred from re-litigating the same issue in a subsequent lawsuit. Mikhaiel was the person standing up before the justices, but he said a large team at his firm,

Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell, did “incredible preparation” that laid the groundwork for a successful outcome. It was a little nerve-wracking arguing a case at that level, Mikhaiel acknowledged, but he felt comfortable because of the quality of the firm’s preparation and his confidence that the position he was arguing was, in fact, the correct one. That’s important to Mikhaiel’s conception of what makes it exciting to practice law. “The biggest joy in work comes from doing the right thing,” said Mikhaiel, whose practice focuses on litigation and appellate advocacy in complex commercial and professional liability disputes. “It’s exciting to be in a position of helping a client, whether it’s an individual or a business, come to the right outcome.”

Mikhaiel grew up in Canada and spent relatively little time in the United States before he veered away from an undergraduate focus on the sciences to apply to law school. He focused on Ohio - it’s close to Canada, after all, and he had a friend who lived at the time in Toledo - and wound up enrolling in the law school at Case Western Reserve University. He said he was drawn to Case Western Reserve by the intellectual rigor of the law school and the large international composition of its students. Mikhaiel continues to be connected to Case Western Reserve, as a volunteer in the law school’s mentor program and as a member of the alumni board. Case Western Reserve played another lasting role in Mikhaiel’s life. On his second day of law school orientation, he met the woman who later became his wife. At his firm, Mikhaiel said he

enjoys brainstorming with colleagues and working with younger associates. Mentoring younger lawyers, he said, reminds him of values he learned from a key mentor, veteran Cleveland lawyer Joel Levin. “He gave me the foundation for paying it back,” Mikhaiel said. Levin, who is retired to Florida, said Mikhaiel is “an excellent lawyer. Just a very interesting guy - serious, intense.” He said Mikhaiel brings “strong professionalism to everything he does” and is “very dedicated to family, church, law - in that order.” When he’s not in the office or in court, Mikhaiel often is on a different court, playing his favorite sport: tennis. (He’s teaching the game to his 5-year-old son.) He and his wife also enjoy exploring Cleveland. “I really think Cleveland is a terrific city,” he said. “There are so many opportunities here.” — Scott Suttell

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MEGAN MOINI 37 Physician and founder, Emerald Direct Primary Care As a primary care physician, Dr. Megan Moini enjoys getting to know her patients, which is why she left the traditional health care system and started her own direct primary care practice three years ago. “I always felt frustrated that I didn’t ever get to follow my own patients,” Moini said. “There would always be people on my schedule, but if my own patients called, they could never get in to see me. I didn’t have that continuity that’s kind of the best part of primary care.” In 2020, she founded Emerald Direct Primary Care in Beachwood. Direct primary care is a membership-based model where patients pay a monthly fee to their physician rather than through an insurance provider. Physicians have fewer patients through this model, which allows the physician to spend more time with each patient. Moini said she believes it’s important for patients to have easy and convenient access to their primary care physician. Having her own practice allows her to approach medicine the way she sees best fit, she said. Since she opened Emerald Direct, the primary care facility has grown to more than 400 patients and added an office manager and a nurse practitioner. “I have families that I see their newborns and the parents and then the grandparents, and I love that I know everyone, that I know how their dynamic is, and it just makes it feel like I’m taking care of everybody,” Moini said.

Moini grew up in Oregon, but her family later relocated to Florida. She decided to become a physician because it combined her interests in science and research with a chance to get to know patients. Moini earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and her doctor of medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “She’s very welcoming and open,” said Dr. Tolu Ifabiyi, an internist and pediatrician who recently graduated from the University Hospitals residency program and did a rotation in Moini’s clinic to learn about direct primary care. “She was a great teacher. Very much into helping me get hands-on experience.” Ifabiyi said Moini is passionate about helping and advocating for her patients, and that she wants health care to be accessible. In the future, Moini hopes to work with more medical residents and students-in-training to show them the options available in direct primary care. “I think I just want to help other doctors become independent and support them if they’re interested in starting their own practice, if someone wanted to join as part of my practice,” she said. “Just helping make people aware of their other options.” — Paige Bennett

WARREN MORGAN 39 CEO, Cleveland Metropolitan School District When he was student body president at Butler University, Warren Morgan got career advice from two people with commander-in-chief authority. Former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush each told him on separate occasions they thought he should pursue public policy as a career. “So when you have two United States presidents telling you to get involved in government and policy, that’s what you do after college,” he said. Morgan’s career growth in policy took root in education, and he worked in leadership positions at Teach for America and then for Indianapolis public schools. Now, as head of Cleveland’s school district, he sees more opportunity than ever to put his personal mission statement — “Change urban education from the classroom to the Capitol” — in action. “When I think about the future of our district, I see us getting really clear on our purpose, our mission, on what we’re doing,” he said. “. . . A big part of my tenure will be about us really figuring out those strategies and best practices that work, that leverage impact . . . so that we see the instructional core improve in our classrooms.” It’s a job that frequently forces him into a balancing act, from weighing the different needs of a wide and diverse constituency to managing his own time doing

work that could easily fill 24 hours of every day. But it’s more than a dream job; he defines directing and shaping the district in very personal terms. “I see my role as a servant-leader,” he said. “It’s a ministry to me.” Part of that work is to put himself in the shoes of students. At the start of the school year, when high schoolers complained about lunch food, he joined them to eat in the cafeteria. When challenges with transportation arose, he made plans to hop on two different buses. His affection for his job and the students in the city bloomed when he served as network leader for Cleveland’s phase 2 investment schools from July 2014 through August 2016. “Dr. Morgan’s early record of success in Cleveland was the result of his efforts to spur attendance, to make teaching culturally relevant to students, and to increase project-based instruction and parent engagement — all strategies that continue today,” according to CMSD colleague Roseann Canfora, who put forth his nomination. And he has no intention of slowing down even if sometimes the tasks seem daunting. “In the city of Cleveland, there are so many incredible partners, whether it is from the business side, whether it is from the civic side, elected leaders — everyone is really all in to help the kids win,

“In the city of Cleveland, there are so many incredible partners . . . everyone is really all in to help the kids win.” and I just think that’s incredible,” he said. “Even when I feel all alone or I feel like I’m really busy because there’s lots of work to do within the district, there’s so many others I can turn to for support and help.” — Stacy Sominski

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CONGRATUL ATIONS DR. WARREN G. MORGAN II CEO, Cleveland Metropolitan School District The Cleveland Metropolitan School District congratulates our CEO, Dr. Warren G. Morgan, and all “40 Under 40” honorees for their continued leadership and dedication to making Cleveland a vibrant, inclusive, and exciting community for all. We also extend our thanks to the Cleveland business community, charitable nonprofits, and other agencies that continue to support CMSD’s enduring mission of sustaining vibrant and high-quality schools in every neighborhood.

ON THE

Stay Ahead of Industry News MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! Debora Stein | dstein@crain.com

Congratulations to Katharine G. Trostel, PhD

DOMINIC OZANNE II 38 Project manager, Ozanne Construction Co. Employment records would suggest Dominic Ozanne II has worked for his family’s 67-yearold business, Ozanne Construction Co., for roughly 14 years, between a nearly six-year assignment to aid New Orleans officials rebuilding prison facilities damaged in Hurricane Katrina and his current job as project manager for the Cleveland-based company. Yet, “It’s probably more like 14 and then some,” according to Ozanne. “There are photos in the archives that show me sitting in my grandfather’s lap on job sites and whatnot. I just grew up around it.” Ozanne knew “pretty early on” his future would “involve construction,” he just wasn’t sure exactly how. The Saint Ignatius High School alum played on the Ohio State University tennis team and, after graduating, accepted an opportunity to temporarily relocate to Louisiana as part of Ozanne Construction’s role in the Katrina recovery. “We worked for FEMA, on the one hand, to make sure that the Orleans Parish Sheriff ’s Office was getting the amount of funding that it needed to rebuild,” he said. “And because construction was going on, we then had to turn around and, on the sheriff ’s behalf, overlook the general contractors that were building the multiple buildings.” Ozanne made the most of his time in the Big Easy, earning a master’s degree in real estate development from Tulane University. He spent three years thereafter working in Chicago’s bustling finance and real estate

development sectors before returning to his family business in 2017. Now that he’s back, Ozanne is keen on putting his own mark on the firm by moving upstream into real estate development. He is particularly excited, to that end, to participate in the recently launched Cleveland Equitable Development Initiative, “which aims to support the success of minorities in the real estate industry,” Ozanne explained. “I’m hoping that I can finetune my skills, maybe form some strategic partnerships along the way and then take off,” he said. Daniel O’Brien, manager of wealth management and portfolio analysis at Shaker Heightsbased Capital Advisors Ltd., credited Ozanne for being a “lifelong learner.” O’Brien specifically noted the young executive’s initiative to grow and develop outside of the family business – from grad school at Tulane and his time in Chicago to recent commitments like the Cleveland Bridge Builders Class of 2022. He also noted Ozanne’s advocacy for the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and even numerous CrossFit competitions as examples of how Ozanne “always holds himself to the highest standards.” “That translates into good leadership and management,” O’Brien said, “because when someone is constantly challenging themselves to push harder and just see what they’re capable of, then the people around him look inward a little bit and say ‘I’m going to push myself a little bit more too.’” — Judy Stringer

Associate Professor of English and Co-director of The Rust Belt Humanities Lab at Ursuline College

Named one of Crain’s Cleveland 40 Under Forty for 2023.

From all of us at Ursuline College, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.

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BRIAN POE 37 Senior director, golf clients, WME Sports/IMG Golf I’m not sure I would do it.” But leaving a dream location for a dream job proved to be the right decision, as Poe parlayed an internship with IMG’s golf division into his current role as senior director of golf clients for IMG and WME Sports. Poe oversees IMG’s women’s golf division, representing more than 30 professional clients, including Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Danielle Kang. “Coming from Cleveland, I had a great foundation, great people around me and a great education to rely on,” said Poe, who had interned with IMG in 2012 while pursuing his law degree from Brooklyn Law School. “I would tell this to anybody — if you’re going to bet on — Ben Groneman, coordinator, golf events, for WME/IMG something, bet on yourself. And bet on He moved to Cleveland to be- yourself when you’re going home. “What’s not to like about comcome a 30-year-old intern. “It was not always glamorous in ing home?” At IMG/WME, Poe works with that jump,” laughed Poe, who grew up in Bainbridge and captained global brands such as Mastercard, the golf team at Gilmour Acade- Rolex and Cisco, looking to not my. “If you told me to do it again only drive off-course revenue for today, with a wife and three kids, his clients but to help level the fiBrian Poe spent five years practicing law in Corona del Mar, a seaside neighborhood in Newport Beach, California, known for its beaches, tide pools, cliffside views and village shops. He worked on more than 300 cases in the field of alternative dispute resolution for many high-profile clients, generating an annual aggregate settlement value of more than $1 billion. And then he did what any successful lawyer living in Southern California would do.

“He treats everyone with respect, finds value in each conversation, leads by listening and tells the truth.”

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nancial playing field between male and female golfers. As someone with a wife, two daughters and two younger sisters, Poe considers gender equality not just a professional issue, but a personal one. “The opportunity in women’s sports is unreal,” Poe said. “I feel good about what I’m doing, and I feel like we’re making real strides. You can see the progress.” Poe also stays busy outside of the office, serving as an associate board member for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. He has also supported First Tee of Cleveland and his alma mater, Gilmour Academy. “Among many, two things that continually impress me about Brian are his integrity and purpose,” said Ben Groneman, coordinator of golf events for WME/IMG. “He treats everyone with respect, finds value in each conversation, leads by listening and tells the truth. “His efforts to level the playing field in professional women’s sports and fight on behalf of his clients for the opportunities and limelight they so deserve is refreshing.” — Joe Scalzo

HEALTHCARE IS ABOUT MORE THAN MEDICINE.

It’s about hope, equity, and a healthier community. At MetroHealth, we believe every person in our community deserves access to high-quality care. With vision and innovation, our President and CEO, Dr. Airica Steed—alongside the more than 8,000 dedicated providers, specialists, nurses, and staff who call MetroHealth home— will shape a future dedicated to a healthier community.

Dr. Airica Steed, President & CEO MetroHealth

metrohealth.org

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EDWARD STOCKHAUSEN 38

Senior vice president of advocacy and external relations, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress Edward Stockhausen grew up in the West Park neighborhood on Cleveland’s West Side. He left for college in Cincinnati. Then he spent six years at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. But he couldn’t resist the call of home, where he now lobbies for public policies that will improve Clevelanders’ lives. At 38, Stockhausen serves as senior vice president of advocacy and external relations for Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, a revitalization-focused nonprofit. He recently helped to line up $10.3 million in city and state funding for investments in housing and commercial districts in middle neighborhoods, pockets of the city that are teetering between growth and decline. He’s also playing an integral role in Cleveland Neighborhood Progress’ efforts to push for state legislation that would let local governments offer targeted property-tax relief for longtime homeowners. And he’s involved with complicated discussions about reimagining how the city of Cleveland channels money into neighborhoods through community development corporations. “We’re not maintaining the status quo,” Stockhausen said. “We’re pushing beyond it in a way that is going to have a great impact for residents and businesses in the city.” Stockhausen has always been

passionate about Cleveland. His fascination with policy came later, during his studies at Xavier University. At the time, Cincinnati’s city charter barred officials from adopting or enforcing civil rights ordinances based on sexual orientation. Voters overturned that amend-

ment in 2004. As a young, gay man, Stockhausen saw how that charter amendment squelched LGBTQ life in the city—and how advocates and companies united to get the language thrown out. That experience inspired him. After graduation, he became a legislative fellow in the General

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Assembly. He stayed on as an aide to then-Sen. Shirley Smith, a Cuyahoga County Democrat who was also the chamber’s assistant minority leader. At her side, he saw the power of bipartisanship, tenacity and persuasion. In 2014, he returned to Cleveland, where he worked in advocacy and fundraising at the Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition and Open Doors Academy, which offers academic and enrichment programs outside of school hours. He joined Cleveland Neighborhood Progress in 2021. The move allowed him to make use of his master’s degree in city and regional planning from Ohio State University. It also let him focus squarely on Cleveland. Emily Lundgard, a close friend and professional collaborator, describes Stockhausen as “someone who is quietly, persistently and unflaggingly committed to this city.” With his savvy, warmth and intelligence, he could thrive anywhere, said Lundgard, the director of strategy for the George Gund Foundation. But he’s chosen to stay here. “He makes everything better, whether it’s political strategy, fundraising tactics, cookie-baking or pumpkin-carving,” she said. “He just makes everything better.” — Michelle Jarboe

KATIE STEINER 39 Associate, Hahn Loeser & Parks While Katie Steiner may not be at liberty to discuss all the matters that she works on, she’s often involved with “big, interesting questions” that museums tackle, as well as the practical legal questions that arise when it comes to acquiring and showing pieces. “Why do we collect what we collect? As museums strive to fulfill their missions, what is the best way to go about doing that? How do museums engage the local communities in the best ways possible? Those are the sorts of questions that have always interested me,” Steiner said. An associate with Hahn Loeser & Parks, Steiner primarily spends her time serving nonprofits and art museums. Steiner studied art history in college, securing a master’s degree in the field that helped her work in curatorial departments at renowned New York City museums. In those jobs, Steiner began having interactions with lawyers and in-house counsel about the legal aspects of buying, selling and showing art. It was an intriguing side of the art world that Steiner hadn’t thought about that much before. It inspired her to return to school

SHANICE SETTLE 35 Director of content and communications, NRP Group Shanice Settle left a job as a general assignment reporter at WOIO Channel 19 for a communications job at NRP Group, the national multifamily owner and developer based in Cleveland. The striking part of her background is that she had the public relations and advertising aspects of PR down pat as she exited TV. She had worked in broadcasting after getting an MA in Broadcast Journalism at Kent State University after an undergraduate degree in public relations at Ohio University. “I had a moment of not knowing what I wanted to do,” she said. Originally, she had majored in broadcasting at OU but switched to public relations after learning how competitive careers are in TV news. Going to KSU gave her a chance to return to her love for TV. “I was laser-focused on becoming a TV anchor,” Settle recalled. A story she did at KSU about a wheelchair rugby league caught the attention of a WOIO news director who gave her an internship. She joined the station to work nights on the assignment desk and handle multimedia, and that later led to full-time reporting.

When Settle got a chance to join NRP as the firm ramped up its communications efforts, she was energized by its scale and affordable housing commitment. She already had a talent for speaking to different audiences. Her love of storytelling opened the door for video work at NRP. “At events, as I met residents and employees,” she said. “I felt video was the way to share their stories.” Now Settle works with executives on an internal monthly broadcast for NRP staffers. That’s among a mix of other duties, such as crisis communications, brand management and participating in team efforts that garnered NRP attention in the Wall Street Journal and Fortune. “So many people at NRP work so hard,” she said, “you just want to show up for them.” David Heller, NRP CEO and co-founder, said Settle has flourished at NRP because of her commitment to diversity and her bearing. “From the very beginning,” Heller said, “she’s been working to help everyone she meets at NRP to rise.” — Stan Bullard

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for her law degree, which opened doors for her to work with museums in a new way. Steiner is, not surprisingly, an avid art lover herself. And while she considered art school and has taken some classes — she’s partial to drawing — she opted for what she described as a more “traditional” route in college. Now, she feels that she has found her calling at the intersection of art and law. “I really like helping our cli-

e to d up she d afent. for es. ned NRP. and deo ies.” ecuthly That’s ties, ons, ticigarWall

ents move their missions forward,” Steiner said. “And by providing that legal counsel, we are hoping that we are able to help our museum clients move the ball forward on their own missions. That is very fulfilling.” “Katie is smart, dedicated, hardworking, respected by her peers and colleagues and working in an area of the law that is of interest to many,” said Stephen Knerly Jr., co-chair of the firm’s nonprofit group and Steiner’s mentor. “She enjoys her work and working with others. She has a team-approach mentality, cares about the results for the client and cares about the well-being of those around her.” Despite a career working on complicated matters for prestigious museums, Steiner hasn’t lost sight of the needs of artists themselves. When not serving clients at the firm, if Steiner isn’t spending time with her show horse, Express, or tending to her veritable jungle of a houseplant collection, she may be helping creatives through the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program. “I really just want to continue to grow within this really interesting corner of the legal world that I’ve landed in,” she said, “and continue to get experience and work with museum clients and other nonprofit organizations.” — Jeremy Nobile

Cleveland Clinic congratulates Marcus Madison, Community Relations Program Manager at Avon Hospital at Richard E. Jacobs Health Campus, and the other award honorees on this achievement.

ClevelandClinic.org

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MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! Debora Stein | dstein@crain.com

Congratulations to our partner Nick House and all of the Forty Under Forty honorees! For more than 40 years, Vorys has provided legal services to Cleveland businesses. We are proud to work with local companies and continue to support growth and development throughout the city and surrounding communities.

work want

and has e of sity

For more information about our work in Cleveland and across the country, visit vorys.com. Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

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JESSICA SUBLETT 36

President and CEO, Bounce Innovation Hub You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone better prepared for their job—or better at executing it—than Jessica Sublett. She became president and CEO of Bounce Innovation Hub, Akron’s big downtown business incubator, at the start of 2023. But she had already been with the organization since it was formed in 2018 as chief operating officer. And, before that, Sublett was a program specialist for the Akron Global Business Accelerator, the organization that evolved into Bounce. Though she’s never worked at a startup, Sublett has helped hundreds of startups to launch or sustain themselves through her work at Bounce and its predecessor. “We have close to 50 tenants in our building now, and we serve 150 on top of that annually,” Sublett said. She likes the work, she said, because she enjoys helping people to pursue their passions and she knows the difference that new businesses can make for their owners, employees and communities. “What got me into this space was new business ideas that can change people’s lives,” Sublett said. “It’s impacting a person’s livelihood,

their future and their own family’s wealth creation.” Not that Sublett was a stranger to business. Her parents owned a feed store in Madison, she said, where she worked until college. And before working downtown, she was active with the University of Akron Research Foundation while attending the university’s law school and was managing director of the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund. “I’d say a lot of my drive for this work comes from the research foundation,” Sublett said. “Now, I’ve been in the space for 11 years. You just accumulate knowledge along the way.” She already had ample knowledge when her predecessor, former Bounce CEO Doug Weintraub, came to the incubator in 2018 and has been critical to the incubator’s success, Weintraub attests. “Jessica has always been the glue that kept Bounce running from the day I arrived,” Weintraub said. “I have always said, without Jessica in her role that led to a seamless transition to CEO, my job would never have been so smooth.”

Sublett said the job is not without its challenges, but she tends to be a forward-looking optimist and is focused on upcoming opportunities. Those include updating Bounce’s strategic plans and also working with the Greater Akron Chamber and others to help Akron leverage its recent award of federal funding for a Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub in Akron, which could bring as much as $70 million to area startups and other related endeavors. “We are very excited,” Sublett said of the recent funding award, which she said could include funding for Bounce to support the commercialization of polymer technologies developed at the University of Akron and by other area researchers — something that’s been a strength of Bounce for years. Weintraub, who has a long history as an entrepreneur in addition to his time at Bounce, said Sublett has the skills needed to succeed. “Leadership is a tough role that takes time and style; Jessica has the patience for just that,” Weintraub said. “(I’m) wishing her nothing but continued success.” — Dan Shingler

2023 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND 40 UNDER 40

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Benesch proudly congratulates our esteemed clients Cleveland-Cliffs, KeyBank, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, CBRE, CT Consultants, Case Western Reserve University, and The NRP Group—all recognized among the 2023 Crain’s Cleveland 40 Under 40 honorees! Benesch also extends a special round of applause to our client, Danielle Littleton Gadomski, Supervising Attorney at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

beneschlaw.com

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KATHARINE TROSTEL 36 Division chair of the humanities and associate professor of English, Ursuline College Katharine Trostel, Ph.D., is combining two passions— Northeast Ohio and literature—into a program aimed at turning around the Rust Belt narrative of decline. At Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, she has spearheaded “Reading, Writing, and Teaching the Rust Belt: Co-creating Regional Humanities Ecosystems.” It’s described as a pathway through the school’s core curriculum to analyze Cleveland and its inner-ring suburbs “with their array of distinct neighborhoods that are historically divided by ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status.” With help from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, Ursuline over the summer brought in 25 scholars from around the country—Trostel said there were about 75 applicants—for what she called a “Rust Belt Humanities Lab.” They visited Cleveland neighborhoods, took part in literary discussions and gained perspectives on how they might teach their own cities’ stories. The program was built around highlighting big issues—race, environmental justice, community health—and the role the humanities plays in helping advance understanding of them. The summer event built on a previous NEH grant that has helped Trostel and Ursuline build out the Rust Belt program with a curated reading list from the Cleveland Foundation’s Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards (celebrating literature that confronts racism and explores diversity), plus features including digital skills, mapping and storytelling. It’s all designed, Trostel said, to help students engage with the community as problem-solvers and critical thinkers. “It’s really about giving (stu-

dents) a framework to be good citizens and build up their community,” said Trostel, noting that about 85% of Ursuline students remain in Northeast Ohio after graduation. Trostel didn’t quite follow that path. She grew up in Northeast Ohio and graduated from Hathaway Brown, but then went west to Macalester College, in Minnesota, for her undergraduate education, and then further west to earn her doctorate at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She said she loved her time in California. But when a position came open back near home at Ursuline in 2016, Trostel jumped at the opportunity. In her classes, she uses Anisfield-Wolf winners to facilitate discussions about Cleveland and its future. Many students, she said, “hadn’t always thought about Cleveland as a place where good things could get started.” It’s gratifying, she noted, to see students opening up to the region’s possibilities. Karen Long, manager of the Anisfield-Wolf awards, said Trostel “distinguished herself from the jump” as someone who combines “intellectual rigor” with a can-do spirit and a vision for the humanities “as a force for change.” Long described the summer events as “one of the most vibrant events I’ve been at in my life.” Outside of work, Trostel’s hobbies include - surprise! - reading, as well as visiting cultural institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Free time’s a bit limited, though, as her husband is in law school and they have two kids at home, ages 6 and 18 months. — Scott Suttell

ANNA TZINIS 37 Executive director of Ohio, National Kidney Foundation Ohio transplant Anna Tzinis has wasted no time making the Buckeye State her own. Tzinis, who was born in Greece and grew up in New Jersey, moved to Cleveland in 2015, transferring from the National Kidney Foundation’s Philadelphia office to its Northern Ohio headquarters in Bay Village after her husband landed a sports medicine fellowship with University Hospitals. “We were only supposed to be here a year,” she explained, “but then we ended up falling in love with Cleveland. We bought our first home, had two children, and it kind of went from there.” Tzinis’ professional growth followed a similarly fruitful progression. Arriving as Development Director for the Northern Ohio office, Tzinis became one of the youngest Executive Directors in NKF history when she, at age 31, was tapped to lead the regional chapter in 2017. Under her direction, the office saw a 190% increase in its operational budget between 2016 and 2022, expanded into Toledo and Akron and initiated advocacy work that resulted in a 2022 Ohio law prohibiting insurance companies from discriminating against living donors. In April of this year, the founda-

tion promoted Tzinis again, giving her dominion over the entire state. “I haven’t slept much since then,” she quipped. As Ohio Executive Director, Tzinis said she manages three territories—Northern and Central Ohio and Greater Cincinnati—a staff of seven and seven boards, “all of which share the primary goal to raise awareness about chronic kidney disease.” “It’s about helping to advocate for kidney patients, whether that’s on Capitol Hill in D.C. or in Columbus,” she said. “In addition, we raise awareness about organ donation and transplantation, educating folks that anyone can survive on one kidney and how they can become a living donor.” Tzinis is also passionate about the organization’s growing role in promoting healthy choices, particularly among underserved populations. Diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which occur at

startling higher rates among Black Americans, are leading causes of chronic kidney disease. “We are really focused on building trust in those communities and finding creative ways to incorporate things like urine protein screens into the lives of people who might not have the luxury of making that a top priority,” she said. Brenita Brooks, Regional Vice President of the NKF’s Midwest and Southeast regions, which includes Ohio, called Tzinis “ambitious” and “competitive with herself,” saying her unique ability to balance the needs of staff against performance demands “allowed me to give her a much larger territory.” “Anna is as motivated to drive impact and outcomes and do great work as she is at making sure she’s taking care of her people along the way, and that is the ‘it’ factor that Anna has,” Brooks said. — Judy Stringer

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AVIVA VINCENT 38

MEGAN WILSON 34 Chief of staff and director of public policy and government relations, The Cleveland Foundation

Director of program uality, Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center There’s an old saying that there’s nothing better for the inside of a human than the outside of a horse, and few people understand that better than Aviva Vincent, a former at-risk kid who used horses to escape a rough home life, “and every other environment I moved through.” “Horses literally saved my life,” she said. She’s seen them do the same for others, most powerfully in 2009 when she found herself in a stable in Hartford, Connecticut, running a gang prevention program. One of her kids was in a foul mood — ”He was every version of the atrisk kid I once was — and probably worse,” she said — and as he walked up to the stall to get his horse, he flung the stall door open. The horse quickly spun around and threw his leg out. “I was like, ‘This kid is going to get kicked,’” Vincent said. Instead, the horse stopped, and the young man shut the door and took a deep breath. He then opened the door again and calmly put his hand out. The horse turned around and he put the halter on and led the horse out of the stall. “That moment shows why horses help so many people to heal,” she said. “They see in us what hu-

mans don’t see in each other.” Vincent’s life work resides at the intersection of that human-animal bond, from her position as an assistant professor at Cleveland State University to working as a program director at Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Chagrin Falls, to serving as the co-owner of Healing Paws in Lakewood, the only veterinary social work practice in Northeast Ohio. Vincent also chairs the diversity, equity and inclusion committee for PATH Intl., the equine therapy trade association. “Aviva’s wide range of talents as educator, collaborator, visionary and advocate impacts the North-

east Ohio community in ways that make a significant difference in the lives of two- and four-footed beings,” said Leslie Mapes, the chief operating officer at Fieldstone Farm. “I don’t know many people who are more focused on making our world a better place.” High praise. But for Vincent, the best part of her job is she gets to help others do the same. “I really love what I do,” said Vincent. “Finding my people and then being able to provide that space for others has been incredibly meaningful.” — Joe Scalzo

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S

Dominic Ozanne, II 2023 “40 UNDER 40” HONOREE

Megan Wilson did not realize her passion for volunteering could lead to a career in philanthropy until after she took a grant writing class her senior year at Baldwin Wallace University. “I was a finance and art history major and I wanted to work at an art auction house or a museum,” explains Wilson. “But after I enrolled in that grant writing class, that exposure made me realize I could do more than just volunteer at a nonprofit; I could work at one, too.” Wilson’s grant writing professor encouraged her to take a fundraising position at the Cleveland Foundation, which she did right after school and eventually became chief of staff to long-time CEO and President, Ronn Richard. After Richard announced his retirement earlier this year, Wilson transitioned under then-incoming (now current) CEO Lillian Kuri to a newly created public policy and government relations position. “Recently there has been interest with public policy to have a greater impact and to aim to partner better and work in a more coordinated and thoughtful way with the government partners,” Wilson said. This transition comes after Wilson served an integral role in several of the Foundation’s most important strategic initiatives over the last few years. Beyond dealing with the crushing blow the pandemic had on the most vulnerable of

the Greater Cleveland community, the Foundation constructed and moved the headquarters to Midtown, championed the “Say Yes to Education” program and helped launch the Cleveland Innovation Project. Working with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and anchor institutions also made it clear that the Foundation needed to be part of larger policy initiatives. “The Foundation is, in some sense, a community savings account and we oversee those dollars, essentially into perpetuity. While it is an honor, it is also a huge responsibility to find the highest and best use for the most amount of people,” Wilson said. Taking on a new role as government liaison will not be difficult for Wilson, according to her long-time mentor. “She is also the fastest learner I’ve ever seen,” Richard said. “Her work ethic is second to none. There is nothing she can’t do. She has an uncommon common sense and her social skills are off the charts.” For Wilson, who before she worked at the Foundation was sure she would move to one of the coasts after college, it is an incredibly exciting and unique time emerging for Cleveland. “With all the changes happening with the Foundation and with the city, I feel nothing but excitement, and I’m especially excited looking forward to what is going to come,” she said. — Kim Palmer

Construction Management

Dominic demonstrates excellent leadership skills, morale, and kindness that strengthens our team at Ozanne Construction Company, Inc. His time and task management skills are an asset to any project and his hard-work, tenacity, and dedication to work can be demonstrated with the successful completion of several multi-phased projects with varying challenges that were completed both on-time and on-budget and with positive client accolades. Experience includes contract and cost management, schedule management, project closeout and field supervision. His preconstruction services experience includes estimating, design phase document reviews, value engineering, and bid phase management processes. He has an extensive background working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project cost worksheet process including development and managing the update process for disaster recovery projects.

UND ER

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BE A PART OF THE bigger picture For more than a century, Greater Clevelanders like you have supported the arts, education, health, neighborhoods, the economy and so much more. You see the bigger picture of what our community can— and should—be. Invest in the future by partnering with the Cleveland Foundation to make your greatest charitable impact. (877) 554-5054 www.ClevelandFoundation.org/Give

CRAIN'S LIST | COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Ranked by full-time equivalent enrollment on Northeast Ohio campuses LOCAL FTE ENROLLMENT RANK

FALL 2023/ 2022

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

% CHANGE

STUDENT: TEACHER RATIO

UNDERGRADUATE TUITION (FIRST YEAR, IN STATE)/ ROOM AND BOARD

% ENROLLMENT UNDERGRAD/ GRADUATE

TYPE OF INSTITUTION/ OPERATING BUDGET (MILLIONS)

ENDOWMENT (MILLIONS) 6-30-2023

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

STATE UNIVERSITY 1 KENT 800 E. Summit St., Kent 44242

26,791 25,794

3.9%

19:1

$12,845 $13,040

84% 16%

4-year $687.5

$174.4

Todd Diacon president

UNIVERSITY OF AKRON 2 THE 302 Buchtel Common, Akron 44325

12,160 10,010

21.5%

16:1

$10,399 $11,123

87% 13%

4-year $301.5

$290.4

Gary L. Miller president

WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 3 CASE 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 44106

11,517 11,453

0.6%

10:1

$64,100 $18,080

50.4% 49.6%

4-year —

—

Eric W. Kaler president

STATE UNIVERSITY 4 CLEVELAND 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 44115

10,938 11,313

-3.3%

17:1

$12,503 $13,735

67% 33%

4-year $371.3

$104.7

Laura J. Bloomberg president

STATE UNIVERSITY 5 YOUNGSTOWN One University Plaza, Youngstown 44555

8,847 e 8,673

14:1

$11,270 —

83% 13%

4-year —

—

Helen Lafferty interim president

COMMUNITY COLLEGE 6 CUYAHOGA 700 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland 44115

8,393 8,229

15:1

— —

100% 0%

2-year —

—

Michael Baston president

STATE COLLEGE 7 STARK 6200 Frank Ave. N.W., Canton 44720

5,083 5,292

-4%

20:1

$3,036 $9,384

100% 0%

2-year $67.7

$9.5

Para M. Jones president

COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 8 LORAIN 1005 N. Abbe Road, Elyria 44035

4,727 4,702

0.5%

14:1

$3,817 —

100% 0%

2-year $71.7

$59.9

Marcia J. Ballinger president

WALLACE UNIVERSITY 9 BALDWIN 275 Eastland Road, Berea 44017

3,091 2,998

3.1%

10:1

$37,338 $13,180

85% 15%

4-year $128.6

$181.9

Robert C. Helmer president

COLLEGE 10 OBERLIN 38 E. College St., Oberlin 44074

2,924 2,986

-2.1%

9:1

$63,700 —

99% 1%

4-year —

—

Carmen Twillie Ambar president

UNIVERSITY 11 ASHLAND 401 College Ave., Ashland 44805

2,774 2,796

-0.8%

11:1

$25,200 $11,960

78% 22%

4-year —

—

Carlos Campo president

CARROLL UNIVERSITY 12 JOHN 1 John Carroll Blvd., University Heights 44118

2,685 2,777

-3.3%

13:1

$47,300 $14,160

82% 18%

4-year —

$262.6

Alan R. Miciak president

COMMUNITY COLLEGE 13 LAKELAND 7700 Clocktower Drive, Kirtland 44094

2,578 2,596

-0.7%

12:1

$3,333 —

100% 0%

2-year —

—

Morris W. Beverage Jr. president

COLLEGE OF WOOSTER 14 THE 1189 Beall Ave., Wooster 44691

1,926 1,958

-1.6%

11:1

$59,550 $14,000

100% 0%

4-year $87.2

$395.5

Anne E. McCall president

UNIVERSITY 15 WALSH 2020 E. Maple St. N.W., North Canton 44720

1,913 1,872

2.2%

12:1

$32,780 $11,810

68.5% 31.5%

4-year $70.5

$36.6

Timothy J. Collins president

OF MOUNT UNION 16 UNIVERSITY 1972 Clark Ave., Alliance 44601

1,788 1,865

-4.1%

12:1

$35,000 —

88% 12%

4-year —

—

Gregory King president

GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY-FIRELANDS 17 BOWLING One University Drive, Huron 44839

1,183 e 1,160 e

16:1

— —

100% 0%

2-year and 4-year —

—

Ram Veerapaneni interim dean, BGSU Firelands

ERIE COLLEGE 18 LAKE 391 W. Washington St., Painesville 44077

1,071 1,028

4.2%

12:1

$34,596 —

82% 18%

4-year —

—

Jennifer N. Schuller president

DAME COLLEGE 19 NOTRE 4545 College Road, South Euclid 44121

1,053 1,085

-3%

11:1

$31,876 $11,400

94% 6%

4-year $22.8

$9.6

J. Michael Pressimone president

OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 20 NORTHEAST 4209 Ohio 44, Rootstown 44272

999 1,000

-0.1%

11:1

$49,015 2 $10,788

0% 100%

4-year $75.6

$25.2

John Langell president

UNIVERSITY 21 MALONE 2600 Cleveland Ave. N.W., Canton 44709

999 1,003

-0.4%

12.5:1

$34,800 $11,290

83% 17%

4-year —

—

Greg Miller president

COLLEGE 22 HIRAM 11715 Garfield Road, Hiram 44234

808 806

0.3%

11:1

$26,265 $11,020

97.2% 2.8%

4-year $33

$51.1

Robert Bohrer interim president

COLLEGE 23 URSULINE 2550 Lander Road, Pepper Pike 44124

770 788

-2.3%

7:1

$37,380 $12,284

69% 31%

4-year $23.7

$47

Christine De Vinne president

INSTITUTE OF ART 24 CLEVELAND 11610 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 44106

560 572

-2.1%

10:1

$44,680 —

100% 0%

4-year $21

$50.1

Kathryn J. Heidemann president, CEO

INSTITUTE OF MUSIC 25 CLEVELAND 11021 East Blvd., Cleveland 44106

353 340

3.8%

4:1

$40,000 —

56% 44%

4-year —

—

Paul W. Hogle president, CEO

330-672-3000/kent.edu

330-972-7111/uakron.edu

216-368-2000/case.edu

216-687-2000/csuohio.edu

330-941-3000/ysu.edu

216-987-6000/tri-c.edu

330-494-6170/starkstate.edu

800-995-5222/lorainccc.edu

440-826-2900/bw.edu

440-775-8460/oberlin.edu

419-289-4142/ashland.edu

216-397-1886/jcu.edu

440-525-7000/lakelandcc.edu

330-263-2000/wooster.edu

330-490-7090/walsh.edu

800-992-6682/mountunion.edu

419-433-5560/firelands.bgsu.edu

440-296-1856/lec.edu

216-381-1680/notredamecollege.edu

330-325-2511/neomed.edu

330-471-8100/malone.edu

330-569-3211/hiram.edu

440-449-4200/ursuline.edu

216-421-7000/cia.edu

216-791-5000/cim.edu

Information is supplied by the schools unless otherwise noted. Some colleges do not provide on-campus housing. NOTES: e. Crain's estimate. 1. Information based on National Center for Education Statistics data. 2. NEOMED does not have undergraduate students; tuition figure is for the College of Medicine. There are different tuition fees for the College of Pharmacy and other programs for the College of Graduate Studies.

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Bibb’s big swing is downtown, lakefront development Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is just now halfway through his first term. But he wants a second term to continue work on the transformative and long-term projects on which his administration is just getting started. One of the hallmarks of Bibb’s inaugural term is his advocacy for Cleveland, part of a national rebranding of the city and a means to make sure “we are getting our fair share of resources,” he said. “We’ve received millions of dollars in Cleveland. These federal grants really augment and support everything we’re trying to do at City Hall,” he said. Cleveland received $512 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, one of the largest disbursements in the country. The city also landed $133.6 million for three public transit and airport projects, part of Ohio’s $7.1 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. “Telling our story, building the right partnerships is critical because before I took office, we as a city failed to,” Bibb said. “In this economy, particularly coming out of the pandemic, we have to be aggressive telling the Cleveland story, selling our strengths, talking about what makes us a great city to raise a family, a great city to start a business. That is a big part of my job as mayor.” The positive messaging is part of a rebranding and re-imagining of Cleveland’s strengths, Bibb said. One of the most pressing of those efforts is Cleveland’s latest lakefront plan, one of more than a dozen drawn up in the last 75 years. The North Coast Master Plan will be finalized in early 2024 after all the extended community engagement wraps up and the first steps are outlined. Bibb’s administration has vowed that this plan won’t go the route of so many similar plans that came before, each making a splash only to later wither and die on the vine. Instead, he said the plan is to take a “core-to-the-shore” approach, ensuring that work on Cleveland’s North Coast lakefront development and Bedrock’s riverfront project continues in tandem and is viewed as a holistic reshaping of the city. “We have a one-project ethos,” Bibb said. “We believe that executing our vision for the lakefront, executing our vision for the riverfront will make Cleveland one of the only two-waterfront cities in America. That is going to be our competitive advantage for the next generation.” This type of massive, long-term development is realized by, as Bibb explains it, “hitting singles every day.” In other words, staying committed to every part of the

project—design, planning, execution and, most importantly, financing. “You have an administration that’s going to do whatever it takes to see real shovels in the ground and get the lakefront done, finally,” he added. Innovative financing is at the heart of the administration’s coreto-shore plan, which includes infrastructure build-outs for large public spaces, a riverfront boardwalk and an amphitheater and land bridge spanning the 65-foot bluff that separates the city from the lakefront. The “core” part of Cleveland’s private redevelopment involves a master plan for more than 35 acres of commercial development and public improvement along and down to the Cuyahoga River. Bedrock, the Detroit-based development company leading the 20-year effort, proposes to rely on a mix of private investment and expanded tax-increment financing, or TIF-generated funds, for its $3.5 billion riverfront improvement project. (Bedrock is the real estate arm of Dan Gilbert’s Rock family of companies.) The shore part involves the North Coast master plan, which, according to Bibb, will employ a complicated and unique public/ private financing structure that will also include taking advantage of state law changes in TIF financing—a property-tax revenue created by real estate appreciation— and possibly bond and other special tax assessment. “The financing is the heavy lift part of the project. Every conversation with the state legislature matters and every conversation with the federal delegation matters right now,” Bibb admits. “The financing will be one of the biggest lifts as we get this project done,” he added. Another element of the success of the lakefront redevelopment, Bibb stresses, rests with the creation of the North Coast Development Authority, an advisory board of 10 people charged with overseeing the 70-acre lakefront project. Recently, Cleveland City Council voted to fund the board, which will ultimately set up a private, non-profit group, with the ability to raise revenue; levy bonds similar to a port authority; and compete for grants, loans and other forms of capital from both private and public sources. “The fact that we were able to get our city council support for the creation of the North Coast Development Authority, shows that the administration and city council recognize the historic opportunity and the historic moment,” Bibb said. That support was not easily won. A number of council mem-

—M

KEN BLAZE

By Kim Palmer

“In pa ou we ag the se str ab us rai gre bu big ma

bers pushed back on what they saw as a board of unelected individuals given too much decision-making power but relented after a city council member was given a seat on the authority. Cuyahoga County Council members, citing the same concerns,

have tabled a measure providing funding and have no plans on revisiting being part of the authority this year. As for the future of the Cleveland Browns, Bibb said his administration is in talks with the Haslams, the family that owns the

The updated rendering of the North Coast Lakefront Master Plan | CITY OF CLEVELAND

team, about the stadium on the shore. “I’m committed to having the right deal to keep the Browns on the lakefront and to make them a key part of the next generation of that critical asset,” Bibb said. “And I believe they want to stay there as well.” The mixed public/private finance model is one that his administration is using throughout the city to boast both commercial and residential values. Bibb’s administration dedicated one of the largest tranches of Cleveland’s ARPA funding to site development. The city will use the funds to assemble, remediate and manage vacant and underused land in the city for commercial use. The $50 million, Bibb said, is a down payment dedicated to collecting and remediating shovel-ready sites. The plan is to raise additional capital over time with the aim to attract business and potentially 65,000 new jobs into

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the “Th ern som goo case ern cen tor mar man Th istra dow des ded men stab Side got revi corr “Th men sure of e onc Sou “Th It is wha fou eco dec Th city stra and just ince ers. tion new who ince ing men hoo way eas “I the a d Det cad ove tho clar whi hav sive my, and

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“In this economy, particularly coming out of the pandemic, we have to be aggressive telling the Cleveland story, selling our strengths, talking about what makes us a great city to raise a family, a great city to start a business. That is a big part of my job as mayor.”

KEN BLAZE

— Mayor Justin Bibb the core of the city, Bibb said. “There are some things government’s good at. There are some things government’s not good at. And I think in many cases, it’s important for government to encourage and incentivize the right private sector behavior to address this market need and market demand,” Bibb said. The other places the administration has begun to put “a down payment on,” as Bibb describes it, include funds dedicated to the redevelopment of Shaker Square and the stabilization of the Southeast Side neighborhoods, which got an influx of $15 million to revitalize critical commercial corridors. “This is the right down payment at the right time to make sure we can make the promise of economic opportunity real once and for all in Cleveland’s Southeast Side,” Bibb said. “There is still a long way to go. It is a huge undertaking but what we’ve done is laid the foundation to see some real economic energy over the next decade.” The mayor stresses that the city’s economic development strategy needs to be flexible and that it’s not as simple as just offering more and more incentives to private developers. Bibb said his administration is committed to finding new initiatives, including a whole new menu of potential incentives around encouraging more market-rate development in middle neighborhoods while also pinpointing ways to revitalize the southeast side. “If you look at other parts of the city, it took Ohio City over a decade to develop. It took Detroit Shoreway over a decade. It has taken downtown over a decade. And even in those markets, we can’t declare mission accomplished— which shows that, as a city, we have to continue to be aggressive about growing the economy, growing our population, and making big bets.”

Mayor knows city must be safe to succeed By Kim Palmer

Mayor Justin Bibb knows public safety is critical to the continued return of residents, workers and visitors to downtown Cleveland. The city can’t get back to pre-pandemic levels of activity or become a 15-minute city, a goal Bibb’s administration is working toward, without tackling the real and perceived problems with public safety. “When I was running for mayor, public safety was the first thing I talked about at every meet and greet, every conversation I’ve had with a resident. Because of that, I know how inextricably linked the success of our city depends on safety,” said Bibb. The summer of 2023 intensified the public safety discussion that Bibb already knew was on the forefront of the minds of Cleveland residents, visitors and businesses: Is the city safe? And that question isn’t lost on the mayor. “It is my responsibility as mayor to do everything that we can as an administration to ensure that we give people the confidence that Cleveland is a safe city,” Bibb said. By July, there were a handful of high-profile shootings either in or near downtown, some of which contributed to the homicide count that, at the time, was up 27% compared to July 2022. In what was turning out to look like a perfect storm of crime, the city, like many others nationwide, was also hit with a deluge of carjackings and car thefts. Those were driven, in part, by how easily Kias and Hyundais were to steal. (As a result, a number of cities, including Cleveland, sued those auto manufac-

one” (RISE) initiative to combat crime. The first step in both the push to improve the reality and perception of public safety meant grappling with the more than 200 vacant positions with the Cleveland Police Department (CPD). Cleveland, like many cities, saw a tremendous number of police officers leave their jobs due to retirement and poaching from suburban departments that offered higher pay and less stress. Staffing up the CPD, was not the only problem. A summer of social unrest after the George Floyd murder and the passage of a police oversight board bill by voters fostered poor officer morale. Tackling the pay issue, Bibb went about aggressively increasing officer salaries. His administration initially negotiated an 11% pay increase over three years during the latest collective bargaining agreement and in July that was amended to include an additional 14% pay increase. “In just two years, we have negotiated up to a 25% pay increase for all new officers,” Bibb explains. “With that, the city has gone from being in the bottom 50th percentile of pay to the top 75th percentile in police pay across the state.” The pay increase comes with vast improvement in officer benefits, including the city’s new 12-week family leave policy and the elimination of mandatory overtime. A move to 12hour shifts also means CPD officers get up to 26 weekends off year-round. The new 12-hour shift model, Bibb adds, will allow CPD to fully staff zone cars in all of Cleveland’s five police districts. “This shows residents that this administration is not sparing any expense when it comes to reducing violent crime,” he said. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice awarded Cleveland a $3.75 million grant to hire up to 30 law enforcement officers as part of a $334 million program set to add nearly 2,000 more police nationwide. “I’m always going to support the men and women of our police department. Not only do I have the lived experience of being a son of a cop, but I see firsthand how important it is for us to always show the men and women of our police department that we have their back,” Bibb said. “We show that by the investments that we’ve made.” Keeping with Bibb’s penchant to look to technology for solutions, the city has invested in its smart camera-sharing program resulting in more than 2,000 small businesses and residents with security cameras integrated into Cleveland’s re-

“I believe that safety is the prerequisite to opportunity and a thriving city long term.” — Mayor Justin Bibb turers.) As mayor, Bibb took a lot of heat from residents and city council members demanding he take decisive actions against what was shaping up to be a significant spike in gun violence and theft. “We’re dealing with a national problem of the proliferation of illegal guns in our city and a lack of national and state common-sense policy on gun control,” Bibb said. “What’s so striking is that a majority of Americans and a majority of Ohioans want background checks. They want red flag laws. They want common-sense gun safety rules on the books. And, despite that, we can’t get those things, so it’s up to us as big city mayors to do whatever we can to keep our city safe.” Bibb’s administration responded with the “Raising Investment and Safety for Every-

al-time crime center. In an attempt to curb the rash of carjackings, automated license plate readers have been installed across the city. “We are also installing brand new dash cams in all of our vehicles across the entire fleet,” Bibb said. CPD is currently in the process of hiring five new crime intelligence analysts across all five police districts to do more “precision-based hotspot policing” and focus on ways to use the data to reduce violent crime across the city. Comprehensive crime statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigations lag for months after the end of the year, so how these measures affect Cleveland’s crime rates year-to-year isn’t yet available. There have been tangible successes, though. A three-month violent-crime-reduction initiative made up of federal, county, state and CPD task force teams ended in September when law enforcement seized 240 firearms and arrested 59 people. Bibb also points out that despite the staffing

issue, CPD’s solve rate is nearly 80%, higher than the national average of 53% in 2022. He also wants to work on the prevention of crime with the recent launch of a $10 million City of Cleveland Neighborhood Safety Fund. The city, in partnership with the Cleveland Foundation, will invest in and address the root causes of violent crime, particularly crime that affects younger residents, Bibb said. The first $1 million in grants are set to be awarded soon with a plan to disperse $1 million the first three years of the fund, then 5% of the fund balance each year after that. With big development plans and a second term on the horizon, Bibb acknowledges public safety will be the driving force behind any future success. “I believe that safety is the prerequisite to opportunity and a thriving city long term,” he said. “That’s why you know it’s my first, second, third, and fourth priority as mayor.”

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Mayor Justin Bibb speaks in his office at City Hall. | KEN BLAZE

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and eventually create a city government that moves at the speed of business. “On a macro level, I’m very pleased at where we are as we wrap up our second year in office, on delivering on the promises I made on delivering a more modern and responsive city hall,” Bibb said. “The experience that I had before being elected has suited me well for the job because as mayor I’ve been able to approach and think about problems differently.” At the heart of his approach are a series of internal changes, including a brand-new city website launched in August. The new website comes after about two decades that saw no significant changes or upgrades to what Bibb explains is the “front door for residents, tourists and businesses to engage with the city.” Other accomplishments that may not be particularly evident to those outside the administration but are critical to his plan to create a more responsive government include implementing a 12-week family leave policy, one of the most progressive public sector policies in the state. “We also just passed an ordinance to change our vacation policies which were so archaic it was a major barrier for us to attract and retain good talent inside City Hall and it is important for Cleveland to be seen as a long-term employer of choice,” Bibb said. Under the previous policy, new employees had to wait at least 12 months before they were granted vacation time, which was allocated only at the beginning of the calendar year. Now, city employees are given two weeks of vacation time when they start and can also accrue a third week of vacation after five years rather than eight years. Before Bibb, Cleveland had one mayor—Frank Jackson—for 16 years, which created challenges for the new mayor. Staffing up a new administration is a difficult task when the goal is to transform a bureaucracy that has been in place for more than a decade. Bibb’s administration is working in partnership with Ernst & Young on a 10-year strategic plan that, he explains, will start to address some of “the internal pain points organizations experience when there is too much outdated bureaucracy.” Still, the administration has been able to attract a good number of high-level staff from both out-of-town organizations and well-respected institutions around the city. Under Bibb, the chiefs of ethics, innovation and technology are cabinet-level positions as are the newly created chief integrated development officer and an arts and culture senior strategist. But the administration has also seen some high-level turnover, including the acrimonious departure of Tessa Jackson, the former director of economic development.

“Obviously not every hire is going to work out and that happens in any organization,” Bibb explained. His goal to hire people who share his sense of urgency continues to be the driving force in his hiring policy but he admits it can be difficult to spur change after years of familiarity. “The most surprising thing is how long it takes for that culture change to cascade from the top all the way down to the front line,” Bibb said. “But we are doing small things every day to change that culture.” Bibb has begun sending handwritten notes of gratitude to a different “frontline” employee each month. “It’s a small action,” he said, “but those small tweaks allow us to really embed this culture change in every facet of the enterprise.” “We have a bold, hardworking entrepreneurial team,” Bibb said. “One of the things that I’m always focused on in hiring is how do we continue to create a getting to ‘yes’ culture? That takes time, particularly when you have the first new administration in nearly two decades.” Another challenge for the freshman mayor: Bibb has to contend with a separately elected city council that has balked at a number of the administration’s efforts to embed more private sector policies designed to streamline operations. The 17 council members charged with spending oversight have pushed back on some of Bibb’s large American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) requests, including $20 million for a West Side Market capital fund. They allocated $10 million instead. The council has also refused to green light an innovative “parklet” program aimed at allowing small businesses to more quickly request a parking space right-ofway for retail purposes without creating legislation and forgoing the city’s overburdened board of zoning. Vowing to cultivate collaboration with the City Council, Bibb said his administration’s goal is to “meet the council where they are” and not where he wants them to be. “Every day we learn what works for 17 members of city council,” Bibb said. “It is a challenge because each council member has individual needs and individual ways of being engaged, but we have three branches of government for a reason.” Reflecting on his election two years ago, Bibb chalks it up to being the right candidate at the right moment. “The time required a mayor to think outside the box, to challenge our historical assumptions as a city in terms of how we approached and address these problems,” Bibb said. “But at the end of the day, I’m someone who, as a son of Cleveland, has lived these issues. Running a city is very different than running a bank or a nonprofit organization. You need input, you need feedback, because every day we make decisions of consequence,” he added.

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