INSIDE:
+ Entertaining the World
+Heading Back to the Office
+Austin Love’s Second Act
All The Way Up
Cleveland is on the rise as major development projects reshape Northeast Ohio, from Downtown to the suburbs.
DEPARTMENTS
4 From the Publisher
UPFRONT
6 Hospitality Engine
The Cleveland’s Convention Center is the city’s doorstep for visitors of events and corporate conventions. BY VINCE GUERRIERI
8 A Bittersweet Moment
Lee Fisher reflects on higher education and his time at Cleveland Statue University’s College of Law as he makes the jump to president of Baldwin Wallace University.
BY LEE FISHER
COMMUNITY
18 Health Care, Activism and Growth
Northeast Ohio’s most impactful institutions share how they drive our region to build better and help our community members thrive.
EDITED BY JEN BOWEN SIMA
BACK PAGE
38 Q&A: Bill Fagan, Rock Entertainment
The president of business operations walks us through the rebrand of Rocket Arena and the ongoing growth of Cleveland’s sports and entertainment venue. BY
DANNY CUNNINGHAM
COVER STORY
EDITED BY DILLON STEWART PHOTOGRAPH BY GABE WASYLKO
All The Way Up
Stadiums, apartments and HQs — the development of Greater Cleveland has dominated the 2024-25 news cycle. Read up on back to office trends, renderings and what you can learn from newbie Austin Love.
PHOTO: The Sherwin-Williams HQ is changing Cleveland’s skyline, but it’s only one of the many projects reshaping our city.
Over and Next
Executive Publisher Lute Harmon Sr. Publisher Denise Polverine
Executive Editor Dillon Stewart
Managing Editor Jennifer Bowen Sima
Contributing Editors Ron Ledgard Ann-Marie Vazzano
Art Directors Megan Rosta-Walcutt Jenny Perdue Erin Stinard
When asked how he felt about turning 90, Norman Lear, the creative producer of one of America’s favorite sitcoms All In The Family, gave this advice: “The two most important words in growing old are ‘over’ and ‘next.’”
Since I never got to question him about this advice, I can only hope he was thinking the words were plural not singular, that one could ‘over’ more than one thing and ‘next’ a few more things.
What I am trying to say is that it is time for me to ‘over’ my role as publisher of Community Leader and ‘next’ that role to the editor of Cleveland Magazine, Dillon Stewart, and his talented team of journalists.
Charles Darwin would be proud of what Community Leader has become, for it has been a story of evolution. It began in 2016 when nonprofits were told by local media they would no longer receive the generous coverage they had received in the past. Coverage that was their lifeblood in connecting with donors. Would Cleveland Magazine be able to help?
The decision to launch Community Leader as a voice for nonprofits and a voice for their greatest supporters, business, has been evolutional. Year after year the combination of the two has proven a powerful force in achieving community initiatives that create better lives for all of us.
The path ahead in building a greater Greater Cleveland is both exciting and daunting. I am proud of what Community Leader and Cleveland Magazine have done in informing its readers of where we are, where we were and where we are going. And the best part for me is that I know the team that is going to get us to the next ‘next!’
Contributing Writers Danny Cunningham Lee Fisher Vince Guerrieri Ida Lieszkovszky Jill Sell Terry Troy Lynne Thompson
Contributing Artists Gabe Wasylko
Vice President, Advertising Paul Klein
Senior Account Sarah Desmond Executives Tiffany Myroniak
Account Executive Julie Bialowas
Operations Manager Corey Galloway
Audience Manager Kristen Brickner
Traffic Coordinator Paige Schuller
Production Manager Alyson Moutz
Events Manager Jennifer Roberts
Chief Financial Officer George Sedlak
Build Resilient and Courageous Leadership
Gain knowledge through innovative, industry-driven solutions.
• Evaluate employee performance using ef fective assessment tools
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UPFRONT
Cleveland’s Hospitality Engine Starts With Huntington Convention Center
Tim Meyer brings experience and focus to leading the convention center’s future in his adopted home of Cleveland.
// VINCE GUERRIERI
Acareer in hotel management has been leading up to Tim Meyer’s new job as the executive director for the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp.
Meyer, who took the role overseeing the Huntington Convention Center last fall, says there are a lot of commonalities in this role with his days managing hotels in Cleveland, New York and California.
“Both have events coming in and out,” he says, “and both focus on quality and deliverables.”
Meyer sees the convention center, fresh off a $50 million renovation, as a jewel in Downtown Cleveland — as well as the engine that drives the city’s hospitality industry.
“We’re trying to position our city to
It’s critical that we all maintain focus on the goal: grow the market and create opportunities.”
—Tim Meyer
get as much business as possible,” he says. “It’s critical that we all maintain focus on the goal: grow the market and create opportunities.”
The center reopened to great fanfare last summer after a renovation that included the seamless integration of the former Medical Mart. The convention center offers 500,000 square feet of usable space, including a 225,000 square-foot exhibit hall, two ballrooms and dozens of breakout rooms suitable for meetings.
“We’ve hosted weddings,” he says. “We have a new terrace with a tent structure.”
There’s even a farm on the premises, as part of an effort toward sustainability and locally-grown food. “It’s a real attraction to customers,” he says.
The success, seen even before the renovation, is due in no small part to the partners that he works with, including the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland, Meyer says. They sell not just the event space but nearby hotels (Hotel Cleveland on Public Square, which also reopened last year after a $90 million renovation) and the Downtown experience in general.
“One of our sales strategies is to get people in the city as much as we can,” Meyer says. “We have hotels within
walking distance, the lakefront and the Rock Hall within walking distance, the Mall outside when the weather’s good. We close a deal by showing the features of the city and showing our partnerships.”
The sales pitch is an easy one for him to make. A New Orleans native, he met his wife here while serving as general manager of the Hyatt Arcade, and he has made Cleveland his home.
“We feel like we are hosting peo ple in our home, and it really makes it easy,” he says. Attendees feel that energy and truly appreciate it, and meeting planners want their attendees exposed to that culture. “I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in Cleveland to have landed this position.”
What Challenges Do Not-For-Profits Face?
To gain a deeper understanding of the specific challenges your organization encounters, we invite you to participate in a brief strategic survey. Your insights are essential in helping us develop best practices that will support your organization’s success! Are you ready to share your thoughts? "Citrin Cooperman" is the brand under which Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP, a licensed independent CPA firm, and Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC serve clients’ business needs. The two firms operate as separate legal entities in an alternative practice structure. The entities of Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP and Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC are independent member firms of the Moore North America, Inc. (MNA) Association, which is itself a regional member of Moore Global Network Limited (MGNL). All the firms associated with MNA are independently owned and managed entities. Their membership in, or association with, MNA should not be construed as constituting or implying any partnership between them. Published 2025.
to become the 10th president of Baldwin Wallace University. While I’m very excited about this rare opportunity to lead such an iconic university, I will always cherish my nine years serving CSU Law, an equally iconic law school.
Our students have been my North Star. There is nothing more meaningful to me than to have been part of their journey. It has been a privilege to watch our students learn and grow, reflect and debate, and to witness them becoming lawyer-leaders.
We are a law school on the rise. We recently enrolled the largest first-year class in 15 years, a 96% increase in enrollment since 2016. We broke new ground by being one of the first law schools in the nation to launch a parttime online Juris Doctor program, providing access to a legal education and new careers for many throughout the country who never before thought it would be possible because of family and work commitments. We’ve strategically expanded our curriculum, programs, and centers of excellence to meet the fast-changing needs of the legal market. We have recognized the extraordinary success of hundreds of our distinguished graduates by the establishment of our annual Hall of Fame Celebration. Most fundamentally, we have been guided by our mission: Learn Law. Live
Justice. What does that mean? To me, it means that law is the means; justice is the end. I’ll remain committed to our law school’s mission and success for the rest of my life.
In an ironic twist of history, CSU Law was founded in 1897 as Baldwin University Law School. In 1899, the law school merged with Cleveland Law School and was incorporated under the name of the Cleveland Law School of Baldwin University (Baldwin-Wallace College after 1913), an association that lasted through 1926.
I guess you could say I’m going back to our roots.
Lee Fisher is dean and Joseph C. HostetlerBakerHostetler chair in law at Cleveland State University College of Law. He is the former Ohio attorney general, lieutenant governor, director of the Ohio Department of Development, chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission, chair of the Ohio Organized Crime Commission, president/CEO of the Center for Families and Children, president/CEO of CEOs for Cities, state representative, state senator and chair of the Cuyahoga County state legislative delegation. In 2022, he was inducted in the Cleveland Magazine Business Hall of Fame for his decades of public and nonprofit sector leadership on local, regional and state economic growth and development.
FEATURES FEATURES
GROWING UP CLEVELAND IS
These development projects are reshaping our city as we know it. By
Ken Prendergast
Development projects picked up the pace in 2024 as inflation got back under control, interest rates stabilized, construction supplies became more readily available and lending became more liquid. With 2025 bringing economic turbulence, the commercial real estate drama is sure to continue — especially for a certain football team.
Sherwin-Williams HQ and R&D facilities
Structural work topped out in 2024 on both of Sherwin-Williams’ megaprojects: its 36story, 1.1-million-squarefoot headquarters skyscraper, Downtown Cleveland’s fourth-tallest, and its 600,000-square-foot research center in suburban Brecksville, part of the still-growing, huge Valor Acres mixed-use development by DiGeronimo Cos. at Interstate 77 and Miller Road. Employees will move in throughout 2025, though the opening of the HQ is delayed until October.
Outlook: Although overdue and over budget, both projects changed the face of Greater Cleveland and represent a big commitment to the region by one of its oldest and fastest growing companies. That growth could portend more construction in the near future, but the conservative company will likely wait to see how it fills out its new digs.
Cleveland Browns Stadium Saga
The story took a sudden and dramatic turn in February 2024 when the Browns’ owners, Jimmy and Dee Haslam’s Haslam Sports Group, sought a $2.4 billion roofed stadium for their Cleveland Browns on 176 acres in suburban Brook Park. The company is also partnering with Lincoln Property Co. on a $1.2 billion mixed-use development. The Haslams demanded half of the stadium cost be funded by the public, to which Cuyahoga County leaders said, “no,” and Cleveland city officials offered to close Burke Lakefront Airport for stadium/development instead. To that, the Haslams said, “no,” due to its uncertainty. Outlook: This stalemate will be resolved in 2025 because time-wise, it has to be. The Browns’ lease at the current lakefront stadium ends after the 2028 football season. The fate of the Browns stadium rests with the state’s willingness to provide $600 million upfront. The Haslams will probably get their way, because billionaires usually do.
SECOND ACT
Visual storytelling expertise bolsters newbie Austin Love’s marketing plan. BY JILL SELL
What’s a nice guy like Austin Love doing selling commercial real estate? The former WKYC news anchor and reporter for six years, says the career jump he made a little over a year ago wasn’t as extreme as some people think.
“Commercial real estate is everything I love about television,” says the associate and licensed real estate broker for Cushman & Wakefield/CRESCO, “promoting Cleveland and Cleveland businesses, working out in the neighborhoods, solving challenges and being creative.”
Love, originally from Illinois, was “a wide-eyed kid” when he came to Cleveland. He quickly made a name for himself as an audacious and mischievous personality, willing to poke a little fun at some of Cleveland’s heavy hitters. Once he donned a bald cap to talk with “makethem-pay” attorney Tim Misny. Love’s antics made people laugh and relax, and they also won him several Emmys.
Yet, the sometimes-transient life of media professionals and the 2:30 a.m. wakeup calls (although that time gets earlier the more he tells the story) motivated Love to change careers. He still keeps TV as a hobby, freelancing occasionally for WKYC. So far, he finds commercial real estate just as exciting.
“I used to have a steady paycheck,” he says. “Now, on commission, you have to eat what you kill.”
A “history nerd,” Love’s favorite transactions involve vintage buildings with impressive pasts. He points to his company’s listing of west Cleveland’s Variety Theatre, former home to vaudeville and movies from the golden age of Hollywood, as well as live music.
“My goal for properties like that is
to not just find a great buyer/developer but to see the place be revitalized. That’s good not just for the owner, but the neighborhood and Cleveland,” says Love, who lives in Tremont with his wife, Allison, and mini goldendoodle, Benson.
Those projects also make for great content. Other brokers in town know the market better or have more professional relationships, Love says. His advantage, besides being known about town, is his social media and video skills. Even those not in the market for a high-dollar Downtown commercial space can appreciate videos of the 32-year-old drinking a beer in a vacant bar space or “jumping” over a recent listing in Public Square.
“It’s storytelling, passion and using production and editing skills to show a property in the best way,” he says.
Love’s biggest advice: just get started and keep it simple. The gear needed is relatively minimal: an iPhone, a tripod and a video editing phone app. You can graduate to the drone later. Willingness to try, however, is key.
“You don’t need fancy and expensive equipment to produce compelling social media videos,” he says. “Entertain. Have fun. I think people wait for the perfect idea or perfect situation and then the moment is gone, or they never post.”
While he’s mastered the content game, Love knows he has plenty to learn about the industry. Yet, his fresh approach is already changing the game.
“I can talk to you until I am blue in the face,” Love says, “but unless I really know the market and the neighborhood, I’m just a pretty face with tall hair.”
The former WKYC anchor recently jumped ship to real estate.
Downtown Cleveland Lakefront
Despite the uncertainty of the existing football stadium on the north shore, Cleveland city officials are pressing ahead with plans and projects to reshape Downtown’s lakefront. They secured significant funding from federal and state governments, created a huge tax-increment financing district and established a development corporation to oversee it all despite local politics.
Outlook: Political changes at the federal level have city, county and local officials and congressional delegation scrambling to keep two federal grants awarded last year from getting pulled back. The funds are essential for major infrastructure projects involving the lakefront and elsewhere in Greater Cleveland.
RENDERING HOPE
The architectural drawings are not always what the end product will be, but they can bring excitement, energy and direction to a project.
// BY IDA LIESZKOVSZKY
Every time a big new construction project is announced in Northeast Ohio, flashy renderings quickly follow. These mock-ups get their own news releases, awards and media coverage. The images and 3D models are prominently displayed, and the public hopes that the final product will actually resemble the pretty pictures.
That held, when it came to Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Thomas Connors, special advisor to the president and CEO at the CMNH, says that after more than a decade of false starts, placing renderings showing potential results by the entrance sent a message to visitors; that “there is hope, and it is going to become this unbelievable community gift.”
Renderings, which can cost anywhere between $500 and tens of thousands of dollars, serve many practical purposes. Internally, they inform the designs, ensuring projects follow con-
straints of budget, building materials and environments. Externally, they convince clients, city governments, regulatory boards, donors and the public that these projects are worthwhile and even worth investing in.
“The only way to communicate with people that aren’t trained or have the DNA of designers is to have very explicit, realistic renderings of the design intent and the intended usage,” says DLR Group architect Paul Westlake.
Jonathan Mallie, global director and managing director, Americas, at Populous, says early renderings serve as a “guiding light” for architects.
“We essentially fight for it for the rest of the duration of the project,” he says. “To make sure that we can deliver the drawings, the documentation, work with the contractors, get the pricing in, the schedule, ordering the materials, doing everything that it takes to orchestrate a building to deliver on that initial vision.”
Downtown Cleveland’s Conversions
Downtown’s record of converting obsolete office buildings to other uses, primarily residential, has gained national attention. New and pending projects — Electric Building, Ohio Bell HQ, Ohio Savings Plaza, Erieview Tower, 800 Superior, the old Medical Mutual HQ, Rhodes Tower, the old Sherwin-Williams HQ, The Centennial and The Rockefeller Building — test those muscles. Outlook: Key to the conversions, historic tax credits are not enough for many projects, which are larger and more costly than expected. The Electric Building, Erieview Tower and the Medical Mutual HQ are moving forward. Others are having difficulty securing financing.
Cleveland Clinic Megaprojects
If you’re in or near Cleveland’s University Circle/Fairfax District and you don’t see construction cranes, you might want to visit the Cole Eye Institute. In fact, Cole’s expansion is one of the Clinic’s $1.3 billion worth of construction projects under way. So is the 1-million-square-foot Neurological Institute and the two-structured Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen Research. In Cleveland Kamm’s Corners, work will start on building Fairview Hospital’s North Campus. Outlook: The Clinic is facing growing pains, with parking, transportation and housing constraints to be diagnosed and treated by the Clinic and community officials.
Circle Square and More in UC
The growth of the Cleveland Clinic and other employers around University Circle is putting a strain on housing. One of the biggest megaprojects is Circle Square. Next will be UC’s tallest tower — East Stokes. Outlook: Wrapping up work on the 11-story Library Lofts will allow the old MLK Branch Library to be razed, unlocking more development potential including a hotel atop a retail podium. Meanwhile, the Circle Square high-rise project was put on hold because construction cost estimates came in too high. The developer is redesigning the project to reduce costs.
Cleveland Browns Berea Development
Although the Cleveland Browns aren’t winning on the field, they are actively trying to make their mark elsewhere on the Greater Cleveland landscape. In addition to the proposed Brook Park stadium and development, Haslam Sports Group is joining forces with DiGeronimo Cos. on the District 46 mixed-use development next to the Browns’ Berea headquarters. Dubbed “the neighborhood,” the 16acre addition to the 18-acre practice facility is less than a 10-minute drive from the Browns’ Brook Park site. Growing into space created by razing structures on Pearl Street, the project will feature housing, a community field and a luxury hotel. Outlook: This project has little controversy, much community support and an experienced development team. Look for construction to get started in 2025.
Downtown Cleveland Riverfront
Billionaire Dan Gilbert and his Bedrock Real Estate company have started realizing a multi-billion-dollar riverfront development vision, supported at the local, state and federal levels. First step within the framework of that vision is the $200 million-plus Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center athletic health and Cleveland Cavaliers practice facility. Next is a 15-story Rock and Roll Land hotel and entertainment complex on Huron Road near Ontario Street. Outlook: Bedrock’s Downtown Cleveland riverfront got some of the Transformation Mixed-Use Development tax credit it wanted from the state — but not the whole thing. Still, it appears the company got enough to keep the project moving forward.
2025: BACK TO THE OFFICE, CLEVELAND
Workers love the flexibility, so companies must entice employees to return to the workplace.
BY KEN PRENDERGAST
For better or worse, many of us are about to rediscover our relationship with the office. But rather than force workers back to the office, companies are trying to lure them back with financial incentives, amenities and nearby housing partnerships.
Terry Coyne, vice chairman of Newmark’s Cleveland office, believes in retrofitting office buildings with amenities so that workers want to come to work. It comes from his experience overseeing Downtown’s AECOM Building, 1300 E. Ninth St., plus other properties. The 21-story AECOM Building has a higher occupancy percentage than all but a few office buildings Downtown.
“You have to treat your office buildings like a hotel,” Coyne says.
Following its $11 million renovation, the AECOM Building features a new lobby, conference center, tenant lounge, a fitness and recreation center with half basketball court, golf simulator, new locker
rooms, and state-of-the-art strength and cardio equipment. Its pedestrian connection to the Westin Hotel is lined with retailers, restaurants and cafes.
Nathan Kelly, former head of Cresco’s Cleveland brokerage office, is president of real estate at the Playhouse Square Foundation. In addition to the second-largest theater district in the country, it also owns The Lumen, Ohio’s tallest residential tower and several office buildings. He reminds idealistic younger workers, that, while having workspace flexibility is great, a company’s decision-makers determine what’s best for their business.
“When you work from home, you get promoted less, get fired more and you earn less,” Coyne says. “Working together has value. How do you train [a 25-year-old] when they’re working from home? I’m not sure why it took so long.”
As more companies bring people back, don’t expect to see buildings that are now 50-80% occupied to suddenly be
bursting at the seams.
“The typical office size used to be 300 square feet per employee,” Coyne says. “Now it’s 125 (square feet). The new rule of thumb is that we’ll probably get back to 85-90 percent of the way we were.”
And not all jobs are coming back Downtown. A metro area like ours, where urban sprawl and long commutes are king, discourages people from wanting to travel, especially in bad weather, and work in an office.
“It’s hard to beat the authenticity and scale of what happens Downtown,” he said. “But the suburbs are winning on office occupancy. I’ve got an unproven theory on why. The people making office location decisions ... are probably suburban residents themselves.”
Not everything is rosy in lifestyle land, however. The post-pandemic office doldrums hit gift card-maker American Greetings in 2022, so it put up for sublease much of its 625,000 square-foot headquarters at the south end of Crocker Park in Westlake. Coyne described the post-pandemic suburban office market as “a bloodbath.”
Kelly notes Downtown’s success in converting old, obsolete office buildings to new uses. In 2022, CrossCountry Mortgage, one of the region’s fastest growing companies, moved its 500-employee headquarters Downtown from suburban Brecksville to attract more young workers. CrossCountry President Ron Leonhardt and developer TurnDev are developing apartments next to the new HQ in the Superior Arts District.
Still, more old space needs to be converted, as Downtown has some of the highest office vacancies in the Cleveland-Akron region, according to data from brokerage Cresco.
If anything, the desire for amenityladen office spaces in fun, safe, sociable neighborhoods that are close to home show why cities and neighborhoods exist in the first place. And it shows why the mixed-use workplace setting, be it in historic big-city or small-town Downtowns or in new but traditionally designed, walkable, mixed-use lifestyle centers are resilient.
“People are social,” Coyne says. “People like to hang out with people.”
Multiple Housing Projects
The number of recent, underway and planned housing developments in Greater Cleveland is too large to identify all of them here. Most are multifamily projects in the urban core and the latest ones filled up fast despite rents of $3 to $5 per square foot. The largest and latest were the Skyline 776 high-rise Downtown, Driftwood in Tremont, Welleon in Gordon Square, Raye high-rise at the Van Aken District, Woodhill Station West in Buckeye, Library Lofts in University Circle and a handful more. Outlook: Successful stories have sequels. Among the follow-on projects are Skyline on Stokes plus Stokes East high-rise in University Circle, Soap Site, Breakwater Residences and Shoreway Tower in Gordon Square, and office conversions will continue to supply most of Downtown’s residences. Some long-lingering projects may finally see construction like Bridgeworks and Clifton House/Hanover House in Ohio City, and new residential markets are being created on Scranton Peninsula, in Old Brooklyn and in Slavic Village.
Reshoring Manufacturing Projects
Reversing deindustrialization in America advanced with the 2022 federal CHIPS and Science Act and is continuing with the threat of tariffs by the incoming Trump Administration. The city of Cleveland is cleaning up and consolidating its brownfields to compete with greenfields at the suburban fringe for large, job-ready sites. Opportunity Corridor is also a key potential growth area for production and assembly facilities — and to capitlize on the connector’s $331 investment. Outlook: Look for large foreign manufacturers to pursue local facilities to provide domestically made products. In addition to local hires, these companies need visas to bring their manufacturing experts to the USA. But the largest facilities are still going to be built in outer suburbs where land is more plentiful but labor isn’t.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Lots of planning work has been completed on Hopkins’ Terminal Modernization Development Program, laying out a $3 billion masterplan. But either the slow pace of the planning or the two-decade-long delivery of what it promises has muffled community excitement for this megaproject. But the project is actually getting underway with the creation of an office building on Cargo Road for architects, civil engineers and contractors to kickstart the work. Outlook: Once the new office building opens in 2025, look for the Terminal Modernization Development Program project to increase in activity and public excitement.
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Meaden & Moore’s new CEO leads another transition. By Terry
Troy
The more things change the more they stay the same, especially when it comes to operational excellence and business longevity.
As he enters his new post at the helm of Meaden & Moore, a premier CPA and business advisory firm, Jim Rollins sees both challenge and opportunity for this venerable 106-year-old company.
Rollins, who assumed the title of CEO and managing partner of Meaden & Moore earlier this year, succeeded Jim Carulas, who ended a distinguished 17year career leading the firm.
But Carulas hasn’t exactly left the building. He is staying on, transitioning to the role of senior partner, where he will provide strategic counsel, nurture client relationships and mentor the next generation of company leaders. Inter-generational leadership is the company’s key to over a century of business success.
“After serving five terms and leading the firm for 17 years, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to take the helm,” says Carulas.
“I have known Jim [Carulas] for a very long time. And we have grown significantly under his leadership,” says Rollins.
It’s an interesting time to be in accounting, he adds. In the face of ever-increasing competition, a lot of firms are merging, while others are creating totally new environments. There is the advent of using new technology and balancing outsourcing against the need to build an educated culture from within.
“The workforce is changing and that does present a challenge for the industry,” says Rollins. “But our workforce is
not a challenge as much as it’s an asset, because all our people are exceptional. My challenge is to bring these exceptional people out, front and center.”
And that’s already happening.
Sarah Lynch has been named partner in charge of Assurances Service Group. Keith Hughes is the newly appointed partner of the Tax Service Group, while Andy Clark is president of the company’s Investigative Accounting Group.
“Sarah is good with clients and great with our staff,” says Rollins. “I need Andy, who is in charge of our forensic practice, and Keith Hughes, who is focused on our tax side.
“Our goals for the firm remain centered on growth that enhances our ability to serve clients, supports our team and positions us for long-term success,” adds Rollins. “Over the past several years, we’ve undertaken a number of initiatives to expand our footprint and improve our service capabilities.”
This includes opening new offices in key markets such as Denver and San Francisco, expanding the company’s presence in Los Angeles and recasting its London operations to better serve insurance industry clients. The company has also built a global support structure by hiring staff in India to provide flexibility and moderation in workloads for the assurance and tax teams.
“Domestically, we’ve added specialized talent, including tax and data analytics professionals in Northeast Ohio and across the U.S., to enhance our technical expertise and technological capabilities,” says Rollins. “We’ve also placed a strong emphasis on internal development, expanding our training and learning programs to equip our team with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
“In wealth management, we’ve continued to grow our team and deepen the alignment between our wealth professionals and personal tax advisory group.”
Being a part of the Cleveland business community and its history is a motivator, adds Rollins.
“We want to be involved with and play an active role in helping businesses not only in Northeast Ohio, but around the country,” he says.
“Our workforce is not a challenge as much as it’s an asset, because all our people are exceptional. My challenge is to bring these exceptional people out, front and center.”
— JIM ROLLINS
JIM CARULAS
SARAH LYNCH KEITH HUGHES ANDY CLARK
Investing in Community Impact
NO CLEVELANDER LEFT BEHIND: THE CLEVELAND FOUNDATION DRIVES TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF NORTHEAST OHIO RESIDENTS THROUGH GRANTMAKING, INVESTING AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT.
Investing in a vibrant Northeast Ohio and responding to immediate community needs is a tandem effort at the Cleveland Foundation. It’s a commitment that recognizes just how interconnected we are, and that there’s work to be done at the individual, neighborhood and regional levels.
“We need to grow the region and make sure that all residents have access to the opportunities that yield prosperity,” says Lillian Kuri, president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation. “We can’t help our people if the region isn’t growing.”
The foundation is digging deep into its change-driving toolkit—deploying strategic investments to secure that vibrant future.
A Ground-Level Approach
The country’s first community foundation was born in Cleveland—the vision of a lawyer and banker who wanted a better way to pool the community’s resources and put that money to work.
The Cleveland Foundation today operates on much the same core model as the community savings account established in 1914—it raises money with the help of a generous community of donors, it invests that money so it grows, and it grants money out to nonprofits providing life-changing services.
Grantmaking is one of the most powerful tools at the foundation’s disposal because it’s the most immediate, says Joyce Pan Huang, the foundation’s chief impact officer. “Grants are the foundation’s way of continually investing in the nonprofit landscape and supporting the services that meet our neighbors where they are,” she says. As such, the foundation’s approach to grantmaking has evolved as community needs have changed during its century-plus of existence.
The foundation’s move from a downtown high-rise to its own headquarters building in MidTown in 2023 marked a jump in its evolution.
“We had an opportunity to really reflect on the last 100 years and look ahead to the next, and ask ‘what does our community want from us now?" says Kuri. “The process of moving and asking these questions were guiding factors to setting priorities for grantmaking and collaborating with partners to make change in the community.”
To answer these questions, the foundation took a deep look into not only what tools it has to make impact, but how it can use those tools in new, innovative ways, including refining its grantmaking priorities to amplify the power of those investments.
“We have to focus if we really want to drive change,” says Huang. “Our community will always be able to count on us to support their needs now. But we need to apply this long-term lens to grow our region and invest in our neighborhoods, which will ultimately improve people’s lives.”
Innovative Investment in MidTown
Leveraging neighborhood and regionallevel investment to achieve long-term, transformative impact is not new at the foundation. The foundation’s call for expanded public recreational opportunities led to the first purchases of parkland that would become the Cleveland Metroparks. And while it’s hard to imagine Cleveland without Playhouse Square, the theaters were in danger of demolition in the early 1980s until the foundation stepped in.
The 2023 move to MidTown gave the foundation more than just a new home, it gave the organization a chance to really become a part of the neighborhood and find innovative ways to help fuel exciting investments already underway.
Earlier this year, the MidTown Collaboration Center (MCC) opened next door to the Cleveland Foundation. More than just a neighbor, the foundation is a lead developer
and owner of the building. The ground floor combines equal parts office space and community gathering space, and the whole MCC is designed to bring together multiple (and sometimes unexpected) companies and disciplines, fostering ideal conditions for creative, leading-edge collaborations.
Chris Harris is bringing his Toledo-based Black Frog Brewery to MidTown in the MCC, which will also feature a music venue — the Sixty6 — and Pearl’s Kitchen, led by local chef Tiwanna Scott-Williams.
After meeting with Kuri about the MCC vision and connecting with partners from JumpStart — small business incubator and the lead tenant in the new building — Harris was hooked. “It was a perfect fit,” he says. “It was community-first, and they were looking to provide something to MidTown that isn’t there, so I really appreciate that.”
Alongside the Black Frog Brewery and Pearl’s Kitchen, the MCC’s intentionally
“We had an opportunity to really reflect on the last 100 years and look ahead to the next, and ask ‘what does our community want from us now?”
Lillian Kuri Cleveland Foundation President and CEO
diverse combination of entities brings together multiple sectors and disciplines for a “both and” economic-development model centered on community. Other MCC partners include JumpStart, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Institute of Art, Hyland Software, ECDI and Assembly for the Arts.
Now that the doors are open, Harris and his fellow tenants are excited to build on the MCC’s momentum. “It goes to show what can be done if you really care about the city and its neighborhoods,” Harris says. “It takes some investment, and you just nurture it and it will grow. That is how I feel about the MCC. We have to keep nurturing it — and it will grow and grow.”
The MidTown Collaboration Center (MCC)
Chris Harris, Black Frog Brewery
Growth to Drive Impact
The foundation’s grantmaking and neighborhood investments are two powerful ways it drives impact in Northeast Ohio. But one of its mightiest tools just might be its literal investments — the funds where charitable dollars are planted to grow.
The foundation offers a robust selection of investment pools to donors, from traditional mixes to more boutique offerings like green bonds and socially responsible investment options. The newest option — the Impact Cleveland Pool — offers a way for donors to do good and do well by investing in stocks of the top 20 corporations right here in Greater Cleveland.
“This pool has showed major returns above the S&P 500 for over 15 years,” Kuri says, piecing together a potential triplebottom-line win for Cleveland, community and donors who could give more with a fund largely bolstered by investment in the city’s top companies.
This pool — along with the foundation’s other investment options — offers an opportunity for donors to achieve top-tier returns.
The returns on all the foundation’s investments — financial, grantmaking and neighborhood development — are the transformational changes that will create and sustain a vibrant region for all residents.
“We are the place where people come together to do their charitable giving in a way that can make the kind of transformational change that our incredible donors and leaders want to achieve,” Kuri says.
Learn more by reaching out to our team at 877-554-5054 or hello@clevefdn.org.
Community Connections
Measurable change you can feel is what led Meltrice Sharp to the Cleveland Foundation. She’s a Cleveland native helping her neighbors in Northeast Ohio with business consulting and accounting services to advance community members’ financial health. Sharp grew up giving back and over the years has elevated her strategy to maximize impact.
Three years ago, Sharp, a financial consultant at CLE Consulting Firm, started a donor advised fund with business partner LaRese Purnell. Their vision: a more financially empowered Greater Cleveland. Sharp also established a second fund with her husband to continue a family legacy of giving back.
Sharp is the founder of Women Creating Wealth & Impact (WCWI), leading its annual Money Makeover conference, and calls involvement with the Cleveland Foundation “a game changer.”
“The conversations, the connections and the focus on empowering our community through philanthropy and giving in a strategic way is very meaningful to me and really solidified my commitment to this work,” Sharp says.
Sharp reflects on an experience she facilitated where women interested in aligning more closely with a philanthropic strategy visited the foundation’s headquarters in MidTown. They asked questions, they dove into meaningful discussions — they laughed and embraced a shared goal to make a difference right at home. Sharp says, “The people at the Cleveland Foundation care about more than just dollars and cents. They care about empowering the unempowered, supporting the community and making a meaningful impact for the underserved community.
The Impact Cleveland Pool is a first-of-its kind, place-based investment pool.
• A public equity portion is invested exclusively in companies based in Northeast Ohio and has delivered returns that significantly outpace the S&P 500 over 15 years.
• Capital is allocated to private equity and venture funds headquartered in Cleveland or committed to deploying investments within the region.
Learn more by reaching out to our team at 877-554-5054 or hello@clevefdn.org.
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS
WVIZ continues to flourish, producing top-notch programming. By Jill Sell
Undoubtedly, it would be the party of the year if all the characters (both fictional and real) who ever appeared on WVIZ over the past 60 years got together to raise a toast. WVIZ, Ideastream Public Media’s television service, was founded Feb. 7, 1965. It was the 100th public television service in the country.
At its founding, WVIZ could claim the first female general manager of a major market television station in the United States. Betty Cope served in that role until 1993 when she retired. (Initially, WVIZ was part of National Educational Television, which became PBS in 1970.)
“Very early on, WVIZ was well known for creating educational programs designed to be used in the classroom. These were not just for K-12, but for the workforce, as well. It was a major push by Betty,” says Mark Rosenberger, Ideastream Public Media’s chief content officer, who joined WVIZ in 1988 and assumed his current role in 2018. “At one time, back in the 1970s, WVIZ was one of the leading producers of educational shows.”
Gradually, “without abandoning the original and traditional focus of public media,” according to Rosenberger, the station began offering and producing additional shows with what viewers saw as “more entertainment value.” But the idea that there is a “bold line between educational television and entertainment” is simply not true, he says.
“We learned that everything we do has some educational value to it. Our pledge, whether for a news show, a
cooking show or a children’s show, is to provide people with an opportunity to learn,” says Rosenberger.
Ideastream was formed in 2001 after a merger of PBS member station
WVIZ (Channel 25) and then NPR member station WCPN (supplanted by WCLV) in 2000. It was rebranded as Ideastream Public Media in 2021.
“WVIZ had a profound history prior to the founding of Ideastream,” says Rosenberger. “But joining together with radio station WCPN was pretty earth shattering at the time. There were other public television and radio stations that worked together in other markets, but this was unique in that both the Cleveland television station and the public radio station were both very healthy and doing well. They had active boards and very responsible leadership at the top, including Jerry Wareham at WVIZ and Kit Jensen at WCPN.”
Rosenberger admits there were some merger challenges — mainly “different cultures with different ways of telling stories.” But it was “always the vision to not operate as two separate organizations with two separate offices.”
Today, WVIZ produces programs for local, regional and national distribution and continues to be a leader in community broadcasting. Rosenberger
“Our pledge, whether for a news show, a cooking show or a children’s show, is to provide people with an opportunity to learn.”
— MARK ROSENBERGER
LEFT: Betty Cope and former City Council Member Jay Westbrook
also says there is a common thread to what topics are chosen for production.
“We are not going to produce a show that anybody anywhere can do. We want to amplify why Northeast Ohio is such a great place to live,” Rosenberger says, pointing out programing including the Anisfeld-Wolf Book Awards, Sound of Ideas (on TV and radio), the City Club of Cleveland, Applause and NewsDepth for students (on air for more than 50 years).
Rosenberger is most proud of WVIZ’s contributions to the Violins of Hope: Strings of the Holocaust project in 2015. This moving PBS documentary looks at restored violins that were played before and during the Holocaust. WVIZ produced related shows with the Cleveland Orchestra performing with some of the violins at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center.
Now and in the future, podcasts and digital media access to WVIZ for all, and across all platforms, will expand and improve, Rosenberger says. Early this year, for example, Living for We, a locally produced, season-two podcast exploring the physical and mental health impacts of racism as a public health crisis, debuted.
“One of the things WVIZ is doing more than ever before in its 60 years is engaging with the community,” says Rosenberger. “We are listening and learning and want to stay relevant.”
ABOVE: Mark Rosenberger and Dick Goddard at the WVIZ Auction in the mid-1990s
“A law degree that fits your life and jumpstarts your future.”
- CSU|LAW Dean Lee Fisher
Cleveland State University College of Law is pleased to offer our online, part-time, accredited JD – one of the first in the nation. Offering the same rigorous curriculum, practical experiences, and access to our strong alumni mentoring and employment networks as our in-person law degree, this opportunity can build life changing careers and educate new leaders.
In addition to our excellent full-time and part-time JD program, CSU|LAW offers graduate degrees in law:
Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
Designed for non-lawyers, an MLS degree can help professionals out and bring value to their organization or profession as someone who can interact with counsel, protect ideas and organizational assets, assess the need for regulation, and work efficiently with changing legislation and compliance.
The MLS offers an exciting opportunity to enhance career credentials by gaining applied legal knowledge without obtaining a law degree, sitting for the bar, or practicing law.
Online Master of Legal Studies in Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Prepares professionals to understand the technical and business dimensions of cybersecurity and privacy as well as current laws and regulations, giving graduates the knowledge and skills to enter these fast-growing fields and advance to senior positions.
LEARN LAW. LIVE JUSTICE. 125
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• Top Ranked Public Law School in Northern Ohio
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LEGAL AID WELCOMES NEW BOARD PRESIDENT
Harlin Adelman brings a wealth of experience — and compassion — to the role of president of the board for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. By
Jill Sell
Given his legal experience, longtime commitment to helping those who have few places to turn, and his sense of community responsibility, it’s not a surprise that Harlin Adelman is the new president of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s board of directors.
Adelman, chief legal officer for University Hospitals (UH) Health System, was elected this past December and will serve a one-year term.
“It’s so valuable for us to have him as board president,” says Colleen Cotter, Legal Aid’s executive director. “Harlin knows how nonprofits run and is part of a very sophisticated nonprofit. He brings all that knowledge to the board. Harlin has been engaged with Legal Aid as a volunteer for years. I am very excited that Harlin will use his skills and insights to leverage key partnerships with organizations, governments and institutions to benefit our clients.”
Adelman’s belief in legal representation for everyone runs deep. As a student at Boston University School of Law, he joined the Public Interest Project, now
part of the Public Interest Law Society. The student-run organization promoted community service and pro bono activities for emerging lawyers. A fellowship took Adelman to Harvard Law School and its Prison Legal Assistance Project. There, he and six other students represented inmates in Massachusetts prisons.
“That was completely eye-opening,” says Adelman. “It made me realize I didn’t want a career in criminal legal practice, but that I wanted to find ways to help people who couldn’t really help themselves.”
Adelman never lost sight of that personal goal and managed to honor it in various ways throughout the years. He started his legal career as an associate in the Benesch law firm’s health care practice group in 1990. Several years later, he joined a national health care consulting company. He has also served as a guest lecturer at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and as an adjunct professor at the business school at Kent State University.
Benesch offered its lawyers pro bono opportunities to work with Legal Aid,
and Adelman called it a “no-brainer” for him to participate. It was then that the mutual admiration between Adelman and Legal Aid really solidified. Now, Adelman draws on all his experience to become a strong Legal Aid board director.
“I have been very lucky in my career. I have built a wonderful network over the years of colleagues and lawyers throughout the city and country,” says Adelman, elected to his current UH position in 2019. “In my role as chief legal officer, I may not be on the front line treating our patients, but I strongly believe that my call as a lawyer means to make things better for our patients in multiple, different ways and in ways most people don’t see.”
Cotter credits Adelman for encouraging UH to get on board with Legal Aid’s successful medical-legal partnerships, joining the MetroHealth System and Cleveland Clinic. UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Ahuja Center for Women & Children on Euclid Avenue, for instance, is a prime example of an opportunity where individuals receive medical
Harlin Adelman (middle) attending a Legal Aid Brief Advice Clinic, where Legal Aid attorneys and volunteer attorneys provide advice and counsel about civil legal issues.
COLLEEN COTTER
treatment but also have access to onsite legal assistance if needed.
“I will leverage my role to help others see the value of Legal Aid and to understand what the organization does and how they do it,” says Adelman, who has used his respect, leadership and influence to gain support for Legal Aid both financially through fundraising
activities and with the recruitment of volunteers. “Law firms are competing for the same top legal talent, and by supporting Legal Aid, they can distinguish themselves from others.” Adelman also believes supporting health care institutions, including UH’s Center for Women & Children, financially and with volunteer lawyers, is another way a
law firm can show its commitment to a neighborhood in need.
Cotter says Adelman is also well-suited to continue to focus on and advance Legal Aid’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. She sums up that direction as “being better and doing more with our client community.” She sees Adelman particularly adept at zeroing in on two of Legal Aid’s six strategic goals. The first is to “establish reciprocal relationships and partnerships with our clients and client communities to increase impact.” The second is to “deepen reciprocal relationships and partnerships with organizations to increase impact.”
“When people come in, we should get them what they need. And if it is outside our expertise, we need to find where they can get help,” says Cotter. “Harlin understands that.”
Adelman also knows being Legal Aid board president is a huge responsibility, demanding time, thought, courage
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Harlin Adelman (far left seated at table) spoke as part of a panel about Legal Aid’s Medical-Legal Partnerships.
and good negotiating skills, among other traits.
“I am following in some pretty big footsteps. You have to approach this with some humility,” says Adelman. “And I have a really busy job at University Hospitals, which is my main focus. But yet I feel so strongly about advancing Legal Aid. I did have a conversation with Colleen before I accepted this position. I want to be the right person, not elected just because my name was next on a list. I wanted her to understand my professional and personal commitments. I wanted to make sure we were on the same page.”
Cotter had no doubts.
“If Harlin’s personality was different, it could be a little intimidating, because he is always very clear and transparent. He fully wants to know what my expectations are of him, what expectations the organization and board have of him and what his expectations are of me and the board,” says Cotter. “But that attitude, combined with his
kindness and calmness, provides for a very supportive leader.”
Adelman describes himself as someone open to ideas that differ from his and desiring “a cross section of input before any decisions are made.” He believes that way of operating will create a vital, problem-solving board and an even stronger Legal Aid, and provide a boost to the community.
“It’s not only about sustaining the work Legal Aid is doing, but advancing in innovative and creative ways that benefit as many people as possible,” says Adelman.
“It’s about helping our partners realize that social determinants of health can’t
necessarily be solved in an exam room. You need caregivers and other disciplines to help with multifaceted problems.”
Cotter is grateful for the respect Adelman shows others.
“Harlin doesn’t expect me to change who I am. But he expects me to continually get better, and I love that, because I want to get better,” says Cotter. “I don’t want a board president who thinks about things exactly like I do. That would not add value. He has been engaged with Legal Aid for many years. He’s a great spokesman for Legal Aid and talks about its work and strengths all the time.”
“It’s not only about sustaining the work Legal Aid is doing, but advancing in innovative and creative ways that benefit as many people as possible.”
— HARLIN ADELMAN
CHARTING A CUSTOMIZED COURSE
Armada navigates through rough health care waters. By
When it comes to insurance, having the right data is key — especially when mapping out a three-year course.
As a Cleveland-based insurance broker, Armada Risk Partners provides insurance solutions and risk strategies. And while it offers property and casualty, private risk and life insurance to its clients, it really excels in finding solutions and battling cost drivers in health care and benefits programs — especially in companies that have between 200 and 2,000 employees.
“We focus on companies with between 200 and 2,000 employees because once you get below 150 employees, insurance
Terry Troy
carriers do not like to give you the specific data to make a real impact on a program,” says Edward J. Purcell, executive vice president of the company.
“Below a certain level, a carrier will only speak to you in generalities. Without that data, you really have no way of differentiating between programs; you can’t challenge, change, control or work with it — although with AI and some captive solutions, that may be changing in the very short term.”
In the health care space, Armada Risk Partners’ focus is to identify the true drivers of cost and administrative burden, whether it is poorly performing PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
networks, unmanaged pharmacy contracts, block-box fully insured arrangements or paper-based HR processes.
“We have unique ways of uncovering true costs and the drivers of those costs, and there are a couple of different areas that we focus on,” says Purcell. “We look at your pharmaceutical spend and can come up with creative programming or have contract negotiations to reduce costs through the PBM (Pharmacy Benefits Manager). They decide all your pricing for your pharmaceutical spend.
Once we figure out the true spend in pharmaceutical, we then come up with ways we can approach the industry to effect a real change in savings, whether that is renegotiating rebates, or renegotiating the contract — lowering or eliminating the spread the PBM takes in the form of a compensation.”
This could include moving the program to international sourcing for exceptionally high-cost medications. In one case, says Purcell, Armada saved a client over $1 million over three years simply by maximizing rebates.
Another area that Armada tackles is when a company’s health care program gets “lasered.” Lasering involves a carrier setting a higher deductible for specific individuals or groups of employees who are deemed to be at a higher risk of incurring larger medical expenses.
“The deductible for the person being lasered can be $100,000, $1 million or even $5 million, which can be a significant pain point for a company or
individual,” says Purcell, and “depending on the reason for the laser, we have a few solutions to help get those reduced or eliminated altogether.”
Armada can also work with businesses to develop programs that help the company combat health care trends among employee populations to reduce costs, like anti-smoking campaigns or fitness programs that can help fight obesity or diabetes — which can ultimately reduce a company’s health care spend.
“We have seen companies come out with anti-smoking campaigns that cost tens of thousands of dollars, only to find out they only have five or six people in their company who actually smoke,” says
Purcell. “At the same time, they may have 73 people who are obese, or maybe even diabetic, who are not taking their medication. Again, without having the proper data, it’s hard to know which approach will benefit the company the most.”
Having these kinds of customized programs based on health care data is an essential tool in reducing costs, says Purcell. “That’s why we emphasize sitting down and having long-term discussions on where we want to be in two or three years, and how we are going to get there — without shocking the budget or the employees. It’s very important to develop this two- to three-year plan.”
“We have unique ways of uncovering true costs and the drivers of those costs.”
— EDWARD J. PURCELL
BUSINESS FRIENDLY
Beachwood’s One-Stop Business Resource Center lives up to its name. By
Jill Sell
Acompany looking for a loan to purchase equipment needed to help it grow. A woman business owner who could benefit from networking and the chance to learn about new opportunities. Fledgling entrepreneurs not sure what kind of space they need to see their dream take flight.
From new, small businesses to significant, established companies, each can find help quickly and efficiently if located in or considering moving to Beachwood. The city’s One-Stop Business Resource Center, established in January
LEFT TO RIGHT: Catherine Bieterman, economic development director, City of Beachwood; David Lapierre, executive director, Beachwood Chamber of Commerce; and Scott Morrison, Owner of Discovery Photo & VP of the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce board of directors, recording an episode of the Beachwood Business Compass podcast.
2024, provides most services and information at no cost and offers a wide variety of resources that support business growth and expansion opportunities.
The Resource Center offers a variety of resources including these three guides that provide step-by-step plans: Small Business Guide; Starting Your Business in Ohio Kit; and Hiring Your First or Next Employee Guide. A new Beachwood
Become a
Business Compass podcast, created by the City of Beachwood’s economic development office, has also been met with an enthusiastic reception.
The Resource Center covers many relevant business topics. But Catherine Bieterman, the City of Beachwood’s economic development director, says several topics especially important to small businesses are particularly paramount.
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“Businesses are often asking about what type of financial assistance is available to help them continue to grow,” says Bieterman. “Also, networking is a key component. Businesses want to know how they can find new opportunities to connect with other businesses within the community. In addition, businesses want support for bringing in new employees.”
The Resource Center also provides information regarding cyber security, international business engagement, minority business resources, women’s resources, workforce development and more.
“Our guides and resources take you from starting a business to helping you decide what you want to do with it
when you want to step aside or hand it off to the next generation or entity,” explains Bieterman.
Beachwood has an advantage over many other communities, she says, because it has “a great variety of spaces available to businesses, from co-working spaces to C-suite level offices.”
The Resource Center can help locate spaces that are a good fit for specific businesses. And, it can give companies direction and support for making that space their perfect, productive home, adds Bieterman, who can boast of almost 2,500 companies and 25,000 employees in the city.
The community can count businesses — large, midsize and small — in the medical,
“Our guides and resources take you from starting a business to helping you decide what you want to do with it when you want to step aside or hand it off to the next generation or entity.”
— CATHERINE BIETERMAN
manufacturing, retail, hospitality, finance and real estate development sectors among those with a Beachwood address.
Technology and research are also at the forefront of development. The city has implemented a new loan program that “supports research and development, technology, innovation and the commercialization of new products,” Bieterman notes.
The Resource Center has built strong relationships with partners who enhance programs and offer additional support to businesses. Among them are Tri-C and Corporate College East and its scholarship opportunities and business acceleration programs and the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce under the direction of Executive Director David Lapierre. The Beachwood Library, under the direction of Branch Librarian Amia Wheatley, hosts Small Business Educational Series programs to help businesses advance to the next level.
MUSEUM REIMAGINED
The number of visitors to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has increased significantly since its $150 million transformation. By Jill
Sell
For a museum, it’s almost an enviable problem. Especially on Saturdays, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s parking lot along Wade Oval Drive fills up quickly. It’s been that way since the museum unveiled its $150 million transformation this past December. Eager Clevelanders and excited out-of-town tourists are willing to circle the parking garage to see the impressive, sweeping changes.
“We are working on parking. It’s like that line in the movie Jaws: ‘You’re going to need a bigger boat,’” says Sonia Winner, Cleveland Museum of Natural History president and CEO, acknowledging some minor growing pains, but thrilled nonetheless at the transformation’s reception.
The numbers speak for themselves. Since the reopening on Dec. 15, 2024 until March 28 of this year, over 100,000 visitors made it a point to see old friends including Balto, the heroic sled dog, and Happy, the dinosaur (Haplocanthosaurus delfsi). Both have been given a makeover and honored spots in the expanded exhibit space.
Visitors are also anxious to see new exhibits, including the interactive “We are All Stardust.” The technically advanced activity allows visitors to create a “star” based on their actions.
“Our goal was to make the visitor the center of the experience,” says Winner, noting the transformation was completed two years ahead of schedule and was slightly under budget.
“Our goal was to make the visitor the center of the experience.”
— SONIA WINNER
“Static things don’t work anymore, especially for young people.”
Between last year and the beginning of 2025, there has been an almost 60% increase in ticket sales (higher than the same period in pre-COVID years). Visits also are 230% higher than last year.
“Thirty percent of our visitors to date are either first-timers or they haven’t visited the museum in more than five years,” says Winner. “That’s huge for us.”
Winner, at the helm of the transformation since its groundbreaking in 2021, credits a number of factors for the uptick. Curiosity, of course, is at the top of the list, coupled with the incentive for those Clevelanders who want to be among the first to experience all
the city’s latest hotspots. But, there are additional reasons, according to Winner.
She believes the building’s clever and innovative architecture — from its eye-catching, overhanging, white exterior swoop (which represents the glaciers that carved Lake Erie) to its huge front windows that let passersby see into the Sears Dynamic Earth Wing — make a difference.
“We also know a significant number of our visitors are highly educated and have a specific interest in natural history. And that’s great. But now we are seeing more people who value fun along with learning as well. A growing number of people see the museum as a place to be entertained, and they want to spend time here with their family and friends,” says Winner.
“We are about to embark on another economic impact study. Right now, we contribute about $40 million to the local economy. We think with the visitors
we are seeing, that will substantially increase,” she explains.
At some point, those visitors will have even more reasons to walk through the museum’s doors. Kirtland Hall, which formerly was home to most of the dinosaur specimens, was purposely not included in the transformation. The museum is waiting for more public feedback as to what should happen to the space. Possible plans include reserving that part of the building for temporary and/or traveling exhibits on loan. The extra space also gives curators a chance to share more of the millions of specimens and objects owned by the museum, most in storage.
Museumgoers have also expressed a wish to see the gem and mineral collection expanded. The exhibit is already impressive, with such specimens as rare Mississippi River pearls and a diamond and pink tourmaline necklace made by Tiffany and Co. for a member of the Jeptha Wade family, part of Cleveland’s historic blue bloods.
AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATION
Cuyahoga Community College’s new division explores the next frontier of training. By Lynne Thompson
What’s in a name? Quite a lot if the name is Cuyahoga Community College’s Workforce, Community and Economic Development Division, according to Shana Marbury. The division’s executive vice president describes it as “quite a mouthful” to include when introducing herself to others.
“When I would give people my title, their eyes would usually glaze over before I actually stopped talking,” she jokes.
But her tone becomes serious as she points out that the name of the division that encompasses the college’s 60-plus workforce training programs didn’t completely reflect its mission. Options range from a four-week pre-apprenticeship in construction to associate degrees in
manufacturing- and engineering-related disciplines such as welding, and a degree in integrated digital manufacturing engineering technology, to name a few.
“Innovation is incredibly important in the current environment to all of our stakeholders — not just our business partners who are working to innovate their companies as far as product production, employees, etc., but also our students,” Marbury says. “We need our students to
be a part of innovation, and we need our students to develop skills that will help them in the innovation economy.”
In April, Tri-C formally announced the entity’s new name: the Workforce Innovation Division. Subsequent changes will include integrating non-credit and for-credit curricula and developing the Center for the Future of Work, a workforce hub located in the college’s main campus Advanced Technology Training
“We
need our students to be a part of innovation, and we need our students to develop skills that
will help them in the innovation economy.”
— SHANA MARBURY
Center. It aims to address social determinants of work on the cornerstones of industry alignment, skills-based training and applied experiences.
For example, the center is looking to increase student job-shadowing opportunities, internships and apprenticeships by onboarding additional employers. And it is extending skills-based training and applied experience offerings to Tri-C faculty via externships. Marbury explains that a sociology instructor might spend a limited time at an employer’s facility learning about a given industry’s standards, tools, etc., then use that knowledge to develop a curriculum that gives students a better understanding of what they’re learning in the classroom and how it applies to a real-world job.
“Some of [our faculty members] are researchers,” Marbury notes. “So they’re looking at this as a research opportunity.”
The center is compiling information about the college’s skills-based training
opportunities so they’re easily identifiable and accessible. “Right now, they’re kind of spread across the college,” Marbury says.
“We want the center to be that onestop shop where a student who thinks they might be interested in, say, automation, can connect with the center and find out what their different options are across the college.”
Center staffers also are continuing TriC’s efforts to develop programs that meet area employer needs. The conversations have resulted in a school-wide goal to add five applied four-year bachelor’s degrees to Tri-C’s offerings in the next five years.
“We really do see this as the next frontier for Tri-C as we advance our training and skills delivery to our students,” Marbury says.
GROWING NOT-FORPROFIT RESOURCES
With its acquisition of HW&Co., an Ohio-based accounting and advisory firm, New York-based Citrin Cooperman not only strengthens its presence in the Midwest, it also enhances the services the firm offers notfor-profits in our area.
“We’re excited about the broadened capabilities our Not-For-Profit Industry Practice is now able to provide in Ohio and the Midwest,” says John Eusanio, a partner at Citrin Cooperman, who heads up the firm’s not-for-profit practice. “In addition to traditional audit and tax compliance services, we’re also able to offer strategic advisory services.”
With 14 partners and over 140 employees joining Citrin Cooperman, HW&Co. has built a solid business in various Ohio-based industries, including health care, real estate, manufacturing
Citrin Cooperman’s HW&Co. acquisition enhances services to Northeast Ohio. By Terry Troy
JOHN EUSANIO
and distribution, agriculture and others. HW&Co. also brings a stellar reputation for service and an unparalleled relationship with not-for-profits throughout our region — something sure to be enhanced by the newly integrated Citrin Cooperman team, including additional resources to offer not-for-profit clients and a more comprehensive view of not-for-profit industry trends.
“Whether it’s audit and tax compliance, assessing information technology systems inclusive of cybersecurity risks or identifying best practices for governance and internal controls, our team is committed to delivering tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of the not-for-profit sector,” says Eusanio, who oversees not-for-profits operations across more than 30 offices of Citrin Cooperman. “We can identify how notfor-profits can blend in liquidity for the short and long term, while offering services that usually don’t reach smaller, independent not-for-profits.
“We are very involved with professional associations at the local, state and national levels, and we can leverage the information we receive from different areas and apply it to the geographies where we have clients. We may be seeing industry trends nationwide that may not have yet found their way to Ohio. That allows us to reach out to our clients and tell them what we see happening in the not-for-profit space from a national standpoint. We can help them prepare for coming trends — and be more forward thinking — so they are proactive rather than reactive.”
“Joining forces with Citrin Cooperman presents a tremendous opportunity for our clients and our team,” says Brandon Miller, former president and CEO of HW&Co. and new managing partner of Citrin Cooperman’s Ohio offices. “We share a common culture of excellence and a commitment to delivering exceptional value. Together, we will continue to provide the personalized service our clients expect, now with access to a broader range of resources and expertise.”
“Whether it’s audit and tax compliance, assessing information technology systems inclusive of cybersecurity risks or identifying best practices for governance and internal controls, our team is committed to delivering tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of the not-for-profit sector.”
– JOHN EUSANIO
BRANDON MILLER
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BILL FAGAN // BY DANNY CUNNINGHAM
Rock Entertainment is more than the Cavaliers and Rocket Arena.
The Cleveland Cavaliers just completed one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history. They topped 60 wins for just the third time ever and finished the year with the best record in the Eastern Conference for just the fourth time in team history. For as much success as they’ve had on the court, success has followed them off the court, too. Community Leader caught up with Bill Fagan, team president of business operations, to learn more about the mix of sports and performance that fuels Rock Entertainment.
Community Leader: What’s the latest with Rock Entertainment?
Bill Fagan: A lot of people don’t know it, because we haven’t necessarily shouted it from the mountaintops, but Rock Entertainment Group was formed in 2021, and it’s really the umbrella of Dan [Gilbert]’s family of companies for sports and entertainment, specifically. So, you’ve got the Charge, the Monsters and the Cavs under that umbrella, and then you have all the related services that we provide. We support properties like Tennis in The Land and Pickle in The Land. We’re supporting mostly with commercial services. Whether that’s sponsorship, corporate partnership support or ticketing support.
CL: In what areas do you see the company growing in the next five to 10 years?
BF: Really stick to our knitting. When you think about what our strengths are in commercializing assets in sports and entertainment, particularly in our geographic region of focus, which is really that Great Lakes area, call it from as high as Buffalo all the way down to Cleveland and over to Detroit. If it fits that geographic profile, we’ll be listening. We have one of the biggest and best business intelligence groups in the NBA. We are now at roughly 550 fulltime team members, and you layer on our part-time team members. We’re well over a thousand.
The reality is because our naming rights partner Rocket has rebranded. We’re aligning with that.”
CL: Recently, the name of the venue the Cleveland Cavaliers play in changed its name from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to Rocket Arena. What went into that change?
BF: We’re celebrating our 30th year of the arena being open and the arena has seen so many great things. From hosting many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [induction ceremonies] to the Women’s Final Four last year, and we host upwards of 150 to 175 events per year. There’s just a lot of traffic that’s going through here, and going from Gund Arena to Quicken Loans Arena to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and now Rocket Arena. Our fans have already told us this is the easiest and ask why didn’t you do this sooner? The reality is because our naming rights partner Rocket has rebranded. We’re aligning with that rebrand and have gone through a monumental effort to take every single piece of signage. This will be a months-long process to get us realigned with Rocket.
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