Community Leader - November 2023

INSIDE:

NOV EMB ER 2 0 2 3

+ Nonprofits: A Mission Impossible? + Urban Agriculture: Thinking Inside the Box + LCCC Hitting the Green

Business Hall of Fame Robert J. Klonk • Jules and Myron “Mike” (posthumously) Belkin

Community Leaders of the Year

Lillian Kuri • Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells • Tania Menesse • Kevin Clayton • Sonia Winner

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CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2023

6

30 62 DEPARTMENTS 4 From the Publisher 66 My Life 72 1000 Words

UPFRONT 6 Celebrating

Interspecies Service Cleveland Metroparks Zoo ambassador animals enjoy their new home.

BY JILL SELL

8 Hitting the Green The 33rd annual LCCC Jack Nicklaus golf outing raises more than $125,000.

BY TERRY TROY

12 Herbal Healing A local entrepreneur opens a spa focused on wellness.

14 Finding Ways to Teach John Kusik’s legacy will live on with the impact he made on access to education.

BY JILL SELL

16 Transforming Sports Medicine

The Cleveland Browns head physician is recognized for groundbreaking research.

BY BOB SANDRICK

COLUMNS

32 A Passion for

22 A Tale of Two Futures

The Ursuline College dean has made an impact in one year.

Lee Fisher says if we are going to thrive as a city we need to make change from the bottom up.

COMMUNITY 24 Mission Impossible?

Local nonprofits address what they need to be effective.

18 Developing Homes

BY TERRY TROY

Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity launches a 400 Home Initiative.

Donations to “BEAR”

and Neighborhoods

27 Bringing Smaller

The Cleveland Zoological Society is assisted by individual memberships.

BY TERRY TROY

BY JILL SELL

20 Offering Options

28 Planning for

A Tri-C program helps displaced Ukrainians access education.

BY JILL SELL

BY JOANNE CAHILL

BUSINESS 56 Equitable Solutions We examine whether equity, diversity and inclusion programs are serving us. Plus, a look at how our communities are being impacted.

BY TERRY TROY

62 Dedicated to DEI Oswald’s Corporate DNA helps address the needs of diverse populations.

Retirement

BY BOB SANDRICK

McGregor Senior Living serves as an ally while planning.

64 Thinking Inside the Box

BY JOANNE CAHILL

30 Pregnant with

BY CHRISTINA EASTER

STEM and Fitness

Possibilities

An urban agriculture career tech program offers insight to the future of farming.

BY TERRY TROY

A local nonprofit offers resources to women in need.

BY RHONDA CROWDER

COVER STORY

We honor local leaders who, through their contributions to the arts, education, public service, diversity and inclusion and more, are helping Cleveland thrive.

STORIES BY JILL SELL, COLLEEN SMITEK AND LYNNE THOMPSON PHOTO BY LAURA WATILO BLAKE / PHOTO OF MIKE BELKIN COURTESY OF JSTYLE, MICHAEL C. BUTZ

Hall of C ommunity Leaders 35 Business Fame Inductees 44 of the Year 51 Past Inductees

2 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

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FROM THE PUBLISHER // BY LU TE HARMON SR .

Let’s Get Crazy

W

hy is Cleveland Falling So Far Behind Columbus?

It is about time someone called attention to the elephant in the room. The full headline of this column by Brent Larkin continues with the words: Failed Leadership, Failed Structure, Failed Vision.

The article, written by one of Cleveland’s finest journalists, was posted on Cleveland.com on September 17th. If you care about Cleveland, where it is and where it is going, then it is worth the effort to read what Larkin has written.

Surprisingly with a headline like this, his story is not critical of Cleveland. His column is what Robert Frost would call “A lover’s quarrel with the world.” His comparison of Columbus to Cleveland makes Columbus look like a one-horse town. What he sees in Cleveland is a city in decline, yet his words are not criticism, but a cry for action.

Truth is, Cleveland is a city in decline. Larkin’s problem is that he remembers, as do I, “Why is Cleveland falling when Cleveland was America’s so far behind Columbus?

Comeback City. From 1970 to 1990 there was no stopping Failed Leadership, Failed our progress. Civic leaders Structure, Failed Vision.” from business, government — BRENT LARKIN and nonprofits collaborated to achieve over 50 major projects that made our city what it is today. Cleveland became known nationwide as the creator of The Public Private Partnership.

So the real question Larkin is asking is: Can a city that came back once, come back again?

I propose the answer to that question is Yes — and also propose we recreate our greatest success, The Public Private Partnership (PPP).

To do this we need to correct two unfortunate decisions made the first time around. First, the PPP team decided they were not going to brag about their accomplishments. And second, they made no effort to involve the next generation in their achievements.

Therefore, the community was not able to be aware of and share in the success of their accomplishments, and the next generation was never given a chance to follow in their footsteps.

To know and understand what a group of 50 people once did to make our city great should provide all the courage we need to do it again. It was Steve Jobs who said, “The people who are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do.”

Thanks, Brent, for reminding us it’s time to get crazy.

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Managing Art Director Rayanne Medford Art Directors Tom Abate Stacy Mallardi-Stajcar Megan Rosta

Contributing Writers Karen Beis Joanne Cahill Rhonda Crowder Christina Easter Lee Fisher Bob Sandrick Jill Sell Colleen Smitek Lynne Thompson Terry Troy Contributing Artists Laura Watilo Blake Ken Blaze Sophie Sand Kannberg Matt Shiffler Associate Publisher

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UPFRONT PHIL ANTHROPY // BY JILL SELL

Celebrating Interspecies Service

The zoo’s ambassador animals enjoy their first anniversary in their new home.

Q

6 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

Don and Sally Messinger with Quillbur, a North American porcupine

The Cleveland area couple donated funding to create a new home for the zoo’s ambassador animals, which opened just over a year ago. In addition to an improved habitat, the role of ambassador animals is being “re-imagined,” according to Elena Less, an associate animal curator with the zoo.

Traditionally taken outside the zoo for educational purposes, the animals are primarily now invited to participate in on-site programming. That includes several

ambassador species (think snakes) living outside the Nature Innovation Station, plus those who call the enhanced area home.

Quillbur’s immediate neighbors include a barn owl, barred owl, Eurasian eagle-owl, hooded vulture and a white stork.

Ambassador animals are chosen for their affinity for humans and their comfort level among strangers or groups of people.

Sometimes, though, they prefer observing instead of performing.

COURTESY CLE VEL AND ME TROPARKS ZOO

uillbur is a friendly, 13-year-old North American porcupine who came to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 2010 when he was only a few months old. Porcupines are North America’s second largest rodent, with only beavers being bigger.

Despite what you might see in cartoons, porcupines don’t “throw” their quills, which are made of keratin like hair and nails. But they will raise their hollow quills with barbs at the end in a defensive mode.

And quills (a porcupine has about 30,000) will detach easily from the animal.

“People don’t understand that you can pet a porcupine if you do it the right way,” says Sally Messinger, whose name graces the Don and Sally Messinger Nature Innovation Station at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. “Quillbur is my favorite ambassador zoo animal. He comes right up to me. He’s a vegan like me so we have a lot in common.

Except I like broccoli and he doesn’t. He’ll eat squash, carrots and pineapple from my hand. But if it’s broccoli, he’ll wait to see if there is any other food.”

Sally Messinger is a veteran real estate professional with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, and Don Messinger has been a partner with the Thompson Hine law firm since 1976.

Zoos have changed so much. They just aren’t places where people come to be entertained. We want that to happen, of course, but we also want people to know more about animals and to learn more about conservation and the research here.”

— Sally Messinger

“Fringe, our barred owl, likes people. But she was showing us that she didn’t want to be part of a program, such as flying and landing on a gloved hand,” says Less. “So this new space is perfect for her. We made her an exhibit animal. She is in one of our front stalls and she can see people all the time. She chooses to spend her time staring at people rather than performing.”

The Nature Innovation Station (within the Australia Adventure area and once the location of a rental pavilion) is four times the size of the area where the ambassador animals had been living. It provides more space for birds to fly and practice vertical jumping, which is important for muscle development, additional natural light for all the animals and more opportunity for visitors to see zoo staff train and care for them, according to Less.

“Zoos have changed so much. They just aren’t places where people come to be entertained. We want that to happen, of course, but we also want people to know more about animals and to learn more about conservation and the research here. But you can’t teach people about animals unless you can see them,” says Messinger, talking about the ambassador animals that many zoo visitors could not view before their new home was created. “One of the first animals they brought out a year ago was one of the owls. She sat there all day, just looking at the sky.”

All of the Nature Innovation Station animals are those “that can live outdoors in our climate,” says Less. But the hooded vulture and white stork are taken indoors during the coldest parts of the winter.

Messinger, a vocal animal advocate, had been on the zoo’s board of directors for 12 years and is now an emeritus director (as of December). She has also contributed to the cost of feeding zoo animals, especially the koalas, whose eucalyptus leaves are the zoo’s most expensive menu item. That dinner help was imperative during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown when the zoo wasn’t open and admission money was lost.

But Messinger and her husband wanted to do even more. Messinger said it was meant to be that after spending 42 years in real estate finding houses for Northeast Ohioans that she was able to also find homes for ambassador animals.

“We could have given the money to the zoo in our wills. But I think if you have a cause, it’s important to support it while you are alive,” says Messinger, whose seven grandchildren, ages 9 to 16, think it’s pretty cool that their grandparents have a sign at the zoo with their name on it. “When we help animals survive, we also help people survive.”

Sarah Crupi, CEO of the Cleveland Zoological Society (the zoo’s nonprofit partner), knows Messinger has a lifelong respect and love for animals. Crupi says the

Nature Innovation Station was an excellent project to showcase the Messingers’ generosity because of the impact it has on both the animals and the zoo, and the zoo’s many guests.

“Sally has a true real passion for animal welfare, healthy animal diets and healthy living spaces,” says Crupi. “Sally and Don have been exceptionally generous to the Cleveland community, both personally and through their work with Howard Hanna and Thompson Hine. We were able to build this project because we had their support.”

Messinger is amused by a tradition that has begun at the Nature Innovation Station.

People she or her husband know, and even people she doesn’t know, email her photos of themselves by the Station’s sign. Messinger likes to think it is a visitor’s way of saying hello, thanking the couple for making the new animal home possible and appreciating what the zoo has done for the animals.

“I get to enjoy the animals’ new home over and over again when I see the photos. I love the zoo. We would have done this home even if they would not have put our name on it,” says Messinger. “It’s the most important thing I have ever done in Cleveland.”

The Nature Innovation Station is four times the size of the area where the ambassador animals had been living. It provides more space for birds to fly and practice vertical jumping, which is important for muscle development.”

– Elena Less, associate animal curator clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 7

UPFRONT

WORKING THE ROOM // BY TERRY TROY

Hitting the Green Golf outing raises more than $125,000 for LCCC Jack Nicklaus scholarship fund.

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Scholarship support through the LCCC Foundation, including the Jack Nicklaus Scholarship, helps students overcome barriers and focus on their education.”

— Dr. Marcia J. Ballinger

and bachelor’s degrees, more than 70% of our students need financial aid to continue their education. The community’s generous support of this event provides scholarships for many of these students, so they can earn their degree or certificate.”

“At Lorain County Community College, it is our goal to help each student achieve their dreams and enrich our community,” adds Marcia J. Ballinger, president of LCCC. “Scholarship support through the LCCC Foundation, including the Jack Nicklaus Scholarship, helps students overcome barriers and focus on their education.

“Oftentimes, a scholarship can be the support a student needs to stay enrolled and complete their degree. With 90% of LCCC graduates finding rewarding careers here in Northeast Ohio, these LCCC scholarships provide a meaningful and lasting impact on our students and the community,” she adds.

Emmy Award-winning television host and PGA golf pro Jimmy Hanlin once again

COURTESY LCCC FOUNDATION

few rain drops and cloudy skies could not dampen the enthusiasm of more than 140 golfers who showed up at the Elyria Country Club for the 33rd Annual LCCC Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Benefit this past summer. It was one of the best turnouts to date for the event, which raised more than $125,000 for the LCCC Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Fund.

“Since its inception, the Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Benefit has raised over $1.29 million and supported more than 1,400 scholarship awards to students in need,” says Lisa Brown, executive director of the LCCC Foundation, which hosts the event every year. “While LCCC is ranked the most affordable college in Ohio for associate

LCCC Foundation Board Member Lee Koury blasts one out of a trap and onto the green.

Left: Celebrity guests included Mike Hargrove, Rick Manning and Austin Carr, seen here with LCCC Foundation Board Member Darryl Tucker.

Below: Co-Chair Don Knechtges addressed the crowd, with Jimmy Hanlin in the background.

provided some fun and valuable golf tips for players throughout the day.

Hanlin was joined by Cleveland Sports Legends Mike Hargrove (Cleveland Guardians), Rick Manning (Cleveland Guardians), Austin Carr (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Campy Russell (Cleveland

Cavaliers). The event also featured special guest and proud LCCC alumnus Tim Alcorn, radio voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Co-chairs for this year’s event included: Kent Hageman, senior vice president at Morgan Stanley; Don Knechtges, president of Business Visions Inc., and Todd

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UPFRONT

Cleveland Cavaliers legend Campy Russell presented Greg Faris of PKG LLC with a signed basketball.

Bob Fisher of Premier Toyota dodges rain drops on his way to the cup.

“Receiving a scholarship is strong motivation to keep up with the hard work of studying. I believe that giving people like you are setting us (students) up for success.”

“Thank you all for your donations ... I can continue my studies,” adds another.

“You not only helped me, you have helped a whole family’s future.”

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COURTESY LCCC FOUNDATION

The Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Benefit got its start in 1990, when LCCC Trustee Judge Joseph Cirigliano brought his close friend Jack Nicklaus to Lorain County for the first benefit. In return for his appearance, Nicklaus made stipulations for how the dollars raised would be used and the financial goals that needed to be met by the event.

Nicklaus wanted to be sure the event would support LCCC and the success of its students by donating 100% of his fees back to the LCCC Foundation, creating the Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Fund. Outside of events sponsored directly by the Jack Nicklaus Foundation, the LCCC Jack Nicklaus Golf Outing is the only event that is allowed to carry the famous golfer’s name.

LCCC students who will receive scholarship help are very appreciative.

“On behalf of my family and myself, we thank you for your generous donations,” says one student requesting anonymity.

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UPFRONT

ENTREPRENEURS // BY CHRIS TINA E A S TER

Herbal Healing Cleveland spa offers myriad modalities of care.

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12 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

quality of life,” Whitsett says. on the benefits of drinking “I have always been told that it’s tea and knowing the ‘why’ of emotional or spiritual if the doc- Niyia Whitsett the things that I put on and in tors can’t find it because energy my body.” does not leave — ­ it transfers through Whitsett’s personal grief journey in our nervous system that we all get from 2006 led to her becoming an entrepreneur. our mother.”

“It started with me healing my nerTwenty years ago, Nicole Vanyo be- vous system and realizing the power in gan using Whitsett’s holistic products that,” she says. “I had four major surgerand services for her chronic cystitis con- ies, and my body began to reject phardition. Then she earned her certification maceutical medicines. Research helped as an aromatherapist from the Healing me get through some of the things my Center. Vanyo also created a blend of body and nervous system needed.” ginger shots, after being introduced to After recovering, Whitsett was inthem by Whitsett, that are sold at Self strumental in starting the Divine PurApproved Herbal Spa. pose Etiquette School and HISStyle for “As I educated myself, I learned how young girls ages 3-18. She wrote her to live a more organic life with a holistic first novel, Scarred (2018) in which she approach to things,” Vanyo explains. talks about the emotional and physical “I became more mindful of what I ate pain she endured as a child and how she and put in my body. Over time, I found used hope and faith her grandmother myself not being in pain as meditation, taught her to get through it. prayer and exercise became a priority.”

In 2020, Whitsett moved back to CleveKodi Pride has been a customer of land after her father encountered health Whitsett’s since before Self Approved issues. She began doing holistic wellness Herbal Spa opened. consultations out of her home, and peo“Niyia helped me learn how to ple wanted to know what teas and herbs manage sinus headaches, eczema and they could take to stay alive. As demand stress,” Pride says. “She recommended for her services grew (and after a pipe in peppermint oil, which helps to relieve the home burst), she found the new home my headaches. She also enlightened me for Self Approved Herbal Spa.

COURTESY SELF APPROVED HERBAL SPA

hen Niyia Whitsett was 12 years old, she had a thing for herbs and oils but didn’t talk about it much after being told “witches do that type of stuff.” After realizing there was some ignorance in this statement, it freed her mind to dive in. She learned to heal herself and help others as an entrepreneur while also becoming a published author. On July 22, she opened the Self Approved Herbal Spa at 3965 Lee Road in Cleveland.

“The path of aromatherapy, reflexology, herbal holistic healing chose me,” says Whitsett. “I had to go to schools that taught acupuncture and aromatherapy to build my resume so I could say ‘I’m a holistic practitioner.’ I got a certification in reiki and all of the holistic modalities to learn how to blend on my own and how to assess.”

While majoring in forensic psychology at Clark Atlanta University, Whitsett realized that the Healing Center was a better fit.

“We all experience trauma at different phases of life, and afterward you need to feel safe again,” Whitsett says.

Self Approved Herbal Spa specializes in how to use herbs and is designed for integrated wellness. It has detox programs and offers holistic services using mostly chemical-free products. Its mission is to enhance and promote emotional wellness and address trauma informed care.

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UPFRONT

TRIBUTE S // BY JILL SELL

Finding Ways to Teach John Kusik leaves a legacy with a bright and promising future.

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14 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

“John was listening to someone one night who said that when he was in school, he could read a book from back to front and from the bottom of the page to the top — and he could understand it. That made John a believer that learning disabilities were real and that there was a need for more literacy and a better way to teach reading,” says Richards.

Kusik became chief operating officer for CEI’s Richards Learning Systems (RLS), described as a systematic and multi-sensory approach to language arts. (Richards is president and CEO.) He was also CEI’s board chairman and vice president and marketing director of North Coast Education Services.

Today the couple’s reading programs, now in their third year, are in 41 Cleveland Metropolitan School District classrooms in nine schools. As part of the programming, the couple created the Sammy and the Magical Reading Chest video series that consists of 77 five-minute episodes for pre-K through third grade students.

The last episode was filmed in July shortly before Kusik’s death.

“John always said he wanted to be able to see the last one,” recalls Richards.

Lorraine Dodero is trustee/chairman with the Sam J. Frankino Foundation (supporting excellence in education) and the Corinne L. Dodero Foundation for Arts and Sciences.

Dodero is impressed with the value of Richards Learning Systems and the videos.

“I could see that any kind of academic learning combined with physical activities really made a difference,” says Dodero.

“Over the years of knowing Carole and

John Kusik and Carole Richards

John, I have seen an impact on families with children with reading disabilities.”

The group of businesses and nonprofits the couple offered will still continue. But Richards also would like to see one idea that was near and dear to the couple be resurrected and another jump-started. Their Academic Fun and Fitness Camp operated for 16 years at a college campus until 2017.

The six-week camp for children ages 6 to 19 offered academics in the morning and a variety of activities, from sports to drama to art therapy, in the afternoons.

Years ago, the adopted daughters of attorney Raymond Malone, partner with BakerHostetler, experienced learning challenges. He sought help from the camp and with tutoring.

“Carole’s programs were extremely helpful getting my daughters to the point where they could read and function in a more normal school environment,” says Malone.

“Carole was the advocate and John the operations guy. John also did an extreme amount of canvasing so funds for individual instruction could be made available for free on a wider basis for those who needed it.”

Kusik had a keen sense for fundraising, knowing it was necessary to accomplish

COURTESY CAROLE RICHARDS

he late John Kusik and his wife, Carole Richards, of Chagrin Falls, were always on the same page. The couple read each other like open books, which was fitting, given their contributions to literacy. They shared a commitment and passion for finding ways to teach all children.

Kusik died this past July at age 88 after an extraordinary life. He was a manufacturing business owner, salesman, copywriter, marketing strategist (clients included Progressive Insurance and Cleveland Clinic), author of three business how-to books and publisher of health care materials. Kusik re-invented and improved himself with each new skill and career opportunity. But these were additions to his resume, not changes. He found a way to use all of his talents.

Kusik also was a past-president and board chair of Sales and Marketing Executives of Cleveland and past vice president of the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre.

Some colleagues and friends say he bound all those interests and skills into the Creative Education Institute (CEI), a nonprofit with a mission “to effect change through improved literacy.” Located in Solon, CEI was founded by Richards and Kusik in 1992, only a year after they met.

“John always had an interest in education and was active with Urban Community School (a nonprofit school in Cleveland that provides individualized education).

But he really didn’t know a lot about learning disabilities or reading differences,” says Richards, a former public school teacher, tutor and founder of North Coast Education Services in 1985.

goals and help nonprofit organizations.

He was active with the National Council on Alcoholism and was tapped one year to introduce philanthropist Joan Kroc, third wife of Ray Kroc, who is credited with the global expansion of McDonald’s.

“John was told to make sure she didn’t take a long time speaking,” recalls Richards.

“But she talked and talked and talked. John later told me he wished he could have used a long cane to get her off the stage. When she was finally ready to leave, she said, ‘Oh, I almost forgot,’ and handed John a check made out to the Council for $1 million.

John told me he wanted to ask her, ‘Would you like to talk for another hour?’”

The School of the Future, envisioned as a school dedicated to students with learning disabilities, was another idea Richards and Kusik hoped to create. Their idea was hatched well before there was more adequate state and federal funding available for such opportunities.

I could see that any kind of academic learning combined with physical activities really made a difference. Over the years of knowing Carole and John, I have seen an impact on families with children with reading disabilities.”

– L orraine Dodero, Sam J. Frankino Foundation “Some people might dispute this, but there really isn’t any school in Cleveland that serves this population,” says Richards. “My daughter, who now works for our business, hopes eventually to resurface that idea.”

Friends and acquaintances remember Kusik as a caring, congenial guy who always had a smile on his face. His wife calls him

a “happy, kind, helpful, intelligent” person who always was looking for a way to encourage literacy. Kusik had sincere, innovative goals and direction in both his professional and personal lives, but he also didn’t let formal, rigid, long-term restraints dictate his activities. He read between the lines to know what was important in life to be really successful. And that included his personal life.

“We had been together 13 years before we got married, and we were both very pragmatic,” says Richards. “We didn’t spend a lot of time struggling over decisions versus just getting things done. One morning over coffee, we decided to get married in Hawaii since we were going there anyway.

And at that time, in Hawaii, you could get a marriage license from a hairdresser.

Our wedding party consisted of the minister, the photographer and a Hawaiian goose. But we were together for 31 years,” says Richards.

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UPFRONT

ATHLE TICS // BY BOB SANDRICK

Dr. James Voos at the new Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute at UH’s Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood

Transforming Sports Medicine Browns’ physician James Voos is recognized for his overall impact.

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16 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

and doctors treat ACL injuries. He was given the NFL Physicians Society’s Arthur C. Rettig Award for Academic Excellence during the NFL Physicians Society’s (NFLPS) Scientific Meeting at the 2023 NFL Combine for his research project, “Return to Play Assessment After ACL Reconstruction Using Wearable Technology,” which he presented during the meeting.

The prestigious award is given annually to an NFL team physician for academic excellence in research in advancing the health and safety of players in the NFL. Voos is also vice president of the NFL Physicians Society, the elite group of doctors who care for 1,600 professional football players across 32 teams. Next year, he becomes president, and he says the biggest game changer he’s witnessed during his time with the organization is how pro sports medical care has shifted its focus.

But he’s not just dedicated to the pros.

Voos is also chairman of the orthopedics departments at both University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.

Entering his 10th season with the Browns, he has helped transform sports medicine, not just in the NFL but in youth sports.

The Browns, in partnership with UH, now takes a proactive and preventative approach instead of a reactive approach to injuries. The two organizations have used what they’ve learned treating Browns players and applied the knowledge to athletic training and recovery regimens at more than 70 Greater Cleveland high schools, five colleges and several youth organizations.

That effort culminated in June with the grand opening of the Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute at UH’s Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood. It’s a 70,000-square-foot fieldhouse where

SOPHIE SAND KANNBERG

hen an NFL player is hurt, fans might see the injury as just a reduced chance of their team winning.

Dr. James Voos sees more than that.

The Cleveland Browns’ head physician has bonded with the players.

“You know what their stressors are in their personal lives and what injuries they are working through,” Voos says. “You know the years of work they’ve put in and how much it takes for them to be out there playing at such a high level. It ties you to the athlete and the team and you really want to help them.

“So when an injury does occur, it’s impactful, because you know how hard they worked and now they have this moment where they just can’t play.”

Voos has earned a special award of league-wide recognition for groundbreaking research that could reshape how athletes

COURTESY CLEVELAND BROWNS

He is incredibly gifted as a physician and incredibly gifted at leadership and entrepreneurship and innovation — things you don’t normally expect out of a physician.” – Dee Haslam, Browns co-owner young, amateur athletes are rehabilitated if they’re injured and taught how to avoid injuries if they’re healthy.

The center was Voos’ dream.

“Doctors have certain skills, but he has the full package,” Dee Haslam, Browns co-owner, says of Voos. “He is incredibly gifted as a physician and incredibly gifted at leadership and entrepreneurship and innovation — things you don’t normally expect out of a physician.”

Before coming to Cleveland in 2014, Voos trained at The Hospital for Special Surgery, a top-ranked orthopedic hospital in New York City. There, he helped treat

New York Giants players. Then he became assistant team physician for the Kansas City Chiefs for four years.

The Browns hired Voos just as the team named UH its official health care partner.

“When we entered the partnership with UH, the mission was to find the best orthopedic department and physicians group we could with the best and brightest young minds in the business,” Haslam says. “Dr. Voos’ name came up fairly quickly.”

As a member of the NFL’s Musculoskeletal Committee, Voos helped introduce wearable technology, sensors that show a player’s speed, explosiveness and change of

direction, comparing these factors during physical rehab to their normal workload.

“If we see a spike in the readings, we know they may be at risk of injury,” Voos says. “Or if they’re coming back from an injury, we can see if they’re hitting their top speed.”

Other developments Voos has been involved with over the last 10 years include less invasive surgeries, use of stem cells to harness the body’s restorative functions, the NFL’s concussion protocol and new helmets designed to prevent concussions.

Meanwhile, UH, in partnership with the Browns, provides athletic trainers to local schools and handles their health and safety programs. At the Drusinsky center, injured youth athletes benefit from rehab techniques.

“The goal is to change how we do rehabilitation, with less sitting on the table doing old-fashioned physical therapy and being more active, and rehabilitating by practicing your sport,” Voos says.

clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 17

UPFRONT

COMMUNIT Y // BY TERRY TROY

Developing Homes and Neighborhoods Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity has launched a 400 Home Initiative.

The groundbreaking ceremony on Crestwood Avenue attracted dignitaries and government officials from across our area.

18 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

The event attracted executives, dignitaries and government officials from across our area. It also included a brief presentation by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

“I am proud of the work we are doing to create housing stability for those in Cleveland who have the greatest need and the best opportunity to achieve independence and

security,” said Mayor Bibb. “And we are deeply grateful to Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity and the Cuyahoga Land Bank for leading this important initiative.”

Greater Cleveland Habitat President and CEO John Litten noted that in addition to creating stability and wealth for current and future generations, these sustained

Through numerous partnerships and meaningful efforts from many groups and individuals, we are bringing needed hope and deserved happiness into the community.” – John Litten, president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity

COURTESY GRE ATER CLE VEL AND HABITAT FOR HUMANIT Y

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restwood Avenue in Cleveland was the site of the groundbreaking ceremony for the launch of the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity’s 400 Home Initiative.

With a timeline that runs from 2023 to 2027, the $33 million project aims to build 100 new homes, rehabilitate 50 existing homes and repair or enhance 250 additional homes in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties. The initiative’s mission is to generate housing stability and wealth creation for our area’s underserved populations and is being done in partnership with the Cuyahoga Land Bank.

Pastor Ernest Fields of the Calvary Hill Church of God in Christ addressed the crowd.

investments have a measurable impact on creating a safer community.

“We could not be more excited to break ground on the 400 Home Initiative,” said Litten. “Through numerous partnerships and meaningful efforts from many groups and individuals, we are bringing needed hope and deserved happiness into the community.”

Over the course of the next three years, Greater Cleveland Habitat will be working in Wards 2 (Mount Pleasant), 4 (BuckeyeWoodhill), 8 (Collinwood), 11 (West Boulevard) and 15 (Detroit-Shoreway) to build, rehabilitate and repair homes. New homes will be sold at appraised value with a 0% interest mortgage.

Earlier in the summer, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity hosted its 2023 Walk/ Run/Mosey 5K and 1-Mile Walk fundraiser at Edgewater Park to support its mission to expand affordable home ownership in Cleveland’s Buckeye neighborhood.

Founded in 1987, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity helps low-income hard-working families build a sense of

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb gave a presentation.

Jasmine Butler of Congresswoman Shontel Brown’s office was also on hand.

Bob Whitney, (l-r) neighborhood planning manager from Habitat, visits with State Representative Sean P. Brennan.

stability, strength and self-reliance. The nonprofit believes in a world where everyone has a decent place to live. In adherence to this vision, more than 2,000 people have benefited from partnerships with Cleveland Habitat, including more than 1,200 children.

In addition to its mission of home ownership, Greater Cleveland Habitat for

Humanity is involved in numerous neighborhood revitalization and beautification efforts.

Whether you are an individual, an organization or business, Habitat offers numerous volunteer opportunities. Its ReStore home improvement stores and donation centers sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, building materials and more. clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 19

UPFRONT

EDUCATION A SSISTANCE // BY JILL SELL

Offering Options Tri-C program helps displaced Ukrainians.

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My last lesson at Tri-C was happy and sad.

I brought balloons and a cake and thanked my teacher because I saw how much energy he put into every class and because I learned so much.”

– Oksana Nevedrova

Diploma Program. Aspire offers services for people who want to improve their basic math, reading and writing skills to be successful in post-secondary education, training and employment.

According to Will Canaday, Tri-C’s special projects coordinator, Ohio Options for Adults, Ohio Options is the largest noncredit program at the college. It is also the largest Aspire and Adult Diploma Program in the state. Of Tri-C’s 2,027 Ohio Options students, about 1,100 are English as Second Language (ESL) students, and 450 are Ukrainians.

“Approximately 90% of our Ukrainian students have some sort of professional degree,” says Canaday. “Aspire guidelines, one to six, provide levels of English language understanding, with six meaning you should be going to college. Our average Ukrainian student begins at level two, about a third-grade level.”

Canaday says he is impressed with the work ethic of Ukrainian students who are primarily seeking high school diplomas and workforce certifications. Many of these students live in Cleveland Heights, Euclid or Parma. Access to this education is available in more than 30 Tri-C partner classrooms, including those in libraries, schools, medical facilities, city government buildings and neighborhood organizations, as well as Tri-C’s three campuses. Students also have access to Tri-C’s services and amenities, including its physical fitness centers, food pantry and tutoring programs.

“My last lesson at Tri-C was happy and sad. I brought balloons and a cake and thanked my teacher because I saw how much energy he put into every class.

I learned so much,” says Nevedrova. “But I also want to learn to speak and discuss other things, not just about work. I will because now I know I can.”

About 90% of our Ukrainian students have some sort of professional degree and about 20% are lawyers or doctors.”

– Will Canaday

COURTESY CUYAHOG A COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE

k ra i n ia n nat ive Oksa na Nevedrova first visited the United States in 2015 on the invitation of a friend. Nevedrova was depressed after a divorce, and she felt a vacation away from her business consulting job and a totally new environment would be beneficial.

After that year, she returned to visit Sarasota, Florida, where her sister and mother live. Eventually Nevedrova made her way to Ohio. She followed a new boyfriend, a Ukrainian man who had actually lived in her apartment building in Ukraine, and with whom she reunited in the United States.

“I fell in love with Ohio. It is similar to Ukraine. It has four seasons, trees, and in some places even smells like my home country,” says Nevedrova, who had plans to return to Ukraine until its war with Russia began.

Up until that time, she admits to not having a lot of incentive to learn fluent English.

But that changed quickly, and Nevedrova enrolled in the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) Ohio Options for Adults program. She calls her instructor “the best ever,” encouraging her to ask questions, a practice she said is uncommon in Ukrainian education. She now has a job at a large Ohio auto dealership, handling title transfers.

“I want to live all my life in America, but I dream someday I can go back and visit my home country,” she says.

Nevedrova is just one of many Ukrainian natives who is taking advantage of Ohio Options for Adults, which includes a variety of free adult programs developed by the state’s Aspire program and Tri-C’s Adult

COMMUNIT Y // BY LEE F ISHER

A Tale of Two Futures 164 years ago, Charles Dickens, in A Tale of Two Cities, wrote these words: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

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Too many are playing a zero sum game where the one who yells the dumbest thing in the loudest voice wins. As Tom Friedman has noted, we have too many elected officials who are at war with math, science, economics and common sense. Every day, Washington proves the old adage that the difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.

Years ago, I moderated a panel at the Clinton Global Initiative, and the President of Iceland, Olafur Grimson, said something that really struck a nerve with me. He said: “The problem with you Americans is that you spend too much time waiting for Washington.”

Olafur Grimson was right — Washington > foolishness is not the place to and darkness change the world today. Tip O’Neil > top-down famously said, “All dysfunction politics is local.” > self-congratulatory I’ve come to believe status quo that “All change > antagonists is local.” fighting old wars

A tale of two futures: > wisdom, light and hope > bottom-up change > creative reinvention and disruption > protagonists and disrupters exploring new frontiers

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hose words could just as easily have been written today about the critical crossroads where America stands today. Today, there is tale of two futures. > One of foolishness and darkness; the other of wisdom, light and hope. > One of top-down dysfunction; the other of bottom-up change. > One of self-congratulatory status quo; the other of creative reinvention and disruption. > One of antagonists fighting old wars; the other of protagonists and disrupters exploring new frontiers.

First, the foolishness and darkness.

Today, if you’re not angry about what’s going on in Washington, D.C., you’re not paying attention. Our federal government has never been more dysfunctional.

Too many of our elected leaders have driven into politically partisan cul de sacs and have become trapped in their own rigid ideologies with no apparent way out.

Ideological purity trumps compromise and problem solving. Our federal government is going from one self-inflicted manufactured crisis to another — with no end in sight.

The change in the world will come and is coming from change by us. It’s in our own backyards. On the ground. Most of all, in our cities and regions — where rubber meets the road and risk meets results. Cities and regions are the new ground game.

We are in the throes of a sweeping demographic shift from countryside to cities, and from drivable suburbanism to walkable urbanism. More than half of the population is huddled in cities. Cities make up only 2% of the earth’s crust, and 243 million Americans live on the 3% of our land that is urban.

Almost 60% of the world’s population lives in cities. This trend is expected to continue, with the urban population more than doubling its current size by 2050, at which point nearly seven of 10 people will live in cities.

And a diverse new mobile generation — the young and the restless — is moving twice as fast as all other age groups

into close-in urban neighborhoods. The number of college-educated young and the restless has increased two to three times faster in cities than in the overall surrounding regions.

What does that mean? It means that more and more people, especially the young and the restless and the retiring and the restless, are driving less and want walkable urbanism where they don’t have to spend an average of 13 hours a year a stuck in traffic.

While there is no doubt that the rapid move to remote and hybrid work is here to stay, geography still matters.

In innovation, a company’s success depends on more than just the quality of its workers — it depends on the critical mass of the entire knowledge ecosystem that surrounds it. The magic is in the mix and creating constantly connected places. Constant collisions of people and ideas. It’s not just about industry clusters — it’s about people and idea clusters.

We are hard-wired to connect and collaborate, not just online but in person. While workplace flexibility is very important, the more face-to-face connection and collaboration, the more innovation and productivity.

Those cities that are reinventing themselves are embracing their failures as lessons learned and are celebrating and investing in their distinctive assets. No more putting themselves down or feeling sorry for themselves. These cities understand that failures and successes are not moments — they are trajectories. Our attitude will determine Cleveland’s and our region’s altitude.

To succeed, Believeland must be more than a slogan. It must be who we are. The future belongs to those cities and regions who can frame their opportunities and challenges, act in ways that demonstrate measurable progress, and connect and collaborate with the smartest people and the smartest ideas in the most places and in the most ways.

In my coming columns, I intend to highlight the innovative work of mayors like Justin Bibb and county executives like Chris Ronayne.

I’ve never been more pessimistic about the ability of making change from the top down; and I’ve never been more optimistic about the power of making change from the bottom up.

Lee Fisher is Dean and Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law at Cleveland State University College of Law. He is the former Ohio Attorney General, Lt. Governor, Director of the Ohio Department of Development, Chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission, State Representative, State Senator, Chair of the Cuyahoga County Legislative Delegation, President/CEO of the Center for Families and Children, and President/ CEO of CEOs for Cities. In November 2022, Dean Fisher was inducted in the Cleveland Magazine Business Hall of Fame.

Give to the

ZooFund At the Cleveland Zoo Society, we are resourceful, dedicated, and forever passionate about what we do. The value of supporting the Cleveland Zoological Society is immeasurable. Every donation helps create a better Zoo for our community. Please help us reach our goals by donating to the ZooFund today.

ClevelandZooSociety.org/Donate

SCAN WITH YOUR SMART PHONE TO GIVE TODAY!

clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 23

COMMUNITY Mission Impossible?

Nonprofits’ needs today go well beyond the numbers.

By Terry Troy

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24 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

goods and services to the people and communities that rely upon them.

Some challenges are related to internal issues such as governance, staffing and financial accountability. Others face challenges from issues like fundraising and operations. Most of the issues are caused by forces that are beyond their control.

Now, more than ever, nonprofits need our help. So, we asked professional organizations serving and tracking the industry as well as local nonprofits

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hey represent the very best of America, providing a way to work together for a common good. They transform shared beliefs and bring hope into action making a profound impact on communities and our society.

America is home to more than 1.3 million charitable nonprofits that heal, inspire, nurture and enlighten people of every age, gender and race. Yet today they are facing very real challenges when it comes to the continued delivery of the

to help us identify the challenges facing their organizations.

In general, the challenges facing nonprofits today include: an increased demand for services; declining revenues; an increase in the cost of services; a decline in personnel; and staffing and succession planning — the latter two being issues that are essentially tied at the hip.

“But those issues are really just the tip of the iceberg,” says Rick Cohen, chief communications officer of the National Council of Nonprofits.

“Each one of those RICK COHEN issues has a subcomponent to it.

“Take revenue, for instance. Most people don’t realize that government grants and contracts make up about a third of the nonprofit sector’s revenue. But a lot of people focus on donations. However, donations from individuals and foundation grants only make up a little less than 11% of the nonprofit sector’s revenue.

“Government contracts often are set and locked in at the same rate year after year. Despite the fact that delivering the cost of services and goods goes up and up, the contract stays the same year after year. That is just one of the

COMMUNITY

“What it really comes down to today is the push and pull that many nonprofits are feeling. They are really getting it from both sides; one is a decrease in funds, the other is the increasing cost of the services or goods they provide. Add in the fact the that nonprofits are trying to attract people and stay competitive with wages — it really is something of a Catch 22.”

— HELEN WEEBER sub-wrinkles of the high-level issues that nonprofits are facing.”

That national trend is being seen here in Northeast Ohio as well.

“We happen to have an incredible nonprofit sector here in Northeast Ohio,” says Julie Clark, vice president of Nonprofit Engagement at Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU), a Northeast Ohio-based organization focused on building partnerships between businesses and nonprofits that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. BVU works with between 700 and 800 nonprofits every year, according to Clark.

“Northeast Ohio is a community that is very generous and supportive of nonprofits and the sector is very large,” she adds.

“But is it healthy? That’s a little harder to say. It really is another question.”

It’s a long-held axiom that the term “nonprofit” is a tax status, not a business model. Despite the most altruistic intentions of a founder, or founding board, nonprofits have to be run like a business — a healthy balance sheet is essential — otherwise the organization dies on the vine.

“I would agree that a healthy balance sheet for a nonprofit is absolutely essential,” says Helen Weeber, senior

manager, director of HW&Co.’s Nonprofit Advisors Group. HW&Co. is a CPA and accounting firm headquartered in Cleveland with numerous clients in the nonprofit sector. “Nonprofits have to be run like a business so they can perform their mission.

“What it really comes down to today is the push and pull that many nonprofits are feeling. They are really getting it from both sides; one is a decrease in funds, the other is the increasing cost of the services or goods they provide. Add in the fact the that nonprofits are trying to attract people and stay competitive with wages — it really is something of a Catch 22.”

Part of the problem, at least according to some professionals serving the sector, is that nonprofits are often led by people who are passionate about their cause or mission, but who often lack business acumen or the desire to even run a business.

“I work with a lot of nonprofit executive directors,” says Danielle Locke, founder of Locke Step Partners and a seasoned nonprofit executive who provides fundraising advice and coaching. “There’s an expectation that foundations and nonprofits can do all things. In most cases, they are led by social workers, musicians

Northeast Ohio is a community that is very generous and supportive of nonprofits and the sector is very large. But is it healthy? That’s a little harder to say. It really is another question.”

— JULIE CLARK

or artists who have a passion about a cause. But when they start a nonprofit or come into one, they have to run staffing and facilities, write grants and grant reports, DANIELLE LOCKE plan events and do donor cultivation — the list goes on and on.

“My heart really goes out to them.

They often live and breathe the mission of their organization, whether they founded it or not. And they are usually experts in that mission. But they often struggle with the funding to provide for the staff or services and equipment and materials they need to fulfill that mission.”

Locally, Community Leader in partnership with HW&Co., asked nonprofits to identify their main sources of income. Forty-seven percent of respondents identified earned income, while 33% of income came from grants whether that was through government entities or foundations. A little over 6% came from corporate sponsorships, while another 13% was split between membership dues from membership dues.

“As a nonprofit, funding is always a need, but one of the biggest problems I see is one of staffing,” says Brandon Miller, CEO of HW&Co. “You can always say you need more people to donate and you need relationships with people in grant agencies to give money, but if you don’t have the staff and can’t show that you are providing the mission, clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 25

As a nonprofit, funding is always a need, but one of the biggest problems I see is one of staffing. You can always say you need more people to donate and you need relationships with people in grant agencies to give money, but if you don’t have the staff and can’t show that you are providing the mission, you can’t get people or grant agencies to give you money.” — BRANDON MILLER you can’t get people or grant agencies to give you money.”

As a part of its company’s culture and DNA, HW&Co., promotes and encourages participation in nonprofits by all its key executives, giving the company valuable insight into that sector’s needs.

“Staffing is a big difficulty right now because there is simply a shortage of people,” adds Miller. “If you look at the supply and demand model, the request for higher salaries is off the charts. So right now, nonprofits are putting together break-even budgets or just trying to get a minor surplus because they can’t afford to pay these people. Professionals want more money, so nonprofits are losing out to the private sector. A lot of nonprofits are also competing with government agencies for staffing, and the government can offer wages that a lot of nonprofits simply can’t.”

When Community Leader asked nonprofits in the Greater Cleveland area about the issues of recruiting and retaining employees, 33% cited the ability to offer competitive wages as the most important challenge. Another 20% said they had trouble finding qualified candidates, while 40% said both issues were a big challenge. Only 7% of nonprofits in our area said they were not struggling with recruitment and retention.

“The big problem comes with an organization that loses somebody,” says Weeber. “Finding a replacement is rough, so keeping the people you have becomes that much more important. But you also have to make the pay and benefits attractive enough to entice new hires.”

Replacing people in an organization really ties together staffing and 26 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

succession planning. Together the two issues combine to create a negative synergistic impact on an organization “There is a certain psychology to succession planning, especially in the context of replacing a founding director,” says Weeber. “That’s really true when you have a founder or director who is approaching retirement but who might not want to give up leadership. And many times, these leaders have special knowledge and relationships that are of great importance to the organization.”

According to most professionals serving the industry, succession planning should not be an issue involving just nonprofit leadership, but all key people in an organization. So, succession planning and staffing really become a function of strategic planning for the entire organization.

“While you always want to be thinking about the future leadership of an organization, you also need to be thinking about the vulnerabilities and risks within the organization and its operations,” says Clark. “That might mean something like marketing, technology, data or social media. Anywhere there is not anyone else in the organization that has the skills and expertise to step right in, that could be a vulnerability for the organization if they decide to leave.”

“None of us can predict the future.

None of us can predict someone getting hit by a bus tomorrow morning,” adds Cohen. “You don’t want to be in a position where nobody knows where the toner cartridges are, or in a larger example, knowing about the banking information or who the contacts are at the government agencies you are contracted with, the QuickBooks information or invoicing. You don’t

want to be incurring penalties because the bills are not being paid on time.”

All of which brings up the very important issue of emergency succession planning.

“In addition to planned departures where somebody is thinking about retiring or stepping back in five years, you also need to be thinking about what to do if someone is going to be out of pocket for 30, 60 or 90 days,” says Clark. “You need to know how to move forward if there is a departure without notice, how to keep the organization moving forward.”

In the months ahead, you’ll be reading more about the challenges facing the nonprofit sector from HW&Co. and Community Leader, including board governance, working with government contracts, audits and providing tax forms such as Form 990.

“I work with many of our clients on filing Form 990,” says David Reape, principal and director of Tax Services at HW&Co. “It’s basicalDAVID REAPE ly just a form you have to file with the IRS, but for that reason alone you have to make sure all the information on it is very accurate.

“But it is an outward facing, public document. So many donors and government agencies are able to see it. That’s why you not only want to make sure it is accurate, but also tell a great story about your organization and what it does.”

HW&CO. has announced that it will be offering webinars on some of those nonprofit topics in the near future as well.

COMMUNITY

Bringing Smaller Donations to

“BEAR”

Individual memberships support the zoological society’s work. By Jill Sell

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f bears were into slang, they would say Susie’s Bear Hollow, the new interconnected habitat for Andean bears and sloth bears at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, was downright “bad.” Which means better than good.

At 18,000-square-feet, the habitat is three times bigger than the bears’ former space and includes an equally “bad” treehouse with glass viewing. The $8.5 million project opened in September, supported in part by $3.5 million from the Cleveland Zoological Society, the zoo’s nonprofit and advocate partner.

“There were two families whose children helped in the donation process,” says Sarah Crupi, CEO of the nonprofit. “One reason the parents SARAH CRUPI are doing this is to teach the kids that if you have the ability to give back, you should.”

Andrea Ponikvar, director of advancement, emphasizes contributions of all amounts from donors of all ages and demographics are vital.

“It’s a pretty common misconception that philanthropy is only for people of high net worth,” says Ponikvar.

“But we have a lot of members who are young families or who are early in their careers. They might not even realize that their membership in the Cleveland Zoological Society is actually a donation to support the work the zoo does.”

The opportunity to vote online for the names of baby animals born at the zoo is reserved for those who make a financial contribution. But that money is also considered a donation.

Crupi points out that between memberships and other donations, the Zoo Society raises $7 to $10 million a year, and that 75% of that money comes from individuals, not large corporate sponsorships. Over forty thousand households hold annual memberships.

Since 2000, the Zoo Society has provided more than $40 million earmarked for capital improvement projects.

“Big donations are wonderful. But we always need the bread and butter, the gifts to help us while we are out there fundraising for those big projects,” says Ponikvar, who, along with her husband, are monthly donors. “Giving one lump sum can be tough on a budget. But this way it’s consistent and predictable. We don’t really miss the money, and we don’t forget to do it.”

Ponikvar suggests two popular ways to contribute: Support a Species welcomes all donation amounts, and the opportunity allows everyone to bolster the health and well-being of the zoo’s animals. For certain gift levels, donors receive a plush animal and/or an exclusive pin of featured species.

“Making even a small gift can have a huge impact. They add up fast,” says Ponikvar, who says the current featured animal is the Sloth bear.

The Pride, a group made up of donors who give $1,000 and up, supports

annual unrestricted funding to the zoo.

Donors’ dollars focus on animal care, the introduction of inquiry-based science, educating guests on the role of local animals and advising and supporting zoo partners who protect the most at-risk animals. Also, 10% of each zoo membership is earmarked for the support of wildlife conservation around the world.

“A lot of our donors have a huge affinity for the zoo. Some came here as kids and are now bringing their grandchildren,” says Crupi, adding that the zoo attracts 1.3 million visitors a year.

“Others became inspired to go into science because they came here.”

And really, some donors just like elephants, hippos, gorillas, tigers and bears.

“It’s important for nonprofits to connect with people of all ages, because it builds a better society,” says Crupi.

“And we want to cultivate those donors for the next 10 or 20 years. We appreciate the person who gives us $100 as much as $1,000.”

I t’s a pretty common misconception that philanthropy is only for people of high net worth. But we have a lot of members who are young families or who are early in their careers. They might not even realize that their membership in the Cleveland Zoological Society is actually a donation to support the work the zoo does.”

— ANDREA PONIKVAR clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 27

Planning for

often extend good health and quality of life. She recognizes that people would rather not think about aging and needing help, but the more one can plan for the future, the better.

“Plan while you are fully able to make the choices that you want so they are not made for you,” she says. “We plan Denying the future is never a good strategy. By Joanne Cahill for college, for vacations, for so many things. Too often, I see adult children wondering, ‘What do mom or dad really want?’”

She also spends a lot of time in the community educating adult children who may need help with a parent or grandparent and offers things to consider when selecting senior living.

“It’s important to build a relationship with any organization that you are exploring and connect so you can make an educated decision,” she says.

O’Brien suggests asking about things like staff retention and turnover. Look beyond the landscaped grounds and see if residents seem happy. Observe how they interact with staff and one another. Also, review financial criteria. Some hen it comes to planning O’Brien explains that McGregor is a places are able to accommodate resifor retirement, one thing is “life plan community,” meaning that dents if their financial resources run for sure: It’s easy to put it residents can seamlessly age in place out, while others may not, and people off for another day. Recent and not have to move if medical needs have to move again. findings from a research study by McGre- change. What’s more, McGregor is “Don’t shy away from visiting these gor Senior Living underscore this reality. a mission-driven nonprofit provider, places and talking to people,” she adds.

“Overall, people tend to deny and which can allow more flexibility and “What you may think may not always fear aging,” explains Lee Ann O’Brien, personalization than some corporate match the reality.” chief marketing officer for McGregor. outfits. In fact, nonprofit senior living On its website, McGregor provides a She helps educate seniors and their fam- earned the most favorable ratings in comprehensive checklist of things to conilies about planning for the future and their recent focus group research. sider when visiting a senior residence and selecting the right senior living options.

Today, the average stay in assisted liv- builds on a 145-year mission of helping Located on a 45-acre estate overlook- ing is about 18 months and, as life ex- people age while living life to the fullest. ing downtown Cleveland, McGregor pectancy increases, people are wait“Use us as an ally. We can help you aims to help older adults live their best ing longer to move. Yet, O’Brien points plan to cover the things that you did lives and build a lifestyle that suits their out that starting the process earlier can not think about or questions you should individual needs. To that end, it offers ask,” adds O’Brien. a continuum of services from indepen“Secure a place in a Plan while you are fully dent and assisted living to skilled nursing community that brings care. It also has a rehabilitation facilitogether lifelong care able to make the choices ty, a hospice program and a communithat you want so they are that has planned for ty-based homecare program known as your senior living not made for you.”

PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for needs. McGregor has the Elderly.) McGregor is the only PACE a long legacy of doing — LEE ANN O’BRIEN partner in the state of Ohio. just that!”

RETIREMENT

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COURTESY MCGREGOR SENIOR LIVING

28 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

ERC congratulates

BOB KLONK & all the 2023 Business Hall of Fame Inductees

Robert J. Klonk Chairman & CEO Oswald Companies & Unison Risk Advisors

Thank you for your commitment to advancing the Northeast Ohio region through community service & leadership.

yourERC.com | NorthCoast99.org | ERChealth.com

Pregnant with Possibilities This local nonprofit resource center helps Black women in need. By Rhonda Crowder

Pregnant with Possibilities celebrated the grand opening of its new location in Maple Heights in January 2023.

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30 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

and techniques that equip women to overcome barriers. The free and confidential programs and services are research-based and reflect best practices.

“I always say, I was born on purpose, for a purpose, for this purpose,” says Veranda Rodgers, founder and executive director. Rodgers explains that she’s a “rainbow baby,” one born after an ectopic pregnancy. Her mom had two before her birth and was told she would never have children.

“Essentially, my life started from my mom’s journey of trying to have a child,” Rodgers continues. “That kind of shaped my foundation for who I am.”

Additionally, Rodgers became pregnant at the age of 16.

“Although it wasn’t the ideal plan and vision for my parents’ life, it has [also] shaped who I am as a leader, person and mom. I know that life doesn’t stop after childbirth, because I’m a first-generation college graduate.”

Originally from Niles, Rodgers finished high school on time in 2005 and immediately moved to Cleveland to attend college. She graduated from Cleveland State University, took a gap year, then went on to earn a master’s of business administration.

The day her son was born, she knew she had to be an example for him. She wanted her life to model triumph as opposed to tragedy.

According to Rodgers, statistics show that three out of nine young women will have a baby by their 20th birthday. Youth between the ages of 15 and 24 account for almost half of sexually transmitted infections.

“There’s so many consequences that go along with risky sexual behavior that I wasn’t aware of. I was in love,” says Rodgers, who is grateful that the man she fell in love with at age 15 is now her husband. “But that’s not everybody’s reality either.”

COURTESY PREGNANT WITH POSSIBILITIES RESOURCE CENTER

lack babies born in Cuyahoga County are four times more likely to die before their first birthday than white ones. In 2019, nearly 60 Black women in Ohio died per 100,000 live births, far more than any other ethnic group.

Women of all ages and races need somewhere to turn for support once they discover they are pregnant. But with the current state of Black maternal health and the rate of infant mortality among African Americans in the greater Cleveland area, the need is all that much more important. Over the last eight years, Pregnant with Possibilities has become a reliable resource for help.

Incorporated as a nonprofit in 2015, Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center provides culturally competent sexual health education for youth in grades 6 through 12, perinatal support for expecting moms, and tools

COMMUNITY They currently have a 19- and a 9-year-old. The oldest son is in his second semester, studying mechanical engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Her youngest is in fourth grade.

In 2016, Rodgers left her government day job as a financial analyst to advance Pregnant with Possibilities. The idea came to her some years prior while working in academia and taking some courses on emotional intelligence.

That’s when an instructor asked her, “If you could do anything and never make a dollar, what would you do?”

At that moment, Rodgers realized she had a heart and passion for serving families who were once in her situation.

“There were a lot of women in my family who had children, and life stopped,” she continues. She was even told she would be like them when she became pregnant.

“I fuel my life off of people telling me no,” Rodgers adds. “If you tell me no, I’m going to show you what I can do and actually accomplish it.”

Today, Pregnant with Possibilities has a facility in Maple Heights, a full-time staff of seven, including Rodgers, and a four-member board of trustees.

The Resource Center’s MOM (Making Opportunities Matter) program is hybrid and group-based. Participants meet with a certified trauma-informed facilitator virtually or in person for 13 weeks. The curriculum includes parenting lactation, nutrition, goal setting and financial literacy. They offer pre-and post-natal yoga as well.

The expecting mothers are also partnered with a care coordinator

“I fuel my life off of people telling me no. If you tell me no, I’m going to show you what I can do and actually accomplish it.”

— VERANDA RODGERS — a Pregnant with Possibilities community health worker or social worker who helps that family address any barriers they face. Participants are also paired with a peer support person within their cohort.

The Resource Center’s After Party Program is an extension of its MOM Program. Here, MOM Program alums who have completed 70% of their curriculum receive additional support.

They meet bimonthly in person until the baby turns two years old.

Pregnant with Possibilities also conducts free monthly workshops and classes about everything it does for the community. The nonprofit has girl talk nights, Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities and activations during Black Breastfeeding Week. It also has a pantry; diapers, wipes and formula are distributed every other month (typically on the second Thursday). It’s open to Pregnant with Possibilities participants who have earned the required points.

There are up to 100 slots, and people can request one on its website on a first come/first served basis. In addition, every other month, the organization hosts a diaper drive, which is open to anyone in the community.

Last year, Pregnant with Possibilities served 200 women in the perinatal

The Pregnant with Possibilities Mommy and Me Ball is an opportunity to celebrate motherhood.

program, and it is on target to serve 250 this year. It also served 68 youth in the sexual education program, while 455 families received essential baby care items from the pantry.

The “Mommy and Me Ball,” held in September, is the organization’s annual fundraiser to celebrate its work and a mom from the community doing an excellent job. This year’s “Mom on the Move Award” recipient is journalist Courtney Gousman. Clients who have completed 75% of course work receive tickets to attend the event along with one child.

“It does us a disservice if we speak on their behalf and not let our clients talk about themselves,” says Rodgers.

Tiffany James, a MOM program alumni and single mom, birthed her first son 12 years ago. She recently married and soon after became pregnant at age 42.

“Everything is new,” says James, who says Pregnant with Possibilities talks about things she didn’t think about, including finances.

“As a single mom, I wish I would’ve received the information I got as a married woman this time,” she adds.

In the MOMS program, James says they also discussed goal setting, the difference between self-care and self-love, and preparing yourself for your baby.

“A lot of things dealt with you as a woman and you as the mom,” says James.

“A lot of programs focus on you as the mom, but this program is holistic.”

When asked what’s next, Rodgers says, “My goal is that my legacy will outlive who I am and the work that I’ve done.”

The next step is to create transitional housing for women and children. Addressing mental health is another target, she says. clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 31

A PASSION FOR

STEM and Fitness

Ursuline College’s Dean celebrates her first anniversary at the helm. By Joanne Cahill

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32 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

In addition, many Ursuline students come to the campus after earning associate degrees or credits at community colleges. She did, too. Snyder’s path began at a community college close to her home in Miami, Florida. She later enrolled at Florida International University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology teacher education and went on to further advanced education from there.

With an enrollment of more than 1,000 students, Ursuline prides itself on providing flexibility for students who have multiple responsibilities outside of the classroom, like jobs or families. In July 2020, Forbes Magazine reported on a study by the American Enterprise Institute that named Ursuline College No. 1 in the nation out of 1,100 colleges for student upward mobility.

“Our beautiful campus is situated in Pepper Pike, and we’re very affordable,” says Snyder. “It’s a great place to be part

of a community and build relationships with faculty and fellow students. You get to know everyone and are not lost in the crowd. We are small but have a tremendous number of programs. In my school alone there are 26 majors and degrees.”

Ursuline is well known for the programs within its Breen School of Nursing and Health Professions. It boasts a 100% employment rate post licensure, and a first-time passage rate on the national nurse licensing exam of over 90%.

Its graduate nursing program is ranked fourth in Ohio, and it recently added a nurse anesthesia track to its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.

“But we are much more than a nursing school,” Snyder emphasizes.

Not surprisingly, she projects that STEM studies will be the major growth area for the school. The biology-loving educator sees opportunities for teaching science everywhere, and Ursuline’s 60-acre campus is the living laboratory for her work.

COURTESY URSULINE COLLEGE

s Jenise M. Snyder, PhD, wraps up her first year as dean of Arts, Sciences and Professional Studies at Ursuline College, she reflects on her career pathway as a womMARYAM KIEFER an in science and on her goals to advance the STEM curriculum that she loves.

A professor of biology for Ursuline College since 2010, and former chair of the biology department, Jenise Snyder is known for her innovative approaches to learning inside and outside the classroom.

And with her unique life experience and passion for science, she’s a perfect fit for the job.

Like many Ursuline students, Snyder is a first-generation college graduate.

What’s more, she’s an accomplished athlete, and a sizable cohort of Ursuline students compete in one of the college’s 11 NCAA Division II sports as the Arrows.

Snyder, a triathlete, shares this love of sports and fits in time for running, biking or swimming about six days per week.

COMMUNITY

Having powerful, intelligent women role models gave me the confidence.

I could see who and what I could be through them.”

— JENISE M. SNYDER, PHD “Science is all around us,” she adds.

This became apparent after a tornado struck the college in July 2013.

The usually tranquil campus suffered great damage to its diverse landscape, which includes a stream and a reservoir, along with forest, wetlands and meadows. In addition, three buildings were damaged, but fortunately no one was injured. Snyder used the tragedy as a biology lesson that she and her students still study today.

“Nature builds back stronger,” she says. “As an ecologist, we study what happens after a natural disturbance and how nature renews itself. Hundreds of baby beech trees and shrubs are growing in place of trees that were at the end of their lifespan. The tornado was a blessing in disguise.”

Snyder’s passion for STEM goes back to her undergraduate days, where one of her first biology professors was a woman. She shares that she was fortunate to have several strong women mentors throughout her education, and she hopes to bring the benefit of that experience to her students.

“My first field courses were taught by women who delighted in mucking through wetlands collecting plants, soil and water — I found my place and my people,” she says.

She continued to be inspired by female advisors during her master’s program in biology at Florida International University and her PhD in ecology from the University of California.

“Having powerful, intelligent women role models gave me the confidence,” she says. “I could see who and what I could be through them.”

To that end, she is working on two grant-related projects that advance career readiness. The Cleveland Foundation’s Fenn Educational Fund is supporting efforts by the college to increase internship opportunities for students in arts, sciences and professional studies. And the state-sponsored Choose Ohio First program awards scholarships to Ohio college students majoring in STEM subjects.

In addition to her passion for STEM, Snyder has taken on leadership roles in other areas of the college, including

the school’s redesigned online MBA program, which started this year. The program is one of a dozen undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs Ursuline offers online or hybrid.

“Our MBA offers leadership development and a curriculum for people to elevate their skills in the workplace and improve their career trajectory,” she says.

In her spare time, Snyder blends her love of nature with her passion for fitness.

As a member of the Cleveland Triathlon Club, she can be found swimming in Lake Erie two to three times a week from May through early October.

“I love being outdoors, and Northeast Ohio is a great place to train and study,” she says. “I’ve been on almost every trail in the Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.”

The 47-year-old says she does about six to eight races per year in Ohio and in her hometown in south Florida.

“Health and wellness are so important. I hope I’m a role model to my students,” she adds.

Over the years, Snyder has prioritized mentoring her students and reminds them that her career path to her role as dean has taken many twists and turns.

She advises students to keep an open mind about the future.

“I’m a scientist, my first degree was in education, but I paid for my degree working in finance,” she says. “Enjoy the journey. Follow your heart. It may not be a linear path, and that’s okay.”

clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 33

2023 COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR

Congratulations Kevin Clayton Thank you for leading our team and being a transformative leader in sports & entertainment!

2023

L AURA WATILO BL AKE / PHOTO OF MIKE BELKIN COURTESY OF JST YLE, MICHAEL C. BUTZ

Business Hall of Fame & Community Leaders of the Year

T

he Business Hall of Fame inductions started in 1996 as a Bicentennial project with the city of Cleveland, designed to celebrate the achievements of the men and women who helped shape our city. Since then, we have continued to celebrate the legacy of the leaders among us. These inductees have achieved career success that is impossible to overlook. Throughout their careers, they have built and supported our communities as titans of their chosen fields.

In addition, the health of our region depends as much on the leaders running our nonprofit organizations, community programs and breakthrough initiatives as it does our corporate citizens. That’s what the Community Leader of the Year Awards honor. These recipients have made a significant impact in the categories of arts, education, public service/ government, diversity and inclusion, environment, nonprofit organizations or gifting foundations.

This year, we once again honor the leaders who are making a difference one landmark decision, impactful idea or mission-based endeavor at a time.

Business Hall of Fame Inductees Jules and Myron "Mike" (posthumously) Belkin Belkin Productions

Robert J. Klonk Oswald Cos.

Community Leaders of the Year Lillian Kuri

Cleveland Foundation

Sonia Winner

Cleveland Natural History Museum

Kevin Clayton

Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Entertainment Group

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

Tania Menesse

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 35

OF

Jules and the late Myron “Mike” Belkin, who established Belkin Productions, were at the forefront of Cleveland’s rock-n-roll show heyday. | By Lynne Thompson

ules and the late Myron “Mike” Belkin almost lowered the curtain on Belkin Productions before it really began.

The brothers — young men working in their parents’ Belkin’s Men’s Shop at West 25th Street and Clark Avenue — had presented two shows by The New Christy Minstrels and The Four Freshmen at Music Hall one February 1966 night on a lark. It was undertaken based on the experience Mike had 36 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

gained booking bands into an Ashtabula ballroom for promotional events staged by the landlord of a discount store they’d opened in town. They thought they made $57. (A review of records years later revealed they actually lost $250.)

A subsequent booking of The Mamas & The Papas resulted first in drug-induced postponement, then cancellation.

“We said, ‘We’re out of the business.

We just don’t want to do this. It’s not too stable,” Jules remembers.

Then Mike received a call from a program director at WJW-AM. Respected jazz concert promoter George Wein, he relayed, was looking for a local partner to produce a festival.

“We’re thinking, with a guy like that, with that kind of reputation and success, this might be a place to take another shot,” Jules says.

The August 1966 show at the now-defunct Cleveland Arena, which featured the likes of Miles Davis and

L AURA WATILO BL AKE / PHOTO OF MIKE BELKIN COURTESY OF JST YLE, MICHAEL C. BUTZ

Top of the Charts J

2023 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

COURTESY JULES BELKIN

Sarah Vaughan, was a financial success, one that put the brothers on the road to becoming regional concert promoters who, along with rock powerhouse WMMS-FM, helped put Cleveland on the map as a tour stop for every baby band and major act in the genre. Jules attributes the company’s success to a constant quest for opportunities and sheer timing — he and Mike established Belkin Productions when popular-music acts were booked primarily by bar and club owners to play in their establishments. Bona fide promoters simply didn’t exist in most markets.

“We got into the business when it was no-rules, nothing to fashion what we were doing after,” he says. “We created the whole business from the ground up.”

By 1972, the Belkins had closed the discount store, their parents had sold the men’s store and the brothers progressed to booking a series of summer shows at the Akron Rubber Bowl. The concerts were headlined by everyone from the Osmond Brothers to Black Sabbath to the Rolling Stones, the last of which drew a sellout crowd of approximately 32,000.

“It was really, probably, the first outdoor series of concerts in the country in a confined area,” Jules says.

The following year, they brought Leon Russell to Cleveland Municipal Stadium. While seating was limited to 20,000, mostly in the bleachers, the show paved the way for the World Series of Rock by going off without incident. The first, on June 23, 1974, put the Beach Boys, future Eagle Joe Walsh and his then-band Barnstorm, Lynyrd Skynyrd and REO Speedwagon on the field stage for a full day of music that Jules estimates drew 40,000 people.

The company went on to book 14 more general-admission “games” over the next six years while presenting concerts at venues all over town.

“ Mike and Jules … always felt like the team that they had assembled was able to sell anything, was able to understand the product.”

— Barry Gabel

After a tragic incident that took place outside of the stadium of an Aerosmithheadlined World Series of Rock in 1979, Jules says, “The tenor of concerts just generally, throughout the country, became more sophisticated.”

At the same time, Mike was managing a growing roster of local, regional and national acts. The first, according to Jules, was The James Gang, perhaps as early as 1969, after Mike became friendly with the band’s drummer, Jimmy Fox. Mike’s son Michael, a president in the Great Lakes Region of Live Nation Worldwide who began working summers at Belkin Productions as a teenager, rattles off additional clients including the Sir Douglas Quintet, The Staple Singers, Mason Ruffner, Michael Stanley Band and Donnie Iris and the Cruisers.

“He loved the creative process — ultimately, that’s what drew him to managing artists,” Michael says.

Keyboardist, songwriter and producer of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, Mark Avsec, who was also a member of Wild Cherry and Breathless, remembers that during the late 1970s, Mike advanced each member of Breathless a weekly stipend so they could rehearse rather than wait tables to pay their bills. “It turned out to be a good investment for Mike because, eventually, Breathless got signed by EMI America Records,” the now-copyright, trademark and media lawyer at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff in Cleveland says. Iris adds that Mike, along with business partners Carl and Chris Maduri, formed a record label, Midwest Records, just so the then-unsigned Donnie Iris and the Cruisers could get their first album, “Back on the Streets,” into record stores and radio program directors’ hands. “[Mike] just did everything for us that he could,” Iris says. “It’s tough to explain, but when we were in his presence, the entire group just felt better.”

The strong relationships the Belkins developed with artists and their management teams by making sure crews were comfortable, hosting post-concert parties, etc., along with their expertise in presenting stadium shows, allowed them to expand into the “feudal kingdoms” of other promoters all over the

Mike and Jules in their Chagrin Falls office, 1991 clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 37

Jules, Paula Abdul and Mike during a TV promotion for her upcoming show.

was a good city, but it didn’t have any venues — it didn’t have any arenas,” Jules explains. “The biggest place they had was a 4,000-seat Veterans Memorial [Auditorium].”

The Belkins also began producing events other than concerts, such as the Moscow Circus, Motorcycles on Ice, Tough Man Boxing and the Broadway hit “La Cage aux Folles.” (They appeared in drag at a 1985 Music Hall

press conference to generate buzz.) In the early 1990s, the company received a call from then-Cleveland mayor Mike White. That conversation yielded the Great American Rib Cook-Off (the longest-running of the Belkin-produced festivals at 24 years), KidsFest, Pepsi Country Music Festival, Taste of Cleveland and Midwest BrewFest.

“Mike and Jules … always felt like the team that they had assembled was

Kuri

38 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

COURTESY JULES BELKIN

Midwest, according to longtime Belkin employee Barry Gabel, now Live Nation senior vice president of marketing and sponsorship. “We would go wherever the band would want us to go,” he says.

Jules remembers taking Pink Floyd and Genesis to stadiums in cities such as Detroit, Indianapolis and Columbus as well as Cleveland in 1987 and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) to the Palace Theater and four other venues across the country in 1999 — the first dates for a band whose performances have become a holiday tradition for many. Gabel says the company did 14 TSO shows in 2000 and 21 in 2001, in cities as far away as Portland, Oregon.

In the early 1990s they partnered with Indianapolis promoter Dave Lucas of Sunshine Promotions to build Polaris Amphitheater in Columbus. The brothers already had the Odeon, a club in Cleveland’s Flats, where Mike was presenting emerging talent. “Columbus

2023 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME able to sell anything, was able to understand the product,” Gabel observes.

Both Belkins donated their time, talents and financial resources to various nonprofits in the Cleveland arts community. They were instrumental in bringing the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, then the inductions, to the city, according to Rock Hall president and CEO Greg Harris.

“For the music businesspeople that were looking for a home for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it was incredibly meaningful that somebody they’d been doing business with for decades and was very successful was advocating for Cleveland,” he says.

Jules still serves on the Rock Hall board of trustees as well as the advisory committee of the Tri-C JazzFest and the board of directors of the Cleveland International Film Festival, an organization he once led as president.

As a trustee emeritus of the Jewish

Federation of Cleveland, he sits on the development and security committees, the latter of which he once chaired. He and wife Fran also are supporters of the fledgling BorderLight Festival.

According to Mike’s wife Annie, Mike was an avid collector of contemporary glass who gave works from his collection to various museums — he donated funds to build a wing at the Akron Museum of Art to house his gift of 80-plus pieces by artist Paul Stankard. They were longtime supporters of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, where they helped raise funds to build a new gorilla habitat.

Jules and Mike sold Belkin Productions to Clear Channel Communications in 2001. (Clear Channel Communications spun off as Live Nation in 2005.) Jules notes that a lot of independent promoters around the country were selling out, and he was thinking about retiring. “The

business was changing — it’s no longer a mom-and-pop type of industry,” Michael observes. “Big dollars, high risk.” Mike continued his involvement in special events such as the rib cook-off and maintained working relationships with Michael Stanley and Donnie Iris.

“He never wanted to retire; he viewed it as the equivalent of quitting,” Michael says of his father, who died in 2019.

Jules didn’t completely realize the importance of the company they’d built, or how much the shows they brought to town meant to the people who attended them, until he was no longer working. He always was backstage “settling shows, taking care of business.”

“Once I retired and had the opportunity to sit out in the audience and feel that vibrancy, feel that excitement, I kind of appreciated then what we were doing,” he says. “It never occurred to us that there was that kind of feeling out there.”

clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 39

OF

Vision from the Start

40 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

L AURA WATILO BL AKE

Oswald Cos. Chairman and CEO Robert J. Klonk’s successful path has included bold insights into an evolving business. | By Jill Sell

2023 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

COURTESY OSWALD COMPANIES

I

f the Business Hall of Fame had a bricks and mortar presence, one of its important artifacts would be a cocktail napkin. On that napkin were the scribbles and notes of two legendary Cleveland businessmen — Robert J. Klonk and Pat Perry — from their first meeting with each other in 1999.

“We mapped out what would ultimately become ERC Health,” says Perry, former chairman and president of ERC, a premiere consulting, training, data and human resource company.

“We both wish to this day that one of us saved that napkin.

Perry was brainstorming with insurance visionary Klonk, even then known for his innovative thinking.

“Risk management and insurance is a very matter of fact industry. It is what it is. But Bob invented new thought patterns and ways to look at employee benefits and reduce risk. Bob would talk about not only our partnership, but what the future held five or 10 years down the road for the industry. Almost 100% of what he shared about the future came true. And some of those organizations that bought into his ideas reaped tremendous financial rewards and amazing employee retention,” says Perry, now an author, keynote speaker and presenter.

In 2013, Klonk became CEO of the 131-year-old Oswald Cos., a Unison Risk Advisors Company, and was promoted to the dual role of CEO and chairman in 2020. Today the employee-owned insurance brokerage and risk management consulting firm is one of the nation’s largest and has more than 1,000 employees in five states. The company reports its revenue as more than $230 million.

Klonk joined Oswald in 1995, but it wasn’t easy for Chairman Emeritus Marc Byrnes to get Klonk, a loyal and experienced employee with another company, to initially commit.

“I had heard Bob was a tremendous benefits producer, and we met at the Cleveland Athletic Club in 1994,”

Bob Klonk and his team assemble during the CPR ribbon cutting.

“When you venture into new territory, you are going to miss a few times, and we missed a few times.

But we also learned from that and developed a new approach. Bob was never a finger-pointer. He always assumed responsibility.”

— Pat Perry Byrnes relates. “Bob came in with this great big black hair, a big broad tie, cufflinks, and I was sure he had a chain underneath his sleeveless undershirt.

He looked like the Rocky Balboa of the insurance business. But a half hour later, I knew I had a partner.”

In addition to the ERC Health Plan, Klonk was responsible for two other major Oswald health consortiums — one for Northeast Ohio private schools (Independent School Benefits Consortium) and another for private equity pools. Oswald, an employee-owned company since 1985, has grown mostly organically over the years, but Klonk is also given credit for leading the 2020 creation of Unison Risk Advisors, formed by the merger of Oswald and RCM&D, a Baltimore-based risk and insurance company.

“Sure, Bob made mistakes. Some of them cost both of us,” says Perry,

commenting on Klonk’s “only-human” status. “But you know what was fun?

We took calculated risks, and we loved it. When you venture into new territory, you are going to miss a few times, and we missed a few times. But we also learned from that and developed a new approach. Bob was never a finger-pointer. He always assumed responsibility.”

Over his four-decade career, Klonk says the model in his industry has evolved into one of more risk management with a focus on prediction and prevention.

“We can’t prevent all losses, but we try to predict now instead of waiting for loss to occur,” explains Klonk. “There is more risk today than ever before with things like cyber risk. We also have a lot of catastrophic losses, not just in the United States but all around the world.

And those things affect the capacity of insurance companies to pay claims. You can’t just be a generalist anymore.” clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 41

Bob accepted an award during the Cleveland Dinner of Champions.

42 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

it was a decent-paying job and was recession-proof.

“I wanted to be a lawyer, but it was financially above my means. And I wasn’t the best student in the world,” confesses Klonk, who attended Padua Franciscan High School, where he “learned more there by accident” than he “could have anywhere else.” (He is currently establishing an endowment at the school to

COURTESY OSWALD COMPANIES

“When our clients go to sleep at night, we want them to have peace of mind knowing that they are covered if anything happens,” he adds. “Clients don’t always know what to ask for. It’s our job to make sure they get the right coverage.

Klonk admits his first venture into sales and then gravitation to insurance while in his 20s wasn’t because he was star-struck by the product. But

provide eligible students the necessary tuition to attend.)

Klonk’s mother became a young widow when he was only 10, and he took it upon himself to look after her and his sisters. Those who know Klonk well say his challenging youth and background have given him a unique understanding of his chosen career as well as empathy.

“I found out that I liked talking to people and forming relationships with them. And I like the complexity of solving problems for people,” says Klonk, whom Byrnes calls “compassionate” and who has a “quick sense of humor and has a high mental acuity.”

Klonk is currently chairman of the board of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers. Previously he was chairman of the Council of Employee Benefits Executives in Washington, D.C., and chair of Assurex Global, a prestigious partnership of privately held brokers.

2023 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME “When Obamacare came down, Bob was one of the top guys nationally in our industry,” says Byrnes. “He was closely tied into and connected in Washington, D.C. He was there protecting the insurance industry at that time and was recognized by the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers for his efforts."

There is no doubt Klonk has solid admiration from his peers.

“Bob is perceived by national insurance groups as a thought leader,” says Perry. “I would watch the other leaders in our community of insurance and risk management, and they would always look to Bob. He was the guy everyone was following. He could, and still can, run rings around the brightest minds when it comes to looking at solutions and the long term. He shook up the insurance industry.”

Klonk is a tough leader and very competitive, according to Perry. But he also notes Klonk is humble and has done “so

many things for so many people that no one knows about.” On a company-wide level, Oswald Cares is the business’s umbrella organization for all its fundraising and volunteer activities.

“We take a lot of pride in the fact that every year we give back more to the community than we did the year before,” shares Klonk.

Klonk is also chair of the executive committee for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. The organization’s mission is “to attract, create, manage and enhance significant sporting and competitive events” with a goal of supporting the local economy.

According to the organization’s 2022 Impact Report, the group hosted 10 national sporting events in the most recent year, providing $155.1 million in economic activity. Additionally, Klonk has served on boards for the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and Business Volunteers Unlimited,

also holding numerous other nonprofit leadership roles.

This year, Oswald Cos. was named a Downtown Business of the Year by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. The award acknowledges those who make significant investments in their business to attract and retain talent.

“I am an intense person. Some people would say I am very intense,” admits Klonk. “And that intensity drives passion. But I don’t kid myself. I get recognized because as an employee-owned company, everyone has a piece of our successes and failures. I am fortunate enough to lead a great company.

“I take pride in the many awards I have been given,” he says. “But as important to me is being a great husband and father. I just want to be on my patio with my wife, a glass of wine and a good cigar.”

When complimented on the order in which he places his three wishes, Klonk replies, “I’m not stupid.”

Trust builds impact.

Celebrating our 2023 community leader of the year award recipients.

Tania Menesse President & Chief Executive Officer

Kevin Clayton Board Member Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells Board Member Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 43

Giving Foundations

The Gatherer

For Lillian Kuri, building a sense of community began on the farm and extended all the way to the Cleveland Foundation’s new headquarters. | By Colleen Smitek

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44 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

“ We need to ensure the growth and strength of the foundation to serve this community in new ways as the world rapidly changes.”

“It was about putting a stake in the ground and community and how important our streets are for people,” says Kuri, who earned her master’s of architecture in urban design from Harvard University.

Kuri joined the Cleveland Foundation in 2007 as the program director for the arts and urban design, working her way up to chief operating officer by 2021.

When the foundation began the search for a site to build new headquarters, it was Kuri who proposed moving to Midtown, halfway between downtown and University Circle.

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illian Kuri grew up seeing firsthand what it means to create a community.

Kuri’s parents — a doctor and a teacher — emigrated to the United States from Lebanon, leaving behind a large extended family. The couple’s new home was on 40 acres of land in a township called Freedom in Portage County.

It was a happy place for Kuri and her two brothers, filled with all kinds of fruit trees, as well as sheep, chickens, goats and lots of dogs and cats.

But what left the biggest impression on Kuri was the constant presence of visiting family and friends.

That feeling stuck with Kuri — and began to grow as her influence and power in Cleveland did.

When she was in her early 30s and at the helm of Cleveland Public Art, Kuri led the charge to connect downtown Cleveland with Ohio City via a pedestrian and bike lane on the DetroitSuperior Bridge.

For nearly a half century, the foundation had been tucked away on the 12th floor of the Hanna Building in Playhouse Square.

The new Cleveland Foundation site, which officially opened in July, is not just an office building. Like Kuri’s childhood home, it’s a place to gather people.

Between the time ground was broken and when the building opened, Kuri, who is also chair of the Cleveland Planning Commission, was chosen as the new president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation — and that means more ideas for how to improve the community and the city she loves.

The work in Midtown, she says, is just getting started. “In 10 years, have we made things better and made significant progress for both Hough and Central?”

Beyond Midtown, her focus is on working with local public officials to tackle big issues. “There is a real willingness to work together in a new way,” she says.

She also knows the importance of setting up the Cleveland Foundation to thrive for another 100 years. “We need to ensure the growth and strength of the foundation,” she says, “to serve this community in new ways as the world rapidly changes.”

Kuri’s life away from work revolves around her family (she has two college-aged children) and an appreciation for the beauty of the world around her.

About 15 years ago, Kuri started collecting self-portraits, mostly by Cleveland artists, and they now fill her home in Little Italy. She also loves to explore Cleveland on foot. “I take the train and get off somewhere on the Red Line,” she says. “I like to go to every neighborhood in the city of Cleveland and experience something different in each. I don’t think there’s a recognition of how unique they are.”

It’s a long way from Freedom Township, but the feeling of that gathering place has never left her.

“It was a really wonderful way to grow up,” she says.

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE Medical Mutual celebrates our valued partner

Bob Klonk and iconic Clevelanders and friends, Jules Belkin and the late Mike Belkin.

We also salute this year’s Community Leader of the Year Award Recipients.

The leadership and vision of these individuals have collectively changed our community for the better.

MedMutual.com © 2023 Medical Mutual of Ohio

“ I never had a five- or 10- year plan for myself.

I feel it is very important to do the best job you can where you are.”

Education

Natural Leader

Sonia Winner is driving the charge to transform the Cleveland Museum of Natural History into a space that promotes learning, accessibility and inclusivity. | By Jill Sell

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46 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

health of our planet. We are transforming how people view natural history.”

That clear vision (physically and strategically) was brought back into focus after Winner and her team took over leadership of the transformation, which at the time was over budget.

“Now we are actually on time and under budget. We have actually reduced the timeline on the project by two years,” says Winner, whose background includes leadership roles involving development, philanthropic and management at Columbia University and Case Western Reserve University. “I am pretty fearless. I have been an honest and transparent broker about how hard this all is to do. But this truly is a legacy project, a gift to the community that will live beyond all our lives.”

Winner, a mother of two whose son learned to walk at the museum, is also practical. She gave her personal stamp of approval for including family-friendly features such as accessible family restrooms

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hen the $150 million Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) Transformation Project is completed in late 2024, “you will be able to see our dinosaurs and butterflies from the outside,” according to CMNH President and CEO Sonia Winner. That opportunity is possible because of the new, huge glass windows designed to let in as much natural light as possible.

“Data shows people don’t want to go into spaces that are dark. We will have a museum where nature comes in and where we showcase our objects,” says Winner, who assumed her title in 2018.

“More than a 100 years ago, museum founders focused on the diffusion of knowledge — sharing that knowledge and not just having scientists talk to other scientists. This opportunity is community-based learning that allows us to engage with visitors and others in the region to think of our health and the

and mothers’ rooms. In addition, she voted for cup holders in the auditorium.

“I want people to be in a space that is enticing and comfortable,” Winner says of the museum’s building and outdoor visitor area of 375,000 total square feet with the expansion.

Winner has also helped expand the museum’s definition of “community.”

She is an advocate for reduced museum admission and has joined with community partners to provide free admission for eligible groups and individuals.

She praises a new visitors’ hall, which opened last month and is free to the public and contains some of the museum’s most iconic and loved objects.

Winner also has a dream to add land within the City of Cleveland to the already 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems in northern Ohio owned by CMNH’s Natural Areas Program.

“Right now, you have to drive 30 miles to see some of these pristine areas.

But we have places here in the city that would be wonderful learning opportunities for families and others,” says Winner, who was born at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines.

Of course, someone with Winner’s ability to impact an institute or city is always in high demand, and that leads to curiosity about her future.

“I never had a five- or 10-year plan for myself. I feel it is very important to do the best job you can where you are.

I am not ready to give this up yet. For me, the transformation has been most rewarding because it fits my leadership style and is a challenge,” says Winner.

“I am like Mary Poppins. When things are good and settled, I may be on my way. But right now, I like the challenge of all of it.”

Diversity & Inclusion

Making His Shots Kevin Clayton is making a difference on and off the court through his role as head of social impact for the Cleveland Cavaliers. | By Jill Sell

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hat Cleveland’s professional sports teams do on and off the playing surface matters to the community. Kevin Clayton, senior vice president, head of social impact and equity for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group, says, “all our sports teams hold a special place in the hearts of the community, and especially the Cavs because of their 2016 NBA Championship.”

With that love and idolization comes a responsibility, says Clayton, who grew up in Cleveland and Shaker Heights but pursued careers elsewhere for 35 years.

He returned to his hometown and the Cavs in 2019 to start the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team. In 2022, his position was elevated to his current title.

“The values of the Cavs always meant that we were community partners. We wanted to be relevant to all communities. Being relevant means looking at us as leaders helping to elevate all communities,” says Clayton.

The Cavs have joined forces with local government, nonprofits and the business community on several successful programs and events to reach that goal. Hoops After Dark is a partnership program with the mayor and combines basketball with employment opportunities and wraparound services for young Black men. Taste of Black Cleveland: The Food Showcase raises scholarship money to elevate exposure for Black-owned restaurants, and Pride Night generates money for LGBTQ nonprofits by providing exposure to the community and economic opportunities. The Cavs have also partnered in promoting CentroVilla25, a new market and social destination for

“ The values of the Cavs always meant that we were community partners. We wanted to be relevant to all communities.”

Cleveland’s Latinx/Hispanic residents and visitors.

“I understand what my life’s purpose is through my faith. I make sure to stay humble and operate from a giving perspective. I am absolutely a servant leader,” says Clayton, who this fall was inducted into the Shaker Heights School System Alumni Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 1977.

But Clayton, who has four adult daughters and was raised by his great-grandmother, grandmother and mother, steps to the front when needed. He is on the leadership team of CL3 (Three Team Alliance) that includes members of the Cavs, Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Guardians. The group strives to unify Cleveland through transformational social change in the areas of law enforcement, education and civic engagement.

In addition, this past March, Clayton was named board chair of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland.

Clayton has endured “some significant setbacks and challenges” in his life, but says he has “not only come through those storms,” but is a better person and able to share his physical and mental scars with others. A horrific bicycle accident when he was 13 temporarily stopped Clayton’s basketball playing dreams and could have left him without the use of one arm altogether.

“Once upon a time, I would have hidden my scars. But now I tell people about the accident, not because I want them to think how great I was to get through it, but the accident changed my life. I knew I needed a level of determination and had to be a survivor,” says Clayton, who now likes to scuba dive and chase sharks (really!), skydive, jump off cliffs and ride a horse he keeps in Las Vegas. “Growing up in Cleveland grounded me with a strong sense of community and service.

We have many people and organizations in Northeast Ohio that need help and support. In my role with the Cavs, I have the opportunity to merge my personal values with our team values and extend our platform to help those in need, which will help strengthen our city.” clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 47

Environment & Sustainability

Change Agent

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells has led a massive cleanup and protection effort to safeguard one of our most precious resources — our waters. | By Jill Sell

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48 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

82 planned projects have been completed or are active. Almost 1.7 billion gallons in annual combined sewer overflow reduction occurred last year, and an additional 300 million gallons should be counted by the end of this year.

Another important focus DreyfussWells points out is the Regional Stormwater Management Program, which addresses inner community drainage issues. It takes collaboration to come up with solutions that will work best for the communities in the region.

It is a standout effort to get everyone covered by Sewer District on board with the same goals. Dreyfuss-Wells continues to be known for her leadership, insightful decisions and her ability to inspire NEORSD employees. She works with a whole range of partners, including local, regional, state and federal government officials and nonprofit and environmental groups. This past January, her contract with the Sewer District was extended through 2028.

“ To me, follow-up questions are a sign of respect. It shows I am really interested in what your colleagues are doing.”

“I’m a one-trick pony. It’s basically what I make time for and what I like to do,” says Dreyfuss-Wells. “I put it on hold for a long time. But I got back into it with the urgency of someone who knows her time (in the sport) is limited. At least if I fall off my horse now, I know I can get back up.”

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ou can give Kyle DreyfussWells, CEO of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), and the 750 Sewer District employees a lot of credit for the region’s cleaner water and its vastly improved sewer and stormwater management. CEO since 2017, DreyfussWells has also supported billions of dollars in infrastructure that protects public health and the environment.

She oversees a $270 million capital budget, a $170 million operating budget and a $43 million stormwater budget. An important focus of her work is the multi-billion-dollar Project Clean Lake, a 25-year program that became official in 2011 as an agreement with NEORSD, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice and the state of Ohio. The goal is to reduce the total volume of raw sewage discharges from 4.5 billion gallons annually to less than 500 million gallons annually.

As of April 2023, 72 of the program’s

Dreyfuss-Wells attributes her impact to “focusing on running an effective and efficient utility” and “questioning every expenditure” that ultimately affects every customer. Her goal is to do things “better, cheaper and smarter.”

“We passed new sewer and stormwater rates for 2022-2026. It is a 4.2% annual rate increase. I know that is significant. But it is the lowest rate in decades.

We also successfully re-negotiated part of our Project Clean Lake plans, and that resulted in both construction savings and long-term operation savings,” says Dreyfuss-Wells.

The CEO’s leadership style is to “bring a lot of people into a decision-making conversation.” That strategy also allows a “diverse range of opinions,” which strengthens any group action, she says.

“I ask a lot of questions, and that can be a little off-putting sometimes. But I have so many questions on many topics because I want to deeply understand what is going on,” says Dreyfus-Wells.

“And to me, follow-up questions are a sign of respect. It shows I am really interested in what your colleagues are doing.

Then I will call it. I do not suffer from analysis paralysis.”

Making tough but confident decisions also demands that Dreyfuss-Wells takes some downtime for her mental and physical health. Her passion is competitive show jumping.

Economic Development

Growth Minded Tania Menesse had to overhaul her own life before she could launch her life’s work of making Cleveland a better place to live — for everyone. | By Colleen Smitek

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ania Menesse had a toddler, a baby on the way and a “good job” in telecommunications products and process management when she decided to change her life completely. She and her husband were living in Denver at the time — and she watched with awe as the city’s downtown was turned into a vibrant place to live, work and play.

“How do I get into this city building and economic development?” she remembers asking herself.

It struck her as work with a clear and important purpose. “I really wanted to be able to explain to my children what I do for a living,” she adds.

They returned home to Northeast Ohio, where she earned her master’s degree in urban affairs at Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs.

Now, 15 years later, she can tell her grown children exactly what she does as the CEO and president of

“ We have so much potential to be a great city and, to do that, we have to bring Cleveland’s neighborhoods with us.”

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP). She works to revitalize Cleveland’s neighborhoods.

“We have so much potential to be a great city and, to do that, we have to bring Cleveland’s neighborhoods with us,” she says.

Before joining CNP, Menesse served as the community development director for the city of Cleveland and, in that role, set the stage for her current work by strengthening Cleveland’s two dozen community development corporations.

One of CNP’s current initiatives involves the city’s “middle neighborhoods.”

Menesse defines these places as “generally stable, walkable places that never needed

any investment before, but, because of the age of housing stock and the people who live in them, need some help.”

Good examples of middle neighborhoods are Collinwood, Lee-Harvard, Old Brooklyn and West Park.

Backed by $10.3 million raised from the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio with a $22 million goal, CNP is working to prepare buildings for commercial use, create space for outdoor dining, stabilize the housing stock, block predatory investing and incentivize home improvements. It’s the largest investment being made in middle neighborhoods in the country right now, according to Menesse, who has a track record of getting things done.

At a point where it seemed like nobody knew what to do with Shaker Square, Menesse had a plan. In August 2022, CNP — in conjunction with Burten, Bell, Carr Development — bought the retail center for $11 million with the support from the city of Cleveland.

“A year in we have stabilized the square and invested $5 million in capital in the property,” says Menesse, citing “non-sexy” improvements like roofing, HVAC and electrical. “We started programming the Square, and there’s a new website promoting the merchants.”

Everywhere she looks, Menesse sees opportunity — and that’s at least partially due to where she’s from.

Menesse was born in India, lived there till she was 4 and returns frequently to visit her extended family. While so many parts of the country are beautiful, the poverty can be oppressive — and difficult to escape.

“We have every opportunity to change that trajectory in the United States in a way that we don’t in India,” she says.

The reality is we’re all in this together.

“We cannot fulfill the promise of Cleveland if such significant tracts of the city and the people who live in them do not enjoy the opportunity that the rest of the city does,” she says. “A lot of this work is passion for your community and a drive to persist and see the vision for change.” clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 49

2023 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Congratulations Jules Belkin & Mike Belkin Rock n’ Roll Legends.

We will forever be inspired by you.

PAST INDUCTEES: BUSINESS HALL OF FAME In celebration of the City of Cleveland’s 200th Anniversary, Great Lakes Publishing created its Business Hall of Fame, celebrating the achievements of the brave men and women who helped shape our city and society. Each year since, we have honored these unique people, who are blessed with the insight and a pioneering spirit that built the foundations of our economy.

2022

Lee Fisher – Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University Matt Kaulig – Kaulig Cos. Deborah Read – Thompson Hine LLP

2021

Johnson, Dr. Alex – Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) Marinucci, Joe – Downtown Cleveland Alliance Schron, Jack – Jergens Inc.

2019

Gilbert, David – Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland Lucarelli, Jason “Jay” – MinuteMen Staffing and HR Services Lucarelli, Samuel (posthumously) – MinuteMen Staffing and HR Services Moreno, Bernie – Bernie Moreno Cos.

2018

Conway, Dan – Great Lakes Brewing Co. Conway, Pat – Great Lakes Brewing Co. Perry, Pat – ERC

2017

Berg, Jodi – Vitamix Humphries, Thomas – Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber Kahl, Jack – ShurTech Brands LLC Maron, Rick – MRN Ltd. Richard, Ronn – The Cleveland Foundation

2016

Byrnes, Marc – Oswald Cos. Heinen, Tom – Heinen’s Grocery Store Heinen, Jeff – Heinen’s Grocery Store Moore-Hardy, Cynthia – Lake Health Oatey, Gary – Oatey Co.

OF

2015

Fowler, Chuck – Fairmount Minerals Mooney, Beth – KeyCorp Nance, Fred – Squire Patton Boggs Snyder, Barbara – Case Western Reserve University

2014

Dalton, Ray – PartsSource Howley, Nicholas – TransDigm Group Inc. Kohl, Stewart – The Riverside Cos. Morrison, Richard – Molded Fiber Glass Cos. Proenza, Luis M. – The University of Akron

2013

Albanese, Virginia – FedEx Custom Critical Falco, Art – Playhouse Square Summers Jr., William B. – McDonald Investments Thornton, Dr. Jerry Sue – Cuyahoga Community College Bares, Jack (posthumously) – Milbar Corp.

Dad didn’t tell us how to live. He lived and let us watch him do it.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

We love you! – Steve, Julie, Jamie & Jerry clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 51

PAST INDUCTEES: BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

2012

Church, Roy – Lorain County Community College Clark, Paul – PNC Bank Linsalata, Frank N. – Linsalata Capital Partners Nottingham, John – Nottingham Spirk Smith, C. Robert – Spero-Smith Investments Advisers Spirk, John – Nottingham Spirk

2005

2009

Bishop, Paul – H-P Products Inc. Considine, William – Akron Children’s Hospital Conway, Bill – Fairmount Minerals Siegal, Michael – Olympic Steel Hyland Sr., Packy (posthumously) – Hyland Software

2008

2011

Briggs, Robert W. – GAR Foundation Chiricosta, Rick – Medical Mutual of Ohio Egger, Terrance E. Z. – The Plain Dealer Hambrick, James L. – The Lubrizol Corp.

Harmon Sr., Lute – Cleveland Magazine Pianalto, Sandra – Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

2010

Coleman, Lonnie – Coleman Spohn Corp.

Fedeli, Umberto P. – The Fedeli Group Ratner, Charles – Forest City Enterprises Strauss, Thomas J. – Summa Health System Woods, Jacqueline F. – AT&T Ohio

Keegan, Robert J. – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Shearer, Robert J. – Shearer’s Foods Inc. Wolstein, Scott A. – Developers Diversified Realty Corp.

Zenty III, Thomas F. – University Hospitals

2007

Clapp, Kent – Medical Mutual of Ohio Connor, Chris – The Sherwin-Williams Co. Crawford, Ed – Park-Ohio Holdings Corp.

Hall, Brian – Industrial Inventory Solutions

2006

Alexander, Tony – FirstEnergy Corp.

Anderson, Warren – The Anderson-DuBose Co. Cosgrove, Delos “Toby” – Cleveland Clinic

Covelli, Sam – Covelli Enterprises Gund, Gordon – Gund Investment Corp.

Heisler, Yank – Key Bank Wolstein, Bert – Developers Diversified Realty Corp.

2004

Burg, H. Peter – FirstEnergy Corp.

Cutler, Sandy – Eaton Corp.

Schwebel, Joe – Schwebel Baking Co. Smucker, Richard – J.M. Smucker Co. Smucker, Tim – J.M. Smucker Co.

2003

Ahuja, Monte – Transtar Inds. Inc. Brennan, David – White Hat Management Lerner, Alfred – Cleveland Browns Smith, Clarence – Compco Inds.

2002

Loop, Fred – Cleveland Clinic Madison, Bob – Robert P. Madison International Inc. Mahoney, Bob – Diebold Inc. Meyer, Henry – KeyCorp Tod, David – Civic leader

URBAN LEAGUE’S IMPACT...

”NOTHING BUT NET ” THANKS TO OUR BOARD CHAIR

Congratulations to Kevin Clayton, our fearless “Coach,” for receiving the Community Leader of the Year Award!

As Board Chair, Kevin leads our team with passion and dedication.

His steely determination to position us in the best manner possible inspires us all to follow him with the clear expectation of victory.

We are truly proud and honored to call him our “Coach.”

52 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

KEVIN CLAYTON

OF

2001

Davey, John – The Davey Institute of Tree Surgery Lennon, Fred – Swagelok Machaskee, Alex – The Plain Dealer Nord, Eric – Nordson Corp.

Ong, John – The B.F. Goodrich Co. Timken, Tim – The Timken Co. Wean, Raymond John – Wean Engineering Co.

2000

Beeghly, Leon – Standard Slag Co. Debartolo Sr., Edward J. – DeBartolo Realty Embry, Wayne – Cavaliers/Gund Arena Co. Firestone, Harvey – Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. Flood, Howard – FirstMerit Corp.

Gault, Stan – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Hoover, William Henry – Hoover Co. Patient, Bill – Cleveland State University Payiavlas, John – AVI Foodsystems Inc. Tullis, Dick – Harris Corp./University Circle Inc. Walters, Farrah – University Hospitals

1999

Daberko, Dave – National City Corp.

Davis, James C. – Squire, Sanders & Dempsey Reavis, Jack – Jones Day Schey, Ralph – Scott Fetzer Co. Sullivan, Tom – RPM Inc.

1998

Baker, Richard T. – Ernst & Ernst Gorman, Joe – TRW Inc. Hoag, Dave – LTV Corp.

McDonald, C. Bert – McDonald & Co. Investments Ratner Miller, Ruth – Forest City Enterprises Walker, Skip – M.A. Hanna Co.

1997

Austin, Samuel – The Austin Co. Bruening, Joseph M. – Bearings Inc. Gillespie, Bob – KeyCorp Harrison, H. Stuart – Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. McCartan, Pat – Jones Day Ratner, Albert – Forest City Enterprises

1996

Bell, Jess – Bonne Bell Inc. Biggar, Jim – Glencairn Bonda, Alva “Ted” – Cleveland Indians, APCOA Brandon, Edward B. – National City Corp.

Breen, John G. “Jack” – The Sherwin-Williams Co. de Windt, E. Mandel – Eaton Corp.

Eaton, Henry F. – Dix & Eaton Inc. Jacobs, David H. – Richard E. Jacobs Group Jacobs, Richard E. – Richard E. Jacobs Group Lewis, Peter – Progressive Corp.

Malley, Adele – Malley’s Chocolates

Malley, Bill – Malley’s Chocolates Maltz, Milton – Malrite Co. Mandel, Jack C. – Premier Industrial Corp.

Mandel, Joseph C. – Premier Industrial Corp.

Mandel, Morton L. – Premier Industrial Corp.

McCormack, Mark – IMG Mixon, A. Malachi – Invacare Corp.

Miller, Samuel H. – Forest City Enterprises Inc. Pogue, Richard W. – Jones Day Robinson, Larry – J.B. Robinson Jewelers Stone, Irving I. – American Greetings Corp.

Strawbridge, Herbert – The Higbee Co. Wain, Norman – WIXY 1260

Historical

Andrews, Samuel – Standard Oil Co. Baker, Newton D. – Baker & Hostetler Beaumont, Louis D. – May Co. Boiardi, Hector – Chef Boyardee Bradley, Alva – Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co. Brush, Charles F. – Inventor Carter, Lorenzo – First Cleveland settler Case Sr., Leonard – Commercial Bank of Lake Erie Chisholm, Henry – Cleveland Rolling Mill

CONGRATULATIONS TO

ROBERT J. KLONK

OSWALD COMPANIES & UNION RISK ADVISORS

AND THE OTHER 2023 BUSINESS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 53

PAST INDUCTEES: BUSINESS HALL OF FAME OF

Cleaveland, Moses – Founder of Cleveland Cox, Sr., John D. –Cleveland Twist Drill Crawford, Frederick C. – Thompson Products Inc. Doan, Nathaniel – Cleveland’s first industrialist Eaton, Cyrus S. – Republic Steel Co. Eaton, Jr., Joseph O. – Eaton Corp.

Ernst, Alwin C. – Ernst & Ernst Fawick, Thomas L. – Fawick Clutch Co. Flagler, Henry M. – Standard Oil Co. Foster, Claud H. – Gabriel Co. Girdler, Tom M. – Republic Steel Co. Goff, Frederick H. – The Cleveland Foundation Grasselli, Caesar A. – Grasselli Chemical Co. Grdina, Anton – Slovenian Building and Loan Association Gund II, George – Cleveland Trust Bank Halle, Samuel H. – Halle Bros.

Halle, Salmon P. – Halle Bros.

Handy, Truman P. – Merchant National Bank Hanna, Marcus A. – M.A. Hanna Co./U.S. Senate Harshaw, Wiliam A. – Harshaw, Fuller & Goodwin Co. Holden, Liberty E. – The Plain Dealer Holmes, Allen C. – Jones Day Humphrey, George M. – U.S. Dept. of Treasury/ National Steel Corp.

Jack, William S. – Jack & Heintz Inc. Johnson, Tom L. – Civic leader Kelley, Alfred – Civic leader Lincoln, James – Lincoln Electric

Lincoln, John – Lincoln Electric Lindseth, Elmer – Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. Mather, Samuel – Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. Mather, William G. – Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co./ Republic Steel Corp.

Metzenbaum, Howard – Sun Newspapers/ APCOA/U.S. Senate Morgan, Garrett – Inventor Myers, George – The Hollenden Barbershop Otis Jr., Charles A. – Otis & Co. Parker, Arthur L. – Parker Appliance Co. Pile, Lionel A. – Hough Bakery Ratner, Leonard – Forest City Materials Co. Ratner, Max – Forest City Materials Co. Richman, Charles L. – Richman Bros.

Richman, Henry C. – Richman Bros.

Richman, Nathan G. – Richman Bros.

Robinson, J. French – East Ohio Gas Co. Rockefeller, John D. – Standard Oil Co. Saltzman, Maurice – Bobbie Brooks Inc. Sapirstein, Jacob – American Greetings Corp.

Sherwin, Henry A. – Sherwin-Williams & Co. Shulman, Bernie – Revco/Bernie Shulman’s Smith, A. Kelvin – The Lubrizol Corp.

Smith, Harry C. – The Cleveland Gazette/ civic leader Smith, Kent H. – The Lubrizol Corp.

Smith, Vincent K. – The Lubrizol Corp.

Squire, Andrew – Squire, Sanders & Dempsey

FROM OUR HALL OF FAME TO YOURS

cOnGratS!

54 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

Stone, Amasa – Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad Stouffer, Vernon – Stouffer’s Strong Taylor, Sophie – William Taylor & Son Co. Swasey, Ambrose – Warner & Swasey Co. Tankersley, Jack – Consolidated Natural Gas Taplin, Frank E. – North American Coal Corp.

Taylor, William O. – Taylor Chair Co. Thompson, Charles E. – Cleveland Cap Screw Co. Van Sweringen, Mantis – Real estate and railroad tycoon Van Sweringen, Orris – Real estate and railroad tycoon Wade, Jeptha H. – Western Union Telegraph Co. Warner, Worcester R. – Warner & Swasey Co. Wellman, Samuel T. – Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Co. Westropp, Clara – Women’s Federal Savings Bank Westropp, Lillian – Women’s Federal Savings Bank White, Rollin H. – Cleveland Tractor Co. White, Thomas H. – White Sewing Machine Co. Wills, Sr., J. Walter – House of Wills Winton, Alexander – Winton Motor Carriage Co. Worthington, George – Cleveland Iron & Nail Works

PRODUCTIONS

WHERE BUSINESS GOES TO GROW

BUSINESS Equitable Solutions Are diversity, equity and inclusion programs still serving us?

BY TERRY TROY

In our modern sociological lexicon, they exist like Athos, Porthos and Aramis — each supporting the other and fighting for a common good. But are Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs still viable? Are they still necessary, especially in a free-market business community? Can they still help us bridge the wealth gap that exists among our major ethnic communities here in Northeast Ohio?

Today, that depends largely on who you ask.

As much as these programs have served society, they are now starting to come under attack, often by well-meaning

people who don’t fully understand their importance. But sometimes those attacks are coming from authoritative sources, including the United States Supreme Court.

This past summer, in its landmark decision in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard, the U.S. Supreme Court held that race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. And while that decision does not directly affect business, its ancillary impact will be felt throughout disadvantaged communities.

We asked representatives from the African American, Asian American and Hispanic and Latino American communities about some of the challenges that they currently face. To our surprise, there was good news.

But there are still very big challenges that can only be overcome through strong initiatives before we can even begin to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.

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MINDING THE GAP

Bridging the wealth disparity among our communities.

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hile the African American community represents the biggest challenge to business growth, it also offers the most opportunity. Success in this demographic sector is also a key to helping us bridge the wealth gap in our region, which will lift us out of our ranking as one of the poorest cities in America. This will only help our city grow and improve our tainted image nationwide.

Michael Obi, president of UBIZ Venture Capital and senior vice president of economic development for the Urban League of Greater Cleveland (ULGC), is proud of what both affiliated organizations have been able to accomplish thus far.

Led by Marsha Mockabee, the ULGC acts as its own entity, specializing in civil rights and social services. A community-based nonprofit established in 1917, Marsha Mockabee the ULGC was formed to address the needs of families moving from the South to urban centers in the North during the Great Migration. Since then, it’s done an excellent job of mitigating social issues such as eliminating limited access to housing, employment and education as well as helping to solve poor landlord and tenant relations.

But as our region started to get hammered by the loss of manufacturing jobs that went overseas in the 80s and 90s, it became apparent that a lot of Black families were getting hit hard. Increasingly, Black families and entrepreneurs wanted to learn how to start their own businesses.

While the mission of the ULGC is still important from a sociological perspective,

it’s really just treating symptoms, many of which are caused by poverty.

The cure? Eliminating the disparity of wealth that exists among our many diverse communities. With African Americans accounting for 51% of our city’s population, it’s no small task.

That’s where UBIZ Venture Capital comes in. UBIZ is a newly formed non-traditional lending organization with a primary focus of providing capital to growing minority businesses in the Greater Cleveland market. The organization has had some recent success, however, there is more work to be done — especially in what has become a shifting political environment.

“While the recent Supreme Court ruling calls to question diversity, equity and inclusion programs based on race for college admissions, it’s also bringing to the forefront the question on whether we still need these programs,” says Obi. “A lot of companies are starting to question whether or not they need to have anything to help minorities or for any people who have been disadvantaged in the past.”

While most people support diversity and inclusion, the issue coming to the forefront in many discussions is that of equity, which is different from equality. Some people claim they don’t know the difference.

Here is a simple explanation: Think of a track and field race where the contestants are staggered on the curve. That stagger compensates for the extra distance some will face going around the outer lanes of the curve. That’s equality.

Now take the same stagger and apply it to a race that is on a straight away. The stagger is being used to compensate for people who are disadvantaged in one way or another, so a more equitable outcome is achieved. That’s Equity.

There are those who argue that equity programs do not offer a level playing field and therefore provide an unfair advantage. Rather than judging or rewarding a person or company on its own merits and accomplishments alone, it offers a leg up to certain populations.

However, such arguments often miss the entire argument for equity, which can be used as a rising tide that lifts all boats, especially in our region. clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

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BUSINESS “If you take race completely out of the equation, I think we can all agree that we don’t all start at the same starting point,” says Obi. Look at economic and sociological dynamics, says Obi. People are born in different households from different demographics. They come from different geographics.

“What makes America so unique is the longevity of slavery and its generational impact on people who were enslaved,” says Obi. “The outcome of that has a lingering affect and trauma on the families that have gone through slavery.”

This is very different from people whose families have not gone through slavery. By its very definition, “slavery means you did not inherit a lot of legacy wealth,” says Obi. And that wealth can be measured not just in the form of property, but education as well.

“If you are Black, you have ancestors who were basically told, ‘you are free now; go make something of your life,’” says Obi. “So you had a large population of people who had no property, children to support and very little education.

“Fast-forward to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and many Black Americans were not even allowed to live in certain neighborhoods or go to southern schools,” Obi adds. “So saying that we all had the same opportunity or starting point is a little silly and comical.”

In addition, many traditional European families have some degree of entrepreneurship in their lineage, which can be very important when it comes to securing financing for new businesses.

“Somebody in a white person’s family may have had some past experience running a business, where they could transfer some knowledge,” says Obi. In a black community, transferring that kind of knowledge is much more uncommon. When a person without that knowledge goes for a commercial 58 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

“A lot of companies are starting to question whether or not they need to have anything to help minorities or for any people who have been disadvantaged in the past.”

— Michael Obi or business loan, the lender needs to have confidence that the recipient of the loan will be able to successfully run the business and pay back the loan.

So, talking with a Black person who doesn’t have the entrepreneurial experience in his or her family lineage about how to run a business versus a white person who has experience are two very different issues, especially from a lender’s perspective.

“As an example, a white person might say, ‘my dad ran a gas station for years, and I am now about to start my own,’” says Obi. “Well naturally, the banker or lender has a great deal more confidence that they will succeed. They will be more confident in lending that person money.”

Enter UBIZ Venture Capital.

“What we are trying to do is to start an ecosystem where we are not just providing loans, but providing technical assistance and nurturing as well,” says Obi. “We help them learn how to create a business plan. And answer basic questions like, ‘How do I become more bankable? How do I get a loan? How do I bid for that contract?’”

So, have any strides been made? What initiatives do we still need to address?

“That’s something of a loaded question,” says Obi. “Since we started this work at the Urban League 20 years ago, there has been a lot of progress.

“We have almost 2,000 entrepreneurs who come through our ecosystem every year.”

Obi’s accomplishments cannot be understated. He led the effort to establish

Michael Obi

the Entrepreneurship Center at the ULGC in 2004. This model has now been replicated across 12 U.S. cities with an over $100 million economic impact per year. He continues to oversee the operations and strategies for the Entrepreneurship Center that helps over 900 clients per year to launch, grow and sustain thriving businesses in Greater Cleveland.

In 2016, Obi was also instrumental in the launch of the Capital Access Fund (CAF) of Greater Cleveland.

The CAF program operates in partnership with the National Development Council, National Urban League’s Urban Empowerment Fund, the ULGC and Morgan Stanley. The CAF successfully provided growth capital to 29 businesses out of a pipeline of over 200 businesses in its first two and half years of inception.

While humble about what he has been able to achieve for the African American business community in Northeast Ohio, Obi also concedes there is much work to be done.

“We need more funding, more capital to lend,” he says. “We are currently working to raise $50 million in funds for entrepreneurs.”

If this region wants to make real progress that will help us move up from being the poorest city in America, we need to move that needle, says Obi. “It doesn’t look good for a city as large as Cleveland to always rank as one of the poorest cities in America,” says Obi. “So, it is in everybody’s interest to find out what can be done to move 51% of our population up.”

TALKING THE TALK. WALKING THE WALK. Language and cultural barriers persist, but the Asian American business community surges forward.

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espite the setbacks caused by COVID and its creation of a negative stereotype fueled by suspicion and xenophobia, the Asian American business community in Northeast Ohio is once again beginning to thrive.

“Asian hate was scary, especially during the pandemic,” says Su He, executive director of the Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

“I did hear from some people who had safety concerns. But overall, I think Clevelanders are just nicer, so there was less of a problem in our community than in others. We did slow down during the pandemic, but we’re almost back to normal.”

Established in 2016, the Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce serves as a liaison for people from China who want to invest in the United States and Americans looking for business opportunities in China.

The Trump-era trade war and COVID have brought challenges to the organization, but He thinks the headwinds have helped both sides understand each other better.

“We are a nonprofit and we are all volunteers, so no one gets paid as an employee,” says He of the Chamber.

“We put this platform together to bring information to the Chinese community.

“For the Asian American business community, and Chinese in particular, language and cultural barriers are still a problem,” says He. “It’s not just whether someone can speak and understand English — it’s also understanding what it means and the impact something can have on business operations. Today, a business might have translation software, but the people might not fully understand the meaning of a concept or term, which is especially important if you are signing a contract.

“There are a lot of companies from China that come here to set up operations, and they often bring people in with international business backgrounds,” He explains. “Usually, setting up a company is easy. You just fill out the paperwork. But there can be terms that are missing from a contract that can have a profound impact on business operations.”

This is especially important for smaller to mid-size businesses that may not have the legal staff on board or may have tighter budgets where it becomes tempting to skip the cost of legal representation.

But He stresses that she is only familiar with the Chinese community, and not all of the communities represented by the term “Asia.”

When you talk about the Asian business community, you have to take the

“There are a lot of companies from China that come here to set up operations, and they often bring people in with international business backgrounds.” — Su He Su He

definition of “Asian” into consideration. That can mean everyone from Indian Americans, to those of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, Laotian, Indonesian and Filipino ancestries, among other cultures. Indeed, the Asian business community in Northeast Ohio is more diverse than the entire populations of many other countries.

With that kind of diversity, it’s easy to see how some folks assimilate more easily into American business culture.

“I was born in India and came to the States in my 20s to go to grad school,” says Sanjay Singh, chairman and CEO of Mace Security International, a diSanjay Singh versified manufacturer and provider of security products to both consumers and businesses under its Mace Brand. “Afterwards, I joined corporate America.

“My experience in the business community in Northeast Ohio has been very positive — and I do not have rose colored glasses on. I have built lifelong friends and have deep relationships that go back to the time I was in grad school. I had my wedding in Cleveland. When I looked out on the audience, I remember thinking that these were not the people I had grown up with in India. These were all friends I had made in the States.”

So do people from the Indian American business community feel the impact of prejudice or xenophobia at all?

“I’m sure they do,” says Singh. “I have read about it, but I, in particular, have not. However, I am also a big clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

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BUSINESS fan of tuning out that kind of noise. If someone calls me a name, I get over it.

I will not let myself get dragged down or let it affect me. I am sure that it happens to people of many races.”

Focusing and celebrating cultural differences Many Asian Americans seek to set up businesses in neighborhoods where there are others who share culture and language, which helps eliminate some of the natural barriers to business.

With such a great diversity of cultures from the Pacific rim, creating a focal point for both culture and business has become more important.

Ray Hom, an executive with a retail technology company, may just have the answer. Hom currently serves on the AsiaTown Advisory Committee, Ray Hom People’s Street Project and The Cleveland Observer Board.

He remains passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, voting rights and equality for all.

Hom, who lived in Singapore for over 16 years and is now a part-time resident of Cleveland’s AsiaTown, is the champion of a project known as the AsiaTown Landmark, working on the project with Andrew Ratcliff, a Cleveland Art Institute graduate who moved to AsiaTown in 2020.

While in Asia, Hom had the opportunity to gain more perspective as an Asian American living in Asia versus living in the U.S. Upon his return over the past few years, the rise of Anti-Asian hate really brought to light what he feels is needed for the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities across the U.S. He is hoping that the AsiaTown Landmark project will bring together a cohesive 60 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

Asian community that will bring a sense of pride to community members, within and across the entire city of Cleveland.

“Our community does not really have a landmark, a focal point,” says Hom. “We really don’t have something that is Instagrammable, unique.

Our concept is similar to how a major corporation might use a logo — the bigger, the better.”

The AsiaTown community seems to be centered around the area along Payne and Superior. The AsiaTown Landmark uses a series of gates that welcome visitors to the community.

The current design by Cleveland Institute of Art student Marianne Butkowski evokes the feeling of the more traditional Chinatown gates in other cities, but with a more open modern flare.

“Having a landmark will create a sense of community pride, and we hope that it will make the neighborhood a safer place,” says Hom. “Hopefully, smaller to medium-sized businesses will AsiaTown Landmark prototype.

want to set up shop here and make the entire area more vibrant.”

It may also open opportunities for areas like recreational green space in the neighborhood, or for the creation of needed facilities like care facilities for Asian seniors, where language barriers still persist. The AsiaTown Landmark may also open up funding for smaller businesses that want to re-locate to the neighborhood.

“Hopefully, we can create a landmark that transforms our neighborhood into a tourist destination for people visiting Cleveland as well as our locals,” says Hom. “There are a lot of things happening in Midtown, especially with the Cleveland Foundation moving here. As downtown Cleveland becomes more populated, we want people to visit our restaurants for lunch or maybe come down for dinner. We want to create a very vibrant community center and the AsiaTown Landmark will help us accomplish that.”

A GROWING COMMUNITY

Despite their strength, Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs face the same challenges.

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he recent celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month is a clear indication of the growing importance of this community in Northeast Ohio. It now represents over 13.1% of our city’s population, and that number is growing almost daily.

“Hispanics are also the fastest growing [segment of the population] when it comes to creating businesses,” says Randy Cedeño, small business develRandy Cedeno opment director for the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development (NEOHCED).

“We are growing exponentially across the nation, and are now the fifth-largest economy on the Earth.

“Hispanics are starting to become leaders in purchasing our own homes and properties and we now have first, second and third generations attending college and furthering their education.”

Yet despite the strength and growth of the Hispanic and Latino populations, many of the entrepreneurs from this diverse community face the same challenges as other minorities when it comes to business.

“Our greatest obstacles are the language barriers, cultural competencies where we try to understand one another and access to capital and credit,” says Cedeño. “Having organizations like ours that are culturally competent creates trust, and this allows us to communicate effectively. We can also try to create a level of understanding on local laws and regulations on starting or building business.”

The NEOHCED has been around close to 40 years and has been committed to equitable asset building in Cleveland’s Hispanic, Latino and other underserved communities. Like the Asian American community, Hispanics and Latinos represent a very large and diverse cross section of cultures and backgrounds, the two terms including people from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central America, Dominica or other backgrounds from Latin America or of Spanish origin.

Many Hispanics can trace their roots back to the earliest cultures of Native Americans, including the Indigenous peoples such as the Aztecs, Arawaks, Incas, Mayans and Tainos. Hispanics also include people who can trace their roots back to African slaves brought to the New World. Indeed, people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be from any race.

Like the Asian business community, focus is necessary to help build a more cohesive business community.

“We are the home to the only Hispanic Small Business Development Center in NEO [Northeast Ohio] and we are currently working with approximately 1,000 clients a year,” says Cedeño. “We work with these clients along the entire process, from the ideation phase to pre-existing business on all facets, at no cost to the client.

“We speak Spanish, English and Spanglish. We offer services such as assisting with business models, formalizing business in the state of Ohio, financial planning, accounting, marketing and business plans at no cost to the client. We also assist in capital procurement.”

One organization providing support and recognition of Hispanic and Latino business leaders is AmMore Consulting, which created an initiative in 2020

called “100 Plus Latinos Cleveland Must Know.” The brainchild of Marcia Moreno, president and CEO of AmMore, the 100 Plus Latino initiative is now in its fourth year of shining a positive light on business professionals and organizational leaders from the Hispanic community.

This summer, construction started on CentroVilla25, a $10 million plus project transforming a 32,000-square-foot warehouse on West 25th into a Latino marketplace. Plans also call for the addition of 12,500 square feet, along with an outdoor plaza and restaurant. CentroVilla25 will serve as a focal point for the Latino community in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, which has the largest density of Latino residents in Ohio. It’s already been supported locally by organizations like the Cleveland Clinic, Sherwin Williams and KeyBank.

CentroVilla25 is Cleveland’s first major Latin market, and it’s sure to help build wealth and support Latino-owned businesses. Once opened, it will generate $50 million in economic impact in Cleveland and $114 million across Ohio in its first five years. clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

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BUSINESS

Dedicated to DEI Oswald’s corporate DNA helps diverse populations.

BY BOB SANDRICK

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leaders always tapping the same people on the shoulder.”

In addition, Oswald hired Boston and Associates, a North Carolina human resources consultant, to evaluate its DEI efforts, and the company is using a DEI analysis by Greater Cleveland Partnership to determine if its efforts are working.

“The whole point is that talent is our greatest asset,” says Jung. “We are client-focused, but happy employees make happy clients. To be happy, employees need to feel part of a thriving culture, and a thriving culture has great talent feeling like they belong here.

“When you have the right people in the right seats feeling like they belong, and they feel like they are part of a thriving culture, that is what I call rocket fuel,” Jung adds.

In addition to its efforts with its DEI programs, Oswald Companies is also quite active with Employee Resource Groups (ERG). ERGs first emerged in corporate America in the 1960s. They were part of the civil rights movement, giving Black workers combating discrimination better roles in their companies.

When Shawn Hoefler started working at Oswald 10 years ago, he knew little

The Oswald Pride ERG participated in the MetroHealth Transgender Job Fair in 2022.

if anything about ERGs. Today, he’s co-chairing one.

The ERG is called Oswald Pride, and its purpose is to provide a safe environment for LGBTQ+ workers, along with their friends and allies, to gather, share their concerns, connect with managers and coworkers not in their group and ensure that they have the same career opportunities as anyone else.

“The whole point is that talent is our greatest asset. We are client-focused, but happy employees make happy clients. To be happy, employees need to feel part of a thriving culture, and a thriving culture has great talent feeling like they belong here.” — Jessica Jung

Jessica Jung

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all it enlightenment. Call it a greater sense of community.

Call it a matter of commitment and pride.

While there are some in the national business community that are beginning to question the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs (see related story on page 57), there are plenty of companies in the Greater Cleveland area that are very much committed to the concept. Count Oswald Companies, a risk management firm headquartered in Cleveland, among them.

As a part of its DNA, Oswald believes that true organizational strength emanates from its team members who embrace the values of DEI as well as integrity, community and collaboration. But it’s more than just instilling these values as a part of its mission. Its about building them into the DNA of every personal interaction and transaction.

Indeed, Oswald has taken the DEI process one step further. A few years ago, the company hired a consultant to conduct unconscious bias training.

“It was one of the most memorable sessions ever,” says Jessica Jung, president of Oswald. “Most people feel as though they have no biases, but you realize you do when you go through the training.”

The company also introduced a program called Rise that invites employees to help the company achieve goals outlined in its strategic plan.

“We had such a cool, diverse response, bringing a diversity of thought,” Jung says. “Rise helps leaders realize there are people who can contribute, people they might not have realized, instead of

“The Pride ERG not only shows that we have a warm and welcoming environment at Oswald,” says Hoefler, a senior design specialist in marketing, communications and media at the company.

“It also helps with talent acquisition. It’s an outward showing that, ‘Hey, folks, we invite you to bring your full and authentic self to work.’”

Oswald has established several ERGs over the last 10 years and hopes to create more. The ERGs represent various worker subgroups, including women, young professionals and people of color.

Melanie Myers, Oswald’s organization development specialist who helps oversee the ERGs, says the groups give voices to everyone in the company.

“ERGs bridge gaps between and among employees and between employees and management,” Myers says. “They give visibility to emMelanie Myers ployee populations that might be underrepresented so that they are recognized, and ensures they have career mobility.”

Pride and Aspire, ERGs representing Black, Indigenous people of color (BIPOC), were launched in 2022 and 2023, respectively. They were the third and fourth ERGs at Oswald.

The first ERG at Oswald was the Women’s Leadership Council, formed in 2013 after the company’s executive team realized that white men dominated the leadership.

“Women in the company felt that leadership opportunities weren’t as obtainable for them,” Jung says. “The executive team worked hard to fix that and change how it would feel for women.”

Oswald Climbs, an ERG that focuses on recruiting, retaining and advancing younger professionals, followed in 2016. Six years later, Pride kicked off on

Oswald’s Aspire ERG, launched in the last year, is dedicated to connecting Black, Indigenous and people of color in Oswald’s eight locations.

Oct. 11, which is the annual National Coming Out Day. “We knew we had LGBTQ+ employees in the organization and knew Pride would be a profound ERG,” Myers says. “We had a lot of people raise their hands and say they wanted to be part of it.

“So we talked about what it means to come out at work and how it feels not to be your most authentic self when you go to work,” Myers says. “We want people to feel safe.”

That’s not to say that LGBTQ+ workers didn’t feel physically safe. They just wanted to be safe from judgment if they let down their guards and feel free to be themselves, while also having the same opportunities to reach their potential as their coworkers.

“It takes a lot of effort and stress to try to be someone you’re not,” Hoefler says. “Work has a social nature. When a coworker asks what you did on the weekend, that can be hard to answer if you have a same-sex partner. That can be hard to hide or admit.”

ERGs give their members a chance to foster understanding with coworkers who are not part of their group.

“I’m a young Black woman so my experience is different from someone who isn’t Black, female or young,” Myers says. “There’s a benefit to sharing that experience. Even if it’s not understood, it’s my job to find the resources to educate people who don’t experience life the way I do.”

Toward this end, ERGs invite nonmember coworkers and leaders to panel discussions where they can build new communication channels. These events can lead to professional relationships like mentorships.

The first step is establishing trust in management. Myers says Oswald works hard to earn that trust. She sits down with new hires for a “cultural conversation,” explaining that the company values their “fresh eyes,” thoughts and opinions.

“We make sure there are no consequences for speaking out and that we do something with employee feedback,” Myers says. “The worst thing you can do is ask for their input, then do nothing.”

Oswald’s ERGs also reach out to the community outside the workplace.

Pride has participated so far in two career fairs, including The MetroHealth System’s annual Transgender Job Fair, as well as a job fair at the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland.

“ERGs are places where people can respectfully and genuinely ask questions they are not sure about,” Hoefler says.

“Maybe they grew up sheltered and didn’t meet a lot of diverse people. We explain what we have experienced in our careers, perhaps some uncomfortable situations.

“When you bring your talents to work, and when you’re good at what you do, there’s no reason to be uncomfortable or to make someone else uncomfortable,” Hoefler says. clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

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BUSINESS

Thinking Inside the Box An urban agriculture career tech program offers insight to the future of farming.

BY TERRY TROY

Chris Papouras stands in front of the container farm.

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64 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

Using hydroponic technology and computer-controlled lights, the program teaches students how to grow crops in a container that saves space by allowing the vertical growing of produce.

According to Chris Papouras, superintendent of the Euclid City School District, the program was developed through educational partnerships as well as the insight of the Euclid City School District.

“We did the purchasing of a lot of the equipment from a company called Freight Farms,” he says. “Our instructor also did some professional development with them.”

Founded in 2012, Freight Farms debuted the first vertical hydroponic farm

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or a second straight year, high school students from Euclid, Wickliffe and Mentor are growing crops in a unique environment that not only teaches them about the future of farming, but also offers insights into the business side of agriculture.

Some people have called the new technology being taught at Euclid City Schools, “farm in a box,” but it could also be implemented to eliminate a cultural phenomenon called “food deserts.” Eventually, it might find its way into our nation’s space programs.

This is one high school career tech program where the sky is not the limit.

built inside an intermodal shipping container, with the mission of democratizing and decentralizing the local production of fresh, healthy food. Since its inception, Freight Farms has refined its product offering to something it calls the Greenery S container farm, which is what is being used in the Euclid program.

The Euclid City Schools and board approved the purchase and also received help from the Euclid Schools Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the schools. The Lake Shore Compact, which is a part of the district’s Career Tech programs, also contributed dollars.

“The money funneled through the Lake Shore Compact comes in the form of federal dollars and is meant to support Karen Brown our Career Tech programming,” explains Karen Brown, assistant superintendent of the Euclid City School District, who also coordinates the district’s career tech programs.

“We were able to use some of that funding since our program is open to students from Wickliffe and Mentor as well.”

Containerized vertical farming technology is already enjoying commercial success on a national level by a company headquartered in Cincinnati called 80 Acres Farms, which recently expanded its partnership with grocery giant Kroger to deliver fresh produce.

Starting with just a single Kroger store in Cincinnati in 2019, 80 Acres Farms

grew its reach into more than 300 Kroger stores across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky by 2021. This past August, 80 Acres announced its plans to serve about 1,000 Kroger stores across the Midwest and Southeast.

To give you an idea of the efficacy of this new farming method, 80 Acres’ first farm was only a quarter of an acre. Yet it could produce the same amount of food as an 80-acre farm — hence its moniker.

Students sell some of the crops to local restaurants to offset the costs of the program while offering leftovers to local foodbank programs. However, the lessons are not confined to using this new technology to simply produce food.

“It’s also adding to their experience by offering a deeper understanding of the business side of urban agriculture,” says Brown. “While our students have sold crops they have been able to grow

“This fit perfectly in with the mission of our urban agriculture program. The bigger question being, ‘How do we provide food, especially fresh produce, for communities and neighborhoods where fresh produce is not as easily accessible?’” — Chris Papouras 80 Acres uses 100% renewable energy to create a fully sustainable environment to grow crops free of pesticides, while also eliminating what it calls “food miles” or the distance it takes to get food from the farm to the plate. Eliminating those food miles was a major consideration when choosing the program for high school students, says Papouras.

“When we started doing our research, we didn’t realize how complex it was getting something from the farm to the plate,” he says. “I didn’t realize that sometimes it takes 1,500 miles for that to happen. The question then became, ‘How do we make sure that people are able to get food? How do we offer a learning program that can help our students learn a new technology that will actually help shape the future of the world?’”

“This fit perfectly in with the mission of our urban agriculture program. The bigger question being, ‘How do we provide food, especially fresh produce, for communities and neighborhoods where fresh produce is not as easily accessible?’

The container allows students to grow crops on a sustainable, industrial scale.

on our grounds, the volume with which they are able to produce crops from the Freight Farms container expands their business education. Our instructor has made business connections, and not just with charitable organizations, but with restaurants. So, our students are beginning to better understand supply and demand as well as sales. This is getting them hands-on experience on the business side of agriculture.”

According to Brown, students in the urban agriculture program number about 35, while another 45 students participate in the Euclid Schools’ culinary program.

“Another interesting aspect would be to have students who are farming supply produce to students who were doing the cooking and serving,” says Papouras.

“It’s all a part of a strong push to make our students realize that there are different pathways in school — not just those that lead to graduation, but many that lead to success in life. We are trying to be much more in tune with matching education with careers and jobs of the future.”

The use of containerized farming in the production of food for our nation’s space program is a natural and obvious outgrowth of the new technology. The more immediate impact, of course, is the feeding of the multitudes of hungry people here on Earth who are food deprived or food challenged.

While both Brown and Papouras would not comment on what the future might hold for students, it might not be too long before a graduate of the program embarks on an entrepreneurial endeavor that rivals that of 80 Acres Farms, which has enjoyed so much success in Cincinnati.

Students and instructors from Euclid's Urban Agriculture Tech program. clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

| COMMUNITY LEADER 65

My Life

By Lynne Thompson

My Food

Creating an Upper Crust The traditional Thanksgiving dinner dessert is pie, an indulgence long evaluated as much on the quality of its crust as its filling. Generations of home cooks have strived to create the prized ideal: “loose and flaky,” as Joe Schlott, owner of Gray House Pies in Westlake and Lakewood, describes it.

But the man who’s been turning out holiday favorites — Pumpkin Pecan, The Crawler (cranberry apple flavored with triple sec), Three Wise Men (pecan spiked with Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Johnnie Walker), and yes, even the much-maligned mincemeat

— for over a decade insists that making a great crust isn’t that hard. He offers tips for producing one that even the most discriminating great-grandmother will praise.

Use a recipe that calls for butter. Schlott says it yields a better-tasting crust than shortening. “Unequivocally, there’s no contest,” he declares.

Let the butter soften to a workable consistency. Schlott concurs with common cookbook wisdom that cold butter produces a dough that’s easier to handle and more likely to yield a flakier crust (see next tip). But he emphasizes that it doesn’t have to be chilled to rock-hardness.

“If you’re having to struggle to cut the butter,” he says, “it’s too cold.”

Don’t overmix.

Schlott calls it “the cardinal sin” of crust-making.

“Flaky is layers of butter and flour, almost infinite layers,” he explains. He adds that cold butter increases the chances of producing a flakier crust because it is less prone to blending completely with the flour, along with sugar and salt. He recommends cutting the butter

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into the flour until pea-sized pieces form, then mixing two to three tablespoons of cold water into the dough

with a knife or fork to loosely bind them together. “You don’t want to make it a solid mass,” he emphasizes.

Pave the way for smooth rolling.

Schlott liberally flours the counter where he rolls out his dough to

prevent sticking. He suggests novices place the dough between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough out to the desired circumference, peel one sheet off, and lay the dough side down on the pie plate before peeling off the remaining sheet.

Keep it cool. Place the dough in the refrigerator to firm it up if it looks “too wet, too soft” after mixing and/or rolling. Bake a piecrust, filled or unfilled, that’s too warm, and “the butter is just going to want to melt out of the crust,” Schlott warns. To help ensure success and reduce stress, he recommends making piecrusts ahead of time, sticking them in the freezer once they’re in pie plates, then filling and baking them at a later date.

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My Holidays

Giving the Gift of Food Food is a perennial go-to holiday gift. Local chefs reveal their favorites to give.

Brandon Chrostowski, owner, Edwins and Edwins Too, Shaker Square: artisanal cheese, olive oil, vinegars, hazelnut oil, spices, Turkish

pistachios, $100-a-pound butter from Normandy. “You’ve got to source the greatest in the world,” he advises.

Douglas Katz, partner, Amba, Ohio City; Zhug, Cleveland Heights; and Provenance, Cleveland Museum of Art: pickles. “They’re a jarred product that are bringing the fresh seasonal produce into the winter season,” he says. The green color, he adds, is festive, particularly when packed, say, with

Brandon Chrostowski

Doug Katz

Jeremy Umansky

that hasn’t said, ‘This is the best jerky I’ve ever had in my life,’” he says.

Jeremy Umansky, co-owner, Larder Delicatessen and Bakery, Ohio City: anything from The Cleveland Chocolate Co. (He singles out bar samplers and bonbon assortments.) “They do so many amazing things from bean to bar there,” he raves. Each dollar spent, he adds, supports a local small business.

“It proliferates, more often than not, to another small business in the area.”

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red chilies like his father, Dr. Robert Katz, puts in his sour fermented cold-pack pickles.

He recommends checking out Cleveland Heights-based Happy Pickler’s selection at happypickler.com.

Michael Symon, owner, Mabel’s BBQ, East 4th Street and Woodmere; B Spot Burgers, Cleveland Browns Stadium; and Symon’s Burger Joint, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: jerky from J & J Czuchraj Meats at the West Side Market. “I’ve never given it to a chef friend

Michael Symon

My Home

COURTESY CINDY COULTER

Off The Wall Many people know the Murphy bed as nothing more than a comedic prop. But that prop is actually a practical solution to a problem faced by space-challenged hosts: turning the spare room-turnedhome office, gym or craft space into acceptable accommodations for visiting friends and relatives.

“The three days of the year that you have company, you can pull it out and have a very nice guest room without having to do a blow-up mattress on the floor,” says Cindy Coulter, a sales manager and designer at storage-solutions provider Closet Factory’s Cleveland franchise.

According to Coulter, today’s wall beds, as they’re generically known, generally pull down and lift up into a cabinet attached to the wall rather than the wall itself. “They only take up about 19 inches of depth,” she says. That cabinet, depending on the product line and client’s budget, can be finished to complement an existing decor. For example, Murphy Bed/Lifestyles

by Closet Factory offers over 30 melamine finishes as well as a number of door and drawer faces, moldings and trims.

“We have quite a few clients who have mobility issues and don’t have upper-body strength like they used to,” Coulter says. Installing a lock at the top of the cabinet, she adds, helps ensure the safety of children tempted to play with the bed.

Coulter recommends determining the size of wall bed needed and estimating how often it will be used, factors that in turn drive budget, before shopping for one. Prices at the Closet Factory, for example, range from about $5,200 for a basic “bed-inthe-box” twin to $7,200 for a high-end queen model, not including the mattress. (Only the king in this line requires a box spring.)

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My Earth

The Life of Any Holiday Party

too wet in the winter and spring, and too dry in the summer and early fall.

Selecting a hardy fir. “Firs have the best needle retention,” Johnson notes. He suggests a Canaan fir, a variety popular in the cut-tree industry; white or concolor fir; Nordmann or Caucasian fir; or Korean fir.

Preparing a decorative container. Purchase an attractive, well-drained vessel in which to place the balled-and-burlapped or potted tree. (Those who opt to temporarily transplant a tree from a utilitarian pot will need potting soil to help fill its replacement.)

Keep the soil moist — Johnson says it may well require watering every day (test with the more-sensitive back of the hand) — and keep the tree away from direct sunlight, fireplaces, registers and forced-air vents.

Planting with care. “You want to take the burlap off before you plant [the tree],” Johnson instructs novice gardeners. The tree should be planted so at least one root is visible at top of grade. “Roots grow down very efficiently,” he explains. “But they don’t grow up.” He suggests fencing for at least a year to protect the tree from deer.

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There’s a pine-scented, happy- ending alternative to trimming a cut Christmas Ethan Johnson tree that ends up on the curb: bringing a balled-and-burlapped or potted counterpart into the home, then planting it outside. Ethan Johnson, plant records curator at Holden Forests & Gardens (an integration of the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland with the Cleveland Botanical Garden), says the practice does come with a time limitation.

He recommends bringing the tree inside for no longer than five days.

“The quicker in and out, the higher probability you’re going to have a success,” he advises. “Every day above 50 degrees, the plant’s going to lose hardiness.”

To help ensure that success, he recommends: Digging a hole for planting (or loosening the soil with a spading fork) before the ground freezes. Wait until the day after Christmas, and the task could be slowed by a large rock, obscured tree stump, etc. as well as hard earth. “You probably want to check to see if there’s any utilities there,” Johnson reminds. The soil should be amended with no more than 5% organic matter. Use too much, and the soil will be

My Health

Does Cold Cause Colds?

Mothers have advised their children against venturing into freezing temperatures without bundling up so they won’t “catch their death of cold.” While that phrase may be overstated, a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology indicates there is science to support it. Researchers found that cold air diminishes the immune response in the nose, one of the body’s first sites of contact with respiratory viruses.

Research shows when a virus enters the nose, the cells lining it begin creating basic copies

of themselves called extracellular vesicles, or EVs. The intruding virus sticks to one of these Dr. Amy decoys and Edwards is expelled in mucus, stopped before it can enter the body and multiply.

The study, completed using human tissue in the lab, found that dropping the temperature by as little as 9 degrees Fahrenheit kills off nearly 42% of those EVs and reduces the number of receptors. University Hospitals associate medical director of pediatric infection control Dr. Amy Edwards, who was not involved in the study, explains that because the protein decoy is not a living cell, it’s going to have a much narrower range of survival.

“Proteins typically are in their naturally folded [functional] state at body temperature,” she says. “So you could see a world where things that aren’t living cells don’t do as well with temperature change.”

But Dr. Edwards says she’d like the study repeated in a larger patient population.

She raises questions such as whether length of time outdoors, core body temperature and/or temperature of the respiratory lining figure into the weakening of the nose’s immune response and

at what decreased EV level viral infections actually increase. Still, she echoes study researchers’ suggestion: Wear a mask, what study co-author Dr. Benjamin Bleier, director of otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, has likened to “wearing a sweater on your nose.”

“As much as everybody hates masks,” she says, “masks are our primary defense against catching illness,” she reminds.

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Enjoying a peaceful fall morning in The Land.

By Matt Shiffler

72 COMMUNITY LEADER | NOVEMBER 2023

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