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Pioneering program selects 14 emerging developers of color to revolutionize real estate development in Cleveland

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 Fourteen promising entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds have been selected to participate in an innovative new real estate development program with a clear mission: to break down historical barriers and empower these individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to shape the future of Cleveland’s communities.

The Cleveland Equitable Development Initiative, or CLE-EDI, will bolster the ranks of successful minority real estate developers in the region and to stimulate economic growth in the communities from which these entrepreneurs hail.

Yvette Ittu, president and CEO of Cleveland Development Advisors, underscores the significance of this initiative, stating: “These entrepreneurs possess a range of business experiences, but the intensive real estate development training and mentorship this program provides will significantly enhance their chances of success.  By nurturing these motivated individuals, we will not only foster greater diversity and inclusion in our real estate community, but will elevate their capabilities in development.

CLE-EDI is a joint effort by Cleveland Development Advisors (CDA), which provides expertise and financing to real estate projects that advance economic and community development; Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, a local community development intermediary that invests in community revitalization work in Greater Cleveland; and Capital Impact Partners, a mission-driven nonprofit lender based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

“This program is imperative due to the profound disparities in the industry stemming from limited access to capital and training, the persistent wealth gap, and the absence of a cohesive network of service providers and mentors to empower these individuals to enable them to play a meaningful role in shaping our collective future,” Ittu added.

One of the CLE-EDI program cohorts is Hosanna Mahaley, founder and CEO of Legacy RED (Real Estate Development) Group, a woman and minority owned general contracting and construction management firm. Legacy has provided professional services on 200 real estate projects, including with public entities in Northeast Ohio, Chicago and Dallas. She is a former teacher and public education leader, eventually serving as the State Superintendent of Education for the District of Columbia.

“I’m deeply committed to the revitalization of Cleveland,” said Mahaley, a native of Hough. “Returning to this city was driven by my desire to give back to the community that has given me so much.  The east  side is Cleveland’s Cinderella and it is time for it to gain its rightful place in our city’s past, present and future.  My vision is to offer world class senior housing in an area that is often overlooked.  This program will provide extra support to help me cross the finish line.  A recurring challenge for developers of color is the scarcity of financial resources.  This program will provide invaluable insights into overcoming this obstacle and turn my plans and ideas into reality.” 

The other 13 entrepreneurs selected for the program are:

April Bebee, CEO of Phoenix Development Group, LLC, has a passion for transforming neighborhoods.  The Cleveland native is very deliberate in their engagement of local residents and stakeholders.  She is also a licensed financial services professional and a long time employee in clinical research at the Cleveland Clinic. Her extensive community outreach includes working with underserved youth in the real estate development space.

Andre Bryan, managing partner for BridgePort Group LLC, a minority and veteran-owned small business that provides innovative solutions for global supply chain, logistics, warehousing and distribution services.  Andre’s firm has been recognized as the Small Business of the Year by the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council.

Jermaine Brooks, realtor and managing member of WRJ Developers LLC, a minority developer in Cleveland. Recent WRJ work includes ArkiTainer, a 64-unit apartment building being built from shipping containers on 72nd Street in Cleveland. He has been a licensed Realtor for 10 years with Keller Williams Greater Metropolitan, and is an active member of the City of Cleveland Airport Minority Advisory Council.

Akil Hameed, founder and CEO of FASS Real Estate Services, which manages more than 500,000 square feet of commercial and residential properties in Northeast Ohio. As an experienced broker, property manager and business professional, Hameed has an established record of success with diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout many of his corporate dealings.

Jimmie Hicks III, a board member and project director for housing rehab for Start Right Community Development Corporation, a family operated non-profit in the Caledonia neighborhood of Cleveland Heights.In September 2022, he was named Deputy Director for Responsible Gambling for The Ohio Lottery Commission.

Tiffany L. Hollinger, owner of Hollinger Financial LLC. She is a entrepreneur, Realtor, real estate investor and financial advisor. She has more than 25 years of financial service and 10 years of real estate experience.

Ariane Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of the AKA Team, a commercial construction and facilities company. Ariane is an experienced contractor providing collaborative management and construction services. AKA’s larger projects include work for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Horseshoe Casino and Cuyahoga Community College. Kirkpatrick is also CEO of companies with provisional large-scale medical cannabis cultivation, dispensary and process licenses in Ohio.

Jimi Oluwabiyi, a real estate developer with Lael, LLC. He began his real estate development career in 2002. His residential work has expanded to multi-family development and has also worked on property management, contractor management risk assessments, financial analysis and stakeholder management. His civic work has included being appointed to the New African Immigrants Commission of Ohio.

Dominic Ozanne II, project manager for Ozanne Construction Company. He manages multiple projects throughout Northeast Ohio. He first worked for the company’s team in New Orleans as a member of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Recovery Program following Hurricane Katrina.

Evin Peavy, a real estate developer with DC Kelly Investments in Cleveland who focuses on transforming communities through inclusive projects. He has a passion for revitalizing urban landscapes and promoting inclusiveness within neighborhoods. He has experience in multi-family and commercial mixed use project development.

Christopher D. Roberts, a CPA who has worked for a number of Fortune 500 companies and now leads financial strategy for global procurement and supplier diversity & inclusion at Amazon. He has been involved in various aspects of real estate, including serving on a non-profit board providing low-income housing for senior citizens and the acquisition and development of multiple mixed-use buildings.

Dontez Sanders, founder of DS Group Real Estate Investments, a property management group that has managed more than 1,000 units in Northeast Ohio. Sanders, a former Cleveland Browns and University of Wisconsin football player, went into real estate after his career with the Browns.

Khrystalynn Shefton, chief of growth and expansion at Birthing Beautiful Communities, which is working to build the first Black-led free-standing birth center in Northeast Ohio. Her desire to impact Cleveland and its neighborhoods led to urban planning and development education, and she has served as director of real estate and development planning for the Famicos Foundation.

The program, which begins this week, will pair experienced developers with emerging developers to help launch their projects.  The list of developer mentors has also expanded and can be found here.

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Kamm’s Corners Greek Festival Sept. 2023

BY JESSIE SCHOONOVER

It doesn’t get more delicious than the Kamm’s Corners Greek Festival! This year has been well attended so far, with anxious eaters filling their plates or to-go containers with favorites like moussaka, pastitsio, spanakopita, gyros, Greek fries, and more.

The Kamm’s Corners Greek Festival began Friday, Sept. 1, and runs through Monday, Sept. 4, ending at 9 p.m., at the George Varouh Cretan Club of Cleveland, 3853 W 168th St, Cleveland, OH 44111.

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The Cleveland Museum of Art presents a seminal survey of Chinese art 

Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, Suzhou: The Thousand Buddha Hall and the Pagoda of the “Cloudy Cliff” Monastery, after 1490. Shen Zhou (Chinese, 1427–1509). Album leaf; ink on paper or ink and slight color on paper; image: 31.1 x 41 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 1964.371.7

Including more than 200 objects from over 30 international collections  

The Cleveland Museum of Art is pleased to announce the opening of China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta, a landmark exhibition that explores the historical and cultural riches of a pivotal region known as Jiangnan. The exhibition—the first in the West to focus on this area—features more than 200 objects relating to Jiangnan which has remained one of China’s wealthiest, most populous, and agriculturally fertile lands.  

China’s Southern Paradise, shown exclusively at the Cleveland Museum of Art, opens September 10, 2023, and is on view through January 7, 2024, in the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall. 

Through major loans from more than 30 institutions around the world and selections from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s world-renowned collection of Chinese art, China’s Southern Paradise explores the coastal region south of the Yangzi River, where the earliest remains of cultivated rice were found. Key loans from six Chinese institutions, including the Beijing Palace Museum, the Shanghai Museum, and the Nanjing Museum, bring rarely seen objects to the US that illustrate how Jiangnan gained a leading role in China’s artistic production and succeeded in setting cultural standards. The exhibition also includes objects from Japan, Europe, Canada, and throughout the United States, brought together for the first time, some of which have never been presented to the public before. 

Jiangnan’s lush, green scenery inspired poets and artists to conceive it as heaven on earth. For millennia, it has been an area of rich agriculture, extensive trade, and influential artistic production. Art from Jiangnan—home to such great cities as Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing, as well as to hilly picturesque landscapes stretched along rivers and lakes—has defined the image of traditional China for the world.   

“So much of what we associate with traditional China today—such as rice, silk and lacquer production, color printing, garden culture, landscape painting—either originated or flourished in the Jiangnan region,” said Clarissa von Spee, the show’s curator and the James and Donna Reid Curator of Chinese Art, Interim Curator of Islamic Art and Chair of Asian Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art. “To bring these rare, unique treasures together from around the world provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors, nationally and abroad, to witness the richness and unsurpassed quality of art from a part of China that is still associated with natural beauty, elegance, high culture, and erudition. Jiangnan imagery and goods that reached 18th-century Europe shaped our idea of China more than any other region.” 

Exhibits in China’s Southern Paradise range in material from jade, silk, prints, and paintings to porcelain, lacquer, and bamboo carvings, and date from the Neolithic age to the 18th century. 

Exhibition highlights include: 

  • A 12th-century National Treasure from the Tokyo National Museum—categorized as among the most precious of Japan’s Tangible Cultural Properties—Imaginary Journey through Xiao-Xiang is a handscroll that reflects the region’s natural beauty of mist-shrouded mountains along rivers and lakes. 
  • An 82-foot-long scroll documents in fascinating detail urban and rural life along the route of the Kangxi emperor’s 1689 Southern Inspection Tour from Beijing via the Grand Canal to the lower Yangzi delta (Jiangnan), lent from the University of Alberta Art Museums. 
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art’s well known carved jade cup with Daoist procession, almost identical in shape and decoration with an imperially marked white cup in the Beijing Palace Museum, will be shown together for the first time. Believed to have been made by Suzhou craftsmen, they exhibit a high point of refinement and workmanship, and offer a unique opportunity for comparison. 
  • On view for the first time in the United States, grains of carbonized rice excavated from Tianluoshan, a site of the Neolithic Hemudu culture in modern Zhejiang province, represent the world’s earliest cultivated rice, lent from the Zhejiang Archaeological Institute. 
  • Also on view for the first time to the American public is a group of large-scale, multicolor prints, the finest of their type ever produced in China. These prints from Suzhou depict fashionable beauties and famous sights. 
  • New Year’s Morning is a European-style tapestry depicting a large family gathering that once furnished an imperial palace interior. Thanks to the generous support of June and Simon K. C. Li, this rare tapestry in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art was conserved for the exhibition by the Textile Conservation Laboratory at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York. Only one other example is known to be in the Beijing Palace Museum.  
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art’s five-stringed guqin, a zither that is China’s most prestigious musical instrument, was the subject of a discovery when conservators cleaned the object for display and found an inscription which established that the instrument was made by Zhang Ruixiu from Suzhou in 1584. 

“This is an exhibition that the Cleveland Museum of Art is uniquely qualified to organize,” said William M. Griswold, Director and President of the Cleveland Museum of Art. “Our incredible holdings of Chinese art have inspired the confidence of our more than 30 partners across the world to lend works of art, which allow us to present an exhibition with objects of impressive quality and scope never seen together before.” 

Principal support is provided by June and Simon K. C. Li and the MCH Foundation. Major support is provided by the American Friends of the Shanghai Museum and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. Generous support is provided by an anonymous supporter and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by the Blakemore Foundation, William and Terry Carey, the Gramercy Park Foundation, Carl M. Jenks, the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies, Xiling Group, and Zheng He Management Group.  

All exhibitions at the Cleveland Museum of Art are underwritten by the CMA Fund for Exhibitions. Principal annual support is provided by Michael Frank and the late Pat Snyder, the John and Jeanette Walton Exhibition Fund, and the late Roy L. Williams. Generous annual support is provided by an anonymous supporter, the late Dick Blum and Harriet Warm, Gary and Katy Brahler, Cynthia and Dale Brogan, Dr. Ben and Julia Brouhard, Brenda and Marshall Brown, Richard and Dian Disantis, the Jeffery Wallace Ellis Trust in memory of Lloyd H. Ellis Jr., Leigh and Andy Fabens, the Frankino-Dodero Family Fund for Exhibitions Endowment, Janice Hammond and Edward Hemmelgarn, Carl T. Jagatich, Cathy Lincoln, Eva and Rudolf Linnebach, William S. and Margaret F. Lipscomb, Bill and Joyce Litzler, Carl and Lu Anne Morrison, Jeffrey Mostade and Eric Nilson and Varun Shetty, Tim O’Brien and Breck Platner, William J. and Katherine T. O’Neill, Michael and Cindy Resch, Betty T. and David M. Schneider, the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation, Margaret and Loyal Wilson, the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and Claudia Woods and David Osage. 

The exhibition catalogue for China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta was produced with the generous support of the MCH Foundation.  

Generous support of the exhibition symposium is provided by the Kingfisher Foundation. 

Complementary Programming 

SYMPOSIUM 

“Jiangnan–Objects in Focus” 
In conjunction with the exhibition China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta 

Saturday, November 4, 2023, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Gartner Auditorium
Free; ticket required 

“Jiangnan–Objects in Focus” is an international one-day symposium featuring 15 scholars from the United States, Asia, and Europe, who will each give a talk spotlighting one exhibit in their respective area of expertise. The goal of the symposium is to discuss highlights of the exhibition and foster a better understanding of the Jiangnan region and its artistic and cultural role in China and beyond. 

Generous support of the exhibition symposium is provided by the Kingfisher Foundation. 

LECTURE 
THE PAULINE AND JOSEPH DEGENFELDER DISTINGUISHED LECTURE IN CHINESE ART 

“Heaven Is High and the Emperor Is Far Away”: Jiangnan in Ming Dynasty China 

Speaker: Craig Clunas, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, University of Oxford 

Sunday, November 5, 2023, 2:00 p.m. 

Gartner Auditorium
Free; ticket required 

Although the Jiangnan region of China, meaning “south of the Yangtze,” was the site of the first Ming dynasty capital, the court relocated to the north of China half a century after the dynasty’s founding. From this time, emperors and their immediate families were largely absent from the culture of this prosperous and vibrant heartland. But many ties still linked the culture of Jiangnan’s “Southern Paradise” and that of the Ming court. This lecture focuses on what artworks, as well as literature, can tell us about the often-fraught relationship between Jiangnan, its people, and their distant rulers in the north. 

Craig Clunas is the first scholar of Asian art to hold the chair of art history at the University of Oxford. Educated in Cambridge, Beijing, and London, he began his career as a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He is the author of numerous works on Chinese art and culture, particularly of the Ming period. He is a fellow of the British Academy and, in 2012, delivered the Mellon Lectures at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. 

All education programs at the Cleveland Museum of Art are underwritten by the CMA Fund for Education. Generous annual support is provided by an anonymous supporter, Brenda and Marshall Brown, Florence Kahane Goodman, Eva and Rudolf Linnebach, Bill and Joyce Litzler, Mandi Rickelman, Betty T. and David M. Schneider, the Sally and Larry Sears Fund for Education Endowment, the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation, Roy Smith, and the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Additional annual support is provided by the M. E. and F. J. Callahan Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Walter R. Chapman Jr., Char and Chuck Fowler, the Giant Eagle Foundation, the Lloyd D. Hunter Memorial Fund, the Logsdon Family Fund for Education, and the Trilling Family Foundation. 

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About the Cleveland Museum of Art 

The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 63,000 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The museum is a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship and performing arts and is a leader in digital innovations. One of the top comprehensive art museums in the nation, recognized for its award-winning Open Access program and free of charge to all, the Cleveland Museum of Art is located in the University Circle neighborhood. 

The museum is supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and made possible in part by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically. For more information about the museum and its holdings, programs and events, call 888-CMA-0033 or visit cma.org. 

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City of Cleveland and KeyBank announce $2.5 Million Grant to fund new home repair programs for Cleveland residents

MEDIA RELEASE

Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Justin M. Bibb, KeyCorp CEO Chris Gorman, Cleveland City Council President Blaine A. Griffin and leaders from CHN Housing Partners and LISC Cleveland celebrated a $2.5 million philanthropic grant from KeyBank to amplify the city’s recent $15 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investment to support new home repair programs.  

“This incredible investment from KeyBank is helping us make our ARPA dollars go further, particularly in neighborhoods that have experienced disproportional disinvestment,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “I know I speak for all of us when I say thank you to the KeyBank Foundation for their commitment to Cleveland and to this important work. Funding for home repair is a critical component of the work being done to revitalize the Southeast side and our city as a whole.”  

KeyBank Foundation grants will be awarded to CHN Housing Partners and LISC Cleveland, who will work with the City of Cleveland to distribute funds to qualifying residents. 

“KeyBank’s significant investment is a testament to our enduring commitment to both our hometown and to our purpose…to help our clients and communities thrive,” said Chris Gorman, Chairman and CEO of KeyCorp. “We are pleased to be part of this landmark partnership with the City of Cleveland, LISC and CHN Housing Partners, helping homeowners access funding to build and revitalize our neighborhoods, home by home and block by block. We look forward to seeing the transformative impact this investment will have in communities across Cleveland for years to come.” 

Affordable housing and home ownership are part of the KeyBank Foundation’s core mission, both building generational wealth through homeownership and revitalizing and improving the homes in under-resourced communities.   

“We are incredibly grateful to KeyBank Foundation for this investment in Cleveland’s families and neighborhoods,” said Kevin J. Nowak, president and CEO of CHN Housing Partners. “This investment will ultimately have a triple bottom line for residents—making them more housing stable, helping them live in a healthier environment, and improving their property values which will create generational wealth.” 

Following yesterday’s announcement, the partners will convene to finalize the grantmaking process and discuss how to best align with the work already being done by Cleveland’s Department of Community Development and community partners to make a transformative difference. 

“LISC is honored to partner with the City of Cleveland and KeyBank to bring a home repair program to Cleveland,” said Kandis Williams, LISC Cleveland Executive Director. “This program’s impact will be far reaching in that it will support the stabilization of neighborhoods through improved housing stock while also supporting the building of assets and intergenerational wealth for individual Cleveland homeowners.” 

The initial $15 million pot of ARPA funding for City of Cleveland home maintenance and repair programs was approved by City Council earlier this month. Through this investment, four nonprofits—CHN, LISC, Habitat for Humanity and Cleveland Restoration Society—will receive funding to administer loans and grants to assist low-income residents. 

“Residents want to know that Council’s ARPA investments are directly benefiting them. Our initial $15 million investments in home repair loans – and Key Bank’s $2.5 million match will allow us to help more owners invest in their homes, especially in neighborhoods often overlooked by traditional lenders,” said City Council President Blaine A. Griffin. “This is a win for Clevelanders. We’ll continue the fight for residents by seeking additional external partners to support this work.” 

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Collaborative initiative conducted to reduce violent crime

MEDIA RELEASE

The Cleveland Division of Police has partnered with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Investigative Unit, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Ohio Department of Youth Services and other local and federal authorities on a two-day violence reduction initiative focused on the city’s third and fifth Districts.

Provisional data from the initiative, which was held on August 24 and 25, shows that partnering agencies made 42 felony arrests, seized 28 illegally possessed firearms, and recovered 10 stolen vehicles.  OSHP troopers, federal agents, and local officers also seized varying amounts of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and ecstasy in addition to illegally possessed prescription pills.

This week’s targeted saturation event was the second of several in Cleveland, which the State will participate in at the direction of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.  A number of OSHP resources were utilized to assist the Cleveland Division of Police and its Violent Crime Reduction Team, including Cleveland District OSHP troopers, Aviation, Investigative Services, Special Response Team, Vehicle Theft Unit, and the Ohio Investigative Unit. 

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City announces Back to Basics Street Improvements funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

Montrose Avenue, Riveredge Road, Old Lorain Road, West 183rd Street (Ward 17)

MEDIA RELEASE

Beginning August 22, 2023, weather permitting, the City of Cleveland’s Back to Basics Street Improvement Program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will begin in Ward 17. Advance notice signs will be posted to advise the public of road improvements. The following streets are expected to be completed in mid-October:

  •   Montrose Avenue (Glencliffe Road to Warren Road)
  •   Riveredge Road (Larchwood Avenue to End)
  •   Old Lorain Road (Lorain Avenue to Valley Parkway)
  •   West 183th Street (Puritas Avenue to Ponciana Avenue)

One lane of traffic will be maintained for local traffic for the duration of each project. No detours are expected. Access to all businesses, residences and side streets will be maintained during construction. On-street parking will not be allowed during construction. The work will take place during the hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.For questions, contact the City of Cleveland’s Inspector, Eric Faehner at 216-857-3028.

Editor’s Note: Road construction invariably presents hazards to the public. All travelers are urged to use caution in construction zones. Public safety and the safety of workers is a top priority.

About the City of Cleveland The City of Cleveland is committed to improving the quality of life for its residents by strengthening neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing diversity and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, play, and do business. For more information on the City of Cleveland, visit online at clevelandohio.gov, Twitter at @cityofcleveland or Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcleveland

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WPT volunteer Jerry Mask to serve as Cleveland Chapter SPJ President for 2023-24 year

Retiree Jerry Masek, a volunteer at The West Park Times, has been asked to serve as President of the Cleveland Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for the 2023-24 program year.
A journalist since 1969, and a member since 1976, Masek has been recognized for service to journalism on the local, regional and national levels.
SPJ represents all journalists, whether they are members of the Society or not, in all modes of journalism — print, broadcast, freelance and online. The SPJ Code of Ethics is considered the industry standard. All Chapter programs and Board meetings are open to the public.
To learn more, go to the national or local Facebook pages, or www.spj.org, or www.clevelandSPJpro.com. The Pro Chapter works with student chapters at Cleveland State University and John Carroll University.

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Holly Trifiro will step down from her role as Chief of Education effective Aug. 25

MEDIA RELEASE

Today, Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced that Holly Trifiro will step down from her role as Chief of Education effective Aug. 25, 2023. 

Stepping into the role is Michele Pomerantz, a veteran Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) educator and advocate with decades of experience in regional collaboration, policy development and education management. Pomerantz’s first official day as Chief of Education will be Aug. 28.  

“I am proud of the work we have done in the education space during the first 18 months of my administration,” Mayor Bibb said. “From Cleveland Reads and ARPA investments, to strong selections for the Board of Education and an inclusive search for CMSD’s next CEO, we have accomplished a lot and I am deeply grateful to Chief Trifiro for leading these efforts. As we begin a new school year with new leadership, it is an optimal time to bring in the next Chief of Education and I wish Chief Trifiro all the best as she embarks on this next chapter of her career.”  

Although she is leaving the administration, Chief Trifiro will remain very much involved in working directly with students, educators, families and partners across Cleveland to continue this progress from a new vantage point.  

“My experience in the Mayor’s Office has deepened my understanding of the value of community organizations and creative educators working directly with students to reimagine learning in a post-pandemic context,” Chief Trifiro said. “With this insight, I will be working on strategies to grow high-quality engaging learning experiences in our city. The mayor’s commitment to a youth agenda paired with Dr. Morgan’s experience leading meaningful academic progress signal a phase of incredible opportunity for Cleveland’s young people, and I am excited to continue to play a role in that work.”  

Chief Trifiro and Pomerantz will work together on the transition and onboarding process to ensure there is no disruption to the work of the office.  

“We are excited to welcome Michele to City Hall and to continue building on our progress,” Mayor Bibb said. “Given her experience in education, local government, advocacy and policy, she is well prepared to take on this critical role.” 

Michele Pomerantz began her career in education as a first-grade teacher for CMSD in the early 1990s. During her 21-year tenure as an educator, Pomerantz was focused on improving the system for teachers and for students. From 2008 to 2012, she served as director of political action for the Cleveland Teachers Union, where she led advocacy efforts for the 2011 Ohio Collective Bargaining Limit Repeal and played a major role in the formation and establishment of The Cleveland Plan.  

Pomerantz then spent a year at D.C.-based American Federation of Teachers (AFT), serving as the deputy director of the office of the president, before returning to Cleveland as a senior advisor to then CMSD CEO Eric Gordon.  

In 2018 Pomerantz was selected by former Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish to serve as Director of Regional Collaboration, a role she held for four years before joining the MetroHealth system’s government relations team.  

“I am both humbled and excited to be named Cleveland’s next Chief of Education,” Pomerantz said. “This role draws on every facet of my 30 plus year career in education and government, and I am ready to hit the ground running. It is an honor to be selected to serve our young scholars, families, educators, administrators and citywide stakeholders. Together, I believe we will achieve great things for and with the young people in this city.” 

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Cleveland International Film Festival Executive Director Marcie Goodman plans to step down June 2024

 Marcie Goodman, Executive Director of the Cleveland International Film Festival informed the Board of Directors that she plans to step down at the end of June 2024.

NEWS RELEASE

Marcie Goodman, executive director of the Cleveland International Film Festival informed the Board of Directors that she plans to step down at the end of June 2024.

Marcie Goodman started at CIFF in 1987, took a hiatus from 1994 to 1997 to work at moCa Cleveland, and returned to CIFF in 1998. In 2001 she became the organization’s third executive director in its 47-year history — following founder Jonathan Forman and his successor, David Wittkowsky.

“It has been a labor of love to work with so many dedicated board members, talented staffers, loyal volunteers, and generous sponsors, donors, and funders,” Goodman said. “Together we’ve helped filmmakers find audiences for their amazing work, bringing our artists and our attendees joy, wonder and excitement. One year from now I will have been the Film Festival’s executive director for 23 years. It’s time for me to take a break and turn the page to the next chapter. The Cleveland International Film Festival is world-renowned, so I’m 100% certain the board will get to choose from amazing candidates to replace me. And the board will find someone with the right leadership skills, energy, and vision to keep CIFF going as one of the crown jewels of Cleveland’s arts and culture community. The new director will also have time to prepare for CIFF’s 50th anniversary in 2026!”

Board President Chris Blake said: “Marcie Goodman has overseen an extraordinary run of success for CIFF during her tenure as executive director. Under her leadership, CIFF managed extraordinary growth during the Festival’s time at Tower City Cinemas, successfully pivoting to showing films online at the start of the pandemic, and transitioning the Festival to its new forever home at Playhouse Square. We are grateful for her service to CIFF and we’re looking forward to celebrating her during CIFF48 — her final Festival as executive director. In the meantime, we will use the advance notice she’s given us to identify the next great leader for CIFF.”

The Board of Directors will soon begin a national search for CIFF’s next executive director.

CIFF48 will take place April 3-13, 2024 at Playhouse Square — the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York. The Festival will screen films in five of the iconic theatres at Playhouse Square, with a handful of other spaces being used for CIFF talkbacks, community events, and patron andfilmmaker gathering places. Information on CIFF48 Streams – the Festival’s online component – will be announced in the coming months.

The Cleveland International Film Festival is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Also, the Cleveland International Film Festival is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council(OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

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Antonio, Kunze Unveil Funding for No-Cost Period Products

Antonio, Kunze Unveil Funding for No-Cost Period Products

PRESS RELEASE

On July 26, Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood), state Senator Stephanie Kunze (R-Dublin), Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus and members of the Hamilton County Commission on Women and Girls held a press conference to discuss funding in the budget to provide no-cost period products in Ohio schools.

“Menstruation is a natural, biological occurrence that’s experienced by more than half the population—just as a lack of access to toilet paper is unhygienic and a danger to one’s health, the same is true of lacking access to period products,” said Leader Antonio. “I am pleased that this budget bill includes a provision for the basic health and hygiene necessities for girls, and I look forward to seeing expanding access to period products as we work toward menstrual equity in Ohio.”

This appropriation was recently signed into law as part of the state operating budget, House Bill 33. Leader Antonio and Senator Kunze introduced the budget amendment that will allocate this funding. It will provide $5 million in fiscal year 2024 for schools to provide free period products in schools. Of the $5 million, $2 million will go toward installing product dispensers and $3 million will go toward purchasing the products.

“I am grateful our amendment to provide period products to our 6-12 grade students was included in the Senate version and final version of the state operating budget,” said Senator Kunze. “We heard from advocates throughout the state that this will significantly aid in ensuring less truancy and stigma, and promoting productivity and participation in the classroom.”

At least 30 states and the District of Columbia have laws easing access to period products, and Ohio joins more than 20 states that have legislation to increase access in schools specifically. Providing students with freely-accessible tampons and pads can increase school attendance by 2.4% and reduce the documented health risks that they may face when experiencing a lack of access to these essential products.

“It is imperative that all students have every opportunity to learn in our schools.  Eighty percent of teens have reported missing class time or knew someone who had missed school due to not having access to period products,” said Commissioner Driehaus. “Providing no-cost period products in Ohio schools enables students to attend class, reduces period poverty and fosters gender equity.”

The bill requires all public and private schools that enroll girls in grades six through 12 to provide free period products for those students. The bill further permits schools to offer free period products to students below sixth grade if they so choose and determine where the products are to be kept in the school.

Watch the full press conference here.

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Mayor Bibb names Matthew J. Cole as Cleveland’s new HR director

MEDIA RELEASE

Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced today that Matthew J. Cole will be the new Director of Human Resources for the City of Cleveland.  

“We are pleased to bring Matt on board and believe that his community-centered HR philosophy and more than two decades of experience in the field make him the right person for the job,” said Mayor Bibb. “I look forward to working with him to modernize our HR operations and find new and innovative ways to recruit, retain and support our employees across the city.”

Cole will assume the role from Interim Director Edward Romero, who has been leading the city’s HR team since March 21, 2023. His first day will be August 21.  

A human resources veteran with more than 23 years of experience, Cole has spent much of his career driving strategic organization-wide initiatives in the public sector, managing and coordinating large teams and departments and leading employee and labor relations efforts. He is an established leader in building and growing high-performing teams, strategic planning and execution, collective bargaining, DE&I work, organizational development and risk management.  

Cole most recently served as director of administration and human resources for the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the commission’s HR, safety services and offices services departments.  

Prior to joining the commission in May 2003, he worked as a human resources manager for Cuyahoga County, where he was assigned to the Cuyahoga Support Enforcement Agency. Prior to working for Cuyahoga County and the Ohio Turnpike, he worked for the Bellefaire Jewish Community Board as a youth counselor.  

Cole holds both a bachelor’s degree in social work with a concentration in criminal justice and a master’s degree in labor relations and human resources from Cleveland State University. He is also certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR). He was selected for this role through a competitive internal search committee process.  

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Help shape the future of parks and recreation in Cleveland!

REMINDER: Happening tonight at 6 p.m.

Your input is needed!

The City of Cleveland is in the first phase of planning the future of parks and recreation and wants to hear from residents. An open house will be held on Wednesday, July 26 at Gunning Park Recreation Center, 16700 Puritas Ave, from 6 to 8 p.m. Stop in at any time during the two hour window to give your input. Bilingual staff on site. A light meal will be served. #cleparksrecplan

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Cleveland Public Library welcomes new development director

Cleveland Public Library is pleased to announce Shirley A. Leonard as the new Sr. Director of Development at Cleveland Public Library. Photo of SHIRLEY A. LEONARD.

MEDIA RELEASE

The new director will drive strategic growth
and lead fundraising endeavors

Cleveland Public Library is pleased to announce Shirley A. Leonard as the new Sr. Director of Development at Cleveland Public Library.

“Cleveland Public Library is thrilled to welcome Shirley A. Leonard to the team,” said Dr. Shenise Johnson-Thomas, Chief of External Relations and Development at Cleveland Public Library. “Shirley’s extensive experience and deep understanding of philanthropy will be invaluable as we strive to enhance and expand our services to meet the evolving needs of our community.”

In this newly created position, Leonard will be responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategies including the creation of a major gifts campaign that will support the Library’s strategic plan.

The investment in building the fundraising capacity for the Cleveland Public Library Foundation was made possible by a generous gift from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation.

Leonard has proven success in development, nonprofit leadership, and donor relations. Her accomplishments include a case for support for two initiatives worth millions of dollars at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), where she served as Associate Dean of Development and External Relations at the Weatherhead School of Management. Prior to CWRU, she was Senior Director of Development at Cleveland State University for the Monte Ahuja School of Business and Levin School of Urban Affairs, where she was instrumental in helping the University surpass the goal of $100 million in its first comprehensive funding campaign.

“Cleveland Public Library contains a wealth of knowledge and stories, and I look forward to mobilizing resources to empower this storied institution in its efforts to connect with the hearts and minds of Clevelanders for generations to come,” expressed Shirley A. Leonard, Sr. Director of Development at Cleveland Public Library.

The Highland Heights native earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University.