Lillian Kuri
President & CEO, Cleveland Foundation
On Aug. 1, 2023, Lillian Kuri made history by becoming the first female president & CEO of the Cleveland Foundation, the world’s oldest and one of the largest community foundations with $3 billion in assets. With over 25 years of executive and civic leadership experience, Lillian is known as an innovator, advocate and coalition builder who develops strategic initiatives with transformational results.
As President & CEO, Lillian is currently leading the Cleveland Foundation’s transformation with a visionary strategic plan to both create “A Vibrant Northeast Ohio Where No Cleveland is Left Behind” and a plan that shapes the “Community Foundation of the Future”. Previously, as executive vice president & chief operating officer, she spearheaded the foundation’s historic move to Cleveland’s Midtown/Hough neighborhood.
Since beginning her work with the foundation in 2005, Lillian has designed and led impactful, nationally acclaimed strategies to expand opportunities for Greater Cleveland residents. She developed and led a comprehensive revitalization of Cleveland’s Greater University Circle district, now recognized as a national model for anchor institution development strategies. She also co-founded the Evergreen Cooperatives, an innovative venture fostering community wealth through a network of employee-owned businesses. As vice president, strategic grantmaking, arts & urban design, she championed arts, culture and placemaking – including the foundation’s arts mastery initiative that brings year-round, rigorous, mastery-based programs in theater, music and visual arts to over 3,000 underserved children annually.
Throughout her career, Lillian has been an influential advocate for equitable urban design, planning, and architecture in Cleveland. In 2022, Mayor Justin Bibb appointed Lillian to chair the Cleveland Planning Commission, making her the first woman to serve as chair in the city’s 226-year history. She also is a member of the Greater Cleveland Partnership Board of Directors .
From 2000-2004, Lillian was the executive director of Cleveland Public Art. Prior to that, she managed Cleveland’s citywide plan for Mayor Michael R. White.
Lillian holds a Master of Architecture in urban design from Harvard University as well as a Bachelor of Architecture from Kent State University. She is a licensed architect in the state of Ohio and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professional.
Lillian has been honored with awards and recognitions for her work, including Cleveland Magazine’s Community Leader of the Year, YWCA Greater Cleveland’s Women of Achievement, Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Women of Note, and Western Reserve Academy’s Waring Prize. She has been named among Cleveland Business Journal’s “12 People to Watch in Business,” and was profiled by Cleveland Magazine in the 2020 article “Female Architects Shaping Cleveland.”