Cleveland Thrives is a sustained initiative to drive progress across five social issues which was launched an LC alumni session day on August 9, 2023.
Cleveland Thrives kick-off event
Event details
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Timeline
8:00 a.m. Welcome + opening keynote
9:20 a.m. Lightning round learning sessions
10:15 a.m. Breakout sessions
11:45 a.m. Lunch + keynote
1:00 p.m. Afternoon site visits
4:00 p.m. Facilitated next steps discussion
5:00 p.m. Post-session day reception
Click on plus sign below to expand each section and click on each presenter’s name to see their bio.
- Welcome
- Marianne Crosley
President & CEO, Cleveland Leadership Center - Bill Caster (LC 2010)
Board Chair, Cleveland Leadership Center - Chris Ronayne
(LC 2007), County Executive, Cuyahoga County - Nic Barlage (LC 2022)
CEO, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and Rock Entertainment Group - Tim Tramble (LC 2010)
President & CEO, Saint Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland - Mitch Balk (LC 2001)
President, Mt. Sinai Health Foundation
- Marianne Crosley
- Opening Keynote
Moderator:
Elizabeth McIntyre
(LC 2006), Executive Editor, Crain’s Cleveland Business - Lightning Round Learning Session
- Bishara Addison (ALI 2018)
Director, Workforce Innovation, Fund for Our Economic Future - Dr. Stephanie Brooks (CLI 2023)
Dean – College of Health, Cleveland State University - Kevin Clayton (LC 2023)
SVP – Head of Social Impact & Equity, Cleveland Cavaliers - Joyce Pan Huang, Director of City Planning, City of Cleveland
- Jeff Patterson (LC 2010)
CEO & Safety Director, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
- Bishara Addison (ALI 2018)
- Economic Mobility breakout session
Panelists:
- Sharon Sobol Jordan, (ALI 2018, LC 2003)
President & CEO, United Way of Greater Cleveland - Michael Jeans, (LC 2016)
President & CEO, Growth Opportunity Partners - K. Kelly Hancock, (LC 2022)
Chief Caregiver Officer, Cleveland Clinic
Moderator
- Andrea Lyons, (LC 2023, CLI 2021)
VP – Marketing & Communications, Neighborhood Family Practice
- Sharon Sobol Jordan, (ALI 2018, LC 2003)
- Food Security breakout session
Sponsored by
AND 
Panelists:
- Kristin Warzocha (LC 2010, CBB 2002, CLC Board)
President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Food Bank - Randell McShepard (LC 2003)
RPM International Inc. & Rid-All Green Partnership
Moderator:
- Thom Fladung (LC2 2014, LC 2013)
Managing Partner, Hennes Communications
- Kristin Warzocha (LC 2010, CBB 2002, CLC Board)
- Gun violence breakout session
Panelists:
- Dornat Drummond
Chief, Cleveland Division of Police - Dr. Edward Barksdale
Professor & Chief Division of Pediatric Surgery & Surgeon-in-Chief, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital & Case Western Reserve School of Medicine
Moderator:
- Mike McIntyre (LC 2022)
Executive Editor, Ideastream Public Media
- Dornat Drummond
- Healthy neighborhoods breakout session
Panelists:
- Samira Malone
Director, Cleveland Tree Coalition - Greg Peckham (LC 2019)
Executive Director, LAND Studio - Isaac Robb (CBB 2023)
VP – Planning, Research & Urban Projects, Western Reserve Land Conservancy - Matt Zone (LC 2007)
Senior VP and Director of Thriving Communities, Western Reserve Land Conservancy
Moderator:
- Adam Miller (LC 2020)
Director of Content, WKYC Channel 3
- Samira Malone
- Safe & affordable housing breakout session
Sponsored by
Panelists:
- Jeff Epstein (LC 2016, CEF 2007)
Chief of Integrated Development, City of Cleveland - Tania Menesse (LC 2022)
President & CEO, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress - Scott Skinner (CBB 2023, ALI 2021, CLI 2019)
Vice President – Development, The NRP Group LLC
Moderator:
- Dan Moulthrop (LC 2014)
Chief Executive Officer, The City Club of Cleveland
- Jeff Epstein (LC 2016, CEF 2007)
- Lunch keynote
Sponsored by
- Brian Lane (LC2 2022, LC 2021)
President & CEO, Center for Health Affairs & CHAMPS Healthcare - Dr. Kim Byas
Social Determinants of Health Leader, Center for Health Affairs & CHAMPS Healthcare
Moderator:
- Mike McIntyre (LC 2022)
Executive Editor, Ideastream Public Media
Special guest:
- Brian Lane (LC2 2022, LC 2021)
- Economic Mobility site visit
MAGNET & Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
- Bishara Addison, (ALI 2018)
Director, Workforce Innovation, Fund for Our Economic Future - Jonathan Welle
Executive Director, Cleveland Owns - India Birdsong Terry, LC2 2023, LC 2022)
General Manager & CEO, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Floun’say Caver, Ph.D., (LC 2017)
Chief Operating Officer/ Deputy General Manager – Operations, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Dr. Natoya Walker Minor, (LC2 2020, LC 2019, CBB 2001)
Deputy General Manager – Administration & External Affairs, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Rajan Gautam, Deputy General Manager – Finance and Secretary-Treasurer, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
- Michael Schipper, Deputy General Manager – Engineering and Project Management, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
- George Shields, Deputy General Manager – Human Resources, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
- Bishara Addison, (ALI 2018)
- Food security site visit
Sponsored by
AND
Rid-All Green Partnership
- G. Keymah Durden III
Co-Founder, Rid-All Green Partnership - Morgan Taggart
Director, FARE
- G. Keymah Durden III
- Gun violence site visit
Zelma Watson George Recreation Center
- Shanell Harris
Manager,Trauma Recovery Center, MetroHealth - Myesha Watkins
Executive Director, Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance
- Shanell Harris
- Healthy neighborhoods site visit
Buckeye neighborhood
- John Litten (LC 2020, CBB 2014)
President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity - Ricardo León
Chief Operating Officer, Cuyahoga Land Bank
- John Litten (LC 2020, CBB 2014)
- Safe & affordable housing site visit
Sponsored by
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry
- Michael Sering (CLI 2012)
VP, Housing & Shelter, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry - Kevin Nowak
Executive Director, CHN Housing Partners - Ben Sears
Program Manager of Housing Solutions, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Michael Sering (CLI 2012)
- Looking ahead + moving forward
Patti Schaar (LC2 2021, LC 2020)
Founder & President, BlüShift Strategy
Additional support for Cleveland Thrives comes from:
The LC 45th Anniversary year is sponsored by:
