Officers¹, Executive Committee², and Management Committee³

Ronn Richard isn't shy about telling anyone why he enjoys leading the Cleveland Foundation: It gives him a chance to help a great region become even greater. That is the goal and the theme Ronn has trumpeted since becoming the foundation's president and CEO in 2003 after holding a variety of senior management positions in government, private enterprise, and the nonprofit sector over a 27-year period.

Early in his career, Ronn was a U.S. diplomat, serving at the American Consulate General in Osaka/Kobe, Japan and at the U.S. State Department. That colorful background, he believes, positions him well for his current position at the foundation. Diplomacy is key to the collaborative approach that the region needs to solve its problems. Ronn’s 13 years at Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) included time spent as head of the company’s North American research and development operations, which taught him that great achievement and great learning come only with risk and, sometimes, failure.

Immediately prior to joining the foundation, Ronn was the managing director and chief operating officer of In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital fund. In this role, he worked to ensure the prompt and effective delivery of In-Q-Tel-sourced technologies into the U.S. intelligence community.

Ronn serves on the boards of several organizations, including:

• Council on Foundations
• Finca Vigia (dedicated to preserving Ernest Hemingway's home in Cuba)
• Living Cities
• Ohio Grantmakers Forum
• Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital National Leadership Council

Ronn also serves on two corporate boards in the biotechnology and metals sectors. He chairs the Ohio Grantmakers Forum Task Force on Educational Reform and is a member of the Cleveland Committee on Foreign Relations. In January 2009, he was asked by then-Governor Ted Strickland to fill the volunteer, temporary post of "infrastructure czar" to oversee the expenditure of federal stimulus funds in Ohio.

Ronn holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, a bachelor’s degree in history from Washington University in St. Louis, and honorary doctorates from Baldwin-Wallace and Notre Dame colleges.

He received an African-American President's Council Champion Award for his work in the area of inclusive economic development Wheaton College's Otis Award for Social Justice, and a Champion of Sustainability Award from the Entrepreneurs for Sustainability. Ronn also is a member of the Hiram College Garfield Society.

Executive assistant: Kimberly Sabo (216-685-2001)

Bob Eckardt provides overall direction to the foundation's grantmaking, working with the board, staff, and community leaders to pinpoint the region's critical needs and leverage resources to help meet them.

He joined the foundation in 1982 and has served as senior program officer in the areas of health, aging, and environment. Bob is also an active leader in philanthropic professional groups. He served four terms on the board of the Washington, D.C.-based group Grantmakers in Health, which honored him in 2006 with its highest award. He was a founding board member of Grantmakers in Aging, the national peer alliance in Dayton, as well as Funders Concerned About AIDS, a global affinity group. He also is a past chair of the Grantmakers Evaluation Network.

Bob is the recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Grantmaker award, given by the Council on Foundations. This award, given annually since 1984, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of philanthropy.

Bob shares his wisdom as a consultant to many foundations on program development, strategic grantmaking, and evaluation approaches. He is an elected fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and serves on the advisory committee of the Center for Effective Philanthropy. He holds a certificate in gerontology and a doctorate in public health with a specialty in health policy from the University of Michigan.

Administrative assistant: Mary Clare Donnelly (216-685-4000)

Send an email to Bob Eckardt 

Kate Asbeck has spent more than 30 years in accounting and finance, and is responsible for managing the foundation's investments and its internal financial functions.

Most recently, she was senior vice president-finance at Corning Incorporated, where she led the company’s 600-person global finance organization and served as its principal accounting officer. She has also held accounting positions at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Champion International Corporation.

Kate has filled a variety of leadership roles in the financial world, including membership on the Committee on Corporate Reporting of Financial Executives International and its Executive and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board committees. She has also devoted considerable time to working with foundations and nonprofit organizations, and was a member of the Corning Incorporated Foundation board of directors.

Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and economics from Ohio Wesleyan University and is a certified public accountant.

Administrative assistant: Carmela Beltrante (216-615-7172)

Kaye Ridolfi has direct responsibility for the foundation’s fundraising activities. An experienced development professional, she has spent more than two decades in the field, including a period as director of a $1 billion capital campaign at Case Western Reserve University.

Kaye honed her development skills primarily in the academic sector. Prior to joining the foundation in November 2011, she spent five years at Case Western Reserve as associate vice president of institutional development. Earlier, she served as assistant vice president for major gifts at Ohio State University. She started at that institution in 2000 as director of a campaign to renovate the main library.

Before joining Ohio State, Kaye was affiliated with Ohio Wesleyan University, initially as director of its annual fund and ultimately as director of alumni development. She launched her development career with the American Lung Association of Ohio in 1990.

Kaye holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Ohio Wesleyan and a master’s degree in public policy and management from Ohio State.

Administrative Assistant: Donna Johnson (216-615-7168)

Send an email to Kaye Ridolfi 

Cindy Schulz leads the foundation’s internal and external communications, and assists the CEO with implementation of strategic initiatives. Cindy, who joined the foundation in December 2005, has an extensive background in communications, most recently with public and investor relations firm Dix & Eaton, where she served in a variety of roles during her 15-year tenure, including executive vice president and senior managing director. She also has corporate experience with Diamond Shamrock Corporation and the East Ohio Gas Company.

Cindy graduated magna cum laude from Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She is involved on nonprofit boards in the community, serving as board chair of the Kent State School of Journalism, vice chair of Southwest General Health Center, and a director of In Counsel with Women and the Union Club. She also serves on the board of Asurint, an automated background screening company. She has been recognized by the YWCA as a 2005 Woman of Achievement, by Northern Ohio Live as a 2001 Rainmaker, and by Crain's Cleveland Business as a 2001 Women of Note. Kent State School of Journalism honored her with the 2002 William Taylor Distinguished Alumna Award.

Administrative assistant: Debbie Thornsberry (216-615-7140)

Send an email to Cindy Schulz 

Leslie Dunford is the organization’s liaison to its board of directors and legal counsel, advising on matters of regulatory compliance and governance. She also manages the foundation’s facilities, office services, and risk-management programs, and serves as director of Suite 1300 Services, Inc., an affiliate of the Cleveland Foundation that provides support services to emerging nonprofits.</font>&#160;</font>The foundation’s former chief of staff, Leslie has served as corporate secretary since 1997.

Leslie is a graduate of Cleveland Bridge Builders and the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2008. She volunteers for several local nonprofits, serving on the Northeast Ohio committee of the Ohio Grantmakers Forum, as a director of the Cleveland Leadership Center, and on the board of Vocational Guidance Services. She is also an honorary life member of Youth Opportunities Unlimited.

Leslie earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Gannon University in Pennsylvania.

Assistant corporate secretary: Pam Jaffe (216-615-7183)

Send an email to Leslie Dunford 

Jim Bickel oversees the foundation's technology systems. He arrived in 2001 from North American Refractories, where he was manager of applications development. He serves as the chair of the Community Foundations Information Technology Group (CFIT) and is a member of the Council on Foundations Technology Steering Committee.

Jim holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an MBA in accounting and information systems from Pennsylvania State University. He is also a volunteer with Geauga County Habitat for Humanity.

 Send an email to Jim Bickel 

Monica Brown was promoted to director of human resources in November 2011, after serving as the foundation’s human resources manager for five years. Previously, Monica served as the director of human resources for the Western Reserve Historical Society. She has also provided human resources consulting to a number of other nonprofit organizations including the Beck Center for the Arts, the Literacy Cooperative, the Fund for Our Economic Future, and Neighborhood Connections. Monica earned a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University and a master’s degree in human resources and labor relations from Cleveland State University. She is a certified senior professional in human resources and serves as a mentor to junior level human resources professionals through the Cleveland Society for Human Resources Management.

Send an email to Monica Brown 

Kathy Hallissey oversees the foundation’s responsive grantmaking efforts, working with a team of program officers to align those efforts with the needs of the community and the foundation’s priorities. In her previous position as a program officer for the foundation, she reviewed grant proposals and worked to strengthen nonprofit organizations across Greater Cleveland. Prior to joining the foundation in August 2005, Kathy was a Head Start management consultant. At the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, she analyzed the impact various programs and policies had on children, youth, and families. She began her career in the federal government as a presidential management intern. Kathy has a master of public administration degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a bachelor’s degree from Drew University in New Jersey, from which she graduated cum laude.

Send an email to Kathy Hallissey