Officers¹ and Management Committee²

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 25-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 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 chief operating officer and managing partner 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:

• Community Partnership for Arts and Culture
• Council on Foundations
• Finca Vigía (dedicated to preserving Ernest Hemingway's home in Cuba)
• Friends of the Mentally Retarded Campaign Committee
• Greater Cleveland Partnership
• Living Cities
• Ohio Business Development Coalition
• 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 Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to fill the volunteer, temporary post of "infrastructure czar" to oversee the expenditure of federal stimulus funds in the state.

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.

Administrative assistant: Jennifer Teeter (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)

Caprice Bragg leads a development team that helps donors realize their philanthropic dreams. Previously, she served as director of planned giving and as a gift planning officer for the Cleveland Foundation. Prior to joining the foundation, Caprice practiced law in-house at KeyCorp and at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP. She also was an employee benefits and human resources consultant with Ernst & Young LLP.

Caprice serves on the State of Ohio’s Commission on Cultural Facilities; the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section Committee;  and Lake Ridge Academy’s board of directors. She is also active with the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland (past president), In Counsel with Women, and AdNet, a professional organization for development professionals in community foundations. Caprice is also a board member for the Black Professional Association’s Charitable Foundation and has served on a national committee for the Council on Foundations.

Her honors include an “Unsung Hero” Award in 1999, Kaleidoscope Magazine’s “40 under 40,”  the National Conference of Community and Justice Young Professional of the Year Award, YWCA’s Woman of Professional Excellence and Woman of Achievement awards, and the University of Akron's Women Trailblazer award, and recognition as a Kaleidoscope Magazine Woman of Achievement and a Northern Ohio Live Rainmaker. 

Caprice is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Cleveland. The Akron native graduated with honors from Oberlin College with a bachelor’s degree in government, and earned her juris doctor from the New York University School of Law.

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

Send an email to Caprice Bragg.

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. 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 and as a director of the Cleveland Leadership Center. She is also an honorary life member of Youth Opportunities Unlimited.

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

Administrative assistant: Pam Jaffe (216-615-7183)

Send an email to Leslie Dunford.

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.

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.

Kathy Stecky joined the foundation in 2005 as human resources manager and was promoted to director of human resources in 2006. Previously, Kathy was human resources manager for the Western Reserve Historical Society and worked in organizational development for Master Builders, Inc.  She also spent 10 years in the women’s health field, most recently with Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland. Kathy earned a bachelor’s degree in child and family community services from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in management, labor relations, and human resources from Cleveland State University.

Administrative assistant: Denise Campbell (216-615-7164)

Send an email to Kathy Stecky.