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's resume includes service on the boards of the Council on Foundations, Spelman College, the Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and the International Biomedical Research Alliance (an academic joint venture between NIH-Oxford and Cambridge Universities). He also has been a visiting professor in international business at Bennett College in North Carolina.

Since his arrival in Cleveland, he has joined the boards of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Ohio Grantmakers Forum, Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, the Ohio Business Development Coalition, the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital National Leadership Council, Living Cities, and the Friends of the Mentally Retarded Campaign Committee. He serves on the board of Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. and several other corporate boards.

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.

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 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.

Send an email to Bob Eckardt.

J.T. Mullen has proven himself a leader in the field of philanthropic financial management, having crafted an investment philosophy that led to substantial growth of the foundation's endowment – from $400 million to $2 billion – during his tenure at the Cleveland Foundation. He is responsible for managing both the foundation's investments and its internal financial function.

J.T. joined the foundation in 1987 as controller and was named CFO five years later. A former manager with Arthur Young & Company, he was also employed by the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners. He serves on the investment committees of United Way of Greater Cleveland, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation, and CSA Health Systems. J.T. has also served on the boards of various nonprofit organizations, and he was named the Crain's Cleveland Business CFO of the Year for charitable organizations in 2007.

He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Cleveland State University.

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

Caprice serves as the speakers chair for the Cleveland Bar Association’s Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Law Section Committee; as a board member for Lake Ridge Academy; and is immediate past president of the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland.  She is also active with In Counsel with Women, a professional networking group; AdNet, an organization for development professionals in community foundations; and Ohio Grantmakers Forum, a Columbus-based group supporting organized philanthropy in Ohio. In addition, she has served on a national committee for the Council on Foundations.

Her many honors include Kaleidoscope magazine’s “40 Under 40” and Women of Achievement awards, the National Conference of Community and Justice Young Professional of the Year award, the YWCA’s Woman of Professional Excellence and Woman of Achievement awards, 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.

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 and Youth Opportunities Unlimited.

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

Send an email to Leslie Dunford.

Cindy Schulz leads the foundation’s communications, media relations, and marketing.  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.

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.

Maggie McGrath serves as liaison to local, state, and federal governments, as well as other community and national foundations. Prior to becoming the Cleveland Foundation’s chief of staff in 2006, Maggie worked with the Fund for Our Economic Future. She was also a development officer for the University of Chicago.

Maggie earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from Miami University of Ohio and her MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. She was named one of the “Top 20 in their 20s” by Crain’s Cleveland Business in 2007.

She spends significant time working with the trustees and staff of the new Cleveland School of Science and Medicine to implement new programs and strengthen relationships with community partners.

Send an email to Maggie McGrath.

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.

Send an email to Kathy Stecky.