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Every year, Crain’s Cleveland Business honors a group of extraordinary women who are impacting Northeast Ohio through their leadership in businessand in the community. This year, 15 more women join the ranks of female leaders who have been recognized by Crain’s for their professional and civic accomplishments.The Women of Note class of 2022 is made up of entrepreneurs, thought leaders and innovators who have made a difference in their workplace, blazed trails for othersand are leaving a mark on their communities. To call them Women of Note is an understatement.Photography by Ken BlazeApril Miller BoiseApril Miller Boise likes achallenge.And that's good, because she’s about to takeon a big one as the newexecutive vice president and chief legal officer for technology giant IntelCorp. Boise will officially take on hernew role at the Santa Clara, California-based company in July. Herbackground in industry at large global companies — and what she callsher “affinity for technology and manufacturing” — makes her a good fitfor them.And the company is a good fit forher, too. Boise likes that Intel is investing in U.S. manufacturing, and shethinks she can add “significant value”at a time of change for the company.Executive vice president and chief legal officer Intel Corp.“I always love a challenge, andthere’s a lot going on there, a lot ofopportunities ahead of us,” she said.Boise is joining Intel from EatonCorp., which she joined in early 2020.Her career started on Wall Street, andshe spent significant time at law firmThompson Hine, becoming a partnerand managing parter there. But herheart was always in "making things,"as she put it.Boise, who first realized an interestin law as an undergraduate at theUniversity of Michigan, went to lawschool at the University of Chicago.She interned for General Motors andSaturn, and has worked at industrialcompanies like Meritor and VeyanceTechnologies Inc.Throughout Boise’s career, tack-ling challenges and continuing tolearn have been important. Theteams she’s worked with have beencritical, too. Boise said talent development, helping members of herteam to grow and thrive, is important to her. And she enjoys getting tohelp set and guide strategy at a company.“I like really being engaged and involved in driving a company’s strategy: setting that vision and then figuring out how are we going to get there,”she said.Boise is a “superb lawyer” and an“extremely driven individual,” saidCraig Martahus. Martahus was apartner at Thompson Hine whenBoise joined the firm, and the twohave stayed in touch, though he hassince retired and she has moved onto other roles. He's not surprised tosee her taking a prominent new roleat Intel.“Believe me, it’s not luck,” he said.“It is the result of years of hard workand dedication and commitment.”Boise expects her new role to comewith a lot of travel, as her team will bespread across the country. Speakingshortly after the Intel announcementwas made, Boise said she thoughtshe’d stay in the Cleveland area, butcouldn’t say for sure.Cleveland, where Boise was bornand where she’s lived for much of herlife, is close to her heart. And she’s involved in the community. She’s onthe boards of organizations as variedas the Cleveland Clinic, the City Clubof Cleveland, the Assembly for theArts and the Cleveland-CuyahogaCounty Port Authority, to name afew.“I love being able to invest in thecommunity in that way and give backto the community,” she said. “I getout of it just as much as I put into it.Because those things, for me, in justbuilding a place where we want tolive and play and thrive, is really, really important.”And her family’s important to her,too. Boise said her husband, DavidWillbrand, is her “best friend and No.1 fan.” Between them they have fourchildren: Zoé Miller Boise, MaxwellMiller Boise, Ella Willbrand andEthan Willbrand.— Rachel Abbey McCafferty10 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS JUNE 27, 2022P010 P025 CL 20220627.indd 106/23/2022 2:01:45 PM
CongratulationsWomen of NoteSquire Patton Boggs pays tribute to this year’s talentedhonorees, including our partner Marissa Darden, and all thewomen who make Cleveland’s business community thrive.squirepattonboggs.comDr. CarolCunninghamState medical director Ohio Department ofPublic Safety’s Division of EMSACT NOW PARTICIPATION DEADLINE: Sept. 5Contact mara.broderick@crain.com to learn sto Erika B. Rudin-Luriaon being a Crain’sCleveland 2022 Womenof Note honoree!Thank you for all you do to ensure ourcommunity is HERE FOR GOOD.From your friends and colleagues at theJewish Federation of Clevelandhenfinancesforced Dr. CarolCunningham todecline her HarvardUniversityacceptance, her dad assured hershe’d get there one day.Decades later, Cunningham gotinto Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and visited his grave to tell him, “Daddy,you were so right.”In June, the initiative named herthe 2022 Meta-Leader of the Year inrecognition of her service, dedication and innovation through theCOVID-19 response.Cunningham, state medical director for the Ohio Department ofPublic Safety’s Division of Emergency Medical Services, began issuing COVID-19 guidance in March2020 from an inpatient bed whilerecovering from surgery.She worked virtually with RobertWagoner, the division’s executive director, to offer best practices to protect health care providers. In 2021,she served as co-medical director ofCleveland’s Wolstein Center federalvaccination clinic. The COVID response is a “poignant” example ofher years of dedication, Wagonersaid: “She just gives and gives andgives; it doesn’t matter what it is,.”If an EMS provider in the statesends the division a question, Cunningham will do “everything shecan to get them the answer and tohelp them better understand,”Wagoner said. “I’ve never seen hershy away from anything.”Cunningham is the first Black Meta-Leader of the Year, and first emergency physician and first EMS medical director to receive the honor. Herhistory is dotted with “firsts.” In 2004,she became country’s first Black female state medical director for EMS.During her residency, her locker wasinitially in the men’s bathroom because they didn’t expect femaleemergency medicine physicians.When a young Cunninghamlearned she didn’t have the bloodlineto become a queen, she decided toread every book in the library andserve as a queen’s adviser instead.She found her way to medicine whenher uncle took an X-ray of her stuffeddog, T-Bone, in his office at the Cleveland VA and helped her administerpenicillin. She was hooked.“I can be a doctor and still advisethe queen,” she said with a laugh.“And as you can see right now, I meanI still have more than one job.”Among other roles, Cunninghamteaches at Northeast Ohio MedicalUniversity, is active with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’sFirst Responder Resource Group andprovides care at Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s emergency department, where she increased her shiftsduring the pandemic.Mentorship is incredibly important to Cunningham. She participates in career days and severalyears ago established at MapleHeights High School (her alma mater) the Melfi-Peck-Tate Scholarship,an endowed scholarship named after three influential teachers.“I think kids need to see somebody who, No. 1, looks like them;No. 2, came from a similar background, or even have less; and 3,see what they’ve been able to accomplish despite the odds,” shesaid. “I want to empower them.”Cunningham, who serves on theboards for the Tri-C JazzFest and theRock & Roll Hall of Fame, has threebig loves in her life that keep her energized through her work: music,teddy bears and adventure. The Kirtland police have dubbed her home“Maynard’s House of Swing” afterher favorite teddy bear Maynard andthe jazz music she listens to everyday. “I think you should live your lifedoing the things that you’re passionate about and also, not following theherd,” she said. “Explore new adventures, have the curiosity and thecourage to try something new.”— Lydia Coutré12 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS JUNE 27, 2022P010 P025 CL 20220627.indd 126/23/2022 2:02:42 PM
Bethia BurkeBPresident Fund for Our Economic Futureethia Burke does not really like to talk aboutherself, but if you get herstarted, she has no problem talking at lengthabout her work at the Fund for OurEconomic Future.As only the second president of theorganization, founded in 2004 to helpshape the regional economic development agenda, Burke brings both anintense passion and an emotional intelligence to the otherwise staid workof economic development.“She's got a great sense of humor,”said Brad Whitehead, the fund’s firstpresident and Burke’s former boss.“Sometimes when you are in the office, you can hear her laugh fromdown the hall, and what a great thingto be in an office where you hear theboss laughing, as opposed to hearingthe boss yelling.”Burke was first hired as a manager of emerging initiatives in 2010 after honing her financial and analytical skills as lead of cost riskassessments at Northrop Grummanin the Washington, D.C., area. By2018, she was promoted to vicepresident and continued addingnew projects to her slate of responsibilities, including “The Two Tomorrows” report on inclusive eco-dlineed toandtead.whenuffedlevenisternomic growth in Northeast Ohio.Her ascension to president at thefund was significant because itmarked one of the first major leadership changes, followed by many morefrom the region’s philanthropic andcivic organizations — and one thatwas a conspicuous move on Whitehead’s part to hand over governanceto the next generation.“The passing of the torch was intentional on his part, and I thoughtit was a good idea. He said, ‘This iswhat I'm doing, and this is why I'mdoing it,’” Burke said. “Change justfor the sake of newness does not always work, but sometimes you needsomebody else to, as they say, pickup the crossword, and give a newperspective.”Burke explains that a lot of crucialpreparation and deliberate conversation went into preparing her to gofrom “program executor to inspiration leader,” which became officialjust as the pandemic was takinghold in March of 2020.Burke had to immediately jumpinto a new role with an organizationthat had a pressing new imperative toaid other groups wading through thebureaucracy and confusion of federalCOVID funds, Whitehead said, andwas successful at both endeavors.“She immediately embarked on anew strategy and started doing allkinds of new stuff,” he said. “She wasfaced with some serious headwindsand she stood firm against them,and not only did she get us throughthe pandemic, but she changed thecomposition of the board, embarked on a new strategic modeland launched some new initiatives.”The fund’s mission can be difficult to pin down as it tackles largeand long-term solutions to complexproblems, but Burke is clear that themission is to work on the difficultissues. “We work on how to get fromwhat we say matters to initiativesthat can address those things andthen shape those into somethingthat is bigger and goes beyond theorganization," she said.Her ability to see beyond her role ashead of the fund, to prioritize thework over her ownership of the workand all the ego that can be wrappedup in a leadership role is whatmakes her so perfect for the job,Whitehead said.“She's honest about what's working. She's honest about what's notworking,” he said. “The organizationis bigger than her in her mind, notthe other way around.”— Kim Palmerdviseugh.meanhamdical. Derity’sp andc AkpartshiftsportrticiveralMaplemaship,d af-omehem;acknd 3,o acshe.”n thed thehreer enusic,Kirtomeafterandveryr lifesiong theventheDale LenzerSenior SBA Officer216.416.2535dlenzer @fcbanking.comJohn HudakBusiness Banker216.416.0579jhudak@fcbanking.comWe’re proud to welcomeDale Lenzer and John Hudakto our growing team.Here to helpNorthern Ohioget business done.To talk with us about how we can become thebest bank for your business, call us today orvisit fcbanking.com.At First Commonwealth, we’re committed to helpingbusinesses throughout our region thrive with innovativebusiness banking solutions and the experience of alocal business team focused on your success.Member FDICoutréJUNE 27, 2022 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 13P010 P025 CL 20220627.indd 136/23/2022 2:03:40 PM
Marisa DardenPartner Squire Patton BoggsBINVESTING IN THEbigger pictureFor more than a century, you have supported the arts, education,health, neighborhoods, the economy and so much more. You seethe bigger picture of what our community can—and should—be.Invest in the future by partnering with the Cleveland Foundationto make your greatest charitable impact.(877) 554-5054www.ClevelandFoundation.org/Givereaking barriers is afamily tradition forMarisa Darden. Her paternal grandfather, theRev. Thomas Darden,functioned as the city of Sandusky’sfirst Black mayor. Darden’s maternal grandfather Joseph Burrucker,served as a Tuskegee Airmanduring World War II.Although Darden is not followingthe exact course of her forebears, sheis blazing a trail in the primarilywhite-male-dominated field of law.In March, Darden was named partner at Squire Patton Boggs after threeyears as principal at the Clevelandoffice. As the first woman of color infirm history to reach these heights locally, Darden is determined to guideher historically underrepresentedcolleagues along a similar path.“(Being named partner) is notonly an honor or a testament, butalso a responsibility to other African-American associates and lawstudents,” said Darden, 39. “This is apath forward that they can achieve.”Darden currently mentors Blackassociates through a Squire-basedresource group. The Lakewood resident, who spent parts of her formative years in Shaker Heights and Sandusky, has her own mentorsproviding advice and honing an ever-growing skill set. Among thisgroup is Squire global managingpartner and DEI chief Fred Nance,whose client-focused insight becameDarden’s watchword.“Lawyers don’t think aboutworking in the private sector as customer service, but that’s what it is,”Darden said. “If you can harnessyour networks and understand thepersonal connections that createvaluable relationships, you’re goingto be successful.”Aside from an emphasis on mentoring and community outreach,Darden’s day-to-day includes leading the Cleveland office’s pro bonoinitiative. Her team recently launcheda pipeline project with Equality Ohioaround the legality of gender expres-sion in the Buckeye State.A commitment to the regionbrought Darden home from Manhattan, where she served as assistant district attorney. Prior to joining Squire, she worked as anassistant U.S. attorney in Cleveland.Even with her busy schedule,Darden loves spending time withher paternal grandparents, now intheir 90s, who still live in Sandusky.“My family always cared aboutNortheast Ohio,” said Darden. “Theytaught me the value of understanding where you come from so you cangive back in a meaningful way.”Tenacity when faced with adversity has been an especially crucial lesson for Darden. Standing out in afield where women of color are stillmaking strides means being just a little bit better than the competition.“The way I’ve done that is by puttingin the hours, while leveraging my personality to make connections with clients, partners and teammates,” shesaid. “I’m not afraid to be vulnerable,to lay out who I really am.”Colleague Nance pointed toDarden’s empathetic nature — combined with a dogged determination— as key to her success at Squire.“Marisa has a vivacious, outgoing personality that people gravitate to,” said Nance. “The combination of personality and real-worldexperience is what led us to nameher as partner so quickly.”Darden feels privileged toachieve what she has at a relativelyyoung age. Casting ahead, sheplans to use her platform to affectadditional change, ideally setting atone that encourages others of similar background to follow her lead.“I’m a collaborative leader — it’simportant to make everyone on theteam feel seen and valued,” saidDarden. “I’m very aware that successis predicated on cooperation andteamwork. I also want to thank Squirefor believing in me and giving me thisplatform in the community. I’m fortunate to be part of the team here.”— Douglas J. Guth14 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS JUNE 27, 2022P010 P025 CL 20220627.indd 146/23/2022 2:04:28 PM
RGA TravelExperienceLike No Other!Scan toLearn .comLAND FOR SALE: Beacon West, WestlakeIdeal Multi-Tenant/Office BuildingPropertyFeatures* Price for 7.22 lot is 600,000* Price for 6.69 lot is 580,000Katrina Evans* “Army CoreWetland Approvalon Both Sites”Executive vice president KeyCorpCONTACT USCharles Marshall330-659-20403457 Granger Road, Akron, OH 44333VISIT OUR WEBSITE EINominations close July 18Katrina Evans will alwaystake an opportunity tobet on herself, an adventurous attitude that hasserved her well in 30plus years as a KeyCorp mainstay.Evans recalls being asked to leadKey’s call centers, a virtual leadership position that entailed management of 1,200 people in five departments. Even as her experience at thetime centered around operationsand retail, Evans took on the challenge with her usual gusto.“When approached about (thejob), I thought, ‘Are you people crazy? I can’t do that,’” said Evans. “ButI stilled that voice to say, ‘I can, Ishould, I will.’ That was also a seminal moment for me about the valueof taking a risk. I’m always curious,and always wanting to learn. It’s afeeling that I can contribute moreand make a bigger difference.”Evans has been a difference-maker at Key since arriving in 1994. Today, she leads growth-forward effortsaroundmarketing,communications and analytics, in2021 orchestrating expansion of amultibillion-dollarcommunitybenefits plan for low- and moderate-income clients.The industry-leading financialexecutive also steered Key in receiving 10 consecutive “outstanding”ratings from a regulatory office atthe U.S. Department of the Treasury. On the diversity, equity andinclusion side, Key has been recognized a dozen times under Evans’watch as one of the country’s mostcommunity-minded corporations.Overall, Evans has acceleratedKey’s long DEI legacy through a diversity-centered workforce andsupply-side engagement.“These efforts are not a tough sell inthe C-suite,” Evans said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to have work that’s notonly central to my heart, but also central to what I want the company to be.To have leadership mobilizing in thesame way is a powerful thing.”Key president and CEO Christopher Gorman has known Evans fortwo decades, watching with admiration her rise into management positions that currently encompasschief of staff and director of corporate center.“Trina brings a versatile and dynamic set of skills to her role,” Gorman said in an email. “While Trinademonstrates business acumen anda strategic mindset, she is bestknown and respected for her authenticity and emotional intelligence. She is a highly trusted partner and adviser who influencesothers, cultivates culture, and gainsthe alignment necessary to movethe business forward. Trina is a culture carrier at KeyBank and a wonderful ambassador for our reputation and brand.”Fostering inclusive leadershipcomes with putting the ladder downfor other women on the way up, Evans added. As senior positions cansometimes put leaders in a bubble,she makes sure to remain authentic,relatable and transparent in herdealings with staff.“Being yourself shows (colleagues) that they can be themselves, too,” said Evans. “People aregoing to have different yardsticks forsuccess, so I want each team member to define that the way they wantwhen it comes to determining theirwork and personal lives.”In her own free time, Evans bikesand travels with her husband, Ken,while spending time with their teenage daughter. No matter the obstacles involved, she looks forward tocontinuing a lifetime of adventurein the corporate realm.“It’s been a wonderful journeywith great opportunities along theway, but it’s also had its share ofchallenges,” said Evans. “For me, it’sbest framed by an interest in learning new things, exploring new areasof the bank, and finding other waysto contribute.”— Douglas J. Guth16 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS JUNE 27, 2022P010 P025 CL 20220627.indd 16IN DIVERSITY, EQUITYAND INCLUSION6/23/2022 2:05:48 PMsawmaFins wingoppes ilihold
sculwonuta-shipownEvcanble,ntic,herHabeebahRasheed GrimesCEO Positive Education ProgramGrowing up alongside abrother who would later be diagnosed withschizophrenia, Habeebah Rasheed Grimessaw first hand what emotional trauma can do to a child.For her brother, that meant runins with police and difficulty focusing in school. For Grimes, it had theopposite effect. She aced her classes and followed the rules. Kept herhead down. In college, she told hermother and role model she waslooking to become a physical therapist, but something about thatroute didn’t feel genuine.It wasn’t until a friend shared a1999 clipping from The Plain Dealerclassifieds section outlining a jobworking one-on-one with kids withsevere emotional issues thatGrimes gained clarity.“That clipping and that interviewprocess really centered on my livedexperience in a way that I hadn'tknown (was) possible,” she said.Thus began a long career withthe nonprofit Positive EducationProgram (PEP), which has providedservices to Cleveland-area childrenwith severe mental health and behavioral challenges since 1971.Grimes began as a one-on-oneaide, then went on to earn her master’s degree in clinical psychologyfrom Cleveland State University.She returned to PEP as a clinicalsupervisor for one of its day treatment centers. She went on to become a director of clinical services,then chief clinical officer. And shedid all that before turning 40, evenearning a spot on Crain’s Cleveland’s 40 Under Forty list in 2015. In2018, she became CEO of the 40million organization.Grimes credits the Robert WoodJohnson Foundation’s Ladder toLeadership program with helpingher to see herself as a leader in hernew role.Susan Berger, chief external relations officer for PEP, said it’s Grimes'ability to build bridges with stakeholders, community members andcolemares foremwantheireveryone from staff to children thatmakes her so effective in her role.“Habeebah is somebody who isuniquely skilled at standing at thosejunctures between different worldsand working hard to help people understand each other,” she said.“She’s just incredibly empathic.“She is someone who is very comfortable creating brave spaces andhaving courageous conversations.”Now married with two sons,Grimes hosts a podcast called “NoCrystal Stair” in which she holdsconversations about the joys ofBlack motherhood.The first episode features a conversation with her mother in which theydiscuss her late brother Hashim.“Her podcast is beautiful,” saidBerger. “She's so passionate abouther role in this life as a mom, as a wifeand as a daughter — who she is to herfamily is really important.”Grimes said the goal of PEP is tohelp children who have had traumatic experiences learn how to movethrough the world and thrive.“You can buffer young childrenfrom stressors and adversity byhaving knowledgeable adults surrounding them and by building upthe village that surrounds and supports a child,” she said.Had someone recognized the earlysigns of mental health struggles inher brother, he might have gotten thehelp he needed, Grimes said. Hermother, too, would have had supporteven as she worked hard to find theright help and resources for her son.The work at PEP is taxing and thejob is never done, so Grimes has herown network of support with professionals who remind her to eat andexercise and take time for herself andher own well-being, so she can showup each day to give her best effort.“Everyone has ambition, butthat’s not what drives her,” Bergersays. “She’s just constantly thinking, ‘How do I use my life in serviceto the things I care most about? Andif it’s through leadership, that’sOK.’”— Kristine GillCongratsLeading the way to advanceequitable economic growthacross Northeast OhioBethia BurkePresident, Fund for Our Economic Futureand congratulations to all of this year’s WOMEN OF NOTE HonoreesWe’re a network of philanthropic, higher education, communitydevelopment, private sector, economic development, and civicleaders collectively investing in efforts toUnderstandwhat mattersAdvancewhat worksPrepare forwhat’s aheadto advance an inclusive economy for Northeast Ohio. An initiative of the Fund for Our Economic Futurewherematters.Learn more about our latest initiatives and how you can join us at thefundneo.org.How to Grow Your BusinessA WEBINAR SERIES FOR ENTREPRENEURSEVENT #2: Supply Chain ConsiderationsTO REGISTER: crainscleveland.com/grow-your-businessJUNE 30 11amRetool YourTeam forContinuousImprovementLearn and embrace new techniques for business success.ikesKen,eenstad toture Launch teams to tackle challenges Create and manage needed change Apply Agile project management toimprove innovation Eliminate inefficiencies and reducecosts with process mappingneythee of, it’sarnreasways Implement Lean methodologies toimpact the bottom line Solve problems and find 849GuthJUNE 27, 2022 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 17P010 P025 CL 20220627.indd 176/23/2022 2:06:22 PM
Yvette IttuPresident and CEO Cleveland Development AdvisorsYvette Ittu has earnedbragging rights for helping make change inClevelandneighborhoods, but you wouldnever hear her say so herself.Known as a collaborator, an empathetic leader and colleague, Ittuhas overseen the operation of Cleveland Development Advisors, a corporate- and foundation-backed patient investor in projects catalyzingchange in the local economy andlives of Clevelanders, for 18 years.She recalls how her predecessor,Steve Strnisha, got her to join CDAas its first employee 23 years ago.“I’ll never forget when he showedme my first empty building (now theapartments at 1900 Euclid Ave.), Itried to imagine it as apartments,”Ittu said. “I thought, ‘I can be a partof all this.’”That led her to what she describesas her “dream job.” Today she oversees a staff of five at CDA and a totalof 70 staffers as she also serves inleadership at the Greater ClevelandPartnership.Her impact, through the boardshe works with and its funders, isvast. With Ittu at its helm, CDA hasinvested 475 million in more than160 projects that have resulted in7,700 new housing units and 13.6million square feet of commercialspace. That includes repurposing 5million square feet of former officespace downtown as residential andhotel use, along with nonprofit projects aiding education and social services throughout the city.Ittu actually has had several careerswith the common thread of her beinga Certified Public Accountant and attorney. She worked in finance for thecity of Cleveland and Cleveland Public Power, as a bond lawyer at CalfeeHalter & Griswold and as finance director for the city of Lakewood.Debra Janik, a co-worker at thecity of Cleveland and GCP who nowworks at Bedrock Cleveland, saysIttu is brilliant.“She has the amazing ability to sit ina meeting where a lot of ideas aretossed around, listen to what everyone has to say and put it all together ina story so that everyone knows thenext step,” Janik said. “She is a Cleveland kid and knows the city she serves.It’s not just project work. It’s all aboutaffecting change in Cleveland.”For her part, Ittu said, “It’s important to me that whatever you aredoing has purpose. I love what I’mdoing. It’s something I’m really passionate about.”Ittu also serves as a board member of Downtown Cleveland Alliance and Digital C, a group thatworks to increase broadband availability in underserved neighborhoods. She has served two years aspresident of the national New Markets Tax Coalition, an advocacygroup that pushed for continuedfunding for the federal New MarketsTax Credit program, which recentlyhelped win reallocation of funds forthe program from CongressIttu balanced her career and volunteer efforts with being the mother oftwo now-grown children. She said sheand her husband, Jim Ittu, are planning a cross-country bicycle tour inNorway to celebrate their 35th anniversary.Ittu also loves to row on theCuyahoga River and is a member ofthe 31x team of the Western ReserveRowing Association.“I often use rowing as an analogyfor teamwork,” Ittu said. “When youare all rowing in sync, it’s almostmeditative.”Jeffrey J. Wild, chairman of the CDAboard and chair of the real estate andenvironmental practice group at Benesch, puts Ittu’s impact succinctly.“Her fingerprints,” Wild said, “areon our skyline and throughout thecity.”— Stan BullardI employ Y.O.U. youth “because it gives me the opportunity to helpour youth reach their fullest potential. Potentials they never realized they had.It is such a rewarding experience to see youth blossom!”Ramonita Rodriguez-JohnsonSummer Jobs Program EmployerDirector at Cleveland Catholic CharitiesLa Providencia Hispanic Services OfficeInvest today in Northeast Ohio’s future workforce youthopportunities.org18 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS JUNE 27, 2022P010 P025 CL 20220627.indd 186/23/2022 2:07:04 PM
Carey JarosIPresident and CEO GOJO Industriest would be hard to think of anexecutive who’s been busierthe last couple of years thanGOJO president and CEO Carey Jaros.While a lot of businesses weresending people home and shelteringfrom the pandemic, Jaros and herteam could do no such things. Theirprimary product, Purell hand sanitizer, rapidly became a critical elementin the battle against COVID — and itwas being used up faster than GOJOwas making it in early 2020.Jaros became president and CEOthe first day of 2020. On Feb. 3,
rector for the Ohio Department of Public Safety's Division of Emer-gency Medical Services, began is-suing COVID-19 guidance in March 2020 from an inpatient bed while recovering from surgery. She worked virtually with Robert Wagoner, the division's executive di-rector, to o er best practices to pro-tect health care providers. In 2021,
