Panelists
Our Panelists have been asked to join us to provide further insight from their own experiences in their life work. The small group discussions will generate meaningful questions for the panelists about their on-the-ground experiences, common sense approaches and stories about their own instances of problem solving to challenges. These stories most probably intersect with one or more of the three topics: creativity, sustainability and prosperity.
CONNIE ATKINS, Executive Director, Consortium of African American Organizations (CAAO)
CAAO (pronounced K-O) is an umbrella consulting organization for the black professional organizations of greater Cleveland. CAAO serves as a conduit and referral source to existing resources for entrepreneurial development, professional development, and leadership empowerment for its member organizations.
Ms. Atkins is a seasoned entrepreneur, a published author, a motivational speaker, a college professor, and an international business consultant, having served on many community boards. As an international business consultant, Ms. Atkins led two trade missions to South Africa and was selected to serve on a Bi-national Commission as an advisor to Secretary of Commerce Daley and Vice President Gore on $2.6 billion economic development budget between the USA and South Africa and participated in developing the first Trade Initiative Framework Agreement between the U.S. and South Africa since the end of apartheid with Vice President Gore, Secretary Daley, and President Thabo Mbeki.
Ms. Atkins is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of John Carroll University and a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Cuyahoga Community College and has received numerous honors and awards. Learn more: http://www.caao.net/
STEVE CENCULA, Partner, FORM
Before joining FORM, Steve was Founder and President of Kaleidoscope Animations. During his 14 year tenure there, the company grew to serve clients including Procter & Gamble, Fisher-Price, Diebold, Rubbermaid, and Parker Hannifin. His work has been recognized by the ADDYs?, and he's been named to Crain’s Cleveland’s Who’s Who in Technology two years running. Currently, Steve's serving a three year term on the Board of Directors for The Cleveland Institute of Art; he also serves on the school's Advisory Board for its digital media department, T.I.M.E. (Technology and Integrated Media Environment)
FORM is a creative services boutique that blends new technology with world class visual design to help companies build new kinds of brand connections and experiences. The firm's offerings include branded web-based games, training, promotions and contests, as well as virtual demonstrations and integrated online/offline campaigns.
Steve attended the Cleveland Institute of Art specializing in industrial design, sculpture and painting. Learn more: www.theformgroup.com
DAN DAHL, Executive Director, EJ Thomas Hall and the Akron Civic Theatre
Dan Dahl was honored with the 2003 Governor's Award for the Arts in Ohio, recognizing his leadership and advocacy in Akron, Ohio. Dahl has been an innovative leader in integrating arts activities into community, business, and civic development.
The description of Dan and his work provided by the awards announcement helps set his achievements in context:
Dan Dahl is a man with extraordinary vision and an active voice in the community that he regularly uses to advocate for the arts as a tool for economic development. Dahl has been described as the 'Energizer Bunny' of Akron. Under Dahl's leadership, attendance at the two facilities doubled from 1991 to 2001. More than $30 million has been invested in the theatres in that same period of time. This includes a $22 million restoration and expansion project at the Akron Civic Theatre which has played a crucial role in the downtown Akron revitalization plan.
He has been a leader in the arts community, forging close alliances with local arts organizations, leading a community-wide planning process dealing with a major arts development project, helping to found First Night Akron and serving as president of the Akron Area Arts Alliance. Dan Dahl is a man that makes things happen and the arts community, the local economy, and the revitalization of downtown Akron are all beneficiaries of his talents." Learn more:http://destinationdowntownakron.com/
BILL DOTY, Doty & Miller Architects
Bill Doty founded Doty & Miller in 1977 with partner, Charles Miller. Over the past 5 years the firm has been committed to providing a sustainable design approach to developing high performance green buildings. Because of the sustainable design of buildings as a growing worldwide trend, the Federal Government now mandates standards for buildings. Numerous states and cities also have green building guidelines for their communities.
Bill is a leading speaker, presenting on the subject of Green Building Design to the AIA, ULI, American Institute of Constructors, Shorebank, General Electric, and IFMA.
Doty & Miller Architects demonstrated green solutions in the renovation of the old Bedford Post Office into offices for their company, providing a demonstration project model featuring rapidly renewable, recycled content, salvaged and non-toxic materials and finishes.
Most recently Doty & Miller has completed a 3.4 kilowatt, building-integrated solar system on two awnings shading the south windows of their building.
Bill serves as in an advisory capacity to multiple regional and national sustainable development organizations. Bill Doty received his Bachelor of Architecture from Kent State University. Learn more: http://www.dotyandmiller.com/
ERNEST JOHNSON, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Economic Development Administrator
Ernest Johnson has an extensive background in community development, workforce training, youth leadership and public works programs. New to Cleveland, Ernest Johnson has spent the last twenty-five years working in New York City in a variety of leadership roles. In the early 1990’s, Ernest was Project Director of the Youth Employment Training Program at The Boy Scouts of New York, Greater New York Councils, Project Director at The Girls Club of New York and served as Chairman of the New York City youth Employment Coalition, an organization of 56 Youth Employment contractors whose task was to develop policy issues with the administration and local elected officials, creating pilot programs for youth.
Mr. Johnson served as the Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Department of Employment, consultant for The United States Department of Labor, Vice President for Education and Workforce Development at the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation creating and implementing occupational skills and education programs for residents of the South Bronx.
Mr. Johnson currently develops and oversees wealth creation activities for residents of CMHA including occupational skills training, job placement, remediation, GED preparation, savings, home ownership through individual development accounts and entrepreneurial development and serves as a member of both the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Workforce Investments Boards. Ernest Johnson is a graduate of Syracuse University, City University of New York and Columbia University. Learn more: http://www.cmha.net/
DAVID MOSS, Creative Director, EDR Media
After serving as lead designer for American Greetings with an extensive background in design, music performance, fine arts and writing, David joined EDR Media and pared his unique brand of style and energy with the creative and technical resources of EDR.
David blends savvy for arts and culture with far reaching know how for the technological applications of new media. His teams have created award winning visual communications products for print, CD, DVD, kiosk, narrow cast and broadcast shows.
In addition, David has been a successful operator for his own design brand group. He developed a complete packaging line for Bajer Design and Marketing providing private label packaging for retail giants such as, Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger, K-mart and Lowes and has produced successful brand identity packages for retailers, corporations and non-profit entities.
David continues to pursue arts and cultural activities in the community. He recently displayed his mixed media works at Lucky’s Café in Tremont and is active in regional non-profit arts initiatives. Mr. Moss is a graduate of Purdue University and the Rochester Institute of Technology. Learn more: http://www.edr.com/
LAURA ORKIN, President, Beachwood Chamber of Commerce and Chief Operations Officer, Envision Radio Networks, Inc.
Laura Orkin is following a legacy of community service begun by her father, Louis Orkin, past president of the Heights Area Chamber of Commerce and founding member of The Beachwood Chamber of Commerce.
Her experience includes the Macy’s Executive Training program in New Jersey and served as the Business Manager for Allan Raider Studio in Union, New Jersey. In 1993, Ms. Orkin and her husband Daniel Wolkoff, returned to Beachwood where she worked for Office Placements in Beachwood.
Realizing the need for a consistent form of weekly business communications, Laura formed the Beachwood Business Fax, an ongoing company provider for the Beachwood community in 1994. In 2004, Ms. Orkin sold Beachwood Business Fax and was named Chief Operations Officer of Envision Radio Networks.
Laura Orkin participated on the Beachwood Recreation Board from 1997-1999, serving as President in 1999. In addition to her COO role at Envision, Laura volunteers at Hilltop, Bryden and Beachwood Middle School and coached the March 2004 second grade Destination Imagination team. Laura Orkin is a graduate from Miami University in Oxford with a Bachelor of Science, in Business Marketing. Learn more: http://www.envisionradio.com/
EILEEN PARMELEE, Principal, Chagrin Falls Middle School
Eileen Parmelee has been a teacher in the Chagrin School district for 33 years serving as a Math Department Chair, Athletic Director, and Assistant High School Principal and is presently the Middle School Principal.
Eileen’s professional experience involved designing individual mathematical programs for grades 5 – 8; presenter at multiple annual conferences of the National Middle School Association; President of the Chagrin Falls Education Association; Chief Contract Negotiator for Teachers and a member of the Chagrin Falls Middle School Leadership Team.
Eileen Parmelee has also served on several educational advisory committees and is a certified Mentor Trainer. Her special area of interest is developing new solutions to engage female students in new technology platforms. She was named to the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Chagrin Falls Schools Teacher of the Year and the Jennings Foundation Mathematics Award for Individualized Mathematics Program.
Miss Parmelee is a graduate of Ursuline College and Ohio University.Learn more: http://www.chagrin-falls.k12.oh.us/cfms/cfms.htm
JASON J. THERRIEN, President, Thunder::Tech
Jason Therrien, a Cleveland native founded Thunder::Tech six years ago in a dorm at John Carroll University. The company started as a web design firm and quickly grew into a web and database group as clients required more interaction with their site and had the need for easier communications internally.
Expanded design services were added early on to take the online themes we created, offline into print materials for our clients. Continued growth in this area led into expansion into more in-depth marketing and advertising services for our clients.
Thunder::tech employs ten team members and has recruited several from out-of-state and out-of-region, proving our disbelief in Cleveland's brain drain. We employ database experts, application programmers, web designers, print designers, marketers, copywriters and administrators.
Today, thunder::tech is blazing its own path in creating a new model of marketing combining data and design to create more effective and measurable presences for our clients.
Jason volunteers for the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club as their PR Director and member of its Marketing Committee. Jason is also the Chair of the Emerging Leaders Group, part of the Cleveland Roundtable.
Jason is a graduate of John Carroll University.Learn more: http://www.thundertech.com/
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