NAVIGATE THE SITE
Welcome to Faces of the Town, a special 2020 Annual Report from MidTown Cleveland.
These stories show how our neighborhood’s growth and success is driven not just by our tremendous MidTown team, but by the work, passion, and dedication of individual people. In this year where we are physically distanced from one another, our annual report will focus solely on the portraits and words of the people who are going above and beyond, in ways big and small, to make MidTown a better place.
The twelve months since our last annual meeting and report in September 2019 have been unusual and momentous as our work, our team, and our neighborhood have been disrupted by both the COVID-19 pandemic and a national dialogue about racial equity and police brutality stemming from George Floyd’s murder. While we have had projects postponed and events canceled, lost loved ones and seen businesses and residents severely impacted, we have also found new purpose and opportunity in this moment. Organizations can react in very different ways to crisis and adversity, and for MidTown Cleveland, Inc. the events of 2020 have sharpened our mission and urgency around racial equity and forced us to become even more innovative than before.
With the pandemic temporarily shutting the majority of restaurants in AsiaTown and causing food insecurity, our AsiaTown team started a program to make bulk food purchases from restaurants in the neighborhood and delivering meals to residents in need.
With schools closed and youth stuck at home, our community engagement team worked with partners to engage a council of area youth to shape the East 66th Corridor planning effort.
With in-person meetings impossible but multiple planning efforts in need of a strong community voice, our planning and placemaking team found new and innovative ways to connect with community virtually through town halls, engaging zoom meetings, virtual streaming concerts, and a Chinese language WeChat channel.
With our local and national economy struggling, we doubled down on efforts to better leverage our anchor institutions to support innovation and collaboration by advancing planning for a multi-sector innovation community in the heart of MidTown.
With a new sense of urgency around racial equity, our board adopted an equity policy as well as a set of equitable development principles to guide all development in the neighborhood.
Each of these examples shows how our neighborhood’s growth and success is driven not just by our tremendous MidTown team, but by the work, passion, and dedication of individual people. In this year where we are physically distanced from one another, our annual report will focus solely on the portraits and stories of the people who are going above and beyond, in ways big and small, to make MidTown a better place. The moms in AsiaTown who wanted to do something to build community during COVID-19 and started an initiative to deliver home baked goods to their neighbors. The entrepreneur who returned to his family’s historic roots on Carnegie Avenue to open a restaurant. The front line workers at University Hospitals and Dave’s Market and Eatery who went above and beyond to serve their community during COVID-19. These stories and more are part of the textured fabric that makes up MidTown.
Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge a tremendous loss which will have ripple effects far beyond MidTown – our founding chairman Morton L. Mandel passed away a month after our annual meeting last Fall at the age of 98. Mort meant so much to MidTown, and his leadership, friendship, wisdom, and entrepreneurial spirit will be missed. MidTown Cleveland is just part of the incredible legacy Mort Mandel leaves behind.
Stephanie McHenry
CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jeff Epstein
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MIDTOWN


Daniel Gray-Kontar
Executive Artistic Director,
Twelve Literary Arts


Gwendolyn Garth
Founder, Kings and Queens of Art
Leo’s Listening Party Organizer


Dongyi Tian
AsiaTown Sweetheart Co-Founder
& AsiaTown Resident


Scott Mueller
Chief Executive Officer
Dealer Tire


Evelyn Burnett
Co-Founder & Partner
ThirdSpace Action Lab


Lillian Kuri
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR STRATEGY
CLEVELAND FOUNDATION


Lemma Getachew
Owner & Developer
Inspirion Group


Tiffany Graham
Senior Project Director
LAND studio


Beverly Williams
Resident &
Volunteer


Carla Gervais
Centering Pregnancy Coordinator
UH RAINBOW CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN


April Owens
Centering Pregnancy Coordinator
UH RAINBOW CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN


Ron Fuqua
CREATOR, LEO’S CASINO RADIO
Resident


Antwoine Washington
ARTIST & CO-FOUNDER,
MUSEUM OF CREATIVE HUMAN ART


Lauren Pearce
Artist & Muralist
Mural Festival Participant


Paul Deutsch
PRINCIPAL & COO, BIALOSKY
INCOMING BOARD CHAIR


Akin Affrica
OWNER, ANGIE’S SOUL CAFE
THREE BLACK KNIGHTS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS


Lisa Litton
Community Teaching Kitchen Mgr.
Dave's Markets


Julia Kuo
Illustrator &
Mural Festival Participant


B. Landrum
Musician & Producer
Caffeine Beats Artist


Lexy Lattimore
ARTIST, SOCIAL WORKER
LATTIMORE PRODUCTIONS


Alana Ferguson
HOUGH RESIDENT, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
NEW VOICES FOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE


Joe Lanzilotta
Project Manager
LAND studio


Greg Peckham
Executive Director
LAND studio


Carolyn Watts Allen
Retired Attorney
Hough Resident & Leader


Roger Myles
Frontline Worker & Porter
Dave's Markets


Maura Garven
Chief Operating Officer
ThirdSpace Action Lab


Mordecai Cargill
Co-Founder & Creative Director
ThirdSpace Action Lab


Shao Jia Huang
OWNER, EMPEROR'S PALACE
CHINESE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION


Jason Lin
Cleveland Chinese Senior Citizens Assoc., Chinese Benevolent Assoc.


Ming Ho
President, On Leong Association
Good Harvest Food Market Owner


Juthamas Fagthab
Co-Owner and Co-Founder
Map of Thailand


Carolina Masri
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MEDWISH


Erika Brown
Community Network Manager
Neighborhood Connections


Jackie Larkins
CAFÉ PHIX MIDTOWN
OWNER
Select row to expand
Membership | Year Joined
2019 through August 1, 2020
* Includes In-kind Contributions
$50,000 – $100,000
Minute Men, Inc. | 1989
(1-888-OhioComp – 2004; Complete Payroll Management – 2010)
Parkwood Corporation | 1983
$25,000 – $49,999
Dealer Tire | 1993
$10,000 – $24,999
Flying Hand Studio* | 2017
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District | 1985
University Hospitals | 2008
$5,000 – $9,999
Applied Industrial Technologies | 1983
Buckeye Business Products/ Pubco / Kroy | 2017
Case Western Reserve University | 2018
Cleveland Clinic | 2002
Cleveland State University | 1997
CleveLawn | 2019
First Energy | 2018
Geis Companies / Hemingway Development | 2009
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority | 1991
JakPrints, Inc.* | 2015
MCPc | 2017
PNC Bank | 1983
$2,500 – $4,999
Abeona Therapeutics Inc. | 2017
Central Cadillac | 1983
Cleveland Eye Clinic | 2011
Cushman & Wakefield / CRESCO | 2016
DigitalC | 2018
Greater Cleveland Partnership* | 2017
J & M Real Estate Advisors, LLC | 1992
Mussun Sales, Inc. | 1993
Porter Properties CLE. LLC | 2018
Third Federal Savings & Loan | 2012
$1,000 – $2,499
Acme Express, Inc. | 1993
AEG Presents / Agora | 2017
Albert M. Higley Company | 1983
American Red Cross | 1983
ARC/ Riot | 2008
Asia Services in Action | 2018
Beaty Capital Group / Templelive | 2019
Bialosky & Partners Architects | 2016
CGB Tech Solutions Inc. * | 2012
Cadillac Music Corporation | 2000
CWRU / IOTc | 2018
City Architecture, Inc. | 1990
Cleveland HeartLab, Inc. | 2016
Cleveland Indians | 2019
Coleman Spohn Corporation | 1995
Dave’s Marketplace | 1993
Debbie Sibila | 2019
Dish 1 Up Cleveland | 2020
Dollar Bank | 2017
Eagle Foods | 2020
First American Title Company | 2019
First Federal of Lakewood | 2019
First Interstate | 2017
First National Bank | 2017
Frost Architectural Preservation, Inc. | 2011
Harrington Electric Company | 1984
Haus Malts, LLC * | 2017
Health-Tech Hospitality | 2017
HP Manufacturing | 1994
HzW Environmental Consultants, Inc. | 2005
JumpStart Inc. | 2012
Kenneth J. Coleman | 1983
Legal News Publishing Company | 1989
MAGNET | 2016
Marous Brothers | 2017
Meaden & Moore | 2013
Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, LLC | 2017
NRP | 2020
Oriana House, Inc. | 2001
Pierre’s Ice Cream | 1989
ProCleve Investments, Ltd. | 1984
RDL Architects | 2019
Radio One | 2017
Recovery Resources | 1997
Signature Health | 2020
SmartShape Design | 2018
Sussen Foundation, Inc. | 1983
Sussen Self Storage | 2001
The City Mission | 1993
The Krill Company | 2018
Thompson Hine / PMC | 2018
Vazza Real Estate | 2017
Vocon | 2008
Walter / Haverfield | 2017
Weinberg Wealth Management, LLC | 2020
$500 – $999
3131 Corporation | 2018
American Sugar Refining Co. | 2010
Apex Pinnacle Sign | 2019
Asia Plaza Company | 1992
Athersys, Inc. | 2000
Burger King / Franchise Operations | 2007
Burkle Hagen | 2017
Centers for Families & Children | 2005
Children’s Museum of Cleveland | 2016
Cleveland Canvas Goods Manufacturing Co. | 1989
Crescent Digital LLC | 2016
Cromwell Mechanical LLC | 2012
Cumberland Development | 2007
Custom Fabricators | 2018
D. O. Summers | 1990
Dimit Architects | 2019
Dodd Camera Company | 1994
Dubick Fixture & Supply Co. | 1985
General Video of America | 1989
InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center / InterContinental Suites Cleveland / Holiday Inn Cleveland Clinic | 1990
Jencen Architecture | 1984
Jerry Rothenberg | 1984
Juniper CRE Solutions | 2018
Karpinski Engineering | 1989
KeyBank | 1989
LDA Architects, Inc. | 2014
Margaret W. Wong & Associates Company | 2003
Margolius, Margolius & Associates | 2020
MANN Holdings | 2019
Moskey Dental Laboratories, Inc. | 1990
Muller Lofts | 2020
NewBridge of Cleveland Center | 2017
North Coast Commercial / 3311 Perkins Limited | 2017
OCA Greater Cleveland Chapter | 2020
Ohio Addressing Machine Co. | 1989
PIRHL | 2017
Positive Education Program | 1996
P & P Maintenance | 2015
Royal Acme | 2020
Strategy Design Partners | 2017
Squire Patton Boggs | 2019
Tavern Club Co. | 1985
The Inspirion Group | 2016
The Krill Company | 2018
The MidTown | 2018
Transaction Realty | 2015
Viking Capital Partners / Esmond | 2018
$250 – $499
3800 Euclid House LLC | 2018
A & S Distributors | 2007
Abraham Realty Company | 2018
Acclaim Communications | 2020
Ace Taxi | 2018
Adam Architecture LLC | 2019
American Coffee Services | 1987
American Civil Liberties Union | 2003
Architecture Office | 2019
Bob Brown Consultant | 2017
BT Solar | 2017
Buschman Corp. | 1990
Central Graphics | 2020
Chamberlain College of Nursing | 2015
Chicago Title Insurance Company | 2018
Citiroc Real Estate Company | 2020
Clean Express Auto Wash | 2020
Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council | 1987
Cleveland Eye Bank / Eversight | 2013
Cleveland Housing Network | 2001
Cleveland Kraut | 2019
Community of St. Peter | 2019
Copy King | 2016
Craig Melnick | 2018
Cuyahoga County Land Bank | 2018
Copy King | 2003
Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities | 1983
The Dann Law Firm | 2016
Erie Chinese Journal | 2020
Environmental Design Group | 2017
Fund for Our Economic Future | 2017
G2G Consulting | 2018
Glass Doctor of Cleveland | 1993
Graffiti | 1989
Growth Opportunity Partners, Inc. | 2018
Gust Gallucci & Company | 2013
High Rock Property Advisors, Ltd | 2019
Improve Consulting | 2019
Initiate Studios | 2018
K P Photo Group, Inc. | 1998
Karnis Safe & Lock Co., Inc. | 1983
Kowit & Company | 2017
Law Office of Deborah Yue | 2020
Learn to Grow Inc. | 2017
LiWah Restaurant | 2006
Loftworks Live / Work Condominiums | 2006
Mace Security International | 2013
Masjid Bilal, Inc. | 2017
McHenry 4.0 | 2019
MedWish | 2018
Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory | 2011
Najm Real Estate, Inc. | 1989
OHM Advisors | 2017
Ohio Guidestone | 1997
Ozanne Construction | 2019
Partners Environmental | 2017
Passages Inc. | 2020
Plantscaping | 2000
Priority Vending, Inc. | 2002
Race Ahead | 2018
Robert P. Madison | 2019
Robert Kloos | 2019
Second Generation Limited | 2003
Shrine of the Conversion of St. Paul | 1983
Signature Sign | 2004
Smartland | 2018
St. Timothy Missionary Baptist Church | 2018
Sterling Holdings | 2017
Storybox Cinema | 2018
Target Auto Service | 2013
Taxel Image Group * | 1983
Teal Sky Properties | 2019
Tech Elevator | 2018
The Community of St. Peter | 2019
The Orlean Company | 2017
The Salvation Army | 2019
thunder::tech | 2004
University Commons / 1900 E.30th | 2014
Vocational Guidance Services | 2005
Willo Security | 2018
Yosemite Construction | 2019
Your Bean Counters, Inc. | 2014
Ziska Architecture | 2011
Zoller Biacsi Company | 2015
$25 – $249
Adoption Network Cleveland | 2009
Aids Task Force | 2019
Artistic Cast, Inc. | 1995
Café Phix MidTown | 2019
Cleveland Asian Festival | 2017
Cleveland Granite & Marble | 2017
Cleveland Kids in Need | 2009
Cleveland Opera Theater | 2015
Cleveland Restoration Society | 2005
Close to Home CDC | 2019
Community Action Against Addiction | 2018
Dancing Wheels | 2018
Dress for Success | 2020
Dunham Tavern | 1989
Economic and Community Development Institute | 2017
Encore Staffing Network | 2018
Global Cleveland | 2020
Greater Cleveland Community Shares | 2017
Greater Cleveland Partnership * | 2018
Greater Cleveland Volunteers | 2019
Greg Peckham | 2019
Hoff & Leigh | 2017
Housing Research & Advocacy Center | 2020
Land Studio | 2019
Kids Book Bank | 2017
Marsha Mockabee | 2020
MPC Plating, Inc. | 1987
Morgan Lithography | 2019
Neighborhood Connections | 2018
Neighborhood Leadership Development Program | 2019
New United Distributing Co. *| 2014
Orbital Research, Inc. | 2020
Oswald Companies | 2017
Progressive Arts Alliance | 2019
Ron & Maria Fuqua | 2019
Rowfant Club | 2007
Sequoia Realty | 2017
Shoes and Clothes for Kids | 2020
Skybryte Company | 2004
Urban League of Greater Cleveland | 2014
Youth Opportunity Unlimited | 2020
Other Contributors
City of Cleveland
Cleveland Census Microgrant Coalition
The Cleveland Foundation
Cleveland Hillel Foundation
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Councilman Basheer Jones
Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
The George Gund Foundation
The George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation
Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
The Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation
Manufacturing Works
PNC Foundation
Board of Trustees | 2019-2020
* Executive Committee
Chair
Stephanie McHenry *
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Vice Chair
Paul Deutsch *
Bialosky Cleveland
Treasurer
Debbie Sibila *
Dealer Tire
Secretary
Gloria Ware *
JumpStart
Founding Chairman
Morton L. Mandel
Parkwood Corporation
Past Chairs
Lloyd Bell
Kenneth J. Coleman
Michael L. Coticchia
John R. Cunin
Daniel Fashimpaur
G. Robert Klein
Robert B. Lash
M. John Lillis
John R. Melchiorre
Robert V. Munson
Frank H. Porter
Tom Roberts
Shelley Roth
Thomas Roulston
Don Scipione
Daniel C. Sussen
Trustees
Lloyd Bell *
Meaden & Moore LTD
Aparna Bole
University Hospitals
Robert Brown
City Planning Consultant
Maria Campanelli
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland
Michele Crawford *
Tri C
Brenden Dalzell
Minute Men HR & Staffing
Christin Farmer-Kane
Birthing Beautiful Communities
Paul Federico *
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Matthew Fitzsimmons *
Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, LLC
Pam Gill
Recovery Resources
Darin Haines
MCPc
Ethan Karp
MAGNET
Craig Melnick
Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Candice Miller
Applied Industrial Technologies
Timothy Miller
Forge Biologics
Chinemerem Onyeukwi
Resident
Maria Campanelli
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland
Frank H. Porter *
Porter Properties CLE. LLC
Julian Rogers
Case Western Reserve University
Matt Salmon *
PNC
Michael R. White *
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
Wayne Wong
NASA
Committees
Emeritus
Frank Porter, Chair
Porter Properties CLE LLC
Kenneth J. Coleman
Fairport Asset Management, LLC
Daniel Fashimpaur
Vitamix
Robert B. Lash
Moskey Dental Laboratories, Inc.
Morton Mandel
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
Robert V. Munson
ProCleve Investments, Ltd.
Gordon Priemer
J & M Real Estate Advisors
Jerome Rothenberg
Jencen Architecture
Don Scipione
Acme Express, Inc.
Daniel C. Sussen
Sussen Foundation, Inc.
Barney Taxel
Taxel Image Group
Physical Development
Paul Deutsch, Chair
Bialosky Cleveland
Lloyd Bell
Meaden & Moore
Aparna Bole
University Hospitals
Robert Brown
City Planning Consultant
Michele Crawford *
Tri C
Brenden Dalzell
Minute Men HR & Staffing
Darin Haines
MCPc
Craig Melnick
Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Candice Miller
Applied Industrial Technologies
Timothy Miller
Forge Biologics
Stephanie McHenry
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Chinemerem Onyeukwi
Resident
Frank Porter
Porter Properties CLE LLC
Gloria Ware
JumpStart
Matthew Salmon
PNC Bank
Finance
Debbie Sibila, Chair
Dealer Tire
Lloyd Bell
Meaden & Moore
Maria Campanelli
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland
Paul Deutsch
Bialosky Cleveland
Stephanie McHenry
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Matthew Salmon
PNC Bank
Governance
Matthew Fitzsimmons, Chair
Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, LLC
Lloyd Bell
Meaden & Moore
Ethan Karp
MAGNET
Stephanie McHenry
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Michael R. White
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
Governance
Matthew Salmon, Co-Chair
PNC Bank
Paul Federico, Co-Chair
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Stephanie McHenry
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Frank Porter
Porter Properties CLE LLC
Gloria Ware
JumpStart
Community Connections
Gloria Ware, Co-Chair
JumpStart
Michele Crawford, Co-Chair
Tri-C
Carolyn Allen
Resident
Oge Anoliefo
JLL
Aparna Bole
University Hospitals
Evelyn Burnett
Third Space Action Lab
Mordecai Cargill
Third Space Action Lab
Pamela Cheng O’Donnell
Turner Construction
Dr. Mark Chupp
Case Western Reserve University
Alana Garrett-Ferguson
Resident / New Voices
Pam Gill
Recovery Resources
Anshawn Ivery
Resident / Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Adam King
Stakeholder
Stephanie McHenry
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Aaron O’Brien
Resident
Chinemerem Onyeukwu
Resident
Anne Richie
Stakeholder
Julian Rogers
Case Western Reserve University
Brandon Thompson
Resident / Cleveland State University
Wayne Wong
NASA
MidTown Cleveland Inc. Professional Staff

Jeff Epstein
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MidTown Cleveland, Inc.
DIRECTOR
Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor

Adam Allen
VISTA - Economic Opportunity Coordinator

Richard Barga
Vice President of Economic Development

Alex Cala
MidTown & HTC
Intern

Joi Carter
Community Engagement & Marketing Manager

Xinyuan Cui
AsiaTown Community Organizer

Joyce Huang
Vice President of Community Development

Carmalette Kelly
Executive Assistant & Mgr. Office Operations

Samira Malone
Neighborhood Planning Project Coordinator

Stephanie Thurman
Administrative
Assistant
