January 10, 2022 – Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) announced today that Paul J. Dolan, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Guardians, has been elected to serve as Vice Chair and Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors. He will become Chair in March 2022 at the organization’s annual meeting.

“We are delighted that Paul will serve as the next chair of the GCP Board at this exciting moment for our region,” said Eric Schnur, current GCP Board Chair.  “The epitome of a team player, Paul’s leadership, character, and commitment to our community will serve both the organization and Greater Cleveland well. I know he will be an outstanding Chair of our board.”

Dolan, an attorney who earned his JD at the University of Notre Dame Law School, was hired by the Cleveland Guardians as vice president and general counsel in 2000. Four years later he became team president and since 2011 has served as chairman and CEO. During Dolan’s tenure, the team has won five American League Central Division Championships (2001, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018) and became American League Champions in 2016.

He has served on numerous boards in the Greater Cleveland area, including GCP, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Cleveland Clinic, the Cleveland Foundation, Evergreen Cooperatives, the Playhouse Square Foundation, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Say Yes to Education, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland (BGCC). Additionally, in April 2021, Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Dolan to Cleveland State University’s board of trustees.

In 2017, he became the first recipient of the Youth Champion of the Year Award, presented by BGCC to those who “inspire and enable young people to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

"I am honored by the opportunity to work with our team, our board, and our many partners across the civic system to serve our community,” said Dolan. “I am particularly energized by the emerging vision for the region and the breadth of collaborative and coordinated initiatives to foster and grow dynamic businesses, develop and deepen talent pipelines, ensure inclusive opportunity, and enhance our community. This is a transformative period for our region, and we are looking forward to working in partnership with all to make Greater Cleveland even greater.”

In addition, GCP has elected the following individuals to its board of directors:

• Adam Graves, President, Pizza & Snacking, Nestlé
• Ariane Kirkpatrick, CEO, The AKA Team
• CeCe President, Owner, Presidential Consultants             
• Chris Howse, President, Howse Solutions
• Claude Booker, Owner, Soul Food Starters          
• Dee Haslam, Owner, Cleveland Browns
• Joe Morford, Managing Partner, Tucker Ellis       
• Michele Connell, Global Managing Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
• Monte Repasky, Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young
• Patrick Espinosa, Managing Partner, Sus Abogados Latinos Law Firm
• Jill Dietrich, CEO, VA Northeast Ohio (Board Observer)
• Severine "Sev” De Wagheneire, Managing Partner, Accenture
• Taylor Evans, President, Rust Belt Recruiting
• Tim Dimoff, President, SACS Consulting & Investigative Services

“We welcome all of our new board members and look forward to engaging them more deeply in our work,” said Baiju R. Shah, President & CEO of GCP. “I also want to share my appreciation for the leadership and guidance of both Eric Schnur and Paul Dolan, and their dedication to the mission of our organization and the advancement of Greater Cleveland.”