Lee Fisher named Senior Fellow at CSU Fran DiDonato named National Director of Partnerships and the Talent Dividend

After hiring a native son to lead the national organization, CEOs for Cities opens its first office outside Chicago and Washington, D.C. - a Cleveland office at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at CSU

Cleveland, Ohio – CEOs for Cities, a global nonprofit network of urban leaders focused on making American cities more successful, has opened an office in Cleveland at the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. This is CEOs for Cities' first office outside of Chicago and Washington, D.C

Lee Fisher, a native of Shaker Heights and former Ohio Lt. Governor, Ohio Attorney General, and Director of the Ohio Department of Development, was named President & CEO of CEOs for Cities earlier this year.

To capitalize on the work being done both by CEOs for Cities and the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Fisher and Dr. Ned Hill, Dean of the CSU College of Urban Affairs forged a partnership. Fisher has been named a Senior Fellow with the CSU Levin College of Urban Affairs. Fran DiDonato, National Director of Partnerships and the Talent Dividend, has been named to direct the Cleveland office.

"By locating an office in Cleveland at one of the best urban affairs graduate schools in the nation, CEOs for Cities will be able to highlight many of the economic development successes of Northeast Ohio and we will be able to bring best practices and national experts to our region to help further these successes," said Fisher.

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Dean Ned Hill said that the Levin College of Urban Affairs is "delighted by the opportunity to partner with CEOs for Cities in developing an opportunity agenda for America's cities."

CEOs for Cities is a global network of cross-sector urban leaders dedicated to building and sustaining the next generation of great American cities. We connect urban leaders to powerful ideas and to each other by researching, creating, and sharing smart ideas and practices in the four areas most vital to city success: connectedness, innovation, talent, and your distinctive assets.

CEOs for Cities is headquartered in Chicago and also has an office in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 2001 by Richard M. Daley, former Mayor of Chicago; Paul Grogan, author of Comeback Cities and President/CEO of the Boston Foundation; Charles Ratner, Chairman of the Board of Forest City Enterprises; and Dr. Eugene Trani, former President of Virginia Commonwealth University.

CEOs for Cities is funded by contributions from its network members and the support of a number of national and local foundations including The Kresge Foundation, The Lumina Foundation for Education, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Chicago Community Trust.

For more information on CEOs for Cities and its new office in Cleveland, please contact Fran DiDonato at 216-687-5268.