Presented by Medical Mutual of Ohio in recognition of service to Cleveland community

Ronald M. Berkman, president of Cleveland State University, has been selected to receive the 2017 Kent Clapp Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Medical Mutual of Ohio. The honor recognizes President Berkman’s contributions to the Cleveland community, his efforts to strengthen partnerships between CSU and area businesses and his innovative efforts to enhance student success, experiential learning and career readiness. The award is named in honor of former Medical Mutual CEO and prominent Cleveland community leader Kent Clapp.

The award will be presented as part of Medical Mutual’s Pillar Awards for Community Service sponsored by Smart Business Magazine. The ceremony will be held Wednesday, December 6 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the LaCentre Conference Center, 25777 Detroit Avenue, Westlake, OH. Register for the event here.

The Pillar Awards were created in 1998 to honor organizations ​of ​all ​types ​and ​sizes ​that ​make ​outstanding ​contributions ​to ​their community. ​Its ​purpose ​is ​to ​encourage ​a ​charitable ​environment, ​recognize ​creative ​efforts ​that ​make ​a ​difference ​and ​demonstrate ​the ​ties ​between ​the ​for-profit ​and ​nonprofit ​worlds.

Ronald M. Berkman was selected as president of Cleveland State University in 2009. During his tenure at the university freshman enrollment and graduation rates have more than doubled, the University successfully completed a $100 million campaign targeted at student success initiatives and is undergoing a $500 million campus transformation that has helped spur the revival of Downtown Cleveland.

President Berkman has also led a comprehensive effort to strengthen community, educational and research partnerships with area businesses, non-profits and cultural institutions. This includes collaborations with Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Parker Hannifin and GE Lighting, among many others. In honor of the University’s significant connectivity with the community, CSU received the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2015.

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