The East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation Board of Trustees has hired Cheryl Stephens as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer.
Stephens was selected after a six-month nationwide search for a successor to Grady Appleton, who will retire at the end of the year after 35 years leading EANDC.
Stephens began her career in the Ohio Department of Development, working with Community Development Block Grant funded programming. In the years since, she held leadership positions in the planning and development departments at the city of Cleveland, the city of Cleveland Heights and Cuyahoga County. She was also the executive director of the Leadership Cleveland program and a director at the National Development Council, a national non-profit specializing in housing and economic development finance.
She currently is employed as the director of Acquisition, Disposition and Development at the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (CCLRC). In this position, she is responsible for supervision of departmental staff and the wholly owned subsidiary of the CCRLC, CLB Services. Currently, this department manages more than $15 million annually in acquisition, demolition and environmental remediation work in Cuyahoga County.
At each of her positions, Stephens has worked with various local, state and federal organizations to bring outside funding into the agency, grow programs and develop staff capacity.
Stephens is a member of City Council in Cleveland Heights, Ohio (a Council-Manager form of government), where she is currently council president/mayor. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Adventist University and a master’s in Public Administration from the University of Dayton.
“Cheryl is a visionary leader who brings to EANDC a wealth of community development expertise and involvement,” said Annette Hammonds, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “We are confident that Cheryl’s experience, knowledge and integrity are a great match for the work, staff and friends of EANDC, and together we will continue to advance our mission in East Akron and surrounding communities.”
Stephens said she is excited about the role: “EANDC’s Board of Trustees has offered me a wonderful opportunity in which I will work to use all of my financial, development, management and interpersonal skills to help EANDC be the best type of development corporation – one that helps communities become more vital and viable using housing and economic development tools to revitalize their neighborhoods.”
For info, visit eandc.org.
