D
avid Gilbert is in his shirtsleeves. He pauses. “Should I
put on a coat?”
he asks. “Whatever makes you comfortable,” the photographer says. That decides it. No coat.
Gilbert, 49, is in his element. Our conversation is taking place inside the trendy offices shared by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland in the old Woolworth building on Euclid Avenue just east of Public Square. Gilbert settles in, characteristically affable — and definitely comfortable.
Despite the frenetic schedule you’d expect of someone running not one but two of Cleveland’s major civic organizations, Gilbert clearly is at ease in his work. He is so comfortable answering to his constituents — that is, every government official, CEO, news reporter and armchair quarterback in Greater Cleveland — that he took on the added responsibility of leading the host committee for this summer’s Republican National Convention.
Gilbert explains his energy, his attitude and his comfort level simply: “I love my community,” he says. “Some people do. Some people don’t. I do.”
Early in his career, he was offered a job with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The job spoke to his passion for sports and his natural inclination for administration. He talked to a Rose Bowl board member who told him that the career he had chosen would mean he’d always be moving. He thought about it. And he came home.
“I decided I’d rather have a career in Cleveland than a career in sports,” he says.
In the end, he got it all. He was named to head the Sports Commission in 2000 following senior leadership roles at a litany of Cleveland nonprofits — director of community affairs and special projects for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland; executive director of North Coast Harbor Inc.; and director of corporate development for The Cleveland Play House. He added the Destination Cleveland job to his Sports Commission role in 2011, and he’s now president and CEO of both.
The goal of the Sports Commission is to make Greater Cleveland the nation’s foremost destination for amateur sporting events and activities. Destination Cleveland, formerly known as the Convention and Visitors Bureau, is charged with driving economic impact and community vitality through convention, business and leisure travel.
Gilbert also serves as vice president of the board of the International Children’s Games, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and sits on the boards of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Maltz Museum and various others.
He is a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2001 and is the recipient of numerous awards for his community work. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Cleveland State. A 1985 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, he lives in Solon with his wife, Faith, daughter, Emily, and son, Bradley.
Gilbert’s extraordinary ability to pull off big events first became evident in a dramatic way with the International Children’s Games in 2004. The games were championed by Alex Machaskee, at the time the publisher of The Plain Dealer, and the communty’s yearning for a success story on the world stage was palpable. The games were a hit, and Gilbert hasn’t stopped making hits ever since. To date, the Sports Commission has attracted more than 160 events, including the NCAA Women’s Final Four, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, U.S. Gymnastics Championships, National Senior Games and Gay Games. Combined, these events have contributed more than $460 million in local economic activity.
In our conversation for Community Leader, Gilbert talked about taking chances, why it’s all worth it and his pursuit of the Next Big Thing.
D
avid Gilbert is in his shirtsleeves. He pauses. “Should I
put on a coat?”
he asks. “Whatever makes you comfortable,” the photographer says. That decides it. No coat.
Gilbert, 49, is in his element. Our conversation is taking place inside the trendy offices shared by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland in the old Woolworth building on Euclid Avenue just east of Public Square. Gilbert settles in, characteristically affable — and definitely comfortable.
Despite the frenetic schedule you’d expect of someone running not one but two of Cleveland’s major civic organizations, Gilbert clearly is at ease in his work. He is so comfortable answering to his constituents — that is, every government official, CEO, news reporter and armchair quarterback in Greater Cleveland — that he took on the added responsibility of leading the host committee for this summer’s Republican National Convention.
Gilbert explains his energy, his attitude and his comfort level simply: “I love my community,” he says. “Some people do. Some people don’t. I do.”
Early in his career, he was offered a job with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The job spoke to his passion for sports and his natural inclination for administration. He talked to a Rose Bowl board member who told him that the career he had chosen would mean he’d always be moving. He thought about it. And he came home.
“I decided I’d rather have a career in Cleveland than a career in sports,” he says.
In the end, he got it all. He was named to head the Sports Commission in 2000 following senior leadership roles at a litany of Cleveland nonprofits — director of community affairs and special projects for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland; executive director of North Coast Harbor Inc.; and director of corporate development for The Cleveland Play House. He added the Destination Cleveland job to his Sports Commission role in 2011, and he’s now president and CEO of both.
The goal of the Sports Commission is to make Greater Cleveland the nation’s foremost destination for amateur sporting events and activities. Destination Cleveland, formerly known as the Convention and Visitors Bureau, is charged with driving economic impact and community vitality through convention, business and leisure travel.
Gilbert also serves as vice president of the board of the International Children’s Games, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and sits on the boards of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Maltz Museum and various others.
He is a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2001 and is the recipient of numerous awards for his community work. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Cleveland State. A 1985 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, he lives in Solon with his wife, Faith, daughter, Emily, and son, Bradley.
Gilbert’s extraordinary ability to pull off big events first became evident in a dramatic way with the International Children’s Games in 2004. The games were championed by Alex Machaskee, at the time the publisher of The Plain Dealer, and the communty’s yearning for a success story on the world stage was palpable. The games were a hit, and Gilbert hasn’t stopped making hits ever since. To date, the Sports Commission has attracted more than 160 events, including the NCAA Women’s Final Four, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, U.S. Gymnastics Championships, National Senior Games and Gay Games. Combined, these events have contributed more than $460 million in local economic activity.
In our conversation for Community Leader, Gilbert talked about taking chances, why it’s all worth it and his pursuit of the Next Big Thing.
D
avid Gilbert is in his shirtsleeves. He pauses. “Should I
put on a coat?”
he asks. “Whatever makes you comfortable,” the photographer says. That decides it. No coat.
Gilbert, 49, is in his element. Our conversation is taking place inside the trendy offices shared by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland in the old Woolworth building on Euclid Avenue just east of Public Square. Gilbert settles in, characteristically affable — and definitely comfortable.
Despite the frenetic schedule you’d expect of someone running not one but two of Cleveland’s major civic organizations, Gilbert clearly is at ease in his work. He is so comfortable answering to his constituents — that is, every government official, CEO, news reporter and armchair quarterback in Greater Cleveland — that he took on the added responsibility of leading the host committee for this summer’s Republican National Convention.
Gilbert explains his energy, his attitude and his comfort level simply: “I love my community,” he says. “Some people do. Some people don’t. I do.”
Early in his career, he was offered a job with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The job spoke to his passion for sports and his natural inclination for administration. He talked to a Rose Bowl board member who told him that the career he had chosen would mean he’d always be moving. He thought about it. And he came home.
“I decided I’d rather have a career in Cleveland than a career in sports,” he says.
In the end, he got it all. He was named to head the Sports Commission in 2000 following senior leadership roles at a litany of Cleveland nonprofits — director of community affairs and special projects for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland; executive director of North Coast Harbor Inc.; and director of corporate development for The Cleveland Play House. He added the Destination Cleveland job to his Sports Commission role in 2011, and he’s now president and CEO of both.
The goal of the Sports Commission is to make Greater Cleveland the nation’s foremost destination for amateur sporting events and activities. Destination Cleveland, formerly known as the Convention and Visitors Bureau, is charged with driving economic impact and community vitality through convention, business and leisure travel.
Gilbert also serves as vice president of the board of the International Children’s Games, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and sits on the boards of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Maltz Museum and various others.
He is a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2001 and is the recipient of numerous awards for his community work. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Cleveland State. A 1985 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, he lives in Solon with his wife, Faith, daughter, Emily, and son, Bradley.
Gilbert’s extraordinary ability to pull off big events first became evident in a dramatic way with the International Children’s Games in 2004. The games were championed by Alex Machaskee, at the time the publisher of The Plain Dealer, and the communty’s yearning for a success story on the world stage was palpable. The games were a hit, and Gilbert hasn’t stopped making hits ever since. To date, the Sports Commission has attracted more than 160 events, including the NCAA Women’s Final Four, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, U.S. Gymnastics Championships, National Senior Games and Gay Games. Combined, these events have contributed more than $460 million in local economic activity.
In our conversation for Community Leader, Gilbert talked about taking chances, why it’s all worth it and his pursuit of the Next Big Thing.
It’s been a dozen years since Cleveland hosted the International Children’s Games. I remember how confident you were back then and, frankly, I also remember thinking that you were taking one heck of a chance. If the event failed, it would be another Cleveland joke — and it wouldn’t do you much good, either. Fast-forward to the RNC. Same proposition. In a way, you bet your reputation on it. Did you ever have any doubts?
I won’t say there was no anxiety. There is an inherent risk when you take on something like that. Look at Rio. There were a lot of negative things that came out of that. But I was confident in the planning process in Cleveland. We started way in advance and we did everything in a very collaborative, community manner. I felt very confident in the things we could control.
Did you get much sleep?
Not a lot. Everyone was pretty much on adrenaline. These are the kind of things that are tiring and invigorating at the same time. A lot of our work is that way, especially on the Sports Commission side. There are a lot of peaks along the way.
Only six years out of high school and with bachelor’s and master’s degrees under your belt, you started your run to the top of Cleveland’s civic ladder. North Coast Harbor, the CVB, the Sports Commission, Destination Cleveland and, most recently, the RNC Host Committee. Are you ever a follower?
I don’t look at it as leading per se, but having a passion for getting things done. It’s in my nature to get things done, to move forward. You can’t be afraid to lead, but it’s important to know when to lead and when to follow.
Heading either the Sports Commission or Destination Cleveland would be a daunting challenge for anyone. You’re running both. How do you manage that?
The fact that we are now under one roof helps me stay connected to both staffs. It also helps to have people you trust. I had to learn more and more about how to delegate. It’s ultimately all about trust.
Why work in nonprofits? You are as well-connected as anybody in town. Have you considered getting off the civic path and taking the corporate route instead?
For me, it’s really about making a difference. I’ve never viewed work as a means to make money. I feel very fortunate that I get such a strong satisfaction from what I do. As I’ve advanced in my career, I’ve learned that if you love what you do and believe it’s important, it makes you more successful. I am fortunate that I have a great marriage and a happy home life. That makes me happier in my work and vice versa. I love what I do and am continually excited and challenged. If I can check the box on those things, why would I mess with a good thing?
You grew up at a time when things weren't so great here, yet it sounds like you were always a booster.
I guess I always felt deep roots here. I loved going to see the Cavs and the Indians and the Browns with my dad. I grew up with a sense of Cleveland, and even when I was at Ohio State, my friends kidded me about that. But I can’t remember having an aha! moment.
I have my friends and family here and I’m doing what I love. I feel so strongly about this community. In another city — a place like Denver or Seattle — it would be a job for me and not a passion. Here, you feel like you can make a difference. I like that. Maybe it has something to do with being the underdog for so long. I like being the underdog.
One of the things that seems to distinguish Cleveland’s corporate culture is that if you’re a player in the business community it is expected that you’re a player in the philanthropic community as well. How important is that culture to the city’s success?
It’s critically important. What we have here is pretty rare. There is such a strong sense of civic, corporate and public engagement. All the major events I’ve been part of — from the Children’s Games to the RNC — none of them would have happened without the strong community support that is in the character of Cleveland.
You once pointed out that Cleveland got stuck being a punchline for much of the country thanks to incidents that happened almost 50 years ago. With all the positive attention we’ve gotten this year — from the Cavs’ championship to the RNC — do you think the late-night comedians finally get that we’re not so funny anymore?
Yes, I think we’re no longer the punchline. The Cavs’ win and the RNC got us there. But we still have a lot to do to change the narrative of Cleveland. You can’t undo in one summer what was created over 50 years. Changing that narrative is going to take time. We have to do more things. We have to continue to bring millions of people here and let them see for themselves.
And don’t forget that we also have had a very difficult self-image. On that score, we’ve come even further. For the locals to get over the past perception is important because, as much outside marketing that we do, what we think of ourselves counts the most. A lot of residents have made the change. There is a new vibe, a new mojo to Cleveland. We have a new normal in our own image
of ourselves.
We’ve come from a poor self-image to a very respectable place. Even with that, though, we’ve only stopped the headwinds for a short time. It is very easy to lose momentum. Our successes give us more tools to work with in order to win.
As the host city, Cleveland gained more than good press from the GOP convention. The convention also served as a catalyst for major improvements. Care to brag a bit about what we got?
People asked why we would have spent all that money to throw a party. Nothing could be further from the truth. We had $200 million in direct spending. Those dollars purchased items here and the money went right into the pockets of Clevelanders. Nine out of 10 people who spent it came in from outside the region.
On top of that, we received millions and millions of dollars of in-kind goods and services, and additional resources for safety and security equipment, street paving and other things. Millions came in from the federal government, other government agencies, corporations, individuals and foundations.
And don’t forget the future dollars that will come here. It’s all about growing the economy. That comes as a result of people spending money.
What do you think Cleveland can teach other cities?
We can teach people
a lot about cooperation and collaboration. In the last 15 to 20 years, we’ve often started a half-step behind the starting line when competing against other cities. That’s changed now. People have come to our events and left saying, “That’s the best-hosted event I ever attended.” All of that is because we have a community working together.
It’s neat to get [congratulatory] emails from Germany and Taiwan and other places. We’re making connections. We are pursuing a major international event for 2020. In meeting with the event organizer from Switzerland, he told me: “You guys have a really good reputation.” I’ve been hearing a lot of that.
The spirit of Cleveland in a few words?
We’re resilient. We take chances. We know how to take a punch and get back up.