After 20 years of leadership Ronn Richard, president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation, is stepping down. When he does so later this year, he will be the second-longest serving head of the organization, behind Leyton E. Carter, who served from 1928 to 1953.
During his leadership, Richard grew the foundation and transformed it into a nonprofit juggernaut with an impact across our city and entire area. In addition to addressing numerous community issues and leading and launching initiatives, Richard increased the foundation’s endowment and led the charge to build its new MidTown headquarters.
“When I came, the endowment was $1.5 billion, now the endowment is $3.2 billion, so more than double… and if you haven’t come to the new headquarters, it will blow your socks off,” Richard says. “This is the first time in 108 years that we can hold programs in our building — like our mastery-based dance program for kids after school and so many other community programs. The nonprofits can use the interconference center for free.
“I have a phenomenal staff, and we have an amazing team. I think the foundation is in a great place and on a great trajectory.”
Richard is still focused on the ongoing issue of gentrification. It’s been a target of the Cleveland Foundation for years during his leadership and it continues to be a battle.
“I think we have so many opportunities to do transformative things in neighborhoods, guarding against gentrification, not just in the East Side neighborhoods but in Clark-Fulton and around University Circle,” Richard says.
Having a true passion for social work in the Cleveland area, Richard also concedes that the foundation will always have work to do and things to improve.
“The challenges that the organization faces mirror the challenges that society faces,” he says. “We’re trying to help with disparities in health care, lack of teachers, nurses and labor shortages in critical areas that provide social service needs. There will always be room for the Cleveland Foundation to play its part.”
But Richard also says that he has been in charge for a long time, and it is now time for a new and different CEO to step up.
“You want to make sure you step aside while you’re still enthusiastic about the job and everybody wants you to stay,” he says. “Get your timing right — don’t wait until they wish you were gone.
“Even though I still think I’ve got all my energy, enthusiasm and inventiveness, lots of other people have that. It’s time to pass the baton.”
Richard is sentimental about his time at the Cleveland Foundation. He also realizes that he will miss it. And while proud of his accomplishments and the changes he has made during his tenure, he simply wants to pursue other ventures in life.
“I’ll be [the Cleveland Foundation’s] biggest booster forever and will show up at all their events,” says Richard.
“I’m sure I’ll end up on a couple of nonprofit boards and maybe a few corporate boards. And I’ll miss my fellow staff members and the board tremendously. But I think there are lots of other ways that I can contribute to society in retirement and reinvent myself.
Besides Richard’s plans to work for the community post-retirement, he also says he wants to pursue his own interests now that he has the time.
“I want to go back to school, and that may not be in a classroom. But for 40 years I haven’t been able to pursue some personal interests,” says Richard.
“I want to study the classics; I want to get fluent in Spanish; I want to get good at guitar; I want to study music theory. I’m fascinated with the biotech realm and have been on a few biotech boards.
“My wife and I also have a bucket list of places we want to travel to. I have a whole lot of things I want to do, and I probably won’t have time for half of it.”
