40, Nonprofit Executive Director
Why She’s interesting: After a decade working in community development, Rosemary Mudry leads Cleveland Public Market Corp., the new nonprofit tasked with running the West Side Market. The former teacher and coach wants to create vibrant, thriving gathering spaces — in both the market and the East Side brewery she runs with her husband.
Food for Thought: When she was a little girl in University Heights, Mudry dreamt of becoming a farmer. “I wanted a farm that had everything: all the animals, all the crops.” While she’s not a farmer now, her passion for food systems continued through participating in a student-run co-op at Oberlin College, maintaining a plot in the Old Brooklyn community garden, operating a farmers market with West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development and now interacting with produce at the West Side Market.
Hablo Español: As a 5th-grader at Laurel School, Mudry opted to take Spanish rather than French, which proved to be a life-altering decision. “My Spanish teacher, Señora Villaseca, was from Chile, and I thought she was great. When you have teachers that are exciting, they draw you into it.” Mudry studied abroad in Spain and Argentina and took a Latin American history class, sparking her interest in the intersection between foreign and domestic politics. She double-majored in Latin American studies and politics at Oberlin. Returning to Laurel to teach Spanish, she coached field hockey and track before obtaining her Master of Urban Planning from Cleveland State University.
Market Vision: Since starting her new role last January, Mudry and her team have been working toward making the West Side Market the best public market in America. “What does ‘being the best’ mean? I think it’s celebrating the historic and beautiful building we’re in and making it a place where both merchants and customers can realize the full potential of the space.” She takes inspiration from markets across the country, including Pike’s Place in Seattle, Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Findlay Market in Cincinnati and North Market in Columbus.
Must-Have Items:
- Cookout Classics: “The market, in my mind, is basically synonymous with summer grilling season, whether it’s just hot dogs and burgers or something fancier, like kebabs or steaks or salmon.”
- Fresh Mushrooms: “I feel like they taste extra delicious at the market.”
- Apple Fritters: “I do like a sweet treat in the afternoon, it’s true.”
Cheers: Mudry’s husband, Joel Warger, has been brewing beer for more than 20 years, 14 at Great Lakes Brewing Co. The couple opened their own brewery, Midnight Owl Brewing Co. in Shaker Heights, in October 2023 — the same week Mudry was offered the job at the West Side Market. Her favorite brew? “Joel had made me a milk stout for our wedding, so when we opened the brewery, he made a very similar milk stout as one of our first beers.”
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