CLEVELAND — The United Way of Greater Cleveland has appointed a new president and CEO, the organization announced Monday.
Sharon Sobol Jordan will take over in September for Augie Napoli, who announced his retirement after serving since 2016, a news release said.
"On behalf of United Way of Greater Cleveland's board of directors, I am proud to announce Sharon Sobol Jordan's selection as our next president and CEO," said Paul Dolan, chairman and CEO of the Cleveland Guardians and chair of United Way of Greater Cleveland's board of directors. "Sharon is a proven and experienced CEO and one of Cleveland’s strongest leaders in the fight against poverty. She is a veteran of nonprofits with a passion for solving big problems and has dedicated her career to advancing equity and justice – it is not only what she does, but also core to who she is as a person and as a professional."
Jordan has an extensive leadership background. She is the founder and CEO of OpenSpace Solutions LLC, she served as chief of staff for Cuyahoga County, as the president and CEO of The Centers for Families and Children (“The Centers”), and a public service career with the City of Cleveland as director of law and special counsel to Mayor Michael R. White.
Additionally, Jordan was named a Crain's Cleveland Business Woman of Note, YWCA Woman of Achievement, Smart Business Smart 50 leader in Northeast Ohio, Nortech’s Innovative Leader of the Year, and an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, and received the Ohio Glass Ceiling Award from Ohio Diversity Council.
“Sharon has a track record of successfully leading and making change within organizations from the inside out,” Dolan said in the news release.
United way began its search for a new president and CEO last fall. Jordan beat out nearly 50 other applicants for the role, the organization said.
"United Way of Greater Cleveland’s core belief that social and economic change cannot be achieved without racial justice, together with its focus on permanently disrupting the cycle of intergenerational poverty, deeply resonates with me,” said Jordan in the release.
With this appointment, Jordan will become the first female CEO of the organization in its 122-year history.
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