GCCC Names Founding Board of Trustees
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Shayla Lang
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Greater Cleveland Career Consortium Launches Inaugural Board of Trustees, Begins Fourth Year of Career-Connected Programming
Local leaders to guide the organization's next phase of growth, sustainability, and regional impact
Independence, Ohio — September 18, 2025 — The Greater Cleveland Career Consortium (GCCC) proudly announces the formation of its inaugural Board of Trustees, marking a significant milestone in the organization’s evolution from a start-up initiative to a key player in Northeast Ohio’s education and workforce development ecosystem. This new governing body succeeds the Consortium’s Leadership Council and will serve as the strategic and organizational backbone of GCCC—guiding its vision, overseeing operations, and ensuring long-term sustainability and scalability.
“We are excited to launch the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium’s inaugural Board of Trustees as we transition from a start-up organization to an established player in Greater Cleveland’s education and workforce development landscape,” said Jacob Duritsky, GCCC Board Chair and Vice President of Strategy, Research, and Talent at TeamNEO. “We’ve convened a stellar group of cross-sector community leaders to move this work forward.”
GCCC’s Inaugural Board of Trustees:
- Jacob Duritsky, Chair – Vice President, Strategy, Research, and Talent, TeamNEO
- Gregory L. Brown – Executive Director, PolicyBridge
- Teresa Bargar – Vice President and Community Manager, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Khaz Finley – Manager, Career Readiness, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
- Meredith Foxx – Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Cleveland Clinic
- Laurie Pogel – Senior Manager, Hourly Workforce Development, Swagelok
- Dr. Bill Wagner – Director, First Ring Schools Collaborative
- Dr. Helen Williams – Vice President, Strategy, Cleveland Foundation
The Board held its inaugural meeting on September 9 at GCCC’s home base, the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio. It succeeds the Leadership Council, which provided programmatic and governance oversight from GCCC’s founding in March 2022 through the end of 2024. The Council was chaired by Shana Marbury, Executive Vice President of Workforce, Community, and Economic Development at Cuyahoga Community College.
The formation of the Board comes as GCCC enters its fourth academic year of delivering PACE—its career readiness curriculum—across nine public school districts in Cuyahoga County. In the 2025–26 school year, GCCC expects to build on its success from the prior year, in which it served more than 14,000 middle and high school students through classroom-based lessons, career advising, and work-based learning experiences. Participating school districts include:
- Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District
- East Cleveland City School District
- Fairview Park City School District
- Garfield Heights City School District
- Maple Heights City School District
- Richmond Heights Local Schools
- Shaker Heights City School District
- Warrensville Heights City School District
“With the guidance and support of our Board of Trustees, GCCC is well-positioned to deepen our impact on student outcomes and help address the region’s talent pipeline needs,” said Autumn Russell, President and CEO of GCCC. “I look forward to learning from and collaborating with this extraordinary group of leaders during such a pivotal moment in our organization’s journey.”
Currently operating under fiscal sponsorship, GCCC’s establishment of a formal Board of Trustees is a critical step toward securing its independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and expanding its long-term impact across the region.
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