Greater Cleveland Partnership Board elects six new directors

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Cleveland, Ohio—The Board of the Greater Cleveland Partnership today elected six Northeast Ohio business and civic leaders as new directors at its quarterly meeting:

  • Cedric D. Beckett is president and CEO of Strong Tool Company, a leading distributor of metal-cutting tools, abrasives and industrial supplies to the automotive, aerospace and medical industries in the Midwest. The company has seven locations in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Alabama. He is a seasoned distribution-industry professional, having served as president of Barnes Group, Inc.’s industrial distribution business, Bowman Distribution.
  • Ronald M. Berkman, Ph.D., president-designate, Cleveland State University, previously was provost, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, where he served since 1997. Prior to coming to FIU, he taught at The Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University; Brooklyn College; and the City University of New York Graduate Center.
  • Richard Chiricosta, was named as president and CEO of Medical Mutual of Ohio in February 2009. He is the former president of the Life Group for Consumers Life Insurance Company where he was responsible for development of the infrastructure to facilitate Medical Mutual’s re-entry into the life insurance business in 2008. He also has served as Medical Mutual’s vice president of finance.
  • Eduardo Gonzalez is president of Ferrous Metal Processing Company, a company he started in April 1983 with five employees. It now operates four processing plants and a trucking company with more than 350 employees and processes more than 1.2 million tons of steel per year.
  • James F. Kirsch is chairman, president and CEO of Ferro Corporation. He joined Ferro in 2004 as president and chief operating officer, became president and CEO in 2005,and added responsibilities as chairman in 2006. Prior to joining Ferro, Mr. Kirsch served as president of Premix Inc. and Quantum Composites, manufacturers of thermoset molding compounds, parts and sub-assemblies for the automotive, aerospace, electrical and HVAC industries.
  • Katherine McKinney Mlakar is chairman of The Millcraft Group, which has a unique three-generation history as a woman-owned business that was started by Ms. Mlakar’s grandmother and grandfather. Ownership passed from Ms. Mlakar’s grandmother to her mother to her. Millcraft has paper distribution facilities in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia with converting facilities in Ohio, New York and Maryland.

“These new members bring a variety of leadership and business experiences to our Board,” noted GCP Board Chair Henry L. Meyer III. “Their willingness to serve also enables us to continue to support the Board’s commitment to be representative and reflective of the GCP’s membership and the wide diversity of businesses and individuals in Northeast Ohio.”

As an association of business members, the Greater Cleveland Partnership mobilizes private-sector leadership, expertise and resources to create jobs and leverage investment to improve the economic vitality of the region.

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