Leadership and Staff

The Fund relies on individuals from each of its members and a small staff to help guide and direct its work.

Fund Officers

  • Deborah Hoover - Chair

    Deborah HooverThe Fund for Our Economic Future elected Deborah Hoover to be its third chair on March 19, 2013. 2008. She succeeded David Abbott. Hoover has served as president and chief executive officer of The Burton D. Morgan Foundation since January 2007. She joined the Foundation in 1999 as a program officer and was elected executive vice president and treasurer in 2004. She was instrumental in establishing the Foundation's Northeast Ohio Collegiate Entrepreneurship Program, a Kauffman Campuses Initiative, to spread entrepreneurship across five liberal arts campuses. She also spearheaded the collaborative efforts to bring Blackstone LaunchPad to four campuses in Northeast Ohio.  Ms. Hoover currently serves as a member of the Commercialization Task Force for the Ohio Board of Regents, and is chair of the Advisory Board for The Foundation Center-Cleveland. Ms. Hoover serves on the Board of Trustees of Western Reserve Academy and is a member of the National Council for The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Ms. Hoover attended Williams College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, majoring in art history.  She completed a Master of Arts degree at the University of Chicago. She continued graduate studies at George Washington University National Law Center where she earned a J.D. degree and was a member of the Law Review. She is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia, New Hampshire and Ohio.

  • Brian Frederick - Vice Chair 

    Brian Frederick is president and chief exectuive officer of the Community Foundation of Lorain County.

  • Bill Seelbach - Vice Chair 

    Bill Seelbach is a senior advisor at Rivreside Company and a representative of The George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation.  

  • Christine Mayer - Vice Chair

    Christine Mayer is president of the GAR Foundation in Akron.

  • Brad Whitehead - President

    Brad Whitehead oversees the Fund’s grantmaking, research and civic engagement efforts. He was named the Fund’s first president in the fall of 2006. He served the Fund while also working for The Cleveland Foundation. In July 2007, he assumed full-time responsibilities with the Fund. Brad joined the Foundation in 2002 and was Program Director for Economic Development. Before joining the Foundation, Brad was a Director at the international management consulting firm of McKinsey and Company. At McKinsey, Brad’s client work spanned a broad range of corporate strategy, operations, and organizational issues, but his major area of focus was in growth and new business building. Brad was one of the firm leaders of the Business Building Practice and prior to that he was a founder of the firm’s Environment Practice. Brad can be reached at 216-456-9801 or bwhitehead@futurefundneo.org.

  • If you are interested in interviewing Brad or inviting him to speak at an event, contact Molly Johnson, Manager of Communications for the Fund.

  • Robert Jaquay - Vice President

    Robert Jaquay is associate director of the George Gund Foundation in Cleveland.

  • William LaPlace - Treasurer

    William LaPlace is a trustee with the Kent H. Smith Charitable Trust.

  • Phillip A. Ranney- Secretary

    Phil Ranney is a trustee of the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation and a partner at Schneider, Smeltz, Ranney & LaFond,P.L.L.


 

Fund Staff

  • Karen Mozenter - Director of Funder Engagement

  • Karen MozenterKaren Mozenter works closely with current Fund members to keep them informed about and engaged in our Fund activities. Through her work, she connects philanthropy to regional economic issues through and beyond the Fund. Karen also leads the organization’s efforts to identify and attract additional regional and national members to the Fund and seek support for strategic initiatives.  Prior to the Fund, Karen practiced law at Jones Day and served as counsel to The Ohio State University Research Foundation and Office of Technology Transfer. She also taught at Columbus Academy. She holds a B.S. in communications from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the Duke University School of Law. Karen can be reached at 216-456-9809 or kmozenter@futurefundneo.org.

 

  • Chris Thompson - Director of Regional Engagement

    Chris Thompson works with fund members, partners and other regional stakeholders to broaden and deepen support for Advance Northeast Ohio, the region’s economic competitiveness agenda. Chris previously worked for Crain's Cleveland Business and Edward Howard, an Ohio-based public relations firm. Chris can be reached at 216-456-9802 or cthompson@futurefundneo.org.

  • Bethia Burke - Manager of Emerging Initiatives

    Bethia Burke is the Manager of Emerging Initiatives at the Fund for Our Economic Future. She leads the development and implementation of regional projects that support the Fund’s mission of strengthening Northeast Ohio’s economic competitiveness. Currently, her work is focused on initiatives in workforce development, government collaboration and efficiency, and regional planning. Bethia holds an M.A. in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University. Before joining the Fund, Bethia was a manager and practitioner in Cost and Risk Analysis at TASC, Inc., a systems engineering and advisory services company. Bethia can be reached at 216-456-9805 or bburke@futurefundneo.org.

 

  • Lisa Fuentes - Manager of Finance

    Lisa FuentesLisa Fuentes manages all of the Fund's finances and is the liaison to the Finance Committee. She is the sole proprietor of a full service accounting firm serving small to mid-size not for profit organizations, corporations and partnerships. Lisa is a former principal of Ernst & Young, LLP where she spent the first 17 years of her career. She is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Institute of Internal Auditors and the Northern Ohio Minority Business Council.

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  • Emily Garr - Manager of Research, Grants & Evaluation

    Emily GarrEmily Garr is responsible for the Fund’s work associated with its research agenda and the policies and administration of its grants. A former Fulbright Fellow, Garr brings experience in regional labor market analyses gained in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the Fund, she held multiple positions at The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, working most recently as a consultant to the program. In addition, she has worked as a research assistant at The Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. and as an analyst for the evaluation and assessment of the Metrobus Transportation System in Mexico City. Garr has a master’s degree in urban studies from El Colegio de México and a Bachelor of Arts in political communications from Emerson College. She can be reached at 216-456-9803 or egarr@futurefundneo.org.
     

  • Molly Johnson - Manager of Communications

    Molly Johnson manages internal and external communications for the Fund. She focuses on maximizing awareness of the Fund and educating and engaging key stakeholders about the organization’s mission and initiatives. Prior to joining the Fund, Johnson was a corporate communications manager at the Cleveland Clinic. She has previously worked at Fleishman-Hilliard International Communications in the Healthcare Practice Group. She graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and political science.  Molly can be reached at 216-456-9806 or mjohnson@futurefundneo.org.

  • Colette Taylor - Manager of Operations

    Colette Taylor coordinates all administrative and operational activities at the Fund. She works with the Nominating and Personnel committee to identify and manage HR issues, recruit for Fund leadership positions and comply with governance requirements. In addition, Colette facilitates Funder meetings and handles general office management. A graduate of Cleveland State University, Colette comes to the Fund with a diverse background in economic development from her work at the Entrepreneur's Edge and the Northeast Ohio Software Association (now the COSE Technology Network). Colette can be reached at 216-456-9811 or ctaylor@futurefundneo.org.