Forward Together is a process to develop a forward-looking strategy for current and future community facilities. This exciting collaborative City-Libraries-Schools project is kicking off with an educational and inspirational speaker panel on March 26. This event will bring together thought leaders in the future of cities, libraries and education to share trends and discuss what they mean for the future of our civic assets.
The event will begin with light refreshments at 7 pm. Opening remarks will begin at 7:15 pm followed by short presentations from each of the panelists. A moderated question and answer session will follow with opportunity for audience questions. This will be a fun event that brings the community together to learn and start the conversation about the future of our Shaker Heights facilities.
Speakers
- Terry Schwarz, Director, Kent State University Urban Design Collaborative
- Evan Struble, Associate State Librarian for Library Development, State Library of Ohio
- Michele Pomerantz, Director of Regional Collaboration, Cuyahoga County
Moderated by Felton Thomas, Jr., Director, Cleveland Public Library
Forward Together: Thought Leader Panel Discussion
Tuesday, March 26
7-9 pm (program begins at 7:15 pm)
Shaker Heights High School Large Auditorium (15911 Aldersyde Dr.)
About the Speakers
Terry Schwarz, FAICP, is the Director of Kent State University’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative. Her work at the CUDC includes neighborhood and campus planning, commercial and residential design guidelines, and ecological strategies for vacant land reuse. Terry launched the CUDC’s Shrinking Cities Institute in 2005 in an effort to understand and address the implications of population decline and large-scale urban vacancy in Northeast Ohio. As an outgrowth of the Shrinking Cities Institute, she established Pop Up City, a temporary use initiative for vacant and underutilized sites in Cleveland. In 2009, Terry received the Cleveland Arts Prize for Design. She teaches in the graduate design curriculum for the KSU College of Architecture and Environmental Design. She has a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.
Evan T. Struble is the Associate State Librarian for Library Development at the State Library of Ohio. Prior to assuming that role, Evan worked as a Library Consultant with the State Library for more than six years. Additionally, he continues to work part-time for the Upper Arlington Public Library. Evan has previously worked for the library membership organization OhioNET, Westerville Public Library, Otterbein University’s Courtright Memorial Library, and the Meigs County District Public Library. In addition to serving on various councils and committees within the Ohio Library Council (OLC), in 2015, Evan received the Diana Vescelius Emerging Leader Award from that organization. This award recognizes an outstanding commitment to the profession, including advocacy in special areas such as intellectual freedom, library innovation, outreach, and/or expansion of library services. Evan has a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication and Journalism from Otterbein University.
Michele J. Pomerantz is Director Of Regional Collaboration for Cuyahoga County. Michele began her career as a classroom teacher in Cleveland before serving the president of the American Federation of Teachers in Washington, D.C., where she was the Deputy Director of the Office of the President. Her experience there gave her a deep understanding of federal educational reform policies and advocacy strategies. Most recently, Michele served as the Policy and Labor Liaison for the CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, where she served as the government relations specialist advocating for the second largest school district in Ohio. On July 10, 2018, she was appointed Director of Regional Collaboration for Cuyahoga County. In her current position, Michele is responsible for coordinating appointments to Boards and Commissions. Through that work she will recruit residents who have demonstrated commitment to public service, represent diverse perspectives and experiences and understand the role that these Boards and Commissions play in serving the community and upholding the County Charter. Michele seeks to continue to connect with the State of Ohio, our partners and municipalities throughout Cuyahoga county to promote collaboration that supports improved services and cost savings to taxpayers and regional efficiencies for the residents of Cuyahoga County.
About the Moderator
Felton Thomas, Jr., is the Immediate Past President of the Public Library Association and was appointed director of the Cleveland (Ohio) Public Library (CPL) in January 2009. Prior to accepting the position of director of CPL, Felton served as director of Regional Branch Services for the Las Vegas-Clark County (Nev.) Library District and President of the Nevada Library Association. He has served on the PLA Board of Directors since 2012, and was named to the Aspen Institute’s Task Force on Learning and the Internet in 2014. His awards and accomplishments include being named a “Mover and Shaker” by Library Journal, and being selected as White House Champion of Change for Making in 2016.