The newly appointed slate of volunteer board members will implement a strategic plan to strengthen the 125-year old nonprofit’s mission to serve vulnerable older adults
Contact: Katie Boland, Director of External Relations – 216-658-1881, kboland@elizabryant.org
Cleveland, Ohio– Cecil Lipscomb, CNM, Executive Director of the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, will serve as Chair of the Eliza Bryant Village Board of Trustees for a two-year term, beginning April 26, 2021. Lipscomb has served in leadership roles for the Village, including his most recent roles as 1st Vice-Chair and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, in addition to his five years as a Board of Trustee member.
“Cecil is an outstanding leader with a proven track record of improving the quality of life for underserved communities in Greater Cleveland, especially African Americans,” said immediate past-Chair Danielle Sydnor, Chair of the NAACP Cleveland Branch, who served as Chair for the last four years. Sydnor will continue to serve as a Board of Trustee and chair our Strategic Planning Committee.
Cecil Lipscomb is the Executive Director of the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland. He received his undergraduate degree from Ursuline College, his MBA from the Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management, and a certificate of nonprofit management from Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University. Prior to this, Lipscomb was Senior Director of Institutes at Cleveland Clinic and worked as Director of Fundraising for Case Western Reserve University’s School of Engineering. Prior to 2004, he worked in commercial and government sales, management, and marketing in the telecommunications sector for 10 years with two Fortune 100 companies that eventually merged to create Verizon.
“We look forward to Cecil’s strategic leadership in charting our future course of service to older adults in need,” said Danny R. Williams, JD, MNO, LNHA, President & CEO of Eliza Bryant Village. “Life for many of the seniors we serve has not always been easy. Their sacrifices helped to open access to healthcare and economic opportunities many of us now enjoy. It is now our responsibility to ensure they get the care and respect they have earned.”
In 2019, the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland hosted The Soul of Philanthropy, an exhibition that highlights the characteristics, impact, and legacy of African-American charitable giving as an untold narrative in the story of American philanthropy. During 2019, Lipscomb also received the Corporate College Smart 50 Award from Smart Business Magazine.
Lipscomb said about his new leadership role, “One Village, Inspired by African American Values, Welcoming to All. These words will become engraved in the culture at the Village as we continue to progress and adapt to be the premier provider of quality healthcare, programs, and services to the older adults in our historic Hough neighborhood.”
Lipscomb’s role was announced at the Village’s 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting held Monday, April 26, 2021. A new slate of Officers and returning Board of Trustees also were sworn in and the roles and members are listed below.
- 1st Vice-Chair, Ronald Johnson, JD, Key Bank
- 2nd Vice-Chair, Jean Jenkins, Past Board Chair, Community Volunteer
- Secretary, Bette Bonder, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA., Cleveland State University
- Recording Secretary, Barbara Bray, Community Volunteer
- Treasurer, Rufus Heard, Community Volunteer
Board of Trustees serving a three-year term from 2021 to 2024:
- Ruth Fore
- Rufus Sims
- Ronald Johnson
Volunteers who will serve on the Board of Trustees by virtue of their respective roles as Presidents of Auxiliary I, Auxiliary II, and Auxiliary III:
- Teena Mitchell, Auxiliary I
- Gwendolyn James, Auxiliary II
- Zadie Barber, Auxiliary III
The mission of Eliza Bryant Village is to provide quality services, outreach programs, and a dignified, compassionate and secure living environment for seniors. More information about the Board of Trustees can be found here on the Village website.
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About Eliza Bryant Village
Eliza Bryant Village provides high-quality services for seniors along the continuum of care in a safe, dignified and compassionate environment. We offer skilled nursing with memory-care and rehabilitation, on-site dialysis care, an adult day care and senior outreach program, and affordable independent senior housing. Home Care is available to Eliza Bryant Village seniors as well as our aging neighbors. The Elder Justice Center at Eliza Bryant Village provides free, temporary housing and wrap-around services to older adults experiencing abuse, violence, trauma, or criminal victimization. Eliza Bryant Village, located on 17 acres in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, has been an anchor institution in the community for 125 years. The oldest continually operating African American-founded long-term care facility in the United States, we serve more than 1,000 seniors annually with more than 160 compassionate employees and nearly 300 volunteers.