Voices

Cleveland-area intergenerational summit works to reignite area’s economy

An invitation-only group of more than 100 multigenerational leaders recently met at the Crowne Plaza in Independence to identify priorities to help the region become more of a talent magnet and jumpstart its economy.

The group included state, country and local politicians; presidents and senior executives from the region’s top employers; and leaders from dozens of the region’s young professionals’ organizations.

Rebecca Ryan, Next Generation Consulting and Accounting Tomorrow contributor, along with Molly Foley, facilitated the morning’s session. Gary Shamis, managing director of SS&G in Cleveland and member of the Advisory Board, is one of the meeting’s organizers.

As an outcome of the meeting, the group committed to:
• Working across generations and being inclusive in their approach to solutions
• Being positive about the region’s opportunities and its future.
• Supporting candidates for public office who share their priorities: Education
  Reform, strong downtowns in city centers, and connecting students to the region’s

  Opportunities.
Action plans for the next 90 days were established in several key areas, and will be posted on
the group’s LinkedIn group page: Northeast Ohio Young Professional Leaders.

“We’re not trying to start a new group or initiative,” Shamis said. “We simply wanted to start a new dialogue – to get both generations of leaders to the table. The morning was very successful in achieving that.”

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