Ronald B. Adrine, Dr. Aparna Bole, Carey F. Jaros and Stewart A. Kohl appointed as new board members
Constance Hill-Johnson
The Cleveland Foundation today announced the election of Constance Hill-Johnson as its new chairperson along with the appointment of four new members to its board of directors, all of which take effect tomorrow (April 1). A board member since 2018, Hill-Johnson will succeed retiring board member and current chairperson Sally Gries.
“For 108 years, the Cleveland Foundation has been the beneficiary of some of the best and brightest leaders in our community, and today represents an exciting new chapter in our history,” said Ronn Richard, Cleveland Foundation president and CEO. “I have had the privilege of working with Connie for the past four years as a member of our board, and her compassion, the respect she’s earned in Greater Cleveland and beyond, and her commitment to our community will be integral to the foundation’s success as she continues the legacy of leadership so thoroughly exemplified by a long line of outstanding board chairs.”
Hill-Johnson is the owner and managing director of Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services, a national franchise, in Cleveland. Visiting Angels is an in-home service provider assisting older adults to live as independently as possible by remaining safely in their own familiar home environment. Now in its 20th year, her business has successfully served hundreds of seniors throughout Cleveland and surrounding communities. Hill-Johnson’s professional background includes over 10 years of senior health care management experience in a variety of health care settings. She is regarded as both a dynamic motivational leader and speaker with a wide array of expertise. Hill-Johnson also spent five years as an institutional sales broker on an equity sales and trading desk for Merrill Lynch Capital Markets in Detroit.
Hill-Johnson earned a Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in health services administration from the University of Southern California and holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Case Western Reserve University. In addition to serving on a number of other boards across Northeast Ohio, she is past co-chair of the African American Philanthropy Committee of the Cleveland Foundation, a 2017 Crain’s Women of Note honoree, a 2020 YWCA Women of Achievement honoree, and was instrumental in bringing The Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland to our city in 2019 and establishing a permanent exhibit entitled Celebrate Those Who Give Black.
Joining the Cleveland Foundation’s board as new appointees are Ronald B. Adrine, Dr. Aparna Bole, Carey F. Jaros and Stewart A. Kohl. Adrine is a retired judge from the Cleveland Municipal Court and received his bachelor’s degree in history from Fisk University, before obtaining his Juris Doctor from the Cleveland State University’s College of Law. Dr. Bole is the division chief, medical director and sustainability advisor at University Hospitals and earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard University and her medical degree from University of Michigan Medical School. Jaros is the president & CEO of GOJO Industries, Inc. and received her bachelor’s degree in public policy from Brown University and her Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Kohl is the co-chief executive officer of The Riverside Company and holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College.
“Ronald, Aparna, Carey and Stewart bring a diverse range of experiences and viewpoints to the foundation and are widely respected for their involvement in Greater Cleveland,” said Richard. “I am confident that our board and staff – and the community at large – will benefit from their passion and wisdom.”
The new appointees join other current Cleveland Foundation board members new vice-chairperson Carrie Carpenter, Frederick E. Bidwell, Margot James Copeland, Kathleen Ferry, The Rev. Dr. Robin Hedgeman, Randell McShepard, Ronald A. Ratner, Maria Spangler, Richard P. Stovsky and Graham Veysey.
Gries is now retiring from the board, as are fellow board members Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita, Robert A. Glick and Daniel P. Walsh.
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