Cleveland Reporter

Cleveland — On June 15, Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced the appointments of three new senior strategists tasked with revitalizing Cleveland’s Southeast side, developing and implementing the administration's plans for arts, culture and the creative economy, and expanding the city’s co-responder and non-police care response teams as part of a broader effort to modernize policing and develop a strong model for crisis intervention.    

“There was a high level of interest in these roles, and I am thrilled with where we landed,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “These talented and dynamic leaders bring decades of experience in their respective fields, and I look forward to working with them to develop actionable plans that deliver on our priorities.”

All three roles represent firsts for the City of Cleveland. The strategists will develop plans and lead the work in their respective areas for a period of two years.  

“The goal here is to bring in senior strategists and have them lay the foundation for the future,” explained Mayor Bibb’s Chief of Staff Bradford Davy. “These new hires are serving as expert consultants, and term-limited positions are a creative way for the administration to bring top talent in house.”  

Revitalizing the Southeast Side

As the new senior strategist for the revitalization of Cleveland’s Southeast side, Marvin J. Owens, Jr., an economic development expert, community advocate, and Harvard-educated pastor, will work to bring investment into the long-disinvested southeast side neighborhoods of Mt. Pleasant, Union Miles, and Lee Harvard. In this role, Owens, a Cleveland native, will build and lead a cross-functional team—across city departments and with external partners—focused on strategy, planning, code enforcement, incentive development, site acquisition and preparation, marketing, business attraction, community engagement, and real estate development.  

Currently the Chief Engagement Officer for Impact Shares, Owens has decades of community and economic development experience, including four years as Senior Director of Economic Programs for the NAACP, where he led the organization’s national economic inclusion agenda. He has also served as Vice President for Economic Empowerment for the National Urban League, where he managed a partnership to promote minority entrepreneurship between the National Urban League, the National Economic Council of the White House, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the Business Roundtable.  

Elevating Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy  

The city’s inaugural Senior Strategist for Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is Rhonda K. Brown, a veteran advancement professional who most recently served as president at the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation, which raises several million dollars annually from private philanthropy to support scholarships, academic innovation and holistic student supports. Brown has also led development for The Joffrey Ballet, Governors State University and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. In addition, she is a widely collected painter who explores how Black subjects, especially women, are seen and represented in their everyday encounters.

A native of Shaker Heights, Brown’s parents owned and operated Malcolm Brown Gallery, the first for-profit, Black-owned fine art gallery in the country. In the senior strategist role, Brown will weave her executive and creative experience to develop a sustainable infrastructure for the arts at City Hall in partnership with city leaders, artists, arts service organizations, funders, creative sector businesses, non-profit partners, neighborhood organizations, universities, and other stakeholders.

Expanding Cleveland’s Crisis Response Programs  

Leading the work to develop a sustainable strategy for crisis intervention is Angela Cecys, MSSA, LISW, an experienced behavioral health professional with a background in positive youth development, housing and homelessness, social welfare, and crisis services. Based in the Cleveland Department of Public Health, Cecys will work with service providers, advocates and stakeholders to transform emergency response for people experiencing mental or behavioral health crises, housing instability, struggling with substance use or belonging to marginalized communities.

Cecys is a Licensed Independent Social Worker who comes to the city from FrontLine Service, where she managed the Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness. Previously, Cecys served as one of the original Crisis Intervention Specialist co-responders for the Cleveland police pilot program, where police officers are partnered with social workers for calls related to mental health crises.  

“These new strategists represent the next phase of how we are reimagining city government, breaking down silos, and better connecting departments to serve Clevelanders and move our city forward,” Mayor Bibb said. 

Original source can be found here.