Staff Leadership
Joseph D. Roman
President and Chief Executive Officer
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Joseph Roman (Joe) is president and chief executive officer of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, one of the nation's largest metropolitan chambers of commerce.
As president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Roman is helping to lead the charge to increase the overall economic vitality of Northeast Ohio. He is committed to making an impact in several areas of focus for the organization, including high-growth business creation, physical development, workforce development and education, and business retention, expansion and attraction. As a lobbyist for most of his life, Roman now focuses GCP's advocacy efforts on the creation of the most competitive environment for business investment in the Midwest.
Roman previously served as executive director of Cleveland Tomorrow-an organization that recently merged with the Greater Cleveland Growth Association and the Greater Cleveland Roundtable to form the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Cleveland Tomorrow was committed to pursuing projects and initiatives that were fundamental to the long-term economic vitality of the region. Roman had been with Cleveland Tomorrow since 1985 and became executive director in 1993. During his tenure, Cleveland Tomorrow was recognized by the Harvard Business School as one of the most innovative and successful regional business organizations in the country, and was a leading player in rebuilding Cleveland's downtown. Roman was named the first CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership in 2004 and oversees a staff of over 100 economic development professionals.
Before joining Cleveland Tomorrow, Roman worked on Capitol Hill as both a congressional staff person and as a lobbyist for manufacturing trade associations.
Roman has a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University.
Roman also sits on several boards including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Cleveland Cuyahoga County Bar Association, the Partners for Liveable Communities organization, the Ohio Business Development Coalition and the Convention & Visitors Bureau.
back to top
Steve Millard
President and Executive Director, Council of Smaller Enterprises
Steve Millard is president and executive director of the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE). In his role, Millard has responsibility for leading the small business programs, products and services of COSE.
Prior to joining GCP, Millard spent five years with Andersen Consulting's Strategic Services Practice in both Boston and Cleveland. At Andersen Consulting, he focused on strategic management and supply chain strategy projects for Fortune 500 companies. Millard also served General Electric's Medical Systems Business Group in Boston, where he was responsible for sales and service logistics for the Northeast Region.
Millard holds a degree in finance and a degree in transportation and distribution management from Syracuse University. He graduated summa cum laude and was named both University Scholar and Class Marshall for his graduating class. He is one of few graduates in the history of the university that captured both the top academic and top leadership distinctions granted by the university.
Millard serves on the boards of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, National Association for Membership Development, the National Small Business Association, the Presidents Council Foundation and the Cleveland Partnership for Arts and Culture.
back to top
Yvette M. Ittu
Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Yvette M. Ittu is the executive vice president of finance and operations of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. In addition, she is vice president of Cleveland Development Advisors Inc. (CDA), an affiliate of GCP that is responsible for the management of real estate investment funds initiated, and in part capitalized, by certain GCP members. CDA managed capital serves as a source of private sector funding for catalytic real estate development projects having a significant impact on the growth and development of the City of Cleveland. CDA has been successful in obtaining multiple allocations of tax credit equity to establish additional capital that is being used to further investments in neighborhood development, job retention and business expansion as well as to make catalytic investments along the transportation corridor of Euclid Avenue, Cleveland's main thoroughfare between Public Square and University Circle. Yvette's responsibilities as vice president of CDA include the overall management of these funds.
Prior to joining CDA, Yvette was an associate with the law firm of Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP practicing in the areas of public law and public finance. She served as bond counsel on multiple financings for the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, the City of Cleveland, and several other Ohio local governments. In addition, Yvette served as finance director for the City of Lakewood and held several financial management positions for the City of Cleveland including the chief financial officer post for Cleveland Public Power, the city-owned power company. Yvette was called upon to serve as chairperson of Mayor Jane Campbell's finance transition committee and to act as interim finance director during the first quarter of the Campbell administration. In addition, Yvette also served on the finance transition team for Mayor Frank Jackson.
Yvette obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. In addition, she is a certified public accountant and has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Cleveland State University. Yvette currently serves on several community and nonprofit boards including NorTech, Benjamin Rose Institute, Village Capital Corporation, Shorebridge Capital, as well as audit committees for several local governments including the City of Cleveland. She is a native of Cleveland and lives in Rocky River with her husband and two children.
back to top
Daniel E. Berry
Executive Vice President, Strategy, Membership and Marketing
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Daniel E. Berry is the Greater Cleveland Partnership's executive vice president, strategy, membership and marketing, with responsibility for strategic planning, corporate communications, board management and relations, grant making and fund raising.
Previously, as senior vice president, strategic integration for the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, (the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cleveland,) he was responsible for successfully managing and concluding the Growth Association's merger negotiations with Cleveland Tomorrow and the Greater Cleveland Roundtable, which led to the creation of the GCP in 2004.
Berry joined the Growth Association in 1995 as vice president, workforce preparation to oversee the start-up and implementation of the Jobs and Workforce Initiative, a regional, business-led effort to ensure access to talented workers for Northeast Ohio companies and broader career opportunities for residents. In 2000, he was named vice president, growth strategies and services, with responsibility for workforce development, international trade, minority business development, business attraction and retention, and development finance. He also managed the association's engagement in creating Team NEO, a regional business retention and attraction initiative in partnership with other business organizations in northeast Ohio.
Prior to the Growth Association, he spent 13 years with The George Gund Foundation, serving as associate director from 1989-1995. He began his career with The Charles F. Kettering Foundation as an urban affairs program associate with responsibility for national grant-making aimed at stimulating urban revitalization.
Berry received a doctorate in management from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, where he was a Mandel Fellow. He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from Kent State University.
Berry's recent civic engagements include serving as a trustee of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation and the Center for Employment Training-Cleveland. He also served on the Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board's Executive Committee and was a member of the City of Cleveland Workforce Investment Board. He previously chaired The Cleveland Foundation's Fenn Educational Fund, which assists cooperative education and internship programs at Greater Cleveland higher education institutions and still serves on the Fenn board. A past chair of Vocational Guidance Services, he has remained as a member of that board.
back to top
Carol Caruso
Senior Vice President, Advocacy
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Carol Caruso was named senior vice president of advocacy for the Greater Cleveland Partnership in March 2004 when the organization was formed. Prior to that, she held the post of vice president of advocacy for the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, one of the three organizations that merged to become the GCP.
She is responsible for government advocacy at the federal, state and local levels for the GCP and its partners, including NorTech, JumpStart, and Build Up Greater Cleveland. In this capacity, she works closely with community partners to develop a regional advocacy strategy that advances job creation and economic development for Northeast Ohio.
Prior to her work with the Growth Association, Carol was vice president of government relations for Cablevision of Ohio from 1998 to 2000. She also served as the executive vice president of the Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association and director of government affairs for Nationwide Insurance Companies, both in Columbus, Ohio.
She serves on several civic and charitable boards and is a graduate of Leadership Cleveland 2004. She attended The Ohio State University, where she majored in Political Science. Carol and her family reside in Solon, Ohio.
back to top
Andrew Jackson
Executive Director, Commission on Economic Inclusion
Senior Vice President, Greater Cleveland Partnership
Andrew Jackson serves as executive director of the Commission on Economic Inclusion, the GCP's initiative to build and sustain economic growth by enhancing the participation of minority professionals and minority-owned businesses in overall efforts to create jobs and investment in Northeast Ohio. He is also a senior vice president at GCP.
Jackson previously was a consultant at Accenture, where he focused on transforming large-scale business and technology in the automotive and industrial equipment industries for clients including BP America, DaimlerChrysler, and Johnson Controls.
A graduate of John Adams High School, he earned a degree in accounting from Cleveland State University and completed the CPA examination a year later. He joined Accenture as a consultant following graduation in 1982 and was made partner in 1995.
His involvement with the life-changing INROADS internship program originated during his freshman year of college when he began a four-year internship at Key Bank. It has continued through his role as a fund raiser, mentor and inductee in the INROADS National Alumni Hall of Fame. His long-standing work with Karamu House includes serving as board chairman for nine years.
Jackson has received wide recognition for his civic and professional accomplishments by Kaleidoscope Magazine, Crain's Cleveland Business, Black Enterprise magazine, Consulting Magazine, the City of Cleveland, and others.
back to top
Deb Janik
Senior Vice President, Real Estate and Business Development
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Deb Janik joined the Greater Cleveland Partnership as Sr. Vice President, Real Estate and Business Development in October 2005. Janik's duties at GCP include management of all GCP development programs and as primary liaison for GCPs regional development efforts.
Janik provides GCP staff support for public-private partnership efforts on catalytic large scale developments throughout Cleveland and its inner ring suburbs. She serves as an officer to GCP's Community Development Advisors group, oversees the Build-up Greater Cleveland Infrastructure Network and manages GCP's Business Attraction, Retention and Expansion efforts.
Prior to joining GCP, Janik served as Vice President of Regional Development for the Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority. There she was responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to advance multi-jurisdictional community and economic development initiatives in accordance with the Ports mission.
Janik previously served as chief of staff and chief development officer for Mayor Jane L. Campbell at the City of Cleveland. In addition to overseeing the daily operations of all City departments and 9,000 employees, she was responsible for the planning and financing of all community and economic development activities of the city. Her work in public service began with the City of Cleveland in 1988. In 1995 she was appointed to then Mayor Michael R. White's executive staff. Janik left the city in 1997 to work for the private and non-profit sector before returning in 2002 as Assistant Director of Finance prior to being named chief of staff.
Deb has dedicated her entire career to working in Cleveland and currently serves on several community boards and commissions including ParkWorks, Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition, the NOACA Transportation Advisory Committee and the Visiting Committee of the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.
She has more than 19 years of public, private, and not-for-profit experience. She is a 1987 graduate of Kent State University and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance with a concentration in real-estate. She resides in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland.
back to top
Rebecca O. Bagley
President and Chief Executive Officer
NorTech
Ms. Rebecca O. Bagley brings a wealth of experience in investment, technology-based economic development, and policy development to her role as President and CEO of NorTech. She focuses on NorTech’s strategic initiatives and works closely with the public and private sector to develop high growth technology industries that will create positive economic impact in Northeast Ohio.
Ms. Bagley previously served as Deputy Secretary for the Technology Investment Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) under Governor Ed Rendell. In that capacity, Rebecca was responsible for the administration of several major state programs and initiatives, including the Life Sciences Greenhouse initiative, the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Keystone Innovation Zone program, the Research and Development Tax Credit program and the manufacturing strategy. As part of her responsibilities, Rebecca managed the passage of $650 million Energy Independence Strategy, $79 million in appropriations, and more than $1.7 billion in investments for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She previously served as Director of Venture Investment for DCED and managed venture and real estate investment programs.
Before joining DCED, Rebecca was an investment banker at WFG Capital Advisors where she advised technology companies on merger and acquisitions and capital raising activities. Rebecca also worked at JPMorgan Chase in New York City both in the high yield-bond group as well as oil and gas mergers and acquisition groups. Rebecca began her investment banking career at Howell International in Boulder, Colorado, after returning from a corporate relations position in Caracas, Venezuela.
Ms. Bagley is a frequent guest speaker at regional, state and national conferences and meetings on the topics of technology cluster development and measurement for technology based economic development initiatives and programs. Ms. Bagley currently serves on the boards of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF), State Science Technology Institute (SSTI), BioEnterprise, JumpStart, OneCommunity, Ohio Technology Partnership, TechLift Advisory Board, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Advisory board, and Ohio Wright Center for Sensor Systems Engineering. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
back to top