Chair William Gary Set to Retire, Concluding a Decade of Board Service at the Fund
CLEVELAND—The Fund for Our Economic Future (the Fund) today announced the election of Mark Samolczyk, President of the Stark Community Foundation effective November 1. Samolczyk succeeds Chair William Gary, who is retiring from Cuyahoga Community College at the end of October.
Gary has served as the Fund’s Chair since March 2022 and has represented Cuyahoga Community College on the Fund’s board since coming to the college in 2014. Throughout this time, he facilitated collaboration across the region’s workforce development and community college networks to advance pathways to economic opportunity for more Northeast Ohioans.
Under Gary’s leadership as Chair, the Fund has elevated sustainable solutions for improved worker mobility through the Paradox Prize, produced actionable insights to strengthen workplaces through Where Are the Workers, forged stronger partnerships between community-based organizations and job training programs to better connect workers of color to growing career pathways and launched practical tools for site selection to improve regional competitiveness and more equitable access to good jobs.
“In the 10 years he has worked with the Fund, William has built a legacy of compassion and creative collaboration. His passion for improving workforce outcomes for residents and businesses alike is evident to all who know him,” said Burke. “We are a better Fund for his leadership and wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Samolczyk will serve as Chair of the Fund for the remainder of the term, and the Fund will select a new chair during annual elections in March 2024. Samolczyk previously served in this role from 2018 to 2022, during which time the Fund released The Two Tomorrows, restructured its board to create greater diversity and elected the Fund’s second president, Bethia Burke.
About the Fund for Our Economic Future
The Fund for Our Economic Future is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization taking on big issues to advance a more equitable economy in Northeast Ohio. This civic collaborative brings together leaders across sectors and throughout the region to collectively invest in, test and amplify strategies to influence attitudes and behaviors to enable the region to achieve its full potential. Learn more at thefundneo.org.