George Gund

Fei Li, who worked as a project manager for Casa Ricci Social Service in her native China and will receive dual master’s degrees in social service administration and nonprofit organizations from Case Western Reserve University in May, has been selected as the 2012–2014 Gund Fellow.

The George Gund Foundation Fellows program, started in 2004, provides an opportunity for promising young professionals to work inside the Foundation, an organization that plays an active role in supporting the civic life of Greater Cleveland and in various national policy deliberations that impact our community. Each fellow, selected from a nationwide pool of applicants, works at the Foundation for two years.

Li has volunteered with Humana People to People India and the Father Ray Foundation in Thailand. In Cleveland, she has worked as a social service intern for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Adoption Network Cleveland and Asian Services in Action, Inc. Li has a bachelor degree in business administration from Bei Hua University in Jilin, China.

She begins her work with the Foundation in June.

The George Gund Foundation has named Robyn Minter Smyers, a partner at the law firm of Thompson Hine, and Randell McShepard, Vice President of Public Affairs at RPM, Inc., to its board of trustees.

Smyers replaces community volunteer Cathy Lewis whose term ended in late 2011. McShepard will replace David Goodman, managing partner at Squire Sanders whose term ends after the Foundation’s November meeting.

Smyers, who received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her law degree from Yale University, chairs her firm’s diversity and inclusion initiative and is involved with a number of Cleveland nonprofit organizations. She is currently a board member at The City Club, the Museum of Contemporary Art-Cleveland and the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio.

McShepard has a long history of community involvement in Cleveland and is currently a trustee at Baldwin Wallace University, the Cleveland School of Science and Medicine, the Community Service Alliance and the Union Club. He is past chair of the Sisters of Charity Foundation and the Cleveland Workforce Investment Board and former vice chair of the Fund for Our Economic Future. He is also a founder of PolicyBridge, a public policy think tank serving Northeast Ohio. He has an undergraduate degree from Baldwin Wallace and a master degree in urban studies from Cleveland State University.

The George Gund Foundation Fellowship provides an opportunity for promising professionals to work inside the Foundation, a philanthropic organization that plays a vital role in supporting the civic life of Greater Cleveland and in various national policy deliberations that impact our community. The fellowship is a two-year, full-time commitment beginning in Summer 2012, requiring residence in Northeast Ohio during the term of engagement.

The George Gund Foundation (www.gundfoundation.org), established in 1952, is the largest private foundation in Ohio. The Foundation makes annual grants totaling approximately $20 million. Program officers professionally handle grantmaking in arts, economic development and community revitalization, education, environment and human services.

The fellowship experience will be tailored to the Foundation’s needs and will include a wide range of substantive assignments including reviewing grant proposals, organizing and conducting site visits, and researching topics related to the Foundation’s grantmaking interests.

Each George Gund Foundation Fellow will receive a stipend of $45,000 per year, plus a full benefits package including health, dental, disability and life insurance, 403(b) contributions and work-related travel expenses. Housing, transportation and other living arrangements are the responsibility of the fellow.

Successful candidates for this fellowship will have a graduate degree and/or several years work experience in the nonprofit sector. Excellent writing skills and sufficient computer competency to carry out assigned projects are essential. A demonstrated desire to work in public service or the nonprofit sector is also important, as the Foundation views the fellowship to be a valuable early career opportunity. The selection process is anticipated to be highly competitive.

In order to be considered for the fellowship, each candidate must submit a cover letter, a detailed resume, two letters of recommendation and a short essay discussing why the fellowship opportunity is appealing. Please also indicate how you learned of the position. These materials are due no later than January 13, 2012. A fellow will be selected by mid-April 2012.

Address application materials to:

Robert Jaquay, Associate Director
The George Gund Foundation
1845 Guildhall Building
45 Prospect Avenue, West
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

The George Gund Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic established by law.