Lauren Betenson

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Geoffrey James (2005)

Photography

Geoffrey James beautifully illustrates the uniqueness of one of Northeast Ohio’s defining assets through his panoramic images of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. His photographs capture not only the natural beauty of the park but also the reminders of our shared history, such as the long-abandoned locks of the Ohio & Erie Canal, that are scattered throughout this natural link between the region’s two major cities, Cleveland and Akron. The Foundation has made significant investments over the years to preserve and support what James, looking through his camera lens, described as “a great democratic open space…like no other national park I have seen.” James, who has been photographing man-made landscapes for more than two decades and whose work is included in major museum collections throughout North America and Europe, is a recipient of fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad along the Cuyahoga River

On the bank of the Cuyahoga River near Boston Store

Site of the Champion Electric Company, Brandywine Falls

Along the Towpath Trail near Stumpy Basin

by Lauren Betenson

Ohio City

Lauren Betenson

Thomas Roma (2004)

Photography

Thomas Roma has given us a fascinating glimpse into life in Ohio City, one of Cleveland’s most diverse, dynamic urban places. The neighborhood, home to some of the area’s early settlers and evocative of an age of economic prowess, is significant in Cleveland’s past. It also is important to our present as home to many nonprofit organizations funded by the Foundation. Ohio City also represents the future we want for our community — a vibrant urban neighborhood that is attractive to many types of people, including workers in the new knowledge-based economy.

by Lauren Betenson

Concetta Zingale, Lieutenant, Cleveland Fire Department. After Studying therapy at Cuyahoga Community College, Connie sought a greater physical challenge in her work life. Nineteen years ago, she was among the first women to be hired by the Cleveland Fire Department. She is one of only seven uniformed women in the department.

Hard Hatted Women

Lauren Betenson

Andrew Modica (2003)

Photography

Andrea Modica has masterfully captured the dynamic faces of change, resolve and accomplishment in her striking portraits of women who have launched nontraditional careers with help from the organization Hard Hatted Women, a longtime Foundation grantee. These women in many ways reflect the challenges facing Northeast Ohio—How to transition from the old to the new, embrace chance, take risks and look for unconventional answers to our problems.

Kelly Armstrong, Homemaker. Kelly, an aspiring electrician, graduated from Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program in May 2003. She holds an associate degree in business management from Bryant & Stratton and is the mother of two young children.

Beverly Fraticelli, Patrol Officer, Cleveland Police Department. Beverly joined the Police Department in February 1998. She holds an associate of applied science degree in law enforcement from Cuyahoga Community College. Beverly previously worked in data entry at the Department of Public Safety.

Geri Maistros, First-year Apprentice, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 18. Upon completion of a four-year apprenticeship program, Geri will become a journey-person. She previously was a lab analyst for a chemical company and studied chemical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Geri is a mother of four.

Pam Hunt, Carpenter, The Ruhlin Company. Pam is one of three female carpenters at Ruhlin. She is a second generation carpenter, having followed in the footsteps of her fater, and is the lead carpentry instructor for Hard Hatted Women. Pam was formerly a private first class in the U.S. Army.

Lee Lyons, Carrier, U.S. Postal Service. Lee followed in the footsteps of her sister at Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program. She graduated in June 2003 and is applying for a five-year electrician apprenticeship.

Alexis Robinson, Water Pipe Repairperson, Cleveland Division of Water. Alexis was hired by the Cleveland Water Division in February 2003. She previously worked at a collection agency after studying accounting at Cuyahoga Community College.

Brenda Perrin, Lieutenant, Cleveland Fire Department. Brenda started at the Cleveland Fire Department 19 years ago, one of the first women to be hired. She has two sons and a brother who also work in the department.

Pebbles Bush, Horticulturist, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Pebbles holds an associate degree in applied science from Cuyahoga Community College. She worked at a garden center before joining the Zoo five years ago.

Andrea Persanyi, Bridge Inspector, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Andrea joined ODOT in January 1993 after she was laid off from a job as a design specialist. She is the only woman in the bridge inspection unit. Andrea holds a degree in architecture from Ohio State University and is the mother of two young children.

Lori Valentino (left) and Laura Becerra, Collectors, The Illuminating Company. Lori has been with the Illuminating Company for 16 years and Laura, 15. Both began as meter readers. Before joining the company, Lori was a travel agent in Florida. Laura studied business and accounting at Bryant & Stratton and is a mother of one.

Lynne Martin, Sewer Service Worker, Cleveland Division of Water Pollution Control. Lynne joined Water Pollution Control in April 2003 after working in maintenance for the Cleveland Metroparks. She is a 2001 graduate of Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program.

Karon Murphy, Student, Hard Hatted Women. Karon graduated from Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program in July 2003. She is applying to the cement mason apprenticeship program. Karon is also an assistant teacher and a mother of four.

Patricia Swansinger, Project Inspector, Cuyahoga County Sanitary Engineering Division. In September 1998, Pat became the first female inspector for the Cuyahoga County Sanitary Engineering Division. She studied nursing at Ursuline College but became more interested in nontraditional employment.

Deirdra Pearson, Highway Maintenance Worker 2, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Deirdra wanted to pursue nontraditional employment and graduated from Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program in fall 1996. She joined ODOT in April 2003 and is one of only a small number of women in the highway maintenance division.

Lauren West, First-year Apprentice, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 18. Lauren joined the Operating Engineers in May 2003. She will become a journey-person after she completes a four-year apprenticeship program. Lauren previously drove a truck for a fundraising company. She is a mother of two.

Teresa Vega (left) and Kim Marti, Patrol Officers, Cleveland Police Department. Teresa joined the Cleveland Police Department in March 1997, after serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell, Ky. She is one of five people in her family to serve in the department and is the mother of two.Kim, a former supervisor at a home improvement store, was hired in 2002. She attended the police academy when the youngest of her four children began school.

Toni Cousett, Project Inspector, Cuyahoga County Sanitary Engineering Division. Toni joined the Cuyahoga County Sanitary Engineering Division in September 2001. For the past 10 years, she has been as active member of Hard Hatted Women's board of directors. She previously studied dietetics at Ohio State University.

Jamusca Britten, Detective, Cleveland Police Department. Jamusca joined the Cleveland Police Department in January 1994. She holds a bachelors degree in criminal law from Central State University. Jamusca was formerly a substitute teacher and is a mother of one.

Joanie Weir, Detective, Cleveland Fire Department. Nineteen years ago, Joanie was among the first group of women to be hired by the Cleveland Fire Department. She previously worked for Cleveland Municipal Court. She is a mother of three.

Jenalle Schlegel, Apprentice Ironworker, Ironworkers, Local 17. Jenalle has been a member of Local 17 since June 2000. She is a second-generation ironworker, having followed in the footsteps of her father, and is a 2001 graduate of Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program. Jenalle is a mother of one.

Barbara Brunell, Plumber, Case Western Reserve University. A 1991 graduate of Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program, Barb has more than a decade of experience as a plumber. She was hired by Case Western Reserve University in November 2002 and is the only female plumber on staff.

Michelle Bondra, Technician, Cleveland Metroparks. Shelly has been with the Cleveland Metroparks for 17 years. Her current position is the first full-time job she has held since her graduation from Hocking Technical College. She is a mother of two.

Veronica Massey, First-year Apprentice, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 18. Veronica's career change from corrections officer to first-year apprentice came after she completed Hard Hatted Women's pre-apprenticeship training program in December 2002. She joined the Operating Engineers full time in April 2003 and is a mother of two.

by Lauren Betenson

Industrial Landscape

Lauren Betenson

Andrew Borowiec (2002)

Photography

Andrew Borowiec captured both the grittiness and the grandeur of Cleveland’s industrial landscape in photographs that artfully illustrate the way the city’s industrial roots are intertwined with its neighborhoods, its downtown and its natural resources. Borowiec, who is a professor of art at the University of Akron, is the winner of many awards, including the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. His work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions. These photographs reflect the Foundation’s continuing commitment to the economic development of this region as it works to build a new future on its historic manufacturing base.

Under the Hope Memorial Bridge, The Flats

International Steel Group, Blast Furnaces #5 and #6

Under the Veteran's Memorial Bridge, The Flats

by Lauren Betenson

Metroparks System

Lauren Betenson

Barbara Bosworth (2001)

Photography

Barbara Bosworth’s breathtaking impressions of the natural beauty in Cleveland’s metroparks reflect the foundation’s commitment to maintaining open spaces and greenways in our urban landscape. Bosworth, who grew up in the Chagrin River Valley just east of Cleveland and experienced the metroparks as “the forests of my childhood,” now teaches in and chairs the media and performing arts department at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. She is a recipient of the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and her work appears in more than a dozen contemporary photograph publications as well as in museum and private collections across the country. The tranquility and timelessness reflected in Bosworth’s images provide a photographic counterpoint to the events of 2001 and confirm the foundation’s long-standing conservation agenda.

by Lauren Betenson

Free Clinic

Lauren Betenson

Nicholas Nixon (2000)

Photography

The powerful portraits created for this report by Nicholas Nixon offer an intimate glimpse inside the examining rooms and waiting rooms of the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland. Nixon, whose images are included in major museums throughout the world, has published several volumes of his work and received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.The Foundation commissioned these photographs to illustrate our ongoing commitment to meet the needs of the less advantaged in our community and to work toward sound public policies that provide adequate health care for all our citizens.

by Lauren Betenson

Urban Landscape

Lauren Betenson

Douglas Lucak (1999)

Photography

The photographs created for the 1999 annual report by Douglas Lucak offer an evocative look at Cleveland’s urban landscape. The haunting and sometimes melancholic images he has created with his simple pinhole cameras reflect both the complexity and ambiguity of the Foundation’s steady but vigorous relationship with the city’s diverse neighborhoods. The native Clevelander’s work has been widely exhibited and is included in several corporate collections.

by Lauren Betenson

Cleveland School of the Arts

Lauren Betenson

Larry Fink (1998)

Photography

The photographs created for the 1998 annual report by Larry Fink beautifully capture the creativity and energy which reverberate through the hallways and classrooms of the Cleveland School of the Arts. Fink’s work has been included in major museum exhibitions throughout the world, and he has received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Foundation commissioned these photographs as a reflection of its commitment to create educational excellence for all children in the Cleveland Public Schools and its conviction that the arts can play a major role in achieving that excellence.

by Lauren Betenson

Lake Erie

Lauren Betenson

Frank Gohlke (1997)

Photography

The images from the 1997 annual report, which so beautifully captured both the mystery and the majesty of Lake Erie, were created by landscape photographer Frank Gohlke. His work is included in major public collections throughout the world, and he has received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The George Gund Foundation commissioned this portfolio to reflect its long-standing interest in the future of Lake Erie and ever-growing awareness of the many roles this Great Lake plays in the life of our community.

by Lauren Betenson

Urban Gardens

Lauren Betenson

Gregory Conniff (1996)

Photography

Gregory Conniff’s photographs of city gardens, displayed in the 1996 annual report, captured the delight of discovering the unexpected in our urban environment. An avid gardener himself, Conniff has received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The George Gund Foundation commissioned this portfolio to reflect its continuing commitment to Cleveland’s neighborhoods and its citizens who tend these wonderful gardens.