Thomas V. Chema
President, Hiram College

Cleveland-Akron is one of
three major metropolitan areas in the U.S. that was a net exporter of
young professionals over the last decade. Next month, 26,000 students
will receive degrees from our region’s twenty-four colleges and
universities. Will they go or will they stay? This City Club Forum
marks the public debut of a comprehensive regional initiative, College
360°.

College 360°, a four-year, $5 million initiative, is designed to
attract and keep Northeast Ohio’s future business and civic leaders at
the two points in life when their bags are packed: when selecting a
college and taking their first career steps. The initiative will employ
three strategies: promoting enrollment in NEO institutions, engaging
college students in communities throughout the region during the period
of their study, and linking rising graduates with area employers.

Hiram College president Thomas Chema, co-chair of College 360°,
will outline what steps must be taken to improve this region’s standing
as a destination for the best and brightest and to reverse the “brain
drain� of young professionals.

Thomas Chema, 21st president of Hiram College, has more than 30
years of leadership experience in business, government and law. Prior
to Hiram, he was executive director of the Gateway Economic Development
Corporation of Greater Cleveland, the Public Utility Commission of Ohio
and the Ohio Lottery Commission. From 1971 to 1983 and 1989 to 1990,
Chema was with the Cleveland-based law firm of Arter and Hadden. Chema
is a former member of The City Club board of directors. He is a 1971
graduate of Harvard Law School.

 

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