CLEVELAND — Lee Friedman, the longtime CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, has announced that she will step down from her post at the end of this year.
Friedman, who has led College Now since 2010, said in a statement that the time is right to pass the reins to a new leader later this year.
“When I joined College Now, my vision was to transform it from primarily a college advising and scholarship program into one that provided comprehensive college and career advising, financial and postsecondary completion support for students of all ages,” Friedman said. “We have realized that vision. The state of the organization is stable and strong. I am proud of the work our team has accomplished in the last 14 years."
In its release announcing Friedman's impending departure, College Now noted that the organization 'experienced remarkable growth' under her leadership, with its budget expanding from $4 million to over $35 million, while its staff grew from 40 to 175.
"This growth enabled the organization to annually assist over 33,000 individuals across six Northeast Ohio counties. It is the largest comprehensive postsecondary access organization in the country," College Now added.
College Now also saluted Friedman for her role in bringing Say Yes to Education to Cleveland, "a measure that secured $100 million in postsecondary education scholarships for CMSD students." Friedman and College Now worked alongside the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Foundation, Gund Foundation, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, United Way and other large corporate partners to make the program happen.
Before joining College Now, Friedman served as president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Partnership, then took on the same role for the Cleveland Leadership Center. She also worked in the administration of then-Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich as well as serving as a Presidential Fellow for President Jimmy Carter's administration.
So what's next for Friedman?
“I’m not sure what lies ahead but I can’t imagine not being engaged civically," she said. "I’m not ready to retire. I see this as a transition toward something new. I’d like to continue contributing to Cleveland’s progress but also hopefully spend less time in meetings and have more time to enjoy life.”
College Now says its board "has been aware of Friedman’s intentions for some time. A transition committee has been in place and has had ample time to plan and find Friedman’s successor."
You can watch Lee Friedman with 3News' Russ Mitchell in a 2015 episode of "7 Minutes with Russ Mitchell" below:
