1. Frank Jackson, mayor, Cleveland (
#4 on main list)
2. Luis Proenza, president, The University of Akron (
#20 on main list)
3. Fred Nance, partner, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, Cleveland; general counsel, Cleveland Browns
He doesn’t have quite as much political clout as he did when he negotiated the Medical Mart deal for Cuyahoga County, but Nance’s relationship with Mayor Jackson and position with the Browns have given him a voice on lakefront development.
4. Jerry Sue Thornton, president, Cuyahoga Community College
A prolific fundraiser, often consulted when people are trying to get something done in Cleveland, Thornton is getting Tri-C involved in the latest workforce development efforts, setting up the school’s new Hospitality Management Center at Public Square, a block from the casino, the convention center site and East Fourth Street.
5. Monte Ahuja, former chairman and CEO, Transtar Industries
6. Marcia Fudge, U.S. representative
The leader of Cleveland’s black political community, Fudge is challenging her quiet reputation by mounting an aggressive re-election campaign.
7. Lonnie Coleman, president and CEO, Coleman Spohn Corp.
8. Baiju Shah, president and CEO, BioEnterprise
Shah is one of the central figures of Cleveland’s biotech surge and an influential voice for making sure the Medical Mart project benefits local firms.
9. Frank Douglas, president and CEO, Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
10. Nina Turner, Ohio state senator
Still widely respected for being the only major black politician to support the new Cuyahoga County charter, Turner is a frequent guest on MSNBC, and her aborted run against Fudge for Congress also raised her visibility.