Board of Directors Launches Search for Successor
CLEVELAND (August 11, 2021) – Paul Dolan, chairman and CEO of the Cleveland Indians and Chair of the United Way Board of Directors, announced today that August A. (“Augie”) Napoli will retire from his position as president and CEO of United Way of Greater Cleveland, effective June 30, 2022. Napoli has served in the position since June 2016.
Dolan said, “On behalf of our board of directors, United Way’s employees, our partner agencies and community partners, I want to thank Augie for his dedication and service. Under Augie’s visionary leadership, United Way of Greater Cleveland has made a significant strategic shift in the way we serve those most in need in our community. We are now going beyond meeting the immediate needs of those living in poverty to confronting poverty at its very core by creating long-term partnerships and innovative solutions designed to completely upend its generational chokehold on those who live within its grasp across Greater Cleveland.”
Dolan continued, “Thanks to his bold action and novel collaborative strategies, Augie has re-invigorated and propelled United Way forward in an accelerated timeframe, exceeding the board’s expectations and achieving substantial, positive results. Augie has been laser-focused on the metrics – and the individuals behind those metrics – leaving us better able to track our progress going forward. Just as important, his internal organizational efforts have made United Way stronger, placing us on the best financial footing possible to serve our community.”
Dolan noted that the board will launch a search for Napoli’s successor immediately and has named Brian Richardson, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Independence-based COVIA, to lead the board’s search committee. The goal is to have a new president and CEO announced well before Napoli’s departure next summer, providing for smooth and seamless leadership transition, he said.
“It has been an honor to serve United Way of Greater Cleveland as its president and CEO,” Napoli said, “and I greatly appreciate the board’s support for the changes we’ve made in the way United Way operates and the work we do improve the lives of those living in poverty across our community. In the coming months, it’s my intention to continue working with our talented team to develop and refine the next stages of our new business model and build on the momentum we’ve gained over these past five years together.”
With a career spent leading nonprofits, Napoli came to United Way as president and CEO with a vision to transform the way the more than 100-year-old organization serves the community. His goal: make every dollar donated for urgent community needs work even harder while also investing in innovative solutions to break the generational cycle of poverty. His accomplishments include:
- Bringing new methods and rigor to the Community Investment process through the new data-driven Community Hub for Basic Needs
- Successfully launching the Impact Institute, designed to harness the cross-sector collaborative energy needed to create long-term solutions to major issues such as housing stability and early learning
- Creating a new era of collaborative partnerships and donor connections to change the essential understanding of and conversation about poverty
- Elevating United Way’s role as advocate for those in poverty through an active public policy agenda targeting local and state-wide issues
- Raising awareness of one of poverty’s major root causes, systemic racism, and working to effect change
“I’ve always said this work is a marathon, not a sprint,” Napoli said. “Buoyed by our ongoing and expanded partnerships and the support of the thousands of individuals and corporations who have been with us on this journey, I’m confident the new United Way is well prepared for the next leg of this very critical race to improve the lives and livelihoods of all those we serve.”
###
About United Way of Greater Cleveland
Founded in 1913, United Way of Greater Cleveland is a local, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty across the Greater Cleveland area. The largest private-sector investor of health and human services, United Way invests in efforts that address poverty using a two-pronged approach. The first prong focuses on the daily issues affecting those living in poverty, the Community Hub for Basic Needs. The second drives research and innovation through the Impact Institute, a think tank with an action plan, focused on identifying long-term solutions to break the cycle of poverty. For more information, visit unitedwaycleveland.org.
Media contact:
Katie Connell, United Way of Greater Cleveland: 404.895.5513 and kconnell@unitedwaycleveland.org
