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Clevelander comes full ‘Circle’
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A weekly look at the exceptional people, events and ideas that make Cleveland a very special place.
By Janet Dery
Associate Editor
When Laura Kleinman was a child, the city of Cleveland was her playground: Trips to the West Side Market, taking the Rapid to the Terminal Tower, picking up her father from work at 55 Public Square, studying art and piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music … these experiences are more than just fond memories for the Beachwood native; they directly influenced the woman she is today.
“I grew up with a real interest in Cleveland and its future,” she says. “I don’t know if I’d be the same person I am if I hadn’t done those things on a regular basis.”
With a love of this city deeply embedded in her psyche, Kleinman went on to study urban and regional studies at Cornell, then returned to work at various community development corporations in Cleveland.
Kleinman’s current position, director of shared services at University Circle Incorporated (UCI), came out of a two-year pilot program she directed called the Cleveland Cultural Collaborative. The program’s mission was to find ways to cut costs, increase revenue, and enhance visitors’ experiences to University Circle and its cultural institutions. In her new job for UCI, she’s always looking for the most cost-effective and efficient services for member institutions, while ensuring the environment is attractive and clean.
“Things are still very hopeful for University Circle” despite the worsening economy, maintains Kleinman. Plans for more housing in the area are being considered, as is a hotel on the corner of Ford and Euclid. “It’s a very exciting time.”
The mother of two young sons has a message for parents: Take your kids into Cleveland regularly, just as her mother and father did. “We need to expose our kids to all the city has to offer, so that when they grow up, they appreciate it and want to come back. It’s of critical importance to the region.”
Name: Laura Kleinman
Age: 38
Status: Married to Matt Carroll, mother of Harry, 7, and Joe, 5
Current residence: Cleveland
Alma Maters: Beachwood High School, Cornell University, Case Weatherhead School of Management
Everyone knows: I love to eat.
No one knows: I’m dying to learn to play the guitar.
Favorite sport or activity: Running
Favorite film: “The American President”
The show I always TiVo: “Fringe”
Book I read last: The Shadow of the Wind
“I grew up with a real interest in Cleveland and its future,” she says. “I don’t know if I’d be the same person I am if I hadn’t done those things on a regular basis.”
With a love of this city deeply embedded in her psyche, Kleinman went on to study urban and regional studies at Cornell, then returned to work at various community development corporations in Cleveland.
Kleinman’s current position, director of shared services at University Circle Incorporated (UCI), came out of a two-year pilot program she directed called the Cleveland Cultural Collaborative. The program’s mission was to find ways to cut costs, increase revenue, and enhance visitors’ experiences to University Circle and its cultural institutions. In her new job for UCI, she’s always looking for the most cost-effective and efficient services for member institutions, while ensuring the environment is attractive and clean.
“Things are still very hopeful for University Circle” despite the worsening economy, maintains Kleinman. Plans for more housing in the area are being considered, as is a hotel on the corner of Ford and Euclid. “It’s a very exciting time.”
The mother of two young sons has a message for parents: Take your kids into Cleveland regularly, just as her mother and father did. “We need to expose our kids to all the city has to offer, so that when they grow up, they appreciate it and want to come back. It’s of critical importance to the region.”
Name: Laura Kleinman
Age: 38
Status: Married to Matt Carroll, mother of Harry, 7, and Joe, 5
Current residence: Cleveland
Alma Maters: Beachwood High School, Cornell University, Case Weatherhead School of Management
Everyone knows: I love to eat.
No one knows: I’m dying to learn to play the guitar.
Favorite sport or activity: Running
Favorite film: “The American President”
The show I always TiVo: “Fringe”
Book I read last: The Shadow of the Wind
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