On Thursday, December 8, the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education of Cleveland State University hosted Mayors and Superintendents representing sixteen first-ring suburbs in Northeast Ohio. Together, regional leaders were offered a deep dive into the demographic shifts that impact their school districts and communities. The event, a collaboration between the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education, the First Ring Schools Collaborative, and the First Suburb Consortium, included opening remarks by Roland V. Anglin, Ph.D., Dean and Professor of Levin College. Cleveland State University President, Laura Bloomberg, Ph.D., offered remarks noting that the convening was a tangible example of how CSU’s realignment of its education and public affairs schools will allow the University to better contribute to the civic, economic, and educational development and well-being of Cleveland and its surrounding areas.

The morning convening offered a presentation by Joseph A. MacDonald, Ph.D., Director of Strategic and Environmental Planning by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, and a legislative update by Sherri Warner, Roetzel Consulting Services. After the presentations, the Mayors and Superintendents worked in small groups to discuss the presentations and identify collaborative opportunities to address the complex social challenges faced by first suburbs.