Arthur F. Anton
Achievement Centers for Children
Sometimes a leader makes such an impact on an organization that it’s hard to believe he’s only been serving on the board of trustees for four years.
That’s the way Arthur Anton, president and CEO of Swagelok Co., is regarded by the Achievement Centers for Children (ACC), which offers children with disabilities and their families services such as rehabilitation, education, family support and recreation.
Shortly after joining the ACC board in 1999, Anton was elected treasurer and chaired the finance committee. During his three-year tenure in that position, he and his committee reviewed and revised the ACC’s endowment and investment policies.
He was a vigilant, educated advocate in meeting and communicating with the ACC’s investment managers to ensure the best possible outcomes for earnings. Anton and his committee also reviewed options for financing the ACC’s $8 million facility, and he oversaw the implementation of these financing decisions.
He joined the steering committee for the capital campaign and later became chair of the campaign. He was an active solicitor on the campaign cabinet, making his own financial contribution and pledging $50,000 from Swagelok.
Anton led a two-year search for a new ACC location and, as a member of the facility committee, helped find a construction manager. He later served as chair of the facility committee.
Braving a harsh economic environment, Anton was a co-chair of the ACC’s Signature Event in November 2002 and solicited corporate and individual support. This event raised $275,000, the greatest amount raised in a single event in ACC’s history. Today, he continues his involvement, working to identify potential board members through his participation on the governance committee and helping to lead the executive committee.
William E. Conway
Cleveland Botanical Garden
Heralded by Mayor Jane Campbell as a one-of-a-kind majestic attraction, The Cleveland Botanical Garden is a 73-year-old nonprofit public garden in University Circle.
The garden’s board adopted a Vision 2004 plan in the early 1990s to transform the garden into a year-round center for education, environmental preservation, community outreach and recreation. As a board member, beginning in 1998 and as 2001-2002 board president, Bill Conway has played a major role in making the ambitious vision a reality.
The rejuvenated garden and expanded facility opened July 15. They are expected to attract 400,000 visitors each year and bring an additional $20 million into the local economy.
As the developer of Sandridge Golf Course, which earned the coveted designation as an Audubon Course, Conway understood the importance of vision. As CEO of Fairmount Minerals Ltd., he understood the changes needed to sustain the growth envisioned by the board. As a corporate executive and trustee of a family foundation, he understood the board’s responsibility to investors.
Known as a senior statesman within the business community, Conway gave credibility to the changes that needed to be made at the garden and served as a leader to encourage financial support for the $50 million Campaign for Cleveland’s Garden. He worked with the garden’s directors to develop an administrative infrastructure and install policies to ensure sound financial management.
He also worked to restructure pension plans and health care benefits to accommodate a fivefold increase in the garden’s work force and to provide for the long-term security of the employees and the institution.
The garden has grown from an organization with a $1 million annual budget and 20 employees to one with a $9.8 million annual budget and more than 100 employees.
Alexander M. “Sandy” Cutler
United Way Services
One of Alexander “Sandy” Cutler’s colleagues recently said Cutler was “dialing for dollars again this morning” while making calls seeking gifts to United Way’s 2003 campaign. This was said in jest, but it’s evident that the dedication of the Eaton Corp. chairman and CEO to United Way Services includes more than just serving on committees.
Even before relocating to Cleveland, United Way played a role in Cutler’s life, and for the past eight years, he has been active in the volunteer-driven organization that privately funds health and human services in Cuyahoga and Geauga counties. Cutler, who serves on United Way’s board of directors and is chairman of the organization’s 2003 campaign, began his United Way work serving on the organization’s strategic planning committee.
He soon agreed to chair United Way’s Scorecard project, which has since been institutionalized and refined to produce quarterly findings against objectives and quantifiable targets.
As chairman of the aggressive 2003 campaign, which has a goal of $50 million, he calls for new approaches to address new challenges. Instead of starting with last year’s totals and factoring out losses from one-time gifts, Cutler worked with his campaign committee to set a “top down, not bottom up” goal, with a 12 percent goal increase to meet growing community needs.
Eaton Corp. provides matching dollars through its charitable foundation, using a formula that provides 50 cents to 55 cents on the dollar for United Way giving, as well as for education, arts and cultural entities. Demonstrating his personal engagement in the campaign success, Cutler pledged Eaton as an early pacesetter, running its campaign during the summer.
The team set a goal of $1.35 million, including employee giving, corporate gift and special events. As of early September, Cutler reported Eaton was exceeding the goal and had reached nearly $1.4 million, a figure that was still growing.
Anthony Fatica
The Littlest Heroes
Anthony Fatica is owner of AMG Advertising and Public Relations, but he also serves as board chairman of The Littlest Heroes, a nonprofit that provides free spiritual, emotional and psychological support services to Northeastern Ohio children with cancer.
Fatica is responsible for and directly affected by the substantial monetary and nonfinancial contributions made to The Littlest Heroes both personally and as a corporate business owner. He donates the use of his 25-plus professional marketing and public relations staff to The Littlest Heroes with no restrictions.
His company provides Web site design, production, hosting and continual updates, and has donated more than $40,000 in Web site services alone. Donated marketing and public relations services — averaging $3,000 to $6,000 per month — help enhance community awareness of The Littlest Heroes’ efforts.
Fatica also was responsible for the success of The Littlest Heroes’ Inaugural Golf Outing at Signature of Solon last July. AMG donated $5,000 as a corporate sponsor, produced signs for the event and purchased nonstaff produced signs valued at more than $3,000. He pursued committee involvement, recruited five corporate sponsors and one-fourth of the attendees, recruited five substantial auction items and personally donated other auction items.
Fatica is always ready to lend a hand during special events. During last August’s Cleveland Browns Foundation pregame celebration, which included families served by The Littlest Heroes, he was asked to represent the organization in place of its executive director, who was out of town.
Not only did he attend, he purchased and produced T-shirts for the family members and arranged for media and photo coverage of the celebration.
Thomas D. Ganley
Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County Inc.
Tom Ganley understands the meaning of the phrase “giving back to the community.”
The CEO of Ganley Auto Group serves on the boards of directors of Independence Bank and Boromeo Seminary, chairs the fund-raising committee for St. Peter Chanel High School and acts as spokesman for the “Buckle Up Cleveland” seat belt campaign. He has also funded an inner-city youth basketball team, coached by Cleveland Police Commander Marvin Cross. The team competes in several cities and came in second place in its league in the United States last year.
Ganley also serves as chairman of Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County Inc., a nonprofit that provides cash rewards for anonymous tips that result in felony arrests. Through his work with Crime Stoppers for the past four years, he has added a number of prominent corporate citizens to the board of directors and increased the number of rewards from 15 to 20 each month to 60 each month.
He was also instrumental in the publishing of weekly crime accounts in Sun Newspapers.
