Eckart rejoins Baker & Hostetler as partner
Dennis E. Eckart is returning to Baker & Hostetler following his more than three-year term as president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. Eckart has rejoined the firm as a partner in its government policy group.
As CEO of the Growth Association, one of the nation’s largest chambers of commerce, Eckart tackled a wide range of issues affecting the region’s future, including expansion of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport; funding for NASA Glenn Research Center; formation of a regional business retention, expansion and attraction initiative; lakefront/riverfront redevelopment; and the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project.
Based in Cleveland, Eckart will also have an office in Washington, D.C., and will have a nationwide role in building the firm’s capability to counsel clients on government and regulatory affairs issues. These management duties will include heightening the civic and community profile of Baker & Hostetler throughout the region.
His client service responsibilities will include counseling corporations and private organizations on overlapping public policy and private investment matters.
First Federal of Lakewood
Assistant Vice President Marie Marrali was promoted to retail sales manager for First Federal of Lakewood’s newly formed retail banking division.
Marrali will oversee outside loan originators and business development officers, develop employee incentive programs, coordinate sales training and participate in establishing sales goals. Since joining First Federal in 1990, Marrali has held positions as Westlake/Detroit branch manager, lending sales manager and residential loan manager.
Yetka Management Group
Thomas J. Brandt joined Yetka Management Group as managing director for executive search. Brandt has more than 20 years of experience in search and professional recruiting.
His corporate staffing expertise is in the automotive/commercial truck, manufacturing and medical equipment industries. He also consulted with Fortune 100 companies in the development of strategic staffing strategies. Brandt has been recognized as a top performer by IPA, a national network of professional placement firms.
William J. Homjak joined Yetka Management Group as vice president of human resource consulting, responsible for delivering strategic human resource solutions by providing general consulting, including retainer outsourcing and customized performance improvement programs at all corporate levels. Homjak has more than 30 years of experience in human resource management, assisting small companies and Fortune 500 corporations to link their human resource needs with their business plans.
Calfee, Halter & Griswold
John Cipolla returned to Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP as an intellectual property partner in the Cleveland office. Cipolla began his career as an attorney with Jones Day in 1989 and first joined Calfee in 1993. He remained with Calfee for eight years before joining his most recent firm, McDonald, Hopkins Co. LPA in 2001.
Cipolla provides clients with counseling and strategy concerning the procurement, defense and enforcement of patents and trademarks, and has extensive experience in litigation and dispute resolution in both of these areas.
Weltman, Weinberg & Reis
David B. Tommer was appointed national director of collections for the law firm of Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. Most recently, Tommer served as the firm’s director of probate operations, where he had overall responsibility for WWR’s national probate service. He oversaw the day-to-day operations of more than 70 employees in the WWR probate departments in Cleveland and Grove City, and coordinated the development of strategic plans.
Sisters of Charity/Saint Ann foundations
Susanna Krey was named president of The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland and The Saint Ann Foundation. In addition to her new role with the foundations, Krey will continue in her position as senior vice president of foundations and marketing for the CSA Health System, where she has been a member of the senior management team since 1992. The two foundations have joint assets worth more than $69 million.
Liggett-Stashower Public Relations
Chris Baldwin, Melissa Hix and Stacey Vaselaney were promoted from senior program manager at Liggett-Stashower Public Relations to vice president, senior program manager.
TRIA Group
TRIA Group appointed John Sloan director of business development for the state of Michigan. Sloan, a 22-year veteran of the IT industry, joins the TRIA Group sales team and focuses on developing and managing a new Michigan office. He has held sales positions with Lucent Technologies and Network Equipment Technology and served as line of business manager for Compuware Corp.
First American Title/Midland Title
First American Title/Midland Title promoted George Goley director of marketing for all the Midland Title branches throughout Ohio, as well as the company’s affiliated businesses. His responsibilities include supporting the offices in their marketing efforts, as well as coordinating and managing special projects. Goley joined First American in 1998 as vice president of national residential services.
