Towards Employment Anniversary week includes launch of Dignity of Work podcast, first-ever Board Emeritus appointments and a 50th Anniversary Gala celebrating people and connections behind five decades of impact

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Adaora Schmiedl
216-401-6883
aschmiedl@towardsemployment.org

 

CLEVELAND — September 28, 2026 — What do an Ohio Supreme Court justice, a pioneering nonprofit founder, former and current workforce leaders, community advocates and some of Cleveland’s most interesting changemakers have in common?

 

This week, they are all connected through Towards Employment (TE) as the Cleveland nonprofit celebrates 50 years of helping people build careers and economic mobility—and looks ahead to what opportunity, work and community will mean for the next 50.

 

“Fifty years gives you an opportunity not only to look back at what an organization has accomplished, but to look at the people and relationships that made that work possible,” said Tania Menesse, President & CEO of Towards Employment. “What I find so powerful about this moment is the range of people connected to TE—from our founder and longtime leaders to graduates, employers, policymakers, community partners and the next generation of workforce innovators. That is the community we will build on as we begin our next 50 years.”

 

A Frank Conversation About Voting, Voice and Belonging

TE will launch its new Dignity of Work podcast with an episode focused on voting rights and civic participation.  The inaugural episode features outgoing TE President & CEO Jill Rizika and Ronnie Cannon, TE Senior Manager of Community Engagement, in conversation with Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly about the importance of voting and civic participation, particularly for people who may have felt disconnected from or disenfranchised by public systems.

 

The conversation reflects TE’s belief that economic mobility is connected to more than employment. Helping people build agency, understand the systems that affect their lives, and participate in their communities is also part of creating pathways to opportunity.

 

The episode will be the first in an ongoing TE Policy: Dignity of Work podcast series exploring workforce policy, job quality, second-chance hiring, economic mobility and the systems that influence workers and employers.  Listen or download at https://towardsemployment.jotform.com/app/262643989574173

 

Honoring the Leaders Who Built TE

As part of its anniversary celebration, Towards Employment is also announcing the organization’s first-ever Board Emeritus members, creating a permanent way to recognize leaders whose extraordinary service, stewardship and commitment have had a lasting impact on TE.

The inaugural Board Emeritus class includes:  Soad Mansour, TE founder; Walter Ginn, former executive director; Jill Rizika, outgoing President & CEO; and longtime TE leaders Shelly Peet, Kate Terrell, Brian Lamb and Brent Carson.

 

Establishing the Board Emeritus distinction during TE’s 50th anniversary year creates a new way to honor the organization’s history while maintaining connections with the people who helped build and sustain it.  Mansour, Ginn and Rizika will also be honored during Friday’s gala with TE’s Hometown Hero Award, recognizing the extraordinary leadership each provided during a distinct era in the organization’s history.

 

Two Cleveland Voices to Lead the Celebration

Bringing the evening—and some of those connections—together will be Sara Shookman and Germayne Shepherd, as co-MCs for the 50th Anniversary Gala.  Shookman, a former WKYC anchor and communications consultant, is a familiar Cleveland storyteller and a longtime friend of Towards Employment.  She will be joined by Shepherd, a Towards Employment graduate, peer support specialist and pastor, whose own journey reflects the potential, perseverance and ripple effect the organization will celebrate throughout the evening.

 

Cleveland Changemakers —Behind the Bar

Not every anniversary tribute will happen from a podium.  TE’s October 2 celebration will feature five signature cocktails representing five decades of Towards Employment, with some familiar Cleveland faces taking a turn as “changemaker bartenders.”  During the celebration, guests will be greeted by Ryan Puente (City of Cleveland), Jazmin Long (Birthing Beautiful Communities), Al Grimes (Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Imitative), Darrick McDaniel (City of Cleveland), Sam Allard (Axios Cleveland), Bishara Addison (workforce advocate) and Grace Heffernan (NEO Worker Center).   The Changemaker Bartenders will “pour it forward,” interacting with guests and sharing their own connections to workforce, opportunity and TE.

 

Fifty Years—and the Connections That Come With Them

Founded in 1976, Towards Employment has helped more than 210,000 people build pathways toward employment and economic mobility. Today, TE serves more than 2,000 adults and young adults annually, combining career readiness, skills training, wrap-around services, extended career coaching, employer connections and policy advocacy.

 

The October 2 gala will  feature stories from across TE’s history, special anniversary films, decade-inspired experiences, a live and silent auction, the Hoops & Hopes raffle, and opportunities for guests to invest in TE’s next 50 years.

 

Be part of TE@50.  After Dark tickets are still available - a special way to join the 50th Anniversary Gala beginning at 8:30 p.m. and continuing until 11 p.m. After Dark guests enjoy valet parking, dessert, drinks, the final portion of the anniversary program, after-dinner dancing (curated by local DJ and producer Cassius G.), and the evening’s activities as TE celebrates five decades of impact—and the community that will help shape what comes next. After Dark tickets are $65 and available at https://secure.qgiv.com/event/te50yeargala?launchmodal=1&package=4069417.

 

Join the conversation beyond the gala. Listen to the first episode of TE’s new Dignity of Work podcast, featuring Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly, Jill Rizika and Ronnie Cannon in a frank conversation about voting, voice and why civic participation matters—especially for people who have felt disenfranchised. Listen to the Dignity of Voting Rights episode at [LINK].

 

“For 50 years, the common denominator for TE has been people believing in other people’s potential,” said Menesse. “That is the legacy we are celebrating—and it is also the work ahead of us.”