Towards Employment Marks 50 Years of Impact at Anniversary Gala, Honoring Hometown Heroes, Ripple Effect Awardees and First Board Emeritus Members

For Immediate Release

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

 

CLEVELAND, OH - September 23, 2026 - Towards Employment (TE) will celebrate five decades of connecting people to careers, opportunity and economic mobility at its 50th Anniversary Gala on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown.

 

The milestone celebration will bring together alumni, current and former board members, current and former staff, employers, volunteers, funders, community partners and friends who have helped shape Towards Employment since its founding in 1976. The evening will honor the leadership and partnerships behind 50 years of impact while looking ahead to the new chapters still to be written.

 

“For 50 years, Towards Employment’s story has ultimately been about people - the individuals who trusted us to be part of their career journeys and the employers, partners, staff, board members and supporters who believed in their potential,” said Jill Rizika, President & CEO, who is retiring after 20 years as the organization’s leader.  “This anniversary gives us an opportunity to celebrate what we have accomplished together while recommitting ourselves to the work and opportunities ahead.”  This new work will be led by incoming President & CEO, Tania Menesse.

 

Honoring TE’s Hometown Heroes

A centerpiece of the evening will be the presentation of Towards Employment’s Hometown Hero Award to Soad Mansour (founder), Walter Ginn and Jill Rizika, three leaders whose service spans critical chapters in the organization’s history.

 

Together, their leadership helped shape and strengthen Towards Employment across its five decades, positioning the organization to respond to changing workforce needs while remaining focused on creating pathways to rewarding careers. A special Leadership & Legacy film premiering during the Gala will capture their reflections on TE’s evolution, its people and the community that has sustained the organization.

 

Celebrating the Ripple Effect

The Gala will also recognize three Towards Employment graduates with TE’s new Ripple Effect Award, celebrating graduates and staff members whose engagement with Towards Employment and Cleveland has created an impact that extends beyond a single person, program or moment.

 

The award reflects a defining theme of TE’s 50-year history: when one person gains access to opportunity, the effects can reach families, workplaces and entire communities.

 

50 Years - and the Next Chapter

Since 1976, Towards Employment has helped more than 216,000 Northeast Ohio residents build skills, overcome barriers and pursue rewarding careers. Today, TE serves more than 2,000 adults and young adults each year through career readiness and skills development, career coaching, connections to employers, supportive services and advocacy for workforce policies and practices that expand opportunity.

 

The anniversary Gala is both a celebration of that history and a bridge to what comes next.

“As proud as we are of the last 50 years, this anniversary is not an ending,” said Tania Menesse, incoming President & CEO. “It is the beginning of our next chapter—and an invitation to our entire community to help write it.”

 

The October 2 celebration will feature stories from TE alumni, reflections on five decades of impact, special anniversary tributes and experiences inspired by the decades that have shaped the organization.

 

Towards Employment’s 50th Anniversary Gala is on Friday, October 2, 2026 from 6 to 11 p.m.
at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown.  For information about the 50th Anniversary Gala and Towards Employment’s 50th anniversary, visit https://www.towardsemployment.org/50th-anniversary-gala/