career + lifestyle cl-magazine.com
magazine
Winter/Spring 2022 • Volume 8 • Issue 1
Cool,, Black & Brilliant!
Gary Charles
CEO, Advancement of Blacks in Sports
Timothy L. Tramble, Sr.
President & CEO, Saint Luke’s Foundation
Standing UP for Equity and Change!
PLUS
Minority Business Profile: Handmade With Love, LLC Sonya Edwards Makes Custom Handbags to Honor Her Sister’s Memory Advance Directives: A Gift to Yourself and Your Family by Darcia L. Simpson, M.Div, CT, Ph.D. 2022 Book Suggestions
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GOING THE DISTANCE
FOR OUR
COMMUNITIES. At Dominion Energy Ohio, going the distance for our customers means more than just delivering safe, affordable natural gas. It means being a positive force in the communities we serve. Our EnergyShare® program has raised $6.8 million and helped more than 70,000 people in Ohio alone. These resources, combined with more than 6,300 volunteer hours from our employees, have benefited organizations as diverse as the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.
contents 9 Planning Ahead: A Gift to Yourself & Your Family by Darcia L. Simpson, M.Div, CT, Ph.D. 12
Business Profile: Sonya Edwards COVER STORY
14 Gary Charles: The Godfather of Grassroots Basketball by Montrie Rucker Adams, APR COVER STORY
21
Timothy L. Tramble, Sr.: That Guy by Montrie Rucker Adams, APR
27 Book Suggestion: Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown 29
Book Suggestion: Feeding the Soul by Tabitha Brown
Save the Date! National Executive Women’s Summit Sunday - Wednesday, October 23-26, 2022 The Grand Resort Executives in Residence: Robin Wilson Dr. Randal Pinkett Alexandria Johnson Boone
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More information and to register:
womenofcolorfoundation.com
WINTER/SPRING 2022 | 3
career + lifestyle magazine
Winter/Spring 2022 • Volume 8 • Issue 1
CL Magazine Team Publisher and Chief Editorial Officer Alexandria Johnson Boone Creative Director Jennifer Coiley Dial Senior Copy Editor Michelle E. Urquhart Business Manager Paula T. Newman Assistant to the Publisher Bernadette K. Mayfield Senior Strategist, Subscriber & Community Development Simone E. Swanson Database and Information Coordinator Cheretta Moore For advertising information please contact us at: advertising@CL-Magazine.com Subscribe free online: www.CL-Magazine.com
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C L Magazine is published digitally on a quarterly basis by the Women of Color Foundation (WOCF), a 501 (c) (3), tax-exempt organization, for the benefit of women and girls of all colors. Our offices are located at 4200 Warrensville Center Road, Medical Building A, Suite 353, Cleveland, Ohio 44128. Toll Free Phone number: 866-962-3411 (866-WOCF-411). Copyright © 2014-2022. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be distributed electronically, reproduced or duplicated in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. Readers and advertisers may subscribe for free at: www.CL-Magazine.com Magazine Production: GAP Communications Group
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SAVE LIVES.
LETTER from the
Publisher It’s the Right Time and the Right Environment to Work Towards Achieving True Equity. Our first issue of 2022 is meant to be engaging and inspirational. We are telling stories about amazing women (and men), who have worked hard to grow a business, initiated, and sustained a movement, or simply did things in their communities to change the quality of life for others. So often we have unsung heroes/heroines sitting right under our noses, and who do not seek the limelight. They are just doing the work. Timothy Tramble, Gary Charles, Sonya Edwards, and Dr. Darcia Simpson all share that “fire in the belly” and are motivated to be servant leaders! (Known or unknown.) So, I have chosen to devote this issue to them and their work. Perhaps their stories will motivate and encourage others to work towards equity in everything we do and see. After all, at the end of the day, achieving equity is really what we all want and deserve! Please feel free to visit our website at: www.womenofcolorfoundation.com to learn more about our programs. In the spirit of the greatness in us all,
Alexandria Johnson Boone Publisher/Chief Editorial Officer, C L Magazine and Chairwoman/Founder Women of Color Foundation
WINTER/SPRING 2022 | 5
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2022 Calendar of Events Cleveland, Ohio (Live Event)
Women of Color Foundation Board Retreat (Invitation Only) Sunday - Tuesday, April 3-5, 2022 Walden Inn & Spa, 1119 Aurora-Hudson Road, Aurora 44202 HOSTED BY: Women of Color Foundation Cleveland, Ohio (Virtual Event)
19th Annual Personal and Professional Development Retreat “Connections, Community and Career 2022” Thursday, July 21, 2022 9:00 am - 12:00 pm HOSTED BY: Women of Color Foundation Cleveland, Ohio (Live Event)
20th Anniversary Celebration & National Executive Women’s Leadership Summit Sunday-Wednesday, October 23-26, 2022 The GRAND Resort 9519 East Market Street, Warren, Ohio 44484 HOSTED BY: Women of Color Foundation LEARN MORE AT:
womenofcolorfoundation.com 216.391.4300, ext. 307 or 866-962.3411 (toll free)
Women Color Foundation of
4200 Warrensville Center Road Medical Office Building A, Suite 353 Cleveland, Ohio 44128 6 | CL MAGAZINE
SPRING | SUMMER 2021 | 25
Step Forward is tasked and trusted to lead the fight on the ground against poverty in our community. From temporary assistance to address immediate needs, to early childhood education so children are set up to succeed in school, to adult skills training that leads to better jobs and more stable families, Step Forward is committed to building a stronger community in 2022 and into the future.
Through step forward services in 2021
100% of clients that secured employment with the assistance of Professional Development services maintained employment for 90 days.
1,114
clients received assistance through the COVID Relief Fund from July to December 2021.
91%
of Early Head Start & Head Start students met or exceeded expectations in cognitive thinking*. *Data based om Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tool.
How can you help? Donating
Donations help us provide the best services to Cuyahoga County residents. stepforwardtoday.org
Spreading the word
Joining our team
Help us connect with residents in need and keep up-to-date with our services on social media
Check out our open and available positions at
stepfwrdtoday
Planning Ahead:
A Gift to Yourself and Your Family by Darcia L. Simpson, M.Div, CT, Ph.D.
I am writing to raise awareness about Advance Directives (ADs). These are legal documents that ensure your personal health care wishes, values and preferences are carried out if you can no longer speak for yourself. In Ohio, ADs include a Durable Health Care Power of Attorney, which names a trusted person you choose to be your voice if you become incapacitated, and a Living Will, which communicates your end-of-life health care and treatment choices. I get it. No one wants to talk about the moment when they can’t talk. Admittedly, it takes courage to plan for the end of life when we still have a whole lot of living to do. It takes even more courage to talk about it when it is quickly approaching for us or someone we love. However, I can share first-hand why there is great value in having conversations and completing ADs while loved ones are still relatively healthy. On April 14, 2020, my mother suddenly became weak, confused and unable to make decisions for herself. COVID-19 had disrupted our household for the third time. The decision I had to make was clear and unquestioned. Yes, I was stressed, but not as stressed as I would have been if I had no clue as to what my mother’s wishes were. WINTER/SPRING 2022 | 9
Fortunately, because of several conversations my mom and I had over the years, I knew exactly what she would want. She had made it clear to me, our family and her friends that she wanted to die at home with her family, not in a hospital. Because she had not only talked about her wishes but had documented them in her AD, I had no issues carrying them out. Hospice of the Western Reserve was called, and care was started the next day in our home. I share this story because, without those prior conversations, I would have been left with the burden of making decisions without really knowing what my mom wanted. During a medical emergency is not the time you want to try to figure that out. If we listen carefully as we talk with our loved ones and close friends, we can hear them expressing clues. Often, you have been riding home from a funeral or memorial service, and the conversation has been riddled with comments like, “Don’t let that happen to me. I don’t want to suffer like they did. I just want to die in my sleep.” These statements are hints about how a person wants to die. In the most fundamental form, these utterances are Advance Directives. People often say: “I want to be in charge.” If you are that type of person, then advance care planning is for you. Advance Directives put you in charge. Additionally, they empower the person you select to speak and direct medical care on your behalf with confidence, power and authority. It may be comforting to know that once your ADs are completed, you can change them any time. In fact, they should be reviewed and updated periodically. Health care preferences change over time, and are influenced by age, health conditions, access to medical technology and life experiences. The conversations about medical preferences and end-of-life support will vary vastly depending on where you find yourself on the life span continuum. Thankfully, my mother survived her COVID-19 medical crisis. Her condition gradually improved, and she was discharged from hospice care in July of 2020. She is now 97; we still talk about her health care wishes. She continues to express that if things change, and her health worsens, she wants HWR to provide her care. She is in control and using her voice to direct how she lives and how she will die. Planning is a process that takes time and care, but it does not need to be difficult. Hospice of the Western Reserve offers a guide called “Courage in Conversation” that includes tips for having conversations, worksheets to help evaluate personal values and goals, plus all the legal documents required by the State of Ohio, including the Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will forms. The free booklets can be downloaded at hospicewr.org/decisions. Darcia L. Simpson, M.Div, CT, Ph.D., is an integral member of the transdisciplinary care team at Hospice of the Western Reserve. As a full-time spiritual care coordinator, she collaborates with physicians, registered nurses and social workers to assess patient and family spiritual needs, identify spiritual problems, develop goals of care and implement appropriate interventions. She is an assistant professor of Family and Community Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), where she teaches Human Values in Medicine. In addition to her 23 years of experience in chaplaincy, spirituality and health care, Dr. Simpson is an active advocate for equal access to health care, geriatric and dementia education, hospice and end-of-life issues in Greater Cleveland.
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BUSINESS PROFILE NAME: Sonya Edwards BUSINESS NAME: Handmade With Love, LLC. HOMETOWN: Cleveland, Ohio FAMILY: 2 Children; 3 Grandchildren (ages 14, 12,
and 14 months)
EDUCATION: John F. Kennedy High School, 2 years
of college
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: Driven Foundation (my son started this organization in 2009 to help families with basic human needs in Central, Ohio) MY MANTRA… Fight through it… (pain, disappointment, financial problems, etc.)
EARLY YEARS
Thinking back to your early years, was there a mentor or successful entrepreneur that had a significant impact on your decision to start your own business? If so, who and why? No. My children encouraged me to sell some of the things I made a little over a year ago. Prior to that, I gave away crocheted blankets to family members and friends of my children who had babies or toddlers. CAREER/ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY
What professional or business accomplishment are you most humbled by and why? It makes me happy to crochet something that people love and will use on a regular basis.
What have you come to learn about balancing a business and lifestyle? I crochet to relax. It helps relieve stress. The only difference is I have to keep track of the cost of supplies and sales. I live with chronic back pain (two surgeries, numerous procedures and pain management injections, and a ton of physical therapy). I have learned to funnel some of my frustration and sadness through crocheting. MY CONFESSIONS
What part of your business brings you the most joy? I enjoy making practical things that anyone can use. I especially enjoy creating things for children.
What is the toughest decision you’ve made professionally or as a business owner? I want to try so many different patterns for handbags, beanies, and blankets. I have a hard time deciding what to make first.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned as a business owner? How do you apply this lesson to the work you do? Some people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to handmade goods. I do my best to create a quality product understanding that I can’t please everyone.
PHILOSOPHY
HOBBIES
What have you come to learn about success as a minority business owner? I’m thankful to share my gift with a wider range of people.
My ideal vacation is… I crochet every day unless I’m not feeling well. Visiting my daughter and her family (including my youngest granddaughter) in Virginia. I don’t particularly like to travel. Spending time with my two older grandchildren in Columbus, Ohio.
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Some of Sonya's creations!
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Gary Charles: The Godfather of Grassroots Basketball Every day is a good day in my world. –Gary Charles by Montrie Rucker Adams, APR
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Growing up
in the suburb of Roosevelt on Long Island, New York, Gary Charles remembers spending most of his time outside involved in sports. He played basketball, football, baseball, ran track and even bowled. Charles remembers those “cherishable” moments on travel teams, where they stayed in host homes with predominantly white families. When he graduated from college, the coaches in town mentioned that they needed help with the teams and were looking for someone to replace them. “They asked me to get involved. I couldn’t say no,” said Gary. This began Charles’ lifelong involvement in sports coaching, and advocating for and promoting the players, coaches, and administrators. In the mid ’80s Charles formed the Roosevelt PAL, the basketball program in partnership with the Roosevelt Police Athletic League. Eventually he changed the name to Long Island Panthers and then NY Panthers, and started recruiting players throughout NY because he saw an opportunity for them to get a scholarship. Knowing he couldn’t move forward without funding, he went to his friend Chuck D, founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy, for a donation. He wrote a check for $2500. Charles was expecting $250 or $500. Chuck D said to him, “Anything you’re involved in I know it’s going to work out. I want to be able to say I was there for you,” remembers Charles. He boasts Lamar Odom, Danny Green (Philadelphia 76ers), Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls), Wally Szczerbiak (Cleveland Cavaliers) as a few of the basketball greats who once played for the travelling team. In 2010 Charles created the Las Vegas Fab48 tournament with Grant Rice and Dinos Trigonis. He ended his Panthers program
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in 2016 to concentrate on his tournament in Vegas. The Tournament has been described by Eastbay as “a showcase for some of youth basketball’s top talent. College coaches and basketball fans from around the globe flock to Las Vegas every year to see the game's best young players square off against each other. With top talent and great games, the Fab 48 is considered one of the best youth basketball events in the nation.” As a tribute to his mentor Sonny Vaccaro, and after the removal of Dinos from the team, Charles asked Sonny if he could go back and rename Fab48 to “The Las Vegas Big Time Tournament. That was the name of the Tournament that Sonny had started in 1995 in Vegas. “The name is me paying homage to Sonny for creating grassroots basketball the way he did,” said Charles. Vaccaro was the Nike marketing executive who signed Michael Jordan to his first pair of basketball shoes. “LeBron and Kobe played in it,” said Charles of the Tournament. “All the teams were a collection of the top payers from the city or state. The event is popular. It’s one of the hottest events in Vegas and one of the top tournaments of the year,” he said. “LeBron and Carmelo Anthony both played in the original Tournament and now their son has both played in the tournament. James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry Grassroots teams, and many other ’90s former players participate. Either their kids are playing, or they sponsor teams to play,” he adds. The Event That Fueled Change One month after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer on May 25, 2020, Charles uploaded a video to Twitter stating in part, “Hey white people. I understand you aren’t comfortable watching us march out there. Understand that as a Black man, we are uncomfortable every day. I understand that we shouldn’t burn buildings down. I just wish your ancestors felt the same way when they burned down the whole town of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, OK,” posted Charles. He called out white coaches saying, “Your silence is loud,” and implored the Black coaches with, “What are we going to do about it. When are we going to stand up and band together?” WINTER/SPRING 2022 | 17
Forming The Advancement of Blacks in Sports The video went viral, Charles connected with Formal Head Coach of Depaul University, Dave Leitao, and Head coach of Florida State, Leonard Hamilton. Then they reached out to Dawn Staley, Women Head Coach of South Carolina and Women Head Coach Vivian Stringer, Head Coach of Rutgers University. Vivian suggested we reached out to Felicia Hall Allen. It was when Felicia Hall Allen, CEO of A Step Up got involved that ABIS really took off. “She contacted 30 more coaches in men and women’s basketball. Then we reached out to baseball, track and field, gymnastics, football…all the sports. We want to be the voice for racial equity in sports. Not only do we want to make sure Black coaches get a fair opportunity at a job as a head coach somewhere,” said Charles, “but opportunities for vendors also, and we have to speak up when wrongs are committed in sports in our Black community.” ABIS’ Impact It wasn’t long before ABIS, of which anyone can be a member, had a significant impact in the sports community. One year after its inception in 2021, the organization advocated for a gentleman name Travis Williams who had an idea to have an HBCU (Historically Black College/University) All-Star game during the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Final Four tournament. It was overwhelmingly received. “HBCUs never get a chance to get to the Final Four,” said Charles. “Travis was why don’t we create an All-Star game for them?” The NCAA was on board and through a series of meetings, and help from ABIS, Travis was able to get a three-year deal inked for the HBCU All-Star game to air on CBS.
and Giants, “We want to be the voice For Racial Equity in Sport.” They have the support of the Ben Crump and the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches adding, “90 percent of NFL football starters are Black. We produce the oil, but we keep giving it away,” he said. “ABIS wants to make sure that people know we’re here and they have a voice. We must continue to grow ABIS,” said Charles. “People must understand the power that we have. We can’t let people control us. We’re not trying to take over, we just want a fair chance.” Coaching On All Levels “It’s important for ABIS to thank JP Morgan Chase (JPMC) for the funding to start a financial coaching program. We appreciate the fact that JPMC believed in us,” said Charles. St. John and Hofstra Universities are currently the pilot program where collegiate athletes are “coached” about debit and credit accounts, interest rates, and what credit ratings and mortgages mean. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” said Charles. “We need to teach them at a young age how to protect their money and how to invest properly. Most professional athletes are broke four-and-a-half years after they retire. JPMC is allowing us to fund 10 more schools next year, six of them will be HBCUs.”
“The joy comes from knowing that when I make certain calls, it’s to give our people an opportunity,” answered Charles when asked what part of his job brings the most joy. “When those same people come back years later to say I made a difference in how they Additionally, ABIS is supporting Brian Flores, the live and thank me for it, then I know I’m former Miami Dolphins head coach who has sued doing something right. That’s when the joy the NFL and three teams - The Dolphins, Broncos, comes out of me,” he said. 18 | CL
MAGAZINE
“That opportunity is life-altering for them,” Charles adds. “Now they can take care of their fam-ily. I think as Black people, we’re not able to think that if you help one or two people, you’re helping the community. The joy that comes from me knowing that I helped someone else is unmatched.” The Early Years Born in Haiti, Charles draws his inspiration from his parent, wife and four children. “I watched how hard my mother worked to make sure her four sons and daughter did not need anything. She was one of the first women to do Jheri curls. I remember when Ultra Sheen came to our house to hire her. She refused because she didn’t want to travel, but instead built a salon in the basement. She helped all five kids go to college. She was only 4’9”, but no one messed with my mom.” His father worked for IBM in the late ’60s and was one of the original Black hires. “He told me computers are the wave of the future. I thought I was going to be an accountant, but he put computers in my head in the 10th grade.” Charles later earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Every day his father wore suits. To this day, you will not see Charles without his signature suit and hat. His 7th grade teacher Miss Gilkes, who reminded him of the actress Pam Grier, also encouraged his penchant for fashion. “I loved her,” he chuckles. “I came to school dressed up one time because of a field trip. She said, ‘You really look good dressed up. You should dress that way more often.’ I never forgot that.” He also made a mental note of the way women looked at his father and thought, “As soon as I can afford it, I’m going to dress like my dad.” Charles’ summer earnings went to his wardrobe. “The way you see me dress now, I’ve been doing this since the 9th grade,” he shares. Sonny Vaccaro “This man gave me an opportunity in the grassroots basketball community,” Charles recounts about John Paul Vincent
“Sonny” Vaccaro. “Ours was the first organization he sponsored. He opened a door for me, and I ran in there! It has allowed me to be who I am today, The Godfather of Grassroots Basketball!” Charles emphatically states. It was Vaccaro’s idea to pay athletes and coaches for name recognition. When he eventually left Nike and went to adidas, he told Charles he needed to find the right player to represent adidas. “There’s a kid named Kobe Bryant. That’s the kid,” Charles offered. Kobe was signed to the shoe deal out of high school. “Of all the kids I could have picked, I picked him. He is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game,” he said. “Guessing right on Kobe is a humbling feeling. I really believed in him. I needed other people like Sonny Vaccaro to believe in him. Kobe will go down in history as one of the best!” He notes that one of the toughest decisions he had to make in his professional career was when Kobe Bryant’s family asked him to be part of Kobe’s representation. “I knew it would mean that I would have to move to Los Angeles for a while. I couldn’t do it. I had no intention of leaving my kids in New York. No amount of money was worth it to me. To this day, I haven’t regretted that decision,” Charles said. “Sonny spent most of his career trying to help the Black community,” said Charles. He founded the ABCD All America Camp, where high school prospects showcase their skills to NBA and college franchise teams. “He created this grassroots world where most of the grassroots coaches were Black. I watched the way he moved. He gave a hug to everyone. He gave his time to people. He had the best personality. He and his wife Pam are the best people I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said. “He helped me grow, helped me realize what was out there. He showed me how he did it and how I can continue moving forward. I learned a lot. Without a doubt he’s been my mentor,” Charles said of Vacarro.
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Success on His Terms “Success is based on the foundation you create. You must have a strong foundation for success to continue to prosper. Without the foundation, everything will crumble,” said Charles. “I’ve learned that if I build it right, success will come my way. If I do a project that fails, it won’t crumble because my foundation is strong,” he adds.
The ABIS Champions & Legends Weekend To celebrate Blacks in sports, the organization is hosting its inaugural Champions & Legends Weekend in Las Vegas at the Resorts World Hotel Labor Day Weekend, May 2729, 2022. “It’s to honor us,” said Charles When asked the essentials to creating a harmonious emphatically. “We should not have to wait for work environment, Charles is adamant about letting someone else to honor us. We should do it ourselves.” people know you believe in them. “Allow them to have an opinion and make them feel part of the decision He describes the gala as “The ESPY Awards” for making. Look them in the eye and say you believe in Blacks. “We want to honor people who may be them. It frees them to do their job,” he shares. forgotten or who many people may not know and to help the public understand what we are doing. There Charles is still learning how to balance his career are too many people out there who believe that Blacks and personal life. He’s clear when he states, “I try to aren’t doing anything,” he said. remember that I’m working so I can live. I am not living so I can work.” Charles said ABIS is naming awards after sports legends and greats. The Shaquille O’Neal Economic A fun fact is that Charles’ ideal vacation is with his and Sustainability Award is going to Albert King, family. “At this point in my life it’s all about family. former NBA player for the Washington Bullets. Any time I can spend with my family, if I can hang out Dawn Staley, head coach for the University of South with my kids, grandkids, I’m good. I don’t have to go Carolina Gamecocks will receive the Vivian Stringer to an island. I enjoy myself every day,” said Charles. Pioneer Award. The Jackie Joyner Kersee Excellence Award goes to Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix. Charles and Gina, his wife of 25 years, have four adult Among other awards is the Sonny Vacarro Champion children, one son and three daughters, who all work of Change named for all that he’s tried to change for in Las Vegas with him during tournament season. Blacks in sports. It will be going to former Miami Dolphins’ Head Coach Brian Flores. The John Carlos/ His Most Important Lesson Tommy Smith Social Activist Award will be given to “You are only as good as the people you surround Dr. Richard Lapchick. yourself with,” said Charles, “so I try to stay in my lane and allow them to do their job which in the end The event is open to the public and anyone can attend. will help us all.” ABIS is always looking for sponsors, but especially for this amazing weekend celebration. You can sign “For example, I will not tell up to attend on www.weareabis.org you how to do your job. I know that if you surround yourself “Come on people,” urges Charles, “Show up to the with the wrong people, your gala. It’s going to be a great black-tie affair.” business is going to crumble,” he said. Montrie Rucker Adams, APR is the Chief Visibility Officer at Visibility Marketing Inc. 20 | CL MAGAZINE
Timothy L. Tramble, Sr. That Guy
by Montrie Rucker Adams, APR
It was on June 1, 2020, that Timothy L. Tramble Sr., took the lead of Saint Luke’s Foundation (SLF), the organization founded to “ensure that the charitable mission of the medical center continued” after the Saint Luke’s Medical Center closed in 1997. While Tramble may be new to SLF, he is no novice to the work he is called to do. For 20 years he served as the Executive Director of the Burten, Bell, Carr Community Development Corporation (BBC). While there, he led the team that took a small, obscure community organization to one that boasts a list of unparalleled accomplishments.
To paint a picture of the legacy Tramble left after leading BBC for two decades, he explains that they built over 500 single family homes and were associated with over 2500 rental housing developments. The home ownership zone was a concept that had not been realized. The naysayers were asking, “How do you think you will interest people in buying homes next to cemeteries and public housing?”
They bought the first homes and continued to buy. The team came up with a brilliant strategy to build in volume. “We had a HUD 108 low interest loan with less than one percent interest,” explains Tramble. “We invested the loan money in constructing homes Though it had operated for 10 years, when Tramble in volume. With a 40-unit spec build max, as soon arrived in 2000, BBC had one employee, a $120,000 as we sold one, we added another to the spec build budget and $9,000 in the bank. By the time Tramble list. Homeowners were excited that they were a part left in 2020, there were over 20 employees, $2.2M in of something new and that they would not have the land under development, over $1M in the bank and an only new house on the street.” annual budget of over $3 million. In addition to the housing and community Not one to pat himself on the back, Tramble says he programming, another signature project is is “most proud of the progress and the people who Bridgeport Place, built in 2008, and houses BBC’s approach me to tell a story about the work we did headquarters, Cleveland Public Library’s Garden that had a positive impact on their lives. The point of Valley Branch and WOVU, BBC’s community radio station heard on 95.5 FM. Our Voices United, the it all is to help people thrive,” he says. WINTER/SPRING 2022 | 21
acquisition. I’m proud of that and the potential for what the area can become.” “My neighborhood was my paradise.” –Tim Tramble Tramble grew up in the Hough neighborhood on East 81st and Superior, across from East High School which is now one of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s administration centers. “My neighborhood was my paradise,” he reminisces. “I had a fun childhood with my three nephews Reginal, Michael, and Stephen, who are close in age to me and neighborhood friends.” Tramble remembers playing outside, family and call letters of the station, describes the station’s neighbors sitting on the steps, and kids not concerned mission: “To provide an inclusive media platform that connects, engages, and informs the entire about anything. “We were communal, and everyone community to achieve ongoing social and economic knew who you were,” he recalls. progress for all.” Returning home from Central State University “There would be no table to talk around…” –Tim armed with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, imagine Tramble standing on the street on Tramble When he thinks about his personal influence and which he grew up, looking around in awe. Somehow, accomplishments, few are aware of his role in the he saw his old neighborhood for the first time. acquisition of the land that flanks the Opportunity Before, he didn’t realize the disinvestment and blight Corridor roadway. “I felt alone in the fight in many within his neighborhood. It wasn’t apparent until cases,” he explains. “I felt I was the only person in the he came back that he recognized the impact of the room pounding the table saying, ‘We need to acquire many demolished homes. He was now looking at this land. It’s called the Opportunity Corridor, but his “paradise” through a different lens. “While some the land must be assembled under public control for people run from that, for me, it was a desire to make it to truly become an opportunity for those within it better and address those issues,” said Tramble of the community. In the meantime, we used our own his neighborhood’s economic decline. unrestricted resources to acquire land at the gateway of the opportunity corridor at Kinsman Road.’” Land He furthered his education at Cleveland State University and earned a master’s in public that BBC still owns today. administration. He wanted to gain the credentials to For years there was no traction. “Finally, funders manage a non-profit. He wanted to arm himself with came to the table. I was fighting that fight in 2005, the foundation he needed to help his community. and still fighting in 2010. It wasn’t until 2017 that we were funded to acquire land along the corridor. It was a huge accomplishment,” remembers Tramble. “A lot of things take time. Each project from beginning to end on average is five to six years.”
I needed to be surrounded by positive, successful, and intellectual black men. –Tim Tramble Besides his closest family members, three educators who were instrumental in framing Tramble’s foundation and significantly impacted his Though he is no longer a part of the conversations, professional journey were his fifth-grade teacher, and has no seat at the table, Tramble notes that eighth-grade teacher and college professor. “there would not be a table to talk around if it wasn’t for having the foresight and concern around land “My fifth-grade teacher at Daniel E. Morgan Elementary School was Mrs. Lowe. She was just a 22 | CL MAGAZINE
loving and kind teacher who believed in all of her students. I wasn’t her favorite. I think at that age, I recognized the genuine interest and love she had for all of us. You felt the maternal nurturing instinct of a woman and of a mother,” he said. “My eighth-grade teacher Danny Peoples,” continues Tramble, “was my first Black male teacher. He was relatable, relevant, and placed more confidence in me than any other teacher I had.” Tim’s big sister Patricia broke the mold and modeled the way. Patricia preceded him as a graduate of Central State University and started a pipeline of family members who attended Ohio’s only public HBCU. Central State had a huge impact on grounding Tramble. He says he needed to be surrounded by positive, successful and intellectual Black men. “Collectively, the men of Central State modeled Black male adulthood for me. It is hard to be something you’ve never seen or something you very rarely see,” he said. “I can count on one hand the men I knew as a child who wore business attire to work or men who spoke a professional dialect. Central State gave me that needed exposure. Dennis Weatherby, one of Tramble’s college professors, was “great and down to earth.” Tramble is grateful he looked out for his students, helping them to land much need internships and scholarships. “I am not the typical president and CEO of a foundation.” –Tim Tramble Tramble had several jobs before landing at BBC. After 20 years, it was SLF’s vision that People thrive as a result of living free of racism and poverty and experiencing equitable economic opportunities and conditions that enable them to lead healthier lives that appealed to him and prompted him to seek the organization’s chief executive office. It’s also where he draws his inspiration to continue feeding his passion for the journey before him. “I know that it’s not a role that is traditionally held by a person like me. I am not the typical president and CEO of a
Tramble’s views on… SUCCESS I believe this quote. “Success is a journey and not a destination.” To be successful in this work, getting to where we need to be will take a lifetime. There’s so much more to be done for everyone to thrive. WORK-LIFE BALANCE When I was young my family went on vacations, I still do. Life is about experiences. I place a high value on experiences over material items. My work-life balance is ensuring that I have those special experiences. Things don’t just happen by chance. You have to work hard for achievement, but you have to make the time to have that space to enjoy the wonders, beauty and assets of life that God has placed on this earth. Every year there’s something that I do that’s significant, exciting and is a wonderful experience. VACATIONS My ideal vacation is exploring the anthropology of cities. I’ve been on every continent except Australia and Antarctica and to nine different European countries. I’ve visited all the cities and states in this country that I’d like to explore except Denver and Phoenix. We recently visited Palenque de San Basilio, which is an African American Village in Colombia, South America. I feel like we connected with the people and the village. I am more of an anthropologist when I go on vacation. What I mean by that is I’m not just there for the tourism, I want to understand the people, their culture, their value system and social dynamics. I like to explore where the people live, the environment, trees, plants… Ethiopia was awe-inspiring, so was Egypt. I want to explore more of Africa. I am blessed that my wife and daughter share the same love I have for travel. WINTER/SPRING 2022 | 23
foundation. I don’t take that lightly, but with a sense of responsibility,” he says. He will use the position’s power and influence to uplift as many disadvantaged individuals, groups, institutions, and corporations as he can. “Ultimately, it’s to make our neighborhoods and our region a better place. What can I influence to make this a better place for us all? he asks. “Without a committed board, it would make my job harder.” –Tim Tramble In addition to drawing energy from SLF’s mission and vision, Tramble cites national peer learning groups in philanthropy that also help keep him focused and moving forward when faced with challenging decisions. The Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) whose vision and mission is to be central to a movement of grantmaking entities, donors and nonprofits to improve outcomes for Black communities and the country as a whole and to promote effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities is helping Tramble navigate his new role. “It’s a small group,” Tramble says of the organization. “We come together monthly to discuss challenges, and what we can do from a national perspective. We talk about the racial equity and inclusion journey, the challenges each of us have around that, the burdens a Black leader of a philanthropic organization carries, and community expectations of that leadership. We lift each other up knowing that we are not alone and by ourselves. We discuss how we can work together to support one another and support African Americans in philanthropy.”
Another group from which Tramble draws inspiration and support is Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), a diverse community of funders committed to transforming philanthropic culture and practice by connecting members to the resources and relationships needed to support thriving nonprofits and communities. “Through a diverse group of Foundation CEOs who are committed to advancing equitable grantmaking, we explore diversity, equity and inclusion and examine the things we need to be mindful of in that journey. We challenge conventional wisdom, best practices and racial equity and inclusion in a white dominant culture, what that means and how it plays out in practice,” he explains. “I could be personally committed to equity,” offers Tramble, “but without a committed board, it would make my job harder.” Tramble says he is supported by SLF’s board members noting that in 2018, 13 percent of the Foundation’s grant funds went to organizations led by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). The number of BIPOC organizations went up to 51 percent in 2021. “If we’re not intentional about assessing our grants from the racial equity lens, we would undoubtedly continue to perpetuate inequity. I am able to challenge conventional means. We are able to challenge each other to develop an approach that isn’t traditional and challenges conventional wisdom,” offers Tramble. “He will get in the mud with the community.” – Ena McDowell “I strongly believe that the leader sets the culture of foundation and I firmly carry that weight. You walk in the door, you should be respected and dealt with
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dignity, courtesy, respect and honor. You don’t walk in the door with trust,” says Tramble when asked about the essentials of creating a harmonious work environment.
appreciate being in the position that I’m in to help him. He’s very polished and destined for greatness. He wants to support and guide us into our greatness. We are an all-star team. He is determined to make sure we have all the tools necessary to succeed in Tramble had to establish an environment of trust perpetuity,” McDowell emphatically states. with his staff. “As we build it (history), you have to show and indicate you are trustworthy and When assembling that “all-star” team, Tramble consistent. When you say something, you will follow understands that for success, there’s value in having through with it,” he says. the right people in the right places. Personnel decisions are important professional decisions for He believes that everyone needs a space where Tramble. “The key to success is in the people who are they are the leader. At SLF everyone rotates leading doing the work. I can’t do 100 percent of the work. and chairing the staff meeting. A framework is There needs to be the right people engaging the established, but the employees can cover the community, entrenched in the community. You need meetings to their personal preferences allowing for someone who is relevant and technically qualified. If imagination and creativity. He wants his employees we’re going to hire the best qualified candidate, what to know that their contributions matter, that there is does qualified mean?” he questions. no low person on the totem pole. Tramble says there are three elements for purposeEna McDowell, SLF’s office manager and Tramble’s driven jobs: 1) Relevance to the work 2) Technical executive assistant says that Tramble is “extremely skills and 3) Interpersonal skills. supportive” which was evident when she dealt with personal issues. “I have never had a boss come to my “It’s not to be confused with the Cleveland Police support the way that he has. What I’ve been going Commission.” –Tim Tramble through personally, he’s checked all those boxes to It is hard to believe that with a plate as full as make me know that he has my back. He came through Tramble’s, he has time for additional community and showed up. It put me in a different head space involvement. He does. He was appointed to serve with him.” on the Cleveland Police Monitoring Team which is charged with overseeing implementation of the “He does everything in his power to make us feel Consent Decree and helping the Court and City of important. We all have our different roles. He wants Cleveland gauge whether the Decree's requirements to make us feel important in that role. He is, on so are taking hold in practice – in the real world and many levels, ‘that guy,’” she adds. across Cleveland's communities. It oversees, on behalf of Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr., the day-to-day McDowell cites a quote from Congresswoman efforts of the City and Cleveland Division of Police Ayanna Pressley, “The people closest to the pain, toward complying with the reforms required by the should be the closest to the power,” as how Tramble Consent Decree. moves and feels about the organization being “community facing.” He explained that it’s hard to It was after the 2012 murders of Timothy Russell and do the work for the people from an “Ivory Tower,” Melissa Williams that the Department of Justice was that one must meet the community where they are. asked by then Mayor Frank Jackson to evaluate the use Listen. Understand. Empathize. Then act by being of force practices of the Cleveland Police Department. appropriately responsive to the collective interest of In 2015, the Monitoring Team was formed. the community. “The pathway to success is like strength training. “I want so much for the vision that Tim has to be You will have to feel pain to reach its destination.” successful,” McDowell continues. “He is at the –Tim Tramble pinnacle of his career. There’s so much that he Ask Tramble about his mantra and he will give two must do, and he’s so passionate about this work. I statements that he established in conversations with WINTER/SPRING 2022 | 25
marketing and creative writing consulting business. Son Tim Jr. (Tjay), passed away in 2016. To honor Self-indulgence without self-discipline leads to selfhis life and memory, the family established the destruction Tjay Memorial Scholarship Fund which provides There is no formula for success that doesn’t involve a financial assistance to disadvantaged individuals struggle enrolled in Tri-C, Cleveland State University, Central State University or any Historically Black College He explains the first by examining getting caught or University (HBCU). Eight scholarships have been up in your wants and over-indulgence which can awarded to date with the next class of awardees being lead to problems. It was essential for his children announced on Tjay’s birthday, May 23rd. to understand that. Additionally, he states, “It’s important for me and my children to understand “(We must) foster a more just and shared that the pathway to success is like strength training. prosperity for future generations.” –Tim Tramble You will have to feel pain and endure some type of If past accomplishments are ever an indication of struggle to reach your goal. That’s how life is. There future achievement, with Tramble at the helm, SLF is will be a level of pain you have to endure to get there clearly on the path to realizing its mission to achieve and you will be better for it.” health equity by addressing social determinants of health for people in neighborhoods surrounding He and his wife Latrice, who Saint Luke’s and throughout Cuyahoga County. is a teacher at the Cleveland Judging from his call to action upon exiting BBC, “… Municipal School District, it is time that each of us look within ourselves to be have been married for 27 years. at least a small part of what is needed to foster a more They met in high school. Their just and shared prosperity for future generations,” daughter Tierra has a digital there is no doubt they will get there. his children and mentees:
Montrie Rucker Adams, APR is the Chief Visibility Officer at Visibility Marketing Inc.
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Book
Suggestion #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her latest book, Brené Brown writes, “If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection.” Don’t miss the five-part HBO Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. Over the past two decades, Brown’s extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Atlas of the Heart draws on this research, as well as on Brown’s singular skills as a storyteller, to show us how accurately naming an experience doesn’t give the experience more power—it gives us the power of understanding, meaning, and choice. Brown shares, “I want this book to be an atlas for all of us, because I believe that, with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves.” Description courtesy Amazon.com
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Book
Suggestion #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 53rd NAACP Image Awards Winner You are seen, you are loved, and you are heard! Before Tabitha Brown was one of the most popular personalities in the world, sharing her delicious vegan home cooking and compassionate wisdom with millions of followers across social media, she was an aspiring actress who in 2016 began struggling with undiagnosed chronic autoimmune pain. Her condition made her believe she wouldn’t live to see forty--until she started listening to what her soul and her body truly needed. Now, in this lifechanging book, Tabitha shares the wisdom she gained from her own journey, showing readers how to make a life for themselves that is rooted in nonjudgmental kindness and love, both for themselves and for others. Tabitha grounds her lessons in stories about her own life, career, faith, and family in this funny, down-to-earth book, built around the catchphrases that her fans know and love, including: Hello There!: Why hope, joy, and clarity are so very needed That’s Your Business: Defining yourself, and being okay with that Have the Most Amazing Day . . . : Choosing joy and living with intention But Don’t Go Messin’ Up No One Else’s: Learning to walk in kindness even when the world doesn’t feel kind Like So, Like That: Living life without measurement Very Good: Living in peace and creating good from the bad Rich with personal stories and inspirational quotes, and sprinkled with a few easy vegan recipes, Feeding the Soul is a book to share-and to return to when you want to feel seen, loved, and heard. Description courtesy Amazon.com
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Early bird registration is available now. Visit womenofcolorfoundation.com SPECIAL ISSUE 2021 | 35
Danita Harris
Mike Brookbank
Courtney Gousman
