The 2010 Judson Smart Living Awards

Judson at University Circle is pleased to announce its 2010 Smart Living Award winners.

The Smart Living Awards recognize individuals of all ages who are dedicated to the dynamic atmosphere of University Circle.  Winners are recognized in the categories of Arts, Education, Healthcare, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism.  Judson culled nominations from its fellow University Circle institutions and the public.

Be sure to look for 2011’s call for nominations in February 2011. For more information, contact Rob Lucarelli, (216) 791-2321, rlucarelli@judsonsmartliving.org.

Jill Snyder, Arts

Contemporary art interprets culture as it lives and breathes. This perception has long informed the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland and Jill Snyder, its Director—both of whom move to The Triangle in University Circle in 2012 after a lengthy run at the Cleveland Play House complex.

Snyder hopes the new home “will have meaningful impact for the neighborhood, and deepen our relationship with our University Circle colleagues,” she says. “Building our own home after 40-plus years of existence is fantastic and the outpouring of support and enthusiasm from the community has been as well.”
           
Snyder began her professional career managing acquisitions for the permanent collection of New York’s Guggenheim Museum, serving in leadership roles with The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art (Ridgefield, Connecticut) and Freedman Gallery at Albright College in (Reading, Pennsylvania) later.

“Things are very dynamic here,” Snyder says, attributing MOCA’s success to organizational size and staff proficiency. “We are 20 strong, large enough not to feel like we’re under-resourced, but small enough where we can be nimble, non-hierarchal and responsive as a collective. I have a great staff.”

Together, they offer a venerable showcase of national and international artists, and support the collective heartbeat of emerging local artists with the Wendy L. Moore Emerging Artist Series and the PULSE Series exhibitions. To Snyder, MOCA’s wonders never cease.
“Even after this many years, I remain inspired by working with artists. It is unquestionably fascinating, always different, and opens up new ways of seeing, feeling and thinking.”

Carl Topilow, Arts

Carl Topilow is himself a University Circle institution, known for his iconic colored clarinets and remarkable impact on symphonic music in Cleveland.

Founder, Music Director and “active clarinetist” for the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Topilow established Pops in 1996 and has enjoyed 14 illustrious seasons at Severance Hall, showcasing music that spans Broadway to Hollywood and all points in between. It’s a great source of pride for the maestro.

“I think our programs are high quality, fun and entertaining, which people really identify with. We literally offer something for everybody. If you don’t like what we play, wait three minutes and we’ll play something else!” he laughs.

Topilow also serves as Conductor and Director of the Orchestral Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, educating aspirant instrumentalists from across the globe, who study there.

Many of his program grads serve as maestros with orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. “Seeing my students succeed, and being a help to them, is very satisfying.”

Topilow has guest conducted in symphonic and pops concert roles with over 100 orchestras across the globe. But Cleveland is still very much magnetic north for the Maestro.
“The arts community here is extremely supportive of us, I continue to enjoy my work immensely and consider working in University Circle in the capacities that I do a great opportunity.”

Jeanette Grasselli Brown, Philanthropy

Jeanette Grasselli Brown worked in industrial research for 38 years, retiring in 1989 as Director of Corporate Research for BP America (formerly The Standard Oil Co.). She has been a director of three Fortune 500 companies, and was the American Chemical Society’s outstanding woman chemist in U.S.

Brown has one patent, holds 13 honorary doctoral degrees, has nearly 100 publications and has lectured at as many universities worldwide during her career. Impressive, right?

“None of it would have been possible without the passion ignited by teachers I had in my Cleveland Public School experience,” Brown offers. “They placed me in a major work program and helped push me to pursue a degree in chemistry. That made me desire to return to education and dedicate my time to it.”

A former Regent on the Ohio Board of Regents, Brown is helping northeast Ohio’s students through college with Cleveland Scholarship Programs, Inc. (CSP)—a college access program dedicated to providing career direction and support for students from elementary school through college graduation.

CSP has helped 200,000 students go through the college and financial aid application process, and has awarded more than $42 million in scholarships since its inception. “Helping change young people's lives and attain personal goals, and being a helping hand for them really goes a long way,” Brown says.

Brown is active as a CSP emeritus board member after chairing the program for five years, and has merged her passion for science and education in board service to the Great Lakes Science Center. Her commitment to the University Circle neighborhood is reflected in service to the Musical Arts Association/Cleveland Orchestra (as chairwoman of the education committee) and countless other organizations.

Douglas Leavitt, DDS, Healthcare

A dedicated, five-year member of the volunteer staff at The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland, Dr. Douglas Leavitt has committed hundreds of hours serving Cleveland’s uninsured and underinsured residents. He did so in honor of his late father, and has been with the Clinic ever since.

“My Dad volunteered his time with another colleague,” Dr. Leavitt recalls. “I had always intended to volunteer with him. We practiced together for 26 years and I took over his practice in the legacy dentist tradition. When he passed, I felt compelled to follow in his Clinic footsteps in tribute to him.”

When he’s not maintaining his practice or guiding third- and fourth-year dental students from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Leavitt donates quality dental care a couple evenings every month as part of the Clinic’s volunteer corps.
He has also recruited many volunteer dentists—all of whom conducted nearly 2,000 extractions last year.

“When you’re in dental practice, you deal with pain and suffering. People hate going to the dentist, but the appreciation I receive on a monthly basis at the Clinic is quite special.”

To hear Dr. Leavitt tell it, connecting to the community as he does is a natural extension of his chosen field, and a reward in itself. “Being chosen for this award is most certainly humbling,” he offers.

Dalia Zemaityte, Healthcare

Although she wasn’t a part of the original Rainbow Circle of the King’s Daughters that met on Thanksgiving Day of 1887, Dalia Zemaityte carries forth with the spirit that forged the future Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

Her bubbly enthusiasm remains after 50 years serving the University Hospitals’ institution in Pediatric Nursing Administration.

“Medicine has come a long way during my time here, and I am grateful to have worked for an institution which has led the way for so many years,” offers Zemaityte, who started at Rainbow in 1960.

“Working with my colleagues, promoting family-centric care for patients with a great staff… these have really been wonderful, blessed years for me.”

Zemaityte has seen UH/Rainbow Babies ranked #2 in neonatal care/NICU and emerge as a global leader in treating children with heart disease, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and other pediatric disorders.

But in the face of such challenges to children, don’t look for anything less than absolute positivity from Zemaityte, who “loves working with our patients and families more than anything.”

“I do what I love, I love what I do, and I am happy to continue making a difference in people’s lives,” she says with a smile. “To me, that’s what’s important. That’s what life is all about.”

Dale K. Hilton, Education

As with most arts organizations, great passion lies within great programming. To that end, The Cleveland Museum of Art’s award-winning Distance Learning program enriches students across the globe because of the zeal brought by Dale K. Hilton, the program’s director.

“I believe that visual arts and material culture are critical to understanding any civilization, including our own,” Hilton says. “To take the superior objects in collections like ours and help audiences of all ages understand and connect with them in meaningful ways is tremendously rewarding.”

Hilton manages day-to-day operations of the program—from lesson and publication development, to scheduling, instruction and teacher/client relations.

Through the implementation of the CMA’s collection of art and artifacts, Hilton and other staffers can share museum exhibits with students and educators “many time zones away, all over the world, via two-way, fully interactive videoconference,” she offers.

In nearly 20 years, Hilton has guided local patrons as well—serving as Instructor in the CMA’s Education Department, presenting lectures, gallery talks and teacher resource workshops. She has also written presentations, scripts for interpretive audio tours and art publications.

Just the same, Hilton considers her Judson award very much a group win: “It’s great recognition for a superb collection of people in our Distance Learning Team—people who have helped make us a favorite content provider to teachers everywhere for a decade.”

Anne Jones, Volunteerism

As manager of the Museum Store at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH), Anne Jones has been an integral part of the institution. To hear Jones tell it, her 40-plus years of involvement with the staff and patrons there has reached far beyond kinship.

“I consider that remarkable institution a natural extension of my family in every way possible,” admits Jones, who recently joined Judson’s South Franklin Circle community in Chagrin Falls.

Jones, and her late husband Brooks, joined the CMNH in 1958 and have supported it ever since, establishing a charitable gift annuity in early 1999.

Her involvement and bequest reflects their love for the museum. “It’s the most remarkable place like it I’ve ever encountered, current and dynamic on the times and concerns of the world today,” Jones says. “Ecology, health, history—everything that’s important to our lives.”

An active member of the museum’s Women’s Committee since 1962, Jones helped launch the Museum Store, which she helms every week, and has served on the CMNH Board of Directors for over 25 years.

A champion for the Museum’s efforts to protect the region’s forests, wetlands and rivers, you’ll often find Jones at one of the museum’s Natural Areas Committee meetings or joining a field trip.

“It’s a great compliment to be recognized,” Jones says of her award. “I am very glad to be a part of the museum and love to get everyone that I can interested and involved.”

Bonnie Lindberg, Volunteerism

When Bonnie Lindberg sees a need, she leads by example and fulfills it. The retired teacher has volunteered with Judson at University Circle, a continuing care retirement community, for more than 20 years when her parents first moved there.

“It was so easy to jump in and lend a hand,” the cheerful Lindberg says. “Everyone there is so professional, so caring, and put quality and care first.”
Lindberg has served as the volunteer chair of the Intergenerational Committee at Judson since 1999 creating the “Kids and Seniors” program and fortifying additional intergenerational partnerships between local schools and Judson.

Today, 28 schools participate, yielding 500 visits from students per month. “It’s a treasure that has grown by leaps and bounds,” Lindberg beams with pride. “I could always tell when I visited my parents when young people had visited. It’s been wonderful to see that program grow.”

A Judson volunteer board member, Lindberg has volunteers from Fairmount Presbyterian Church to conduct services, has served on the Annual Fund and Quality First committees—the latter overseeing health care standards.

When she’s not volunteering at Judson, Lindberg volunteers with the Hospice of the Western Reserve and, through her church, travels annually to the Dominican Republic to help outfit hospitals with equipment.

“I suppose I should stay home and clean my house,” she laughs. “But my life is so much more fulfilled. It really doesn’t get any better than this.

Genna Petrolla, Volunteerism

The get-up-and-go enthusiasm Genna Petrolla has for all things University Circle is dizzying.

Petrolla’s role at University Circle, Inc. (UCI) and her management of the Greater Circle Living Program—a forgivable loan program that offers down payment, rent and home renovation support to qualified employees of nonprofit institutions in the Circle—is just the beginning of an endless dance card.

“Fostering investment, learning about neighborhoods and collaborating with community partners is such a thrill,” Petrolla gushes. “Neighborhoods are not about houses, it’s about quality of life and making everything inclusive.”

Passion also led Petrolla to the Great Lakes Urban Exchange—where likeminded Midwesterners are cracking the “brain drain” code in Rust Belt cities—and to Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland, a development and leadership course for Cleveland’s grassroots advocates.

“The challenge of bringing everything back to what’s important drives me,” she says. To wit, Petrolla is omnipresent in the Circle, regularly attending festivals, farmers’ markets, the Circle Home Tour, Parade the Circle, and WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays.

Petrolla also serves on the Board of Directors for LiveCLEVELAND! and SPACES Gallery, organizes the annual Larchmere Porchfest, and is actively with the Cleveland International Film Festival and the online arts blog, Messy Magazine.

And in spare time? “I have no life!” Petrolla jokes. “It’s very intertwined, and I like it like that. The line between social and work worlds blurred years ago. Having access to great networks of people in such a great city…I wouldn't know what to do with spare time if I had it.”