CEOs You Should Know - Cleveland

The Cleveland Furniture Company has its roots right here in Cleveland, which date back to the 1970’s! Paul Cirino SR. (our Dad!) jumped into the furniture business with Furniture Land in 1975 and never looked back! Paul Jr and Jason Cirino grew up hanging around the Furniture stores and warehouses, and started working on the delivery trucks as soon as we were old enough!   The Furniture Business is a Family Tradition for the Cirino’s, and we started supplying furniture to Furniture Stores in 2003. We have been supplying furniture stores in the Great Lakes region for decades, and now we can sell directly to you!   We save our customers money because we buy In BULK, DIRECT FROM THE FACTORIES!   A true FAMILY business, The Cleveland Furniture Company holds strongly to our values and the satisfaction of our customers and employees! Through decades of serving our community, we know what it takes to keep our customers satisfied!   We are Family Owned CLEVELAND PROUD!...... and we look forward to SERVING YOU!

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Mr Gillespie is the President of ERIEBANK, a subsidiary of CNB Bank.  Wesley has been responsible for the expansion of the bank into the Cleveland market, as well as lead the growth efforts of ERIEBANK. In his role as President, Mr Gillespie has full responsibility for managing and directing the overall market-based Commercial and Industrial lending activities across the Ohio and Pennsylvania footprint. Mr Gillespie also has responsibility for the delivery of commercial services including Commercial Real Estate, Treasury Management, and Private Banking across the region. Mr Gillespie is responsible for building and expanding the ERIEBANK customer base by building relationships and ensuring the delivery of best-in-class service at every level

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On January 1, 2025, Brad was named President and CEO of Clearstead, succeeding longtime partner David Fulton who has assumed the role of Chairman Emeritus. As CEO, Brad is now leading a larger and more complex firm than existed ten years ago, with revenues and earnings having grown significantly and the number of employees and assets under advisement increasing several times. The firm has acquired eleven firms in the past ten years and has added capabilities in tax compliance and financial planning while also forming Clearstead Trust, a nondepository trust company. Brad’s appointment as CEO was part of a longstanding management succession plan at Clearstead. He will continue to be instrumental to strategic initiatives at Clearstead, including accelerating organic growth through the addition of new channels and holistic service offerings, investing in technology to improve the client and advisor experience, and expanding our geographic footprint through integrating strategic acquisitions. Brad holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations and joined Clearstead in 2016. Brad has held positions in the private client and institutional groups at the firm and has served as President from 2023 to the present. Since 2018, he has run the firm’s Private Client and Trust practices. Brad has over 25 years of experience in wealth advisory and investment management, having held positions with two major financial institutions prior to joining Clearstead. Prior to joining Clearstead, Brad was a Senior Vice President with Hawthorn/PNC Family and Key Private Bank. Brad began his investment career at McDonald & Company, a regional broker/dealer and investment bank. Brad earned a BSBA degree in finance from John Carroll University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder and a member of the CFA Society of Cleveland. Brad is a member of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association and has earned the use of that designation.

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As CEO, Brad is now leading a larger and more complex firm than existed ten years ago, with revenues and earnings having grown significantly and the number of employees and assets under advisement increasing several times. The firm has acquired eleven firms in the past ten years and has added capabilities in tax compliance and financial planning while also forming Clearstead Trust, a nondepository trust company.

Brad’s appointment as CEO was part of a longstanding management succession plan at Clearstead. He will continue to be instrumental to strategic initiatives at Clearstead, including accelerating organic growth through the addition of new channels and holistic service offerings, investing in technology to improve the client and advisor experience, and expanding our geographic footprint through integrating strategic acquisitions.

Brad holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations and joined Clearstead in 2016. Brad has held positions in the private client and institutional groups at the firm and has served as President from 2023 to the present. Since 2018, he has run the firm’s Private Client and Trust practices. Brad has over 25 years of experience in wealth advisory and investment management, having held positions with two major financial institutions prior to joining Clearstead.

Prior to joining Clearstead, Brad was a Senior Vice President with Hawthorn/PNC Family and Key Private Bank. Brad began his investment career at McDonald & Company, a regional broker/dealer and investment bank. Brad earned a BSBA degree in finance from John Carroll University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder and a member of the CFA Society of Cleveland. Brad is a member of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association and has earned the use of that designation.

Roger Lipscomb has led OHIO811, Ohio’s “Call Before You Dig” Notification Center, as President and Executive Director since 2006. With over 30 years of experience in the utility infrastructure and excavation sectors, Roger’s steadfast commitment to public safety through education and collaboration has made Ohio a national leader in damage prevention. His expertise led to the formation of the Ohio Underground Damage Prevention Coalition (OUDPC), a multistakeholder organization dedicated to advancing excavation safety statutes within the Ohio Revised Code (ORC). Additionally, Roger has forged strong partnerships with state and federal agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Ohio Homeland Security, and the Ohio Public Private Partnership (OP3), strengthening the resilience of Ohio’s critical energy, communications, water, and wastewater infrastructure.

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Joel and Kathleen Ashcraft were both born in Ohio to Salvation Army officer parents. As transition is inevitable in The Salvation Army, they both moved and grew up in the greater New York City area.  They have been officers of The Salvation Army for the last 10 years, most recently serving as the Divisional Youth Secretary and Divisional Candidates Secretary for the Northeast Ohio Division based out of Cleveland, Ohio.  They coordinated youth work and lead the candidacy efforts for Salvation Army officership across the Division.  Throughout the summer, they had the distinct privilege of running Camp NEOSA on beautiful Leesville Lake in Carrollton, OH.  Prior to moving to Cleveland, they were corps officers in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY, and loved every minute of their 5 years there.  It is their heart’s cry to see everyone they serve come to know the abundance of life available through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

As the Area Commanders for Greater Cleveland Area Services, Captains Ashcraft will oversee the operations of five Greater Cleveland Corps in Collinwood, East Cleveland, Miles Park, Ohio City, and West Park. Additionally, they will supervise all operations at Harbor Light Complex & Zelma George Family Shelter.


Outside of their professional lives, Joel and Kathleen can be found spending time with their three incredible children – Matthew , Evelyn , and Audrey.  As a family, they love cheering on Matty at his baseball and basketball games, rooting for Evelyn and Audrey in their soccer games, trying new foods, and taking family trips!  Joel is an avid sports fan, and Kathleen loves watching the newest murder mysteries and romantic comedies.

Joel and Kathleen began dating when they were just 16-year-old high school sweethearts and were married shortly after graduating college.  Prior to their service as officers in The Salvation Army, Joel worked in banking for M&T Bank, and Kathleen worked in property management for The Salvation Army. Joel and Kathleen hold master’s degrees in business administration from Asbury University.

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Paul Abbey is the founder of Rooted in Trees, a non-profit organization established in 2020 which works to restore and preserve the native tree canopy in Northern Ohio. Under his leadership, the organization focuses on community engagement and education, and undertakes major tree planting initiatives to combat canopy loss and enhance environmental health. 

Prior to founding Rooted in Trees, Paul served as the interim CEO/President of Cleveland’s Holden Forests and Gardens, which includes the famed Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden.

Raised in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, Paul has always been an avid nature and wildlife lover. He graduated from The College of Wooster with a degree in Political Science and later earned an MBA from Baldwin-Wallace. His career spans investment banking and wealth management, culminating in his role as the founding partner of Fairport Asset Management (now HighTower Advisors LLC).

Today, Paul is also actively engaged in various community organizations, serving on the boards of The Viles Foundation, Highland Park Golf Foundation and The Cold Creek Foundation. He continues to serve as an active trustee (emeritus) for both The College of Wooster and The Holden Arboretum. Paul is married to Constance Norweb and together they have three daughters and are proud grandparents of five.

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Patty Starr is president and CEO of Health Action Council and is responsible for driving the strategic direction of the organization--build stronger, healthier communities where business can thrive.

Since joining the Health Action Council staff in 2013, she has transformed the organization yielding broad national expansion and seven consecutive years of growth.

Patty is a member of the Advisory Board at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Board of Directors for Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO). She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Better Health Partnership, Ohio Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative and Health Action Council before becoming executive director in 2013.

In 2022, she was named a Woman of Influence by Cleveland Business Journal, and In 2018, she was named among Notable Women in Healthcare by Crain’s Cleveland Business. 

Prior to Health Action Council, she was the senior director of health insurance and benefits at the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) and president and founder of The Ark Individual Insurance Brokerage.

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Katie Payne is the Chief Executive Officer of Lifebanc, Northeast Ohio’s only nonprofit organ and tissue recovery organization. A registered nurse and healthcare leader with nearly two decades of experience in transplant and donation services, Katie brings deep clinical expertise and a personal passion for saving lives through donation.

Her journey into this work is rooted in personal loss—her brother Billy became a donor after a tragic accident, an experience that profoundly shaped her sense of vocation. Prior to joining Lifebanc, Katie served as Executive Director at LifeLink of Georgia, where she led operations across clinical services, hospital development, donor family support, and public education, helping increase donation volumes by 18% and organs transplanted by 36%.

Katie holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Georgia State University. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation.

With a leadership style grounded in empathy, data, and advocacy, Katie is committed to honoring every donor, supporting families, and bridging the gap between need and access in organ and tissue donation.

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