LakewoodAlive Selects a New Director

LakewoodAlive, a local economic development organization, has ended its two-month search for a new director.

Cleveland resident Ian Andrews was selected by the LakewoodAlive’s board of directors to replace Mary Anne Crampton, who that she would be stepping down effective July 1.

The official announcement is expected later today.

Andrews will leave his post as the marketing and development director for the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, where he was responsible for fundraising, grantwriting, award writing, event planning, website and overall neighborhood marketing.

A native of Howland Corners, Andrews began with the Detroit Shoreway group in March 2008 as an economic development and housing intern and was hired full time in July 2008 as executive assistant. He accepted the marketing and development director post months later.

Andrews, a 2004 graduate of Mount Union College, received his master’s degree in urban planning and development from Cleveland State University in 2009.

He is expected to take the reins of LakewoodAlive on July 11.

“Ian brings a solid track record of working with business owners, residents, volunteers, government leaders and nonprofit organizations in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood to our community,” said Jennifer Baker, president of LakewoodAlive. “LakewoodAlive will most certainly benefit from Ian’s background in urban planning and his deep knowledge of neighborhood revitalization and economic development issues.”

Crampton took the position in 2007, when she replaced Jennifer Hooper as the executive director. The organization was known then as Lakewood Community Progress Inc., before it merged with the grassroots community organization LakewoodAlive in 2008.

“I delved in and four years later, we have a relatively well-funded, well-structured and highly participatory organization,” Crampton said in April. “The job I set out to do is done.”

How does she feel about her replacement?

 “The Detroit Shoreway (organization) has been a model for redevelopment, and I think he’s going to bring that level of sophistication here,” she said. “He has gifts that I don’t, and he brings unique experiences.”