BAC Commissioner Profiles

Chris Blue

Chris Blue is a Registered Architect at Verdantas with over 23 years of experience in the architecture industry. A proud resident of Cleveland, Chris holds degrees from both The Ohio State University and Kent State University, and has built a career defined by technical excellence and multidisciplinary collaboration.
In addition to his architectural expertise, Chris has developed hands-on experience in aquatics, civil, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical design. This broad knowledge base allows him to approach projects with a comprehensive understanding of building systems—ensuring thoughtful, integrated, and efficient design solutions.
Outside of his professional work, Chris is a devoted husband and father of three. His children attend schools within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, reinforcing his personal investment in the vitality and future of the community he serves.

SeMia Bray

SeMia is a strategic business consultant and thought leader.  With a passion for cross sector knowledge exchange and facilitating real conversations, she engages leaders in innovative thinking.  Over the past 20 years, she has provided consulting services in the private, manufacturing and non-profit sectors.  A veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, SeMia honorably served our country for six years. SeMia is currently engaged in the non-profit sector as the local director of Emerald Cities Cleveland.  In this role, she actively participates in moving forward an agenda aimed at achieving a  successful transition to a sustainable, resilient, prosperous and equitable economy driven by safe, renewable energy.  She holds a master's degree in organizational systems design from the Baldwin Wallace University (formerly Baldwin Wallace College), and a bachelor's degree, with a dual major in business administration and interior design, from Ursuline College.  She is also a graduate of Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland (Class 9) and the Northern Ohio Executive Leadership Institute.  In 2016, SeMia was selected as a candidate for a national leadership program designed to further develop leaders across sectors and geographies.  SeMia is a graduate of the CMSD School of Science.

Donald Brown

Chair

Don is a multi-product agent with Progressive Insurance and works as a Resolution Specialist in the company's national call center.  Don and his wife are long time residents of West Park. Their daughter is a graduate of CMSD's Douglas MacArthur Girl's Leadership Academy.  Over the years he has stayed active in the Student Parent Organization and has served as its President.  Don is also on the board of the Isaiah Project in Cleveland's Clark-Fulton neighborhood.

Tom Cook

Treasurer

Tom was most recently the Owner of Harbor Insurance, a multi-line insurance agency located in South Florida. He has previously held senior management roles at National City, Progressive Insurance and Price Waterhouse. Locally, he has served on the boards of WVIZ/WCPN Ideastream, Tremont West Development Corp. , Citizens Academy and Citizens Academy East, and the Friends of Tremont Montessori School. He is currently on the board at Cleveland International Film Festival. He and his wife reside in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.

Lenora M. Lockett

Lenora is a licensed Professional Engineer currently serving as the Cuyahoga County Director for the Office of Procurement & Diversity.  She earned her Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University.  Lenora attended the Cleveland Metropolitan School District from kindergarten through 7th grade and graduated from Shaw High School (East Cleveland Public Schools).  

Caroline Peak

Secretary

Caroline serves as the Manager for the Collinwood Branch of the Cleveland Public Library.  She has been a committed community leader, engager and volunteer for over thirty five years.  She has been a community organizer dedicated to school reform and an advocate for helping build better schools by volunteering in Cleveland Schools, serving on district-wide committees, PTAs, school community councils and advisory boards, and  campaigning  for levies.  Through her mentorship for eighth graders in the True2U program at Memorial School, she was inspired to create the “Collinwood Community Youth Academy” (CCYA). CCYA focuses on supporting youth ages 12 and above to become “A Better You” by engaging self-discovery, identifying their strengths, learning how to create a better community through problem solving, and engaging with guest speakers who share their success stories.  Paralleling this, she sits on the Executive Board of Northeast Shores Development Corporation and Cleveland Housing Network. Caroline is a Certified Public Librarian, and earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree from Meyer’s University and a Master of Library Science from Kent State University. 

Nancy C. Schuster

Vice Chair

Nancy C. Schuster is principal of Schuster & Simmons Co. L.P.A, a “boutique” style law firm located in Ohio City’s “Hinge Town”.  Schuster & Simmons handles transactions of all types in addition to litigation in both federal and state courts.  Nancy graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law of Cleveland State University (night classes) cum laude.  Before becoming a founding partner of Schuster & Simmons she was with the U.S. Department of Justice for eleven years, nine in the Northern District of Ohio where she was Chief of the Criminal Division for four years and two as Senior Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of California at Sacramento. She was the first female in the country to hold the position of Criminal Chief.  She is a Fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation, a Delegate from Cuyahoga County to the Ohio State Bar Association House of Delegates (and a member of the Scanning Committee), former Chairman of the Bar Association Judicial Administration & Legal Reform Committee, twice appointed to the Board of Editors of the Ohio Lawyer Magazine, an appointed member of the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on the Rules of Practice & Procedure in Ohio Courts and Chairman of the Federal Court Committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and was a Court-annexed mediator on the Mediation Panel of the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Nancy was twice elected to the Parma City Board of Education serving for twelve years, four as President. She is  a Board Member of the West Side Multi Service Center (known as the May Dugan Center) and a former Member of the Board and Vice President of the Ohio City Near West Community Development Corporation (now Ohio City Inc.).    

Alfonso Sanchez

University of Illinois graduate (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering 1958), Cleveland State Law School graduate (Juris Doctorate,1968). worked for a Major International Construction Company for 38 years and retired as Executive Vice President. Has worked on major construction projects under numerous contract forms. Currently volunteering with several non-profits on their construction projects.

Akeem Perry

Akeem Perry is an accomplished learning and development leader who brings a unique blend of skills and experience to Geffen Mesher. As our Director of Workforce Learning and development and Performance, Akeem is strategically positioned to design and implement innovative learning opportunities which optimize performance and development across the firm. With over ten years of industry experience, Akeem has strengthened workforces across multiple industries and sectors, driving learning and development strategies for nationally-recognized, non-profit organizations and municipal government entities. Prior to joining Geffen Mesher, Akeem served as Senior Manager of Talent Initiatives for Greater Cleveland Partnership where he led the cultivation of registered apprenticeship programs in non-traditional careers as a means for underserved populations to gain access to meaningful career opportunities while serving as a talent pipeline for regional employers. As Chief Training Officer for the City of Cleveland-Department of Public Utilities, Akeem delivered over 16,000 hours of technical, industry-specific training and professional development offerings for various professional groups. Akeem is a proud graduate of Notre Dame College of Ohio with a graduate degree in Education and an undergraduate focus in Business Administration. In his pastime, Akeem enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities of all kinds, cooking and grilling, playing various sports, and is a self-proclaimed automobile enthusiast.