Campaign Co-Chairs Michele Connell, Paul Dolan, Neal Restivo and Vanessa Whiting will help lead a community-wide effort to support the hardworking families Greater Cleveland businesses count on every day
United Way invites the community to join the official launch of its annual campaign at Breakfast on the Plaza on Tuesday, August 11
CLEVELAND, Ohio (June 25, 2026) – United Way of Greater Cleveland today announced four Greater Cleveland leaders, Michele Connell, Paul Dolan, Neal Restivo and Vanessa Whiting, will serve as its 2026-2027 Campaign Co-Chairs, helping lead a region-wide effort focused on the hardworking Greater Cleveland families businesses count on every day—families who are employed but still can’t afford the basics.
The four highly respected leaders bring deep experience from some of the region’s most respected organizations. Connell serves as Global Managing Partner, US LLP at Squire Patton Boggs; Dolan is Chairman and CEO of the Cleveland Guardians; Restivo is Chief Executive Officer of Oatey Co.; and Whiting is President and CEO of A.E.S. Management Corporation.
Their leadership comes at an important moment for Greater Cleveland. United Way’s recently-released ALICE Report found that 41% of Cuyahoga County households, or 227,000 local families, still struggle to afford basic necessities, even as poverty has declined and employment has increased. The report highlights a growing gap between wages and the cost of living, leaving many working families struggling to afford basic necessities.
“The latest ALICE data tells us something important: more people are working, but too many working families are still falling behind despite doing the right things. Today, 41% of households in Cuyahoga County cannot consistently afford the essentials, even when someone in the household is working,” said Sharon Sobol Jordan, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Cleveland. “That’s why this campaign matters. It’s about making sure our United Way is here for the hardworking families businesses count on every day—the people who keep our economy running but still cannot consistently afford the essentials.”
As Campaign Co-Chairs, Connell, Dolan, Restivo and Whiting will help engage businesses, employees, donors, volunteers and community leaders in support of United Way’s annual campaign. Through the campaign, United Way connects residents to immediate support through United Way 211 while investing in practical solutions that help keep working people working, strengthen housing stability and childcare access, advance workforce opportunities, and create pathways to financial security and upward mobility. These efforts help people stay housed, remain employed, build financial stability, and pursue greater opportunity.
“We’re proud to serve as Campaign Co-Chairs because we believe strong employees build strong companies, and strong companies build a strong region,” Connell, Dolan, Restivo and Whiting said in a joint statement. “Every day, thousands of hardworking people in Greater Cleveland are working, contributing, and raising families, yet still struggling to afford the basics. This campaign is about making sure our United Way is here for those families through 211, workplace supports, and advocacy that helps eliminate benefits cliffs and advance policies that expand opportunity and upward mobility.”
The community is invited to join United Way and its Campaign Co-Chairs for the official launch of the annual campaign at Breakfast on the Plaza on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Playhouse Square Plaza, located at the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 14th Street. Registered attendees will enjoy breakfast, music, mascots, local celebrities, and other family-friendly entertainment. Guests are also encouraged to bring school supplies and other essentials to support and restock local Blessing Boxes located at Cleveland Public Library branches. The Blessing Boxes were created by community members for community members during this year’s United Way 211 Day of Action.
Together, United Way and its Campaign Co-Chairs will celebrate Greater Cleveland’s generosity while inviting the community to invest in the supports and solutions that help hardworking families stay employed, stay housed, and move forward.
Registration information for Breakfast on the Plaza is available at: http://www.unitedwaycleveland.org/event/breakfast-on-the-plaza/.
About United Way of Greater Cleveland
United Way of Greater Cleveland serves as the bridge from crisis to stability to possibility for individuals and families across our community. Through United Way 211, Greater Cleveland’s front door to support and opportunity, we connect people to the right help at the right time and use what we learn to advance solutions that help people stay housed, remain employed, build financial security, and pursue greater opportunity.
As the business community’s partner in economic mobility, we work alongside employers, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and community leaders to strengthen workforce supports, expand opportunity, and create pathways to financial stability and upward mobility. For more than 100 years, United Way of Greater Cleveland has helped people navigate life’s challenges while building stronger families, a stronger workforce, and a stronger future for our region.
Media contact:
Katie Connell, United Way of Greater Cleveland: 404.895.5513 and kconnell@unitedwaycleveland.org
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