About Nelson Beckford

Nelson is the Program Director for Neighborhood Revitalization & Engagement. He re-joins the foundation after spending the last four years at Saint Luke’s Foundation, where he served as Senior Program Officer for a Strong Neighborhood. In that role, Nelson oversaw their Strong Neighborhood program, with the goal of making enhancements to the built environment and improving social conditions in the Buckeye-Shaker, Mt Pleasant and Woodland Hills neighborhoods. Before that, Nelson served as Program Officer for the Cleveland Foundation’s Responsive Grantmaking, focusing on community development, environmental sustainability and program management of the Summer Internship program.

Nelson has also worked for the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, University Hospitals Health System, Cole Managed Vision, and the American Red Cross. Nelson also served with the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Psychology from Cleveland State University. Nelson and his wife are empty nesters and live in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland.

About Curt Williams

Curt Williams is the Digital Innovation Fellow at the Cleveland Foundation and is responsible for the implementation of the Digital Excellence Initiative, as well as supporting the Chief of Digital Innovation & Chief Information Officer in strategizing future grantmaking. The Digital Excellence Strategy is multi-pronged – encompassing digital equity, civic technology, government innovation, and more – and geared toward building a stronger, more equitable digital community.

Prior to joining the Foundation as the Digital Innovation Fellow in July 2019, Curt participated in the Cleveland Foundation’s 2018-2019 Public Service Fellowship with Cuyahoga County Council. In this role, he aided County Councilmembers in all necessary capacities. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Statistics from Kenyon College. Curt is originally from the Northeast Ohio exurbs but is proud to now call Cleveland his home city.

About McKenzie Merriman

McKenzie Merriman was born and raised on the near west side of Cleveland and holds degrees in English and Journalism from The Ohio State University. Since graduating in 2015, McKenzie has worked as a grant writer, gallerist, residency coordinator, program manager, events coordinator and artist advocate for numerous Cleveland arts organizations, as well as aided in the development of the Cleveland Artist Registry. Serving as the communications consultant for The Cleveland Foundation’s 2020 Census efforts, McKenzie led the work of CompleteCountCLE.org, a ‘virtual bulletin board’ of shared resources and content for groups promoting the census during an unprecedented time. Focused on projects that enhance community, pay artists and celebrate our region, McKenzie is currently working with Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center coordinating artist programs such as Unidos por el Arte.

About David Jurca

David Jurca is Principal at Seventh Hill, a design consultancy focused on improving user experiences in the public realm through appropriate technology and insightful research. David is an urban designer with over 14 years of professional experience guiding real-world projects and academic research. Seventh Hill manages client projects at a range of scales from city-wide redevelopment plans to public art installations. David specializes in innovative community engagement strategies, temporary urbanism, winter city design, and mixed reality experiences. His work has been recognized with awards from the American Planning Association, American Institute of Architects, and Environmental Design Research Association. David’s design projects were exhibited internationally through Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council, Van Alen Institute, Havana’s Fabrica de Arte Cubano, and the Venice Biennale of Architecture.

David is Chair of the City of Cleveland’s Near West Design Review Committee, serves as Vice-Chair on the Board of Canalway Partners, and recently joined the Board of CLEVR Community as Director of Urban Experiences & Transformation. David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from The Ohio State University and received his Master of Architecture from Kent State University.

About David Holmes (he/him)

Dave Holmes is an Educational Programming Manager at Candid, coordinating national trainings and the training and educational programming for the Midwest region. He returned to the Foundation Center (now Candid) in 2015 from a position as Senior Consultant at Grants Plus, writing grants and doing research for a variety of large and small nonprofit clients. In his initial nine-year tenure with Foundation Center, Dave served in various roles including Regional Training Specialist, Interim Director of Foundation Center – Cleveland, and Director of Capacity and Leadership Development.

Earlier in his career, Dave served as a Program Officer for the Stocker Foundation in Lorain, Ohio, and as the Director of Grants and Prospect Research at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. He is a current board member of Upcycle Parts Shop and a former board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Cleveland Chapter and of Joel's Place for Children. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA from Villanova University, and an MLIS from Kent State University.