On September 24th we hosted EA Connects, a gathering of all the New to Cleveland/Akron women we helped on-board to our region. Whether they moved for their own career opportunity, or their significant other’s, they all arrived within the last few months.
After months of lockdown during COVID, followed by a year of working from home, followed by a relocation to a new city where they have very few social connections, we knew they were starved for human interaction. And since a global pandemic has a a way of eradicating all of the natural and organic ways of meeting your neighbors, EA wanted to make sure that their social circles received a jumpstart as they are all busy executives with very little free time!
Newcomers for senior positions at University Hospitals, Sherwin Williams and TravelCenters of America share their relocation stories.
While the group was intentionally small, in case we had to move it indoors from the backyard patio if it rained (it did and we came inside!), it was a diverse group with some single and some married, some with little kids and some empty nesters, some who had come from the coasts and some who relocated from the Midwest, even some who had been born abroad and spoke several languages. They relocated from:
- Seattle, WA
- Kansas City, KS
- Windemere, FL
- Hershey, PA
- Boston, MA
- Joplin, MO
- Atlanta, GA
- Detroit, MI
A mix of renters and home buyers, these women chose neighborhoods all over the region to settle down including:
- Pepper Pike
- Downtown Cleveland
- Beachwood
- Rocky River
- Avon Lake
- Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood
We watched in amazement as even those who had only been in Cleveland a few months offered to help others. They traded ideas on childcare, pre-school options, the best hair and nail salons, running and biking trails, entertainment options, ethnic markets, breweries and wine shops. A few even offered to eyeball the resume of one woman who had unselfishly given up her own job to allow her husband to follow his dream.
EA’s own Caroline Weingart brought take-home treats for all to enjoy on their rides back home to showcase her recent entrepreneurial venture, Lizzie’s Bakery, Shaker Heights’ first peanut and tree nut-free bakery.
It was a feel good night of watching friendships begin and we are grateful for clients who retained Executive Arrangements to help woo and/or on-board these wonderfully talented women to Greater Cleveland including:
- GrafTech, Inc.
- Moen
- Sherwin-Williams Company
- TravelCenters of America
- Westfield Group
- University Hospitals Health System
If you would like to know more about how Executive Arrangements can become a formal part of your organization’s recruitment and on-boarding strategy so that you can attract and retain the best possible talent to Cleveland/Akron, call us at 216.231.9311