MANDEL CENTER FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Lee Lazar

I worked in the for-profit sector for the first 20 years of my working life.  Initially, I was a Labor Lawyer with a law firm and Leaseway Transportation.  I moved into several management positions with Leaseway.  I left Leaseway after eight years and started my own business, Record Masters of Cleveland. 

The business was sold 10 years later and I shifted into the nonprofit sector because of my passion for helping children.  I taught middle school social studies for six years and served as the Interim Head of School at The Agnon School in Beachwood.  From there, I became the Principal of Hope Academy East, an elementary school in the Collinwood section of Cleveland.  I then became the Executive Director of the Rainey Institute on June 1, 2007

Rainey Institute is a community arts center located in the Hough Community, one of Cleveland’s poorest neighborhoods. We are changing lives through the arts every day by providing instruction in music, dance, Capoeira, visual arts, creative writing and drama. Rainey’s students range in age from 4 to 19.  Many come from single-parent households and are living at or below the poverty line.  Most attend schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Rainey has been providing services to this community since 1904.

As Executive Director, my most important responsibility is to ensure that we focus on our mission and vision. I want Rainey to continue to have a life changing impact on Cleveland children.  I want to expand our programs to serve more children.  I need to expand our fund raising efforts to pay for the expanded and new programs.

The Mandel Center has been extremely helpful.  It provides valuable resources and networking that will help me to increase the way in which Rainey helps Cleveland children.  I speak with my professors about Rainey and they provide outstanding suggestions.  Mandel Center students have helped provide needed research concerning local foundations.  Rainey has applied to participate in the Mandel Center Strategic Planning Program. 

During my time at the Mandel Center I discovered two unexpected things:  the Center is an extremely important resource for nonprofit organizations in northeast Ohio, and that it’s okay to become a student again in your 50’s.