At its annual meeting held on May 22, the YMCA of Greater Cleveland’s Board of Directors elected two distinguished community and business leaders— Stanley Jackson and Karin Bonev —to serve on its governing board. Their election underscores the Y’s commitment to drawing upon diverse expertise and deep community involvement to advance its mission of strengthening the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
Karin Bonev brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate change management and communications. She currently leads the Change Management Practice at Dix & Eaton where she advises Fortune 500 companies through complex transformations such as leadership transitions, mergers and acquisitions and cultural shifts. A graduate of Wellesley College and a former Fulbright Scholar in Germany, Bonev is actively involved with the Association of Change Management Professionals and Magnificat High School. She specializes in employee engagement, employer branding and strategic communication. In her personal time, she enjoys travel, culinary exploration and cooking.
Stanley Jackson is a managing attorney at the Cochran Firm. He is a Cleveland native with over 15 years of legal experience spanning civil litigation, sports and entertainment law, real estate and civil rights.
He holds degrees from Bowling Green State University and the University of Dayton School of Law. Jackson has represented internationally known athletes, advised major boxing promoters including Don King Productions and Monarch Sports Management, and championed causes addressing systemic injustices in Northeast Ohio.
A respected community advocate, Jackson has served on the boards of the Norman S. Minor Bar Association and Karamu House and is head coach of the Cleveland Express Track Club, which has helped secure over $10 million in college scholarships for student-athletes. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
“We are thrilled to welcome Karin and Stanley to our Board of Directors,” said Timothy Hilk, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland. “Each brings a unique blend of leadership, insight and passion for community service that aligns perfectly with our mission. The leadership and vision of our board are critical to the success of our YMCA, especially as we expand our reach and deepen our service to the community.”