Media contact:
Nicole Dailey Jones: (216) 263-4602, (216)338-0863 or ndjones@cuyahogacounty.us
John Kohlstrand: (216) 698-2099 or jkohlstrand@cuyahogacounty.us

CLEVELAND - In an effort to ensure the best possible outcome for the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center project, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald today announced a group of medical industry and business leaders to formally support the goals of the project to create the world's first medical-themed merchandise mart and convention center.

The panel includes:

• C. Ellen Connally, president, Cuyahoga County Council

• Dr. Toby Cosgrove, CEO, Cleveland Clinic Foundation

• Ed FitzGerald, Cuyahoga County executive

• David Gilbert, president, Positively Cleveland

• Mayor Frank Jackson, City of Cleveland

• Sr. Judith Ann Karam, CSA, president and CEO, Sisters of Charity Health System

• Mark Moran, CEO, MetroHealth Medical Center

• Baiju Shah, CEO, BioEnterprise, Inc.

• Tom Zenty, CEO, University Hospitals

• Joseph Roman, CEO, Greater Cleveland Partnership

 “This panel has been formed to support MMPI in accessing the wide variety of resources in Cuyahoga County which can augment their effort to bring in medical industry tenants and both medical and non-medical trade shows and convention events. Considering the prominence of our medical community and the reach of our corporate community, we should be able to assist in the recruitment of any potential MedicalMart client in the U.S. or the world,” he said.

“MMPI has a well-developed recruitment plan that this group has the ability to make better, and we will not hesitate to do that,” FitzGerald said.

The panel will be part of regular communication with MMPI to assess progress and  determine areas where our local community can assist. As part of ongoing public  presentations on the Medical Mart project to Cuyahoga County Council, MMPI officials will be presenting their formal business plan to the Council in November.

"It's important that the entire community understands how this project is progressing, and our Council looks forward to hearing MMPI's business plan presentation in November,” said Cuyahoga County Council President C. Ellen Connally. 

Mark Falanga, CEO of MMPI, said that “MMPI is looking forward to working with the panel and others to ensure that the integrated facility reaches its full vision as a destination for the medical industry, conventions and trade show customers.”