CLEVELAND.- The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) announced today that Dr. Eugene Sanders, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), has been appointed to a five-year term as a standing member of the Board of Trustees. In addition, Joyce G. Ames and Leon M. Plevin have been named Honorary Trustees.

“Our new trustees will bring an important added level of experience and engagement at a truly remarkable time of transformation for the Cleveland Museum of Art,” said Alfred M. Rankin, Jr., president of the Board of Trustees.

The museum is currently undergoing an historic renovation and expansion of its facilities. The museum and Cleveland community will celebrate the completion of the first phase of the project in June, 2008.

Standing Trustee Dr. Eugene Sanders is CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), Ohio’s largest district. Prior to his appointment July 1, 2006, he served for six years as superintendent of the Toledo Public Schools where he significantly increased graduation rates and test scores. Sanders’ belief that strong community partnerships are crucial to the success of the Cleveland district dovetails with the museum’s long-held commitment to the education of Cleveland urban youth through various collaborations with the CMSD. In a recent and on-going collaboration, CMA became the lead partner in the creation of the School of Architecture and Design at the renovated John Hay High School, which opened in the fall of 2006. Museum educators provide professional development to teachers and assist with all aspects of curriculum development. Students work with the museum’s collection in hands-on learning labs and gain real-world experience through the museum’s construction projects.

Sanders has received a number of prestigious awards such as a state of Ohio recognition for Education Excellence, the Ohio Superintendent of the Year honor by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation (2005), and the national NAACP’s Daisy Bates Award. He has authored a textbook on urban school leadership and written many scholarly articles on achievement and organizational improvement in schools.

A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Sanders holds degrees, including a doctorate in Educational Administration and Supervision, from Bowling Green State University, where he was later recognized with the Accomplished Graduate Award. In addition to CMA, he serves on the boards of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Urban League of Greater Cleveland. He resides in Bratenahl, Ohio.

Honorary Trustees Joyce G. (“Jay”) Ames is an active supporter of organizations associated with cultural and educational initiatives, both in Cleveland, Ohio and Vero Beach, Florida. She majored in art at Illinois Wesleyan University where she has recently established a fund that provides an annual scholarship to 10 talented art students. In addition, she and her husband, B. Charles (“Chuck”) Ames, are the principal benefactors of The Ames Library at the university. An avid art collector, she and her husband divide their time between their homes in Vero Beach, Florida and Hunting Valley, Ohio and have three children and seven grandchildren.

Leon M. Plevin is a partner at Plevin & Gallucci Company, L.P.A. and practices in the area of personal injury law. Prior to 2005, he was at Nurenberg, Plevin, Heller & McCarthy, where he was managing partner for nearly 40 years. He was honored by his peers as one of the top 100 outstanding lawyers in Northeast Ohio 2001-2008. Actively involved in the community and the arts, Plevin has served as trustee and president (1998 – 2003) of the Cleveland Artists Foundation and trustee of the Beck Center for the Performing Arts (1999-2002). Plevin and his wife Gloria, an artist who has won many awards for her work, are ardent supporters of the museum. Collectors of Japanese prints, they have been members of the Painting and Drawing Society, Contemporary Arts Society, and the Print Club. Plevin currently is chair of the Circles Leadership Committee and serves on the Cabinet for the Campaign for the Cleveland Museum of Art. Plevin and his wife live in Cleveland, Ohio and have four children and five grandchildren.

“It gives us great pleasure to welcome this new group of trustees to the museum’s family,” commented Timothy Rub, director of The Cleveland Museum of Art. “They bring a great diversity of experience, an impressive record of leadership in the community, and a strong commitment to the arts. I look forward to working with them during this significant time as we continue to build on the museum’s strong traditions of scholarship, education, and community service.”