Sara Elaqad, J.D., Chair

Appointed to the Board April 2019; reappointed October 2019; reappointed July 2023, appointed Board Chair July 2023; current term expires June 30, 2027

Sara Elaqad serves as Executive Director for Minds Matter Cleveland – the local chapter of the national nonprofit organization aimed at connecting motivated, high school students from low-income households with the resources, tools, and people to succeed in college. The organization provides mentoring services, writing classes, test preparation, application assistance, financial aid advisement, and summer immersion programs, and boasts a 100% college acceptance rate. She also served three years as Chair for the organization’s National Chapter Leadership Council. Prior to her role at Minds Matter, she served as Academy Manager of Curriculum and Outcomes for Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeast Ohio, and has also been a mentor in Global Cleveland’s Global Rising Program and served on the board of Cleveland Orchestra’s Circle. Elaqad’s work earned her the YWCA Greater Cleveland Distinguished Young Woman Award in 2019. She was also recognized in Crain’s 2019 40 Under 40 class, Crain’s 2020 Notable Immigrant Leaders, and Crain’s 2023 Notables in Education Leadership.

Elaqad is a Cleveland resident and currently lives in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. She holds two Bachelors of Arts degrees from The Ohio State University – one in French and another in International Relations and Diplomacy – and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law.

Jerry Billups

Appointed to the Board December 4, 2024; current term expires June 30, 2027

Mr. Billups works as juvenile detention alternative initiative coordinator for Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. He is the parent of four children, one of whom is a CMSD graduate and three of whom are current CMSD students. From teaching neighborhood kids about gardening and growing produce to serving as a wrestling coach and volunteering at football games, Mr. Billups is deeply engaged with grassroots community service. He is also an active member of the Ward 16 Club. Mr. Billups is a graduate of John Marshal High School, and earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Toledo. He is a life-long Clevelander and lives in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland.

Robert Briggs, Esq.

Appointed to the Board July 2023; current term expires June 30, 2027

Mr. Briggs, a lawyer, currently serves as a Partner and Chairman Emeritus at Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. Formerly CEO of Buckingham Law, Mr. Briggs has been significantly involved with various non-profits, foundations, civic institutions and educational organizations. He co-founded the Fund for Our Economic Future in 2004, chaired the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation from 2010 to 2014, and served as Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education from 2014 to 2016, among other notable civic engagements. He holds a bachelor of arts from Duke University and a juris doctor from the Ohio State University. Mr. Briggs formerly served in the United States Air Force as a staff judge advocate and currently resides in Bratenahl.

Charlene Jones

Appointed to the Board April 9, 2024; current term expires June 30, 2025

Ms. Jones is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Conversations For College Success Podcast.  She has over 20 years of experience in financial services, non-profit leadership, fund-raising, diversity, equity and inclusion, consulting, and training and development. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education and workforce development.  She is a past President of the Cleveland Public Library board and The Junior League of Cleveland and has served on many other boards. Ms. Jones is a graduate of Collinwood High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University.  She also completed executive programs with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Leadership America, and the Center for Creative Leadership.  She is retired and lives in Bratenahl.

Ivory Jones III

Appointed to the Board December 9, 2024; current term expires June 30, 2027

Ivory Jones III serves as Pastor of Grace Missionary Baptist Church. He is an executive board member and state officer for the National Baptist Convention, and is active in various clergy organizations, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the NAACP. He is the parent of three adult children who attended the CMSD schools. Rev. Jones attended both the Cleveland and East Cleveland public schools and is a graduate of East Cleveland’s Shaw High School, and went on to study commercial arts and graphic design at Cuyahoga Community College and the Cleveland Institute of Art. He lives in the Union-Miles neighborhood of Cleveland.

Midori Lebrón

Appointed to the Board November 29, 2023; current term expires June 30, 2025

Midori Lebrón is the Associate Director of Strategic Recruitment at Kent State University. She previously spent 12 years in Academic Advising at Cleveland State University, where she served as the Director of First Year and Exploratory Advising. Midori holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Baldwin Wallace University, a Master’s in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a Master’s in Sociology from Cleveland State University. She is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Interprofessional Leadership with a specialization in Leadership in Education at Kent State University. Midori is also an active board member for the Beck Center for the Arts and was named to the “Top 100 Latinos Cleveland Must Know” list for 2023. She lives in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland with her husband and family.

Caroline J. Peak

Appointed to the Board December 4, 2024; current term expires June 30, 2025

Ms. Peak recently retired after 21 years as public service manager of the Collinwood Branch of the Cleveland Public Library. She previously worked as program coordinator for the Cleveland Summit on Education. Ms. Peak is a longtime School District volunteer serving on a number of committees including the Community Oversight Committee, the Bond Accountability Commission, the Superintendent’s Advisory Board and several PTAs and School Community Councils. She is the parent of three adult children who attended the CMSD schools. Ms. Peak holds an Associate Degree from Cuyahoga Community College, a Bachelor of Arts from Myers University and a Master of Library Science from Kent State University. She lives in the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland.

Nigamanth Sridhar, Ph.D.

Appointed to the Board July 2021; current term expires on June 30, 2025

Dr. Nigamanth Sridhar serves as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Cleveland State University. In this role, he oversees all academic operations for the university. Dr. Sridhar also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Computer Science in the Washkewicz College of Engineering at Cleveland State University. He has taught courses and conducted research in a variety of areas computer science, software engineering and computer science education. From 2017 to 2020, he served as the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies at CSU. He grew up in India and earned a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from BITS Pilani in India. He moved to the United States in 1999 to attend graduate school at Ohio State University, where he earned a master of science degree and Ph.D. in Computer Science. He lives in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood with his wife and daughter, who is a CMSD student.

Diana Welch Howell

Appointed to the Board July 2023; current term expires June 30, 2027

Diana Welch Howell currently serves as Head of Hospitals Expansion for KeyBank’s Laurel Road Brand. She has over a decade of corporate banking experience, with a focus on business management, corporate strategy and development, and financial analysis. Before joining KeyBank she worked for Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati and JPMorgan Chase Bank in Chicago. She holds a bachelor of business administration in finance from the University of Cincinnati. She is a downtown Cleveland resident, has served as a mentor for College Now, Girl Scouts of the USA, and has volunteered on the Young Professionals Board for United Way of Metro Chicago.