The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees Elects Scott C. Mueller as New Chairman and Ten New Trustees

CLEVELAND (December 2, 2019) — The Cleveland Museum of Art’s (CMA) board of trustees has elected Scott C. Mueller as its new chairman at its September meeting. Additionally, the board has elected ten new trustees since June 2018: Stephen W. Bailey, Charlotte Fowler, Christopher M. Gorman, Edward P. Hemmelgarn, Douglas Kern, William Litzler, Jon H. Outcalt, Kashim Skeete, Felton Thomas, and John Walton as well as two honorary trustees, Robert P. Madison and Tamar Maltz. 

“Scott Mueller’s historic commitment to the museum exemplifies the principles of philanthropy and civic commitment, and we’re excited to have him as our new board chair,” said William Griswold, director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. “I’m also delighted to welcome our new trustees to the board. Their experiences and perspectives will move the museum toward the goals outlined in our strategic plan, while creating a more innovative and inclusive institution for the benefit of all the people.”

Mueller joined the CMA board of trustees in 2008 and has served on the executive, collections, development, finance and nominating and governance committees. He also chaired the Strategic Planning Committee that shaped the museum’s strategic plan, Making Art Matter: A Strategic Framework for Our Second Century, which has positioned the museum for a second century of global leadership and service to the community. Mueller is CEO of Dealer Tire LLC, which he founded with his brother, Dean, in 1999 after working for the family-run Mueller Tire since 1987. He received the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Northeast Ohio region. Mueller received a bachelor’s degree in business administration, summa cum laude, from the University of Miami and a master of business administration from the University of Chicago.

As chairman, Mueller succeeds Peter Raskind, whose 3-year tenure saw the successful completion of Making Art Matter, and For the Benefit of All: The CMA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan. 

“Peter Raskind led the museum through an exciting and transformative period, and it has been an honor to work with him,” said Scott Mueller. “We’re extremely grateful for his service and look forward to his continued involvement with the institution.” 

The CMA’s board is composed of 38 local and national arts leaders who help guide and support the CMA in its mission, vision and promise. As the museum pursues the ongoing input and implementation of its strategic plan, the election of new trustees is integral to its success. 

About the New Trustees

Stephen W. Bailey is a former chair of the Tennessee Arts Commission. He is also president of the board of the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville and an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Knoxville. He is a former chair and current trustee of the Knoxville Museum of Art and a current chair of the KMA Foundation. 

Since moving to the Cleveland area in 1988, Charlotte Fowler has been involved in several local organizations aimed at advancing the region’s arts and culture environment, including the Music School Settlement, Friends of the Cleveland School of the Arts, Ideastream and moCa Cleveland, where she formerly served as vice president of the board. Charlotte and her husband also founded the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, which primarily funds education, arts and human services causes. They were also instrumental in founding the Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute at University Hospitals (UH) Rainbow Babies and Children’s. Charlotte also serves on the boards of Teen Cancer America and Rainbow Foundation.

Christopher M. Gorman is president, COO and a director of KeyCorp. He is also a member of Key’s Executive Leadership Team and chairman of Key’s Corporate Responsibility Council. During his time at Key, Chris has served as vice chairman and president of banking, led the company’s integration with First Niagara Financial Group and served as president of Key Corporate Bank. In addition to his role on the board of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Chris serves as a trustee of University Hospitals Health System and the Catholic Community Foundation of Cleveland. He previously served as a board member of Sisters of Charity Health Systems, Cleveland Institute of Music and the Zoological Society of Cleveland.

Edward P. Hemmelgarn founded Shaker Investments LLC in 1991 and currently serves as the company’s president and chief investment officer. He has prior professional experience in merger and acquisition business deals, accounting, commercial banking and biochemical research. Edward is currently on the Visiting Committee for Case Western Reserve University’s College of Arts and Sciences and previously sat on the board of Shaker Historical Society. 

Douglas Kern is the president and CEO of the food service company Northern Haserot and co-CEO of Northern Haserot’s parent company, the family-owned C.A. Curtze Company. He also serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland (chairman in 2017), Cuyahoga Community College and the Musical Arts Association (executive committee member). 

William Litzler is the retired chairman of C.A. Litzler Company Inc., which designs and builds industrial dryers and ovens. Bill is a past chairman of the St. Ignatius board of regents and a former trustee of the Great Lakes Science Center. He and his family are active supporters of a large number of arts and charitable organizations in the Cleveland area.

Jon H. Outcalt is founder and chairman of Federal Process Corporation, a privately owned manufacturer of industrial products and specialty chemicals. Previously, he was founder and chairman of NCS Healthcare Inc., a publicly owned distributor of pharmaceuticals, and senior vice president of Alliance Capital Management LP, a global investment management company. 

Actively involved with local nonprofit organizations, Outcalt is currently a trustee of ideastream, the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Playhouse Square Foundation and University School. He and his wife, Jane, are dedicated community volunteers and supporters. In 2014 they received the Philanthropist Leadership Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Kashim Skeete is Bank of America Private Bank’s market executive in Ohio, where he leads a multifaceted wealth management group and oversees key strategic enterprise priorities statewide. Skeete has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services and banking industry and has held numerous senior leadership roles within the bank. He is equally passionate about community volunteerism and nonprofit board participation, and enjoys fostering a culture of transparency and diversity. Kashim believes in the power of creativity and innovation as expressed through art and culture. He and his family reside in Beachwood, Ohio. 

Felton Thomas is a leader of the Cleveland cultural sector, serving as director of the Cleveland Public Library (CPL) since 2009. Nationally, Felton is past president of the board of directors of the Public Library Association (PLA) and a member of the Aspen Institute Task Force on Learning and the Internet. In 2016, he was celebrated at the White House as one of 10 Champions of Change. 

John Walton is a retired partner at Appaloosa Management, a hedge fund specializing in distressed debt that he cofounded in 1993. Prior to founding Appaloosa, he was a senior portfolio manager at Goldman Sachs. Walton and his family have been heavily involved in the support of the CMA. He is the son of Elaine G. Walton, a member of the President’s Circle and Womens Council, and nephew of the late Dr. Norman Zaworski, a CMA life trustee. Other philanthropy and community organizations he has served include Fordham University, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Saint Ignatius High School. 

In addition to the CMA’s new trustees, the institution is proud to recognize Robert Madison and Tamar Maltz as its newest honorary trustees. 

Born in Cleveland, Madison was the first African American to earn an architectural degree in the state of Ohio and the first African American to graduate from the Western Reserve School of Architecture in 1948. His firm, Robert P. Madison International Inc., opened in 1954 and was the first African American–owned architecture firm in the state of Ohio and only the 10th in the United States. Madison and his family have been avid supporters of youth education and advocates for diverse representation in Cleveland’s arts and culture scene. 

Maltz graduated from Roosevelt University in Chicago with a degree in education and later attended Siegal College of Judaic Studies in Cleveland. She was a major stockholder of Malrite Communications and is a director of the Malrite Company. A lover of classical music, Maltz was involved in the renovation of Cleveland’s Severance Hall. Maltz has been married to standing trustee Milton Maltz since 1950.