Multicultural Business Center names Ken Wiley as its new director

June, 2008: The Board of Trustees for the Multicultural Business Center located at the St. Joseph Community Center in Lorain, Ohio, has announced that Kenneth F. Wiley as its new Executive Director.  He is a Senior Vice President of IGM Consulting, Inc., and brings extensive experience in planning, program design, and management.

Wiley’s previous experience includes: Director of Student Development at Case Western Reserve University, Director of the University’s Alumni Outreach Program for a major capital campaign, Executive Director of the Hispanic Community Forum in Cleveland, and Program Officer for the Lorain County Community Foundation. 

Mr. Wiley has worked with the Council on Human Relations, Cuyahoga Community College, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland School Budget Coalition, Karamu House, and the Urban League of Charlotte (NC).

He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Case Western Reserve and has received the Bonacker Award for Leadership and the Elizabeth Magee Fellowship in history from the University.  He is a 1996 graduate of the Leadership Lorain Program. 

According to Richard Romero, one of the Center’s trustees, “Ken was recognized for his many contributions to the communities of Northeast Ohio and received the Nuestra Familia Award from the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs for his work on behalf of the Hispanic community in Cleveland. He and his wife Lorraine have three children and live in Westlake, Ohio.”

The Center was named a finalist in the Team NEO Economic Development Impact Awards category for minority job creation.  The Center was nominated for its work in 2007, when the Center worked with six new businesses through its incubation services.  These six small businesses generated over 17 new jobs, with more that half of those jobs going to minority employees.