The Board of Education
Norman A. Bliss is Senior Vice President and Manager for First Merit Bank. He is a graduate of Shaker Heights High School and of Howard University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He has 15 years of corporate banking experience and has been involved in the PTO and the City’s Neighborhood Revitalization Committee. He is the father of two Shaker students. He is serving his second term on the Board. Mr. Bliss served as the Board's Vice President in 2008 and 2009 and as Board President in 2010 and 2011. Term ends 12/31/13. E-mail

William L. Clawson is a Business Leader for Progressive Insurance. He earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He has over 20 years of professional experience in sourcing management, strategy consulting, and building effective customer experiences. He has served as  Treasurer and VP of Financial Management for the Shaker Heights PTO. Mr. Clawson is a trustee and former President of the Harvard Business School Club of Northeastern Ohio and is the father of two Shaker students. Term ends 12/31/15. E-mail

Reuben Harris, Jr., heads a State Farm Insurance agency. He has been involved in the Shaker schools since the 1990s, with particular interest in educational equity. A co-founder of the advocacy group Caring Communities Organized For Education, he served on Project Achieve committees, helped establish a summer enrichment program, and volunteered for a number of student support programs. He also served as the High School PTO Vice President and President. Harris holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Cleveland State University, majoring in Accounting. He is the father of a Shaker graduate.Term ends 12/31/15. E-mail

Jennifer P. Mearns leads her own consulting practice in executive recruiting. She spent 15 years in the sports marketing/promotion business, negotiating corporate sponsorships and managing global promotional programs. Mearns holds a B.S. from Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, where she served for nine years on the Board of Trustees, including three years as Vice Chair. She has four children in the Shaker schools and one graduate, and is Vice Chair of The Fund for the Future of Shaker Heights, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to maintaining community diversity through pro-integrative loans and grants. Term ends 12/31/13. E-mail
Annette Tucker Sutherland, a 1977 graduate of Shaker Heights High School, is an attorney and former journalist. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University and B.A. from Duke University, and has taught at Case Western Reserve Law School and Notre Dame College. As an observer of the Board of Education for the Shaker Heights League of Women Voters, she twice led League study committees on school finance. She is the mother of a Shaker graduate and two current students. Ms. Sutherland was elected to her second term on the Board in 2009, served as Board Vice President in 2010 and 2011, and was elected President in 2012. Term ends 12/31/13. E-mail
About the Board

The Board of Education is composed of five residents of the School District who are elected to four-year terms. The Board elects its President and Vice President in an annual organizational meeting. Board members bring to their work a variety of perspectives and strengths gained through their personal experiences, their education and careers, and their volunteer service in the community.

Board members do not have the authority to act individually in the name of the Board. The Board may take action only at duly convened regular, special or emergency meetings.
Download Application for Board Vacancy
The Board is accepting applications and nominations to fill a vacancy due to the resignation of Board member Jennifer Proud Mearns, who is moving out of state. An appointment will be made to serve her unexpired term through December 31, 2013. If you are interested in being considered for service on the Board, please complete and return this application as soon as possible. The Board will meet in June to review candidates and make its selection.
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Shaker Heights Schools
15600 Parkland Drive
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120
Phone: 216-295-1400 Fax: 216-295-4340
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