Global Cleveland Turns 10 | Larry Miller

As the First President of Global Cleveland (2011-12) and as a retired, multi-lingual Human Resources Executive, Board Member of the Human Resources Leadership Group of Northern Ohio, and President of the French-American Chamber of Commerce (Ohio), C. Larry Miller shares his fondest moments and memories while launching and building Global Cleveland.

I’m originally from Dallas, Texas. My mom moved here with my brother and me in 1964 to live with my grandparents when I was seven years old. Some of the children made fun of me because of my Texas accent. I learned then that I was going to have to learn to speak other peoples’ languages in life, but I also learned not to forget the “Y’all come” (which means “You are welcome here”) spirit I grew up within Texas! I discovered that language is a way of traveling to other cultures without getting on an airplane.   Later in life, I was fortunate to work in 45 countries around the world and to live overseas for 10 years…but I always come back home to Cleveland! Cleveland is an exceptional place to call “home.”

The founding Board members of Global Cleveland had a BRILLIANT dream to take Cleveland’s long history as a welcoming city for people who are on the move from their homeland and to turn that welcoming quality into a strategic advantage in the modern, talent economy in which Cleveland plays. People like Baiju Shah, Albert Ratner, Dan Walsh, Mayor Jackson, David Fleshler, Judge Dan Polster, and many others were true visionaries! They knew that what makes families, teams, companies, and the Cleveland region strong is when we are intentionally, passionately WELCOMING and INCLUSIVE! As I shared in the official opening of the Global Cleveland office and hub in 2012, “We intend to welcome people from all races, all places, all ages and creeds” here in Cleveland.  

Our mission in the early days focused on four keywords:  Attract, Retain, Connect, and Communicate. Today, I might add Empower and Compassion to that list. I cannot convey how exciting it was to work with people from so many different groups in Cleveland, other cities, and other countries. In this work, I notice two things about every single person: First, they fall in love with Cleveland and its people. They are overwhelmed with the friendliness and good nature of Clevelanders. And, secondly, they are always incredibly grateful for even the smallest bit of help. I recall helping a young man from Syria negotiate the online hiring process at one of our local libraries. Submitting your resumé and applying for a job online in a language you have just learned is very complicated. When we finished, he broke and cried with joy, and then said, “I love America! I love Cleveland.” I worry that we are at risk of losing America’s caring, compassionate spirit – no matter who you are or where you are from – in recent years. That spirit is at the heart of what this is all about. 

The opening of the Global Cleveland office in February 2012 was an incredibly proud and beautiful moment. I remember that day, people from many backgrounds dressed in different attire and speaking with various accents coming together. Even though that office space is not in use anymore, it was very important at that point in our history for the community and business leaders to come together, to say publicly and very visibly that Cleveland is officially in the business of seeking out and formally welcoming people from other parts of the country and world. Fortunately, the diversity and inclusion agenda is getting much-needed attention these days. However, many people who work in that space do it as part of their work for their company or as a part-time interest. For Global Cleveland, seeking out, welcoming, and helping newcomers to be successful is ALL they do. 

During my time at Global Cleveland, we were able to create several initiatives. First, a formal welcoming plan. We were one of the only cities in the country to have such a plan and to update it year after year. Hiring a dedicated staff, we soon realized that we would need more help, so we cultivated volunteer “ambassadors”, evolving into the “Friends of Global Cleveland.” Welcoming requires a lot of personalized effort. We put employers in touch with our staff and qualified immigration attorneys, resulting in many successful internships and hires over the years.

I am convinced that the role of Global Cleveland is as important today as it was 10 years ago, or even 100 years ago, maybe more so. So many groups (Asian-Americans, African-Americans, immigrants, LGBTQ+, etc.) have feelings of not being welcome, safe, or supported in America and many of its cities, so a voice and advocate like Global Cleveland that says, “Our hearts, our doors, and our arms are open to welcome you, listen to you, and support you (and oh, by the way, we believe you have a contribution to make to our community as well!)” is so very important TODAY.  The last ten years have been a significant period of bridge-building and relationship-building, and I am honored and proud to have played a small part.