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Professional attributes
-Senior Leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, city &
state government
-Government & Intergovernmental Relations
-Public Policy & Public Affairs
-Senior Nonprofit Leadership & Administration
-Coalition Builder & Networker on the local, state, federal
& international levels
-Advocacy, Issue Marketing & Branding
-Interpersonal Relations, Persuasive Writing & Social
Media
-Business Owner of 3 businesses [consulting, healthcare,
antique]
Professional overview
Mr. Ravetto is a respected thought leader, developing &
implementing an impressive portfolio of systemic strategies that
have effectively addressed many social, economic & health care
issues locally, statewide, regionally & nationally. He has held
appointed senior posts in city & state government, served as
executive trustee of a large private philanthropy & a corporate
foundation, CEO of several nonprofits, president of the Ravton
Healthcare Group operating cost-reimbursed community mental health
centers & rural health clinics and executive principal of the
Ravetto Group, an initiative/project development & management
firm serving the eastern half of the U.S. Gary is known for
offering fresh perspectives balanced with realistic, yet savvy
approaches to obtaining effective lasting outcomes. He is an
inspiring community leader who is a highly prolific issue marketer,
coalition-builder, change-agent & networker. While an idealist,
his approach is rooted in realistic strategies that respects all
perspectives & encourages all voices be heard. However, he has
garnered a reputation as a shrewd advocate & consensus-builder
who has far more successes than not. His natural creative ability
shines through in his writing & visual concepts, taking the
most complex matters & rearticulating them in clever &
memorable ways. Garys calculated use of social media has earned him
a reputation as a provocative thought-stirrer that results in
robust examinations of policy issues & unsubstantiated
assumptions. He can pen a phrase or paint a simple visual image
that can turn an election, change public opinion or heighten an
organizations profile.
GARY M. RAVETTO
Contact information
pepper pike, ohio 44124
[email protected]
www.ravettogroup.com
h 216 245- 6392
c 334 303 4804
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PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
PRESIDENT | EXECUTIVE PARTNER 2003--present
Ravetto Group, LLC, Cleveland, OH | Montgomery, AL
Strategic Positioning & Branding; Strategic Planning &
Growth Strategies; Systemic Change Strategies
& Marketing; Public Relations & Advocacy; Project
Development & Management; Management
Services
Selected examples:
Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission
Developed comprehensive rebranding and marketing strategies for
Commonwealth historic sites resulting in 200% increase in revenue,
increased site(s) attendance by 35,000 visitors.
Achieved 75% increase in positive local and regional media
coverage, rebuilt vital external relationships with respective
economic development, tourism and revitalization organizations, PA
General Assembly, county governments while increasing community
support and stabilizing government funding streams.
Office of the Governor | United Ways of Alabama | Bush Clinton
Katrina Fund
Secured funds, developed and implemented comprehensive
$170million Hurricane Katrina recovery effort in the eleven
federally declared disaster counties, resettling 140,000 new
residents who fled Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.
Successfully processed and settled 1,200+ claims filed by
Alabamians, built or repaired 2,400+ homes.
Reinterpreted policies to better match federal requirements and
citizen needs specific to residential building standards and raw
waste requirements in the impoverished Alabama Black Belt.
Advocated FEMA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
U.S. Department of Labor, and HUD to reinterpret policies that
impeded recovery efforts, as well as, Alabama state-level
advocacy.
Supported Alabama to achieve mandated federal goals; on time and
within budget.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Alabama Faith in Action
Network
Saved the state Medicaid system roughly $120 million by
rebuilding network of community-based healthcare and elder care
providers, faith-based organizations, academic health science
centers and local governments to more effectively coordinate
efforts to better serve the needs of 522,000+ elderly, allowing 30%
more seniors to remain in their homes.
Successfully advocated for continued $680,000 in state funding
of community-based programs for at-risk elderly in the heavily
impoverished eight-county region known as the Alabama Black
Belt.
United States Department of Health & Human Services
Awarded over $32 million dollars to nine states, used to address
the shortage of primary care physicians in rural and inner-city
communities and over $12 million to five states to fund medical
services for roughly 30,000 migrant farm workers and their
families.
Office of Rural Health, College of Medicine, University of South
Alabama
Restructured $1 million federally funded community-based
initiative resulting in 100+ medical students committing to primary
care and 50 pharmacy students committing to practice in underserved
areas.
Successfully advocated for U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services not to stop funding and maintain same level of financial
support.
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VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS 2012- October 2014
Koinonia Homes, Inc., Cleveland, OH Head division charged with
external positioning of the parent nonprofit of a group of
organizations that provides community-based programs & services
for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The
largest agency of its kind in northern Ohio, Koinonia has over 100
community living sites, three job training & life skills
facilities, two organic farms, a full-time professional development
program. Oversee an active advocacy & public policy effort,
fundraising & grant writing, community & media relations,
social media and brand management.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR 2009-2011
The Nonprofit Partnership | Erie Community Foundation, Erie, PA
Developed and guided the creation of the Erie Downtown Arts and
Culture Coalition, bringing together the seven major
arts and cultural institutions, establishing the Creative Counts
annual combined fund drive, raising $200,000 in its first year.
Conceived and created the only infrastructure consisting of
every top elected official in state and local government, all key
area community leaders and 400 nonprofit and philanthropic leaders
used for issue advocacy.
Successfully advocated the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on
behalf of regions social and human services sector to continue
base-line funding during the 101 Day State Budget Impasse of FY
2009-2010.
Stabilized funding for historic sites, human and social services
and the arts through strong advocacy.
SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR 2000-2003
Governor of Alabama Worked on a variety of economic development
issues, successfully helping to attract foreign automakers &
other
companies to locate in the state.
Established the Department of Childrens Affairs, a cabinet level
agency charged with early learning and child development.
Recovered over $50 million in unpaid child support through an
aggressive multi-tiered media effort.
Improved conditions for over 6,000 children living in foster
care through improved public policies.
Decreased the number of children abused annually by 15% through
improved public policies and legislation.
Revised state policy to more effectively meet the goals of the
Federal Welfare to Work Program, positively affecting the lives of
80,000 single parent households.
Stabilized state funding for the arts and historic
landmarks.
Point-person, acting on behalf of the Governor, with over 30
special interest groups, advocacy organizations and trade
associations.
Supervised largest state agency (Department of Human Resources)
with an annual budget at the time averaging $125 M.
Trouble-shooter, acting on behalf of the Governor, with various
cabinet members, state contractors, elected officials and Office of
the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human
Services.
Advocated the Alabama General Assembly on an arms length of
issues that centered on human and social services, child
development and early learning, education and rural
development.
TRUSTEE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 1997-2000
Day Foundation, Memphis, TN Served as the first full time chief
executive of this forty-year-old private grant making
foundation.
Created a $1 million multi-faceted innercity neighborhood
revitalization effort lowering crime and violence by 30%, raised
school test scores 18%, refurbished the community park and ball
field, created a neighbor watch and opened a community meeting
center offering education and counseling programs.
Created first collaboration among Shelby Countys private,
faith-based and public adoption agencies, resulting in 45% increase
in at-risk children being placed in permanent homes, and attracting
an additional $7 million in state and federal funding.
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Created the Boy Scout/University of Memphis Young Male
African-American Mentoring Initiative, keeping 36 promising young
men from dropping out of college by covering all of their
college-related costs in return for serving as a Boy Scout Troup
leader in the inner-city to over 200 at-risk boys lacking a
positive male role model. The program became a national model.
Created the State of Mississippis first research and training
program focused on raising school readiness for 12,000 at-risk
preschoolers.
Increased access to hands-on regular art experiences for 110,000
public school students through a $1 million Arts-In-The-Schools
initiative that became a national model.
Reviewed, approved and evaluated over $25 M in funded program
grants throughout four Southern states, which included funding to
five private liberal arts colleges.
Increased public awareness of issues pertaining to children and
youth through regular interaction with local & national
media.
SENIOR ADVISOR | CONSULTANT 1995-1997
National Rural Health Association, Washington, D.C. &
nationally
Developed and implemented the strategy that guided the
Association through the transition to manage care in the United
States by reshaping the organizations culture to accept
partnerships with for-profit healthcare providers
Built collaborations with 17 key emerging corporate players,
increasing revenue streams by 37% in two years and thus setting in
motion the long-term sustainability and relevance of NRHA.
Advocated both houses of Congress on an arms length of issues
centered on access to healthcare services,
manpower shortages, Medicaid funding and other relevant
topics.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Chief Executive Officer, Southwest Louisiana Area Health
Education Center (SWLAHEC)
Executive Director, River City Festivals Foundation
International Marketing Director, Houston International
Festival
Staff to two Mayors of Memphis, Tennessee
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT [EDITED]
Commissioner 2010-2012
Planning Commission, City of Erie, Pennsylvania
Founder/President 1992-1995
Louisiana Rural Health Association, Statewide & Washington,
D.C.
EDUCATION
Master of Art (pre-Ph.D.), University of Illinois,
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois Bachelor of Art, Slippery Rock
University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
