Cleveland Institute of Music Elects Three New Trustees

The Cleveland Institute of Music’s Board of Trustees elected three new Trustees at its Tuesday, May 30, 2018, meeting. Attorney, arts lobbyist and philanthropist William (Bill) Blair, WCLV President Robert Conrad, and Tucker Ellis LLP partner Sanford E. Watson were all elected to serve regular three-year terms. 

“These highly accomplished new members of the CIM Board of Trustees represent top business leaders and community advocates in our region,” said CIM Board Chair Richard Hipple. “Each has a clear commitment to the institution and its vision to be the future of classical music.”

“The new class of Trustees is filled with leaders—and legends—who value the mission and vision of CIM,” added CIM President and CEO Paul Hogle. “Each one is already actively engaged and bringing valuable new perspectives to the table. I am delighted they have chosen to share their time and talent with CIM as we enter our second century.”

William (Bill) Blair has dedicated his life to supporting the arts. His work has impacted all facets of the arts in Ohio, from The Cleveland Orchestra to the smallest of nonprofit organizations that support individual artists and arts education. Blair was the founding president of the Ohio Foundation of the Arts, Inc., a statewide arts service corporation. He is also past chairman of the American Arts Alliance in Washington, DC, and is the founding chairman of the Alliance of Arts Advocates, the nation’s first arts political action committee. Blair received an Ohio Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2009. He earned his BA, MA and JD from The Ohio State University.

Robert Conrad co-founded WCLV 104.9 FM — Cleveland’s 24-hour-a-day classical music station – as a for-profit in 1962 and served as program director until 2001. He is currently president of the station, which is now a collaborating non-profit organization. Conrad is well-known to listening audiences around the world as the host of The Cleveland Orchestra’s radio broadcast series since 1965. He teaches broadcasting at CIM, and holds honorary doctorates from CIM, Baldwin-Wallace and Oberlin College. In 2000, he was named to the City Club of Cleveland’s Hall of Fame.

Sanford E. Watson is partner at Tucker Ellis, a trial lawyer specializing in areas of business litigation, medical products liability and public law. He devotes a significant portion of his practice to defending distributors and sales representatives in products liability, pharmaceutical and medical products cases. Awards include the Savoy Magazine 2015 Most Influential Black Lawyers and the 2014 Inclusion Innovation Award from the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. His public service includes serving as Vice Chair of the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct, and as a member of the boards of Karamu House and the Northern District of Ohio Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He has a BA from Morehouse College and JD from Georgetown University Law Center.