James Levin Named Director of Wooster's Center for Entrepreneurship

New leader brings extensive legal and arts management experience to the position

WOOSTER, Ohio - James Levin, a practicing lawyer with nearly 30 years of experience in arts management and production, has been named director of The College of Wooster's Center for Entrepreneurship. He succeeds Reuben Domike, who served as the center's first director from 2007-2009.

"I am very pleased that James will be leading our Entrepreneurship program," said Shila Garg, interim provost at Wooster. "He brings a lot of experience, having founded and directed various artistic projects and innovative programs in Cleveland. I look forward to seeing our students energized by his ideas and leadership of the Center for Entrepreneurship."

Levin comes to Wooster after spending the past five years as executive director of Ingenuity, the Cleveland Festival of Art and Technology, which he founded in 2004. He also founded and directed the Gordon Square Arts District, where he spearheaded a $20 million capital campaign to develop a multi-site, multi-organization arts district on Cleveland's near west side. Prior to that, he was the founder and executive/artistic director of Cleveland Public Theatre from 1981 through 2004. During his 23-year tenure, he launched the renovation of the historic theatre; programmed two theatre spaces with performing arts events featuring theatre, music, dance, and film; created extensive outreach programs involving underserved populations; organized fundraising, including grant writing and special events; hired and supervised staff; and managed contracts and artists relations.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, where he earned a degree in literature, Levin received his J.D. at Case Western Reserve University's School of Law. He has extensive experience in criminal defense, civil rights litigation, non-profit and labor law. His clients have included the Northeast Ohio Green Party, the American Indian Movement, the Cleveland Homeless Coalition, and the National Historical Preservation Society.

Levin has received a number of awards and honors, including the Ohio Governor's Award for community development and impact (2007) and the Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement (2006). He also won Scene Magazine's  Critics Award for Best Director of "Killer Joe" (1995). In addition he received an Ohio Arts Council Award for Playwriting for "Star Wares: The Next Generation" (1989) and "Discordia" (2002).

"With the resources and commitment of The College of Wooster administration, I am thrilled at this opportunity to explore the vast potential of activity within the College community," he said. "I am also excited about the potential of connecting the resources and energy of the campus to the communities beyond."

Wooster's Center for Entrepreneurship was established in 2007 through a joint grant from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Center is designed to facilitate entrepreneurship by coordinating a variety of programs for students, faculty members, staff, alumni, and members of the local business community. Programs include summer seminars and internships, workshops, certificate programs, and fellowships.

Wooster was one of five Ohio colleges to receive a grant to create a culture of entrepreneurship on campus. The five-year, $1,562,206 award provides student internships, new and modified courses that integrate entrepreneurship, connections to alumni and local entrepreneurs workshops and seminars, and post-graduate fellowships for students to transform their Independent Study project into a new endeavor.