Lakeland Community College (LCC) inducted K. Michael Benz to the Board of Trustees on January 22, 2026, replacing Morgan McIntosh. Benz’s term will expire on March 6, 2030.

Benz is an executive advisor at Ciuni & Panichi, Inc., providing strategic planning and business development expertise to clients. He serves as the Fifth Third Bank Affiliate Director, Northeastern Ohio, and ReCreation Partners, LLC, Vice Chairman.

“We are delighted to have Mr. Benz on our Board,” says Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D., President, LCC. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and given his interest in higher education and workforce training, Mike will be a valued addition to the Board.”

Benz was President and CEO of United Way of Greater Cleveland for more than 17 years. Under his leadership, the organization raised more than $732 million to fund health and human services in the community. Also, under Benz’s leadership, United Way implemented the public art project, GuitarMania®, raising more than $2 million. In 2008, under Benz’s leadership, United Way implemented a new approach to funding programs grounded in research and designed to move the needle on community pain points.

“As a community college, Lakeland is always evolving in ways to best serve the citizens of Lake County and those with a vested interest in our graduates,” says Paul Rupert, Chair, LCC Board of Trustees. “Mike’s guidance will be a great addition to those conversations.”

Prior to United Way, Benz provided 24 years of service to the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. In addition to the Lakeland Board of Trustees, he also serves on the Cleveland Clinic Board of Directors and the Leadership Center Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He also chairs the South Pointe Hospital Board of Directors – a Cleveland Clinic Hospital.

“I am eager to contribute to the College’s efforts to provide quality education,” Benz says. “Lakeland is an affordable and strategic way to pursue your career, plan for your future, or build your workforce. I’m ready to assist with partnerships where I can help strategically. It’s about the students and the team that delivers education and training that is key for me.”

Benz received the Gordon E. Heffern Lifetime Award for Ethics, Values, and Community and was awarded Cleveland’s Key to the City by Mayor Frank Jackson.

Benz replaces McIntosh, who stepped down from the Board last month when he became a Lake County Commissioner.

By: Jessica Tremayne, Chief Public Relations Officer