Tuesday, March 5, 2024 — Cleveland — North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation (NCWDC), the not-for-profit entity that will assist the City of Cleveland with the equitable development of the North Coast Lakefront, announced today its selection of Scott Skinner as its first executive director. Skinner will spearhead the implementation of the community’s vision for Cleveland's Lakefront. He will be responsible for organizational leadership, advocacy, funding strategies and maintaining alignment with public and private sector stakeholders.
Skinner most recently served as vice president of development at The NRP Group LLC where his responsibilities included deal origination, initial underwriting and due diligence, political approvals and community outreach for both market rate and affordable multifamily development projects in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. He also led NRP’s federal advocacy work to promote policies that advance affordable housing development at the national level.
“Scott’s experience in development, community outreach and advocacy will be essential as he builds this organization from the ground up and begins the work to transform Cleveland's Downtown Lakefront into a vibrant and accessible destination for residents, business and recreation,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “We are pleased to have such an outstanding leader in this role.”
Prior to joining NRP in 2017, Skinner served as a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, a Peace Corps volunteer doing community development work in the country of Georgia and a corporate fundraiser for Capital Partners for Education, a large nonprofit organization in Washington DC.
Skinner earned a bachelor’s degree in English from San Jose State University and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. A native of San Jose, California, he moved to Cleveland in 2018.
“Moving the lakefront project forward is an important priority for Council,” said Cleveland City Council President Blaine A. Griffin. “I’m excited to see Scott take the reins of this new organization and advance the community’s vision of a waterfront that benefits all Cleveland residents.”
“Scott is an experienced leader who brings strong development credentials and understanding of our community to this new role,” said David Gilbert, chair of the NCWDC Board. “The Board is eager to advance the work of NCWDC to help develop and connect our downtown lakefront. It is one of the most important projects in our community for the next generation of Clevelanders.”
“We are tremendously proud of Scott’s accomplishments throughout his tenure at NRP. A mark of a great leader is their ability to nurture and cultivate emerging talent, and that is exactly what Scott has done at NRP," said J. David Heller, President and CEO of The NRP Group. “We are grateful for Scott’s guidance to the team who is ready to step in as he completes the developments currently in progress at NRP. As a lifelong Clevelander, I look forward to seeing Scott’s lakefront vision materialize into a sought-after destination for future generations."
About the NCWDC
The North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation (NCWDC) is a not-for-profit entity that will assist the City of Cleveland with the equitable development of the North Coast Lakefront as a destination for residents, business, recreation and visitors. It is responsible for the planning, financing, land management and coordination, development oversight, community benefits, development coordination, and partnership and oversight of a potential New Community Authority and/or financing and development districts as needed to implement the City’s waterfront development project. Our mission is to implement a unified vision for the Lakefront and drive the execution of catalytic projects that will reshape the city.
