Cleveland Water Alliance is honored to appoint a new Board Chair: Michael Schum of Moen Incorporated, a Fortune Brands Global Plumbing Group company, as well as a new Vice Chair and Head of Governance Committee: Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, and to welcome two new Directors to its Board: Beth Allison of Kinetico Incorporated and Christopher Blackwood of Kent State University. The annual Board meeting elections were held on November 9, 2021.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells

CEO, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells is the Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Kyle was formerly Deputy Director of the District’s Watershed Programs, including the Regional Stormwater Management Program and the application of stormwater control measures to reduce combined sewer overflows through green infrastructure. Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She earned master’s degrees with honors in both Public Affairs and Environmental Science at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

“Cleveland Water Alliance is a national leader in water innovation,” said Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, CEO of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. “As the leader of Northeast Ohio’s progressive and forward-thinking clean water organization, I am excited to serve as the Vice Chair of the Cleveland Water Alliance Board. It provides an opportunity to continue to advance our collective mission to protect our region’s most valuable asset, Lake Erie, and enhance job creation and economic gains through transformative clean water technologies.”

Michael Schum

Vice President, Global Product Development, Moen Incorporated

Michael Schum has nearly 30 years’ experience in the automotive and consumer products industries. Mike has spent the last 20 years at Moen (part of Fortune Brands Home & Security) in leadership roles in Marketing, Operations, Engineering, and New Product Development.  

Currently, he is the Vice President of Global Product Development where he is accountable for the strategy, development and execution for all products worldwide for the company. Mike and his wife Patti reside in the Cleveland area and are proud parents of two boys who are both students at the University of Dayton.

“I’m excited to use my unique global industry experience to build off of the successes of the previous Board leadership,” said Michael Schum, Vice President of Global Product Development at Moen. “The organization has experienced exponential growth in programs, partnerships, and opportunities the past several years, and I look forward to the possibilities ahead.”

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WELCOME TO:

Beth Allison

Marketing Director, North America; Kinetico Incorporated

Beth Allison’s career includes a wealth of worldwide water related product companies including Moen and Kinetico Incorporated. Prior to joining Kinetico in 2015 as Director of Marketing, she spent 15 years at Moen leading product, segment, and e-commerce marketing departments. Additionally, she designed and implemented an e-commerce business for Moen and was a member of the Forrester eBusiness Council. Beth’s work includes a variety of B2B and B3C experience across wholesale, retail, and e-commerce channels. She is passionate about innovation projects and enjoys collaborating on water challenges both locally and beyond.

A graduate of Miami University with a BA in Business and International Marketing, Beth was born, raised and currently resides in the best location in the nation, Northeastern Ohio. She is a running and spinning enthusiast and mother of two. She and her husband live in Orange Village Ohio.

‍Christopher Blackwood

Professor, Kent State University

Christopher Blackwood’s broad areas of expertise include ecology, microbiology, and soil science. His research focuses on the critical roles of soil-plant-microbe interactions in shaping plant communities, ecosystem processes, and soil carbon dynamics. He has taught courses on General Microbiology, Soil Biology, Community and Ecosystem Ecology, and Population and Community Ecology. Chris also serves as Co-director of Kent State University's new Environmental Science and Design Research Institute and has a Ph.D from Michigan State University.

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