IMPACT.

Take a walk through downtown Cleveland and its neighborhoods, and you will see it - evidence of the positive impact that Cleveland Development Advisors, in collaboration with private, public and civic partners, has had on our city.

Keep walking and watching. We're going to continue investing in catalytic projects in Cleveland - in its neighborhoods, its businesses, and its big ideas.

Because that's how real impact is made.

The road signs say it's working.

Click here to watch the CDA video.

In the News

Yvette M. Ittu

Biography

Yvette is the Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations of the Greater Cleveland Partnership (“GCP”) which is the business organization that mobilizes private sector leadership, expertise and resources to create jobs and wealth and improves the long-term economic vitality of the Northeast Ohio region.

In addition, Yvette is President of Cleveland Development Advisor’s Inc. (“CDA”), an affiliate of GCP that is responsible for the management of four (4) real estate investment funds initiated, and in part capitalized, by certain GCP members. The initial fund, Cleveland Development Partnership, was capitalized in 1989 to serve as a source of funding for catalytic real estate development projects having a significant impact on the growth and development of the City of Cleveland. In 2000, CDA created the Cleveland Civic Vision Housing Fund, to focus primarily on investment in housing in downtown Cleveland and its adjacent neighborhoods. In 2003 CDA was successful in obtaining an allocation of New Markets Tax Credits to establish a new, captive investment fund, the Cleveland New Markets Investment Fund. This fund has been used to further investments in neighborhood development, job retention and business expansion as well as catalytic investments along the transportation corridor of Euclid Avenue, Cleveland’s main thoroughfare between Public Square and University Circle. In 2007 CDA was successful in obtaining an additional allocation of New Markets Tax Credits, allowing CDA to attract and leverage various public and private sources to make catalytic real estate investments throughout Cleveland.

Prior to joining CDA, Yvette was an associate with the law firm of Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP practicing in the areas of public law and public finance. She served as bond counsel on multiple financings for the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, the City of Cleveland, and several other Ohio local governments. In addition, Yvette served as Finance Director for the City of Lakewood and held several financial management positions for the City of Cleveland including the chief financial officer post for Cleveland Public Power, the City-owned power company. Yvette was called upon to serve as Chairperson of Mayor Jane Campbell’s finance transition committee and to act as Interim Finance Director during the first quarter of the Campbell administration. In addition, Yvette also served on the finance transition team for Mayor Frank Jackson.

Yvette obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. In addition, she is a certified public accountant and has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Cleveland State University. Yvette currently serves on several community and non-profit Boards including NorTech, Benjamin Rose Institute, Village Capital Corporation, Shorebridge Capital, as well as audit committees for several local governments including the City of Cleveland.

December 2009