Cleveland, Ohio – September 1st, 2026 — Engage! Cleveland is passionate about attracting, engaging and retaining emerging talent to Cleveland, and will be honoring those who do the same with the 5th Annual Generation NEXT Awards. 

The Generation NEXT Awards honors 21 exceptional individuals and companies across 6 categories: Mentor of the Year, Young Professional of The Year, Company of the Year, Program of the Year, Employer Member of the year, and the Lifetime Achievement award. Each category has 4 winners, spanning non-profit and for-profit companies of various sizes. In addition, a Lifetime Achievement award is provided to one winner who has made outstanding achievements during their career. 

“Engage! Cleveland is hardly alone in the work we do surrounding talent attraction and retention, and we are so impressed with this year’s honorees that are helping to engage local talent in their industries” says Ashley Basile Oeken, President of Engage! Cleveland. “These award winners are inspirational community members, mentors, and companies that make Cleveland a better place to work and live.” 

These Generation NEXT winners were nominated by their peers and chosen by a selection committee for their dedication to attracting and retaining talent in Greater Cleveland while fostering a culture of belonging, engagement, and personal fulfillment among their colleagues. 

This year’s Generation NEXT Award Winners are: 

Mentor of the Year

• Non-Profit Category: Meenakshi Sharma, Acting President & CEO / Cleveland Museum of Natural History 

• Small Company Category: Donyae James, President / International Construction Solutions Ltd 

• Mid-Size Company Category: Ruth Barnum, Vice President, Marketing and Growth / Apex Skin (posthumous) 

• Large Company Category: Marisa Darden, Lead, White Collar, Government Investigations & Regulatory Compliance Practice / Benesch 

Young Professional of the Year

• Non-Profit Category: Andrianna Sheriff, Marketing & Communications Manager / Cleveland Public Library 

• Small Company Category: Raviraj Patel, Chief Electrical Engineer / Emerald Built Environments 

• Mid-Size Company Category: Lalaina McCue, Mechanical Engineer / Osborn Engineering 

• Large Company Category: Hannah Dible, Senior Specialist, Early Talent / The J.M. Smucker Company 

Company of the Year

• Non-Profit Category: Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities 

• Small Company Category: TRG Multimedia 

• Mid-Size Company Category: Mars Electric 

• Large Company Category: Oatey 

Program of the Year 

• Non-Profit Category: Celebration of Integrity / Better Business Bureau 

• Small Company Category:  12 Under 36: Members of the Tribe / Cleveland Jewish News 

• Mid-Size Company Category: LAUNCH Internship Program / Corrigan Krause 

• Large Company Category: Early Talent Program / Lincoln Electric 

Employer Member of the Year

• Non-Profit Category: North Coast Community Homes 

• Small Company Category: Ratliff 

• Mid-Size Company Category: Arrow International Inc. 

• Large Company Category: Union Home Mortgage 

Lifetime Achievement Award

• SueAnn Naso, CEO / Staffing Solutions Enterprises 

Engage! Cleveland will be honoring winners during a breakfast on September 23rd at 8:00am. Tickets for the Generation NEXT Awards Ceremony are available now at Generation NEXT – Engage! Cleveland.

Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate those in our area committed to talent attraction, engagement, and retention. 

Engage! Cleveland’s 5th Annual Generation Next Awards are made possible by Gold sponsor: Team NEO and Table sponsors: Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Mars Electric, National Interstate Insurance, Ratliff, and Staffing Solutions Enterprises. 

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www.engagecleveland.org | 3135 Euclid Ave., Ste. 103 | Cleveland, OH 44115

About Engage! Cleveland

Engage! Cleveland is a community engagement organization for young and emerging  professionals and business/community leaders who are passionate about making Cleveland a lasting home for the next generation. You can learn more at www.engagecleveland.org.