On Tuesday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m. at Harrison Elementary School LakewoodAlive will be presenting the first of a two part forum series entitled Making “Cents” of Lakewood’s Finances. A panel of experts will discuss the details and current challenges of municipal finance facing communities in this region. Local speakers will also directly address Lakewood’s current financial position, challenges and opportunities.

“The forum series will provide an opportunity for all of us to learn more about the intricacies of municipal finance and connect the dots to Lakewood’s finances,” said Jay Foran, President of LakewoodAlive.

The speakers participating in the February 26 forum include Lakewood Mayor Edward FitzGerald; Yvette Ittu, Chief Financial Officer and VP Cleveland Development Advisors, Greater Cleveland Partnership; Kevin O’Brien, Executive Director, The Center for Public Management and the Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center, The Maxine-Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University; Jennifer Pae, Finance Director, City of Lakewood; and Mike Summers, Lakewood City Council and Leader of the Structural Taskforce Citizens Committee.

Joe Gibbons, a LakewoodAlive founding member, will moderate the forum. The event is free and advanced registration is not required. Harrison Elementary is located at 2080 Quail Avenue in Lakewood.

The second part of the series will be held on Tuesday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. at Hayes Elementary School in Lakewood and will focus specifically on Lakewood’s 2008 city budget.

LakewoodAlive is a non-partisan citizen group that informs and engages our community about issues that impact economic development and our quality of life. LakewoodAlive seeks to provide the residents of Cleveland's greatest suburb with opportunities to learn how to better navigate the complex issues associated with economic development. For more information about the forum series or about LakewoodAlive please visit www.lakewoodalive.com.