HELEN FORBES FIELDS
President and CEO
YWCA Greater Cleveland
Ms. Forbes Fields serves as the President and CEO of YWCA Greater Cleveland (“YWCA”), since July, 2022. YWCA is one of the oldest operating non-profits in Cleveland. Founded in 1868 with the mission of peace, justice, freedom and dignity to all. Today’s mission which is key to our city’s future, is to eliminate racism and empowering women and girls. The YWCA fulfills this mission by promoting racial equity and social justice, empowerment and economic advancement of women and the health and safety for women and girls.
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Ms. Forbes Fields previously served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for United Way of Greater Cleveland. She led a portfolio that encompassed local and state government relations, management of the Geauga office, Race Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiative, board management, leadership on $4.5 million Accountable Health Community (“AHC”) Advisory Committee and reviewing all legal matters.
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Prior to arriving at United Way of Greater Cleveland in 2016, Ms. Forbes Fields practiced law for over 31 years with the Forbes, Fields & Associates Co., L.P.A. law firm. Ms. Forbes Fields was initially involved in various public and privately placed issuance of revenue bonds and general obligation bonds for the State of Ohio and its political subdivisions, the Board of Education of the Cleveland City School District, Ohio, and other cities and counties in the United States. She served as Law Director to the City of East Cleveland, Ohio in 1997 and 2005. She then transitioned into the litigation practice focusing on employment discrimination and wrongful discharge matters.
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Ms. Forbes Fields graduated cum laude in 1981, from Spelman College with a B.A. degree in Political Science and received her J.D. in 1984 from Howard University School of Law. She also attended Loyola University Summer Law School, Rome, Italy, in 1983.
Ms. Forbes Fields has been admitted to practice before the Ohio Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and the United States Court of Appeals in the Sixth Circuit. She is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, where she has served on the Bar Admissions Committee.
Ms. Forbes Fields has been profiled in several magazine publications for her community and civic interests, and received recognition by Fraser Net and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for her contributions to the community, Crain’s as a 2019 Notable Woman in Nonprofit. She was awarded the Cleveland Arts Prize Special Prize in 2020 and selected by Smart Women as a Progressive Woman honoree in 2021. She is a graduate of Leadership Cleveland, Class of 1994. Currently, she serves as a trustee for the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she led the Museum’s Board effort in the implementation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan; County Executive Budish’s appointee to the Board of Trustees, of Cuyahoga Community College where she currently serves as Chairperson of the Board. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Front International.
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Ms. Forbes Fields is married to Darrell A. Fields and they have 3 grown children.