Arts Patron: An individual or organization or business that has sustained and enhanced arts and culture in our community through generous support, leadership and financial resources.
Deb Yandala
Deb Yandala worked for the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park for 32 years and as its CEO for 23 of those years. Under her leadership, Conservancy programs in environmental education and the arts grew, and the Conservancy successfully raised funds for trail projects, historic building restoration and community engagement. She became a national leader in the National Park friends group movement and has been widely recognized for her contributions to CVNP and the National Park Service. Deb’s commitment to integrating the arts into visitor experiences in CVNP throughout her years helped lead to a wide range of activities, with support for local artists at its core. Artist-in-Residency programs, concert series, visual art exhibitions, writer’s workshops, poetry, theater, public art and more have been hallmarks of cultural arts in the park. She retired last July from the Conservancy and currently consults with the National Park Foundation. She was a member of the founding board of ArtsNow, is currently a board member of Near West Theatre and is a long-time violist with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra.
