Lakeland alumnus returns to his roots as executive at his former school

by Laura Straub

Hudson resident Gregory Sanders is returning to his roots, as he settles into his new position as vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the Lakeland Foundation at Lakeland Community College.

“I love working at Lakeland; it’s my alma mater. It’s personal to me,” he said. “I’m a Lakeland kid who credits the college with pointing me in the right direction in life at a time when my life could’ve headed in quite a few different directions.”

Now he’s returning the favor. According to Sanders, the Lakeland Foundation provides philanthropic support that advances the college’s mission, which benefits its students. The foundation is in the midst of a $10 million Futures Rising campaign, designed to support key student success initiatives on campus.

In his role, Sanders ensures that the foundation is a good steward of the philanthropic support the college receives.

“This allows the wishes of the donor to be fulfilled and for maximum impact to be provided to our students,” he said.

On his path to his current position, Sanders graduated from Mentor High School. He then attended Lakeland, where he earned an associate’s degree and met the woman who would one day be his wife. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Kent State and entered the workforce, mainly working in health care philanthropy. Most recently, Sanders served as the executive director of the Lake Health Foundation.

“I think having a wide variety of experiences and successes in the development field coupled with some good luck has allowed me to advance throughout my career,” he said.

Along the way, Sanders and his wife, Lynn, moved from Euclid to Hudson, where they’ve lived for 13 years. The have three children: Trev, 19; Cameron, 16; and Sydney, 6.

As he takes this next step in his career, Sanders has a simple goal, supporting the place that gave so much to him, from his career to his family.

“I want to help the students of today and tomorrow to continue to receive the same level of compassionate education that I received when I attended in 1990,” he said. “Lakeland is a special place and I want to do my part to keep it this way.”

Featured image photo caption: Gregory Sanders calls Hudson home but pays tribune to his Lakeland Community College roots as the leader of the college’s Lakeland Foundation. Photo courtesy of Gregory Sanders