Members of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame (CIHF) gathered yesterday, Tuesday, April 21, at Windows on the River in the Flats for its sold-out Cleveland International Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.

The nonprofit organization created in 2010 hosts the annual ceremony to recognize Cleveland as a multicultural city and celebrate its diverse population.

CIHF co-founder Dan Hanson says 95 candidates were nominated for the Class of 2026. Previous inductees gave their input to choose six members of this year’s class, with three new ethnicities represented.

This year’s class includes (click on names to read bios):

• Andy Chakalis (the first Greek)
• Aklilu Demessie (the first Ethiopian)
• Andy Fedynsky (Ukrainian)
• Catherine Jorgensen McCutcheon (the first Norwegian)
• Le Nguyen (Vietnamese)
• Lucy Torres (Puerto Rican)

2026 inductee Lucy Torres.Hanson says this latest induction brings the number of CIHF members to more than 100 people, representing about 40 ethnic groups. He says the organization inducts about six people each year, represented.

“Cleveland is one of the few cities that has this many distinct ethnic heritages represented—118 or so,” Hanson boasts. “It says that Cleveland is a welcoming city with deep family ties and acceptance and representation of different cultures and faiths.”

Hanson adds that people look at several variables when choosing to live in a certain neighborhood, city, or region. Those variables, he says, include family connections, schools, job opportunities, and quality of life.

“They usually don’t want to be the only person from XYZ,” he observes, “so they look for a community like ours—with some XYZ countrymen.”

Because of the city’s rich cultural and ethnic mix, Hanson says it’s a special feature of the city and the region that Clevelanders should celebrate.

“Very few cities have our level of diversity—New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, and a few others, are similar or more [diverse],” he explains. “We had a great influx from Europe, and then migration from the South, and then all over Asia. Recent years have brought more people from the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. They come for the schools and hospitals—which are world-class in Cleveland.”

Hanson says the influx makes Cleveland a more vibrant city. “We learn that, in essence, we are very similar with the same hopes and dreams, but the small differences are what makes it fun and exciting” he observes, noting a unique example of one of those small differences.

“For instance, almost every culture has some kind of dumpling,” Hanson notes. “It may be called an ‘empanada,’ or ‘pierogi,’ or ‘pot sticker,’ or ‘samosa,’ but it’s essentially the same. But the differences make it better.”

Inaugural Debbie Hanson Forever Young Award honoree Anjan Ghose.New category
In addition to the traditional six inductees, Hanson says a new feature this year is the Debbie Hanson Forever Young Awards. The award is named after CIHF co-founder Debbie Hanson, Dan Hanson’s sister, who began having medical issues in her 50s and passed away last year.

The Forever Young honor will be awarded each year to a man and a woman who do not seek the limelight but are always there willing and able to help in any way possible with their community.

The first two honorees of the Debbie Hanson Forever Young Award are Mary Anne DeGrandis Baucco (Italian, Irish, and Scottish) and Anjan Ghose (Indian).

Dan and Debbie Hanson started the nonprofit Cleveland International Hall of Fame in 2010 through ClevelandPeople.Com to permanently recognize those individuals who have made a valuable and lasting contribution to our multicultural city and region and to inspire a new generation of leaders.

“My sister Debbie and I were learning about all the ethnic groups in Cleveland and the amazing people who did things for and with them while working on ClevelandPeople.com,” recalls Dan Hanson. “We wanted to tell their stories and also inspire the next generation. There were two prongs: An annual event and a physical museum (in progress).”

The first Hall of Fame induction ceremony was in 2010, and the International Hall of Fame has grown over the past 16 years.

Inaugural Debbie Hanson Forever Young Award honoree Mary Anne DeGrandis Baucco.“We didn’t know if anyone would attend an event,” Hanson recalls. “But we booked Sterle’s and we soon outgrew the original room, [which seats 100], and then maxed out their entire space, [which seats 300+], with a waiting list.” The inductions are now held at Windows on the River.

Hanson says his inspiration for continuing the International Hall of Fame and celebrating Cleveland’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity is exemplified in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

“We have gardens in close proximity with cultures that have been fighting for centuries, but in Cleveland they follow the Gardens’ motto of ‘Peace through Mutual Understanding,’” Hanson explains. “So we can have Armenian Garden next to Azerbaijan and Turkey. Hebrew Garden near Palestine. India near Pakistan. And so on.

“They may not be able to get along in the world,” Hanson says, “but in Cleveland they can and do.”

To learn more about nominating someone for the Cleveland International Hall of Fame, visit the nomination page.