Jim Donovan grew up in the Boston area aspiring to be a hockey play-by-play announcer. It turned out that calling games at the NHL level of the sport he most loved as a kid was one of the few things he didn’t accomplish in his long and illustrious career.
After radio stints in Minnesota and Vermont out of Boston University, Jim accepted a weekend sports anchor role at WKYC Channel 3 in 1985. Within weeks he was calling Cleveland Browns preseason games for the station. Those relationships would last more than 39 years and establish Jim as one of the most recognizable and trusted voices in Cleveland sports.
When the Browns came back as an expansion franchise in 1999, Jim was named its radio play-by-play announcer. He was known ever since as the Voice of the Browns, a role he cherished as the “crown jewel” of his career. His signature calls have been rebroadcast over countless national media platforms and have been ingrained in the minds of Browns fans of all generations.
All the while, Jim’s television career extended to anchoring the Channel 3 sports segments on daily news programs and eventually anchoring the station’s 7 p.m. news. Jim also enjoyed an 11-year run at NBC Sports from 1987 to 1997. He was tabbed by the network to call play-by-play on NFL games and also to call swimming, water polo, soccer and baseball in Olympics Games in 1992 and 1996, and the 1994 World Cup.
Jim has earned multiple local Emmy Awards and has been inducted in the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2005) and the Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame (2009). He was honored with the Cleveland Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Jim, 67, retired from WKYC in June but will continue as radio Voice of the Browns.
He said his career goal now is to call the Browns winning the Super Bowl.
Cheryl White was just 17 years old when she dared to become the first female Black jockey in history in 1971 at Thistledown Racetrack in Cleveland, Ohio.
With her chestnut thoroughbred Jetolara, bred and trained by her father Raymond, she went on to become the first female Black jockey to ever win a race too, at Waterford Park in West Virginia on September 2, 1971. Her pioneering feat took place just three years after women sued for the right to ride horses as jockeys, and won.
Cheryl went on to win over 750 races in her decades-long career, with thoroughbreds, quarter horses and appaloosas, and qualified to be a race steward. She passed away in 2019.
Cheryl was a pioneer, but also a torchbearer in the long legacy of Black contribution to thoroughbred racing, a sport that in its earliest day was built on the labor of enslaved Black people. Her story is told in The Jockey and Her Horse, written by Cheryl’s brother Raymond Jr. and Sarah Maslin Nir, a New York Times reporter and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Anderson Varejão joined the Cavaliers as a Player Development Consultant and Global Ambassador in August 2022. He is responsible for assisting the Cavaliers in their ongoing mission to grow the game of basketball globally, while engaging with coaches and Cavaliers players in varying on-court development roles during the season. He also travels internationally for basketball and corporate events and activities.
In his first year, Varejão and the front office team were recognized for authentically building fandom in communities across Brazil and growing the game through the Cavs partnerships; their Brazil Project won the 2023 ‘NBA Team International Strategy of the Year’ award.
During his playing days in Cleveland, Varejão was a vital member of the Cavaliers back-to-back 60-win teams (66-16 in 2008-09 and 61-21 in 2009-10) and six playoff teams (2005-2010, 2015), including three Eastern Conference Finals, runs (2007, 2009, 2015) and the franchise’s first-ever NBA Finals appearance during the 2007 Playoffs. Over 13 seasons with the Cavaliers, Varejão appeared in 596 regular season games (208 starts) with averages of 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per contest. Nicknamed the “Wild Thing,” Varejão still ranks among the Cavaliers’ all-time Top 10 leaders in offensive rebounds (fourth, 1,486), defensive rebounds (seventh, 2,968), total rebounds (seventh, 4,454), games played (eighth, 596), blocks (eighth, 399) and steals (eighth, 529). He also earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2009-10 and owns a share of the team’s single-game record for rebounds with 25 boards on January 2, 2014 versus Orlando. Additionally, Varejão played in 71 playoff games with Cleveland and ranks among the Cavaliers’ all-time postseason leaders in games played (71, tied for fourth), steals (67, fourth), offensive rebounds (147, fourth), defensive rebounds (258, sixth), total rebounds (405, sixth) and blocks (39, tied for seventh). In the 2019-2020 NBA season, after five years away from the organization, the Cavaliers signed their beloved fan-favorite, allowing Varejão to play his final NBA season wearing the Cavs jersey.
Before entering the NBA and becoming one of only seven players in Cavaliers history with 4,000 points and 4,000 rebounds, Varejão started playing basketball for Clube de Regatas Saldanha da Gama (Vitoria/Espirito Santo – Brazil) during his youth. From there, at age 16, he signed to play for Franca Basquete(Franca/Sao Paulo – Brazil), where he later joined the professional and Brazilian National teams. He played for Franca for four seasons, and his passion and intensity elevated him to join Liga ACB in Spain, where he won multiple championships playing for F.C. Barcelona, 2 Liga ACB, 2 Kings Cup, and in 2003, their first-ever EuroLeague title. He represented Brazil for over 20 plus years in different capacities of international play.
In addition to his 13 NBA seasons in Cleveland, Varejão had a brief stint with the Golden State Warriors, where he appeared in 36 games during parts of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, as well as 17 postseason contests. Following his stint with Golden State, Varejão played for Flamengo in the NBB (Novo BasqueteBrasil League) league in 2017-18 and 2018-19, where he was ‘MVP’ of the All-Star Game (2018) and champion of the Copa Super 8 and NBB 2019 title. He is the only professional basketball player to hold championships in the ACB league (Spanish league), Euro league, NBB (Brazilian league), and NBA.
In January 2023, Varejão was honored at the Cavs arena in an emotional tribute to his retirement, attended by family, friends, former coaches, and Legends of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Andy resides in Cleveland with his wife, Stacy Lyn, and their two children.
A 2006 graduate of Cleveland State University, Holly Koester served in the U.S. Army from 1981 to 1991 until she was injured. She is the first person to complete a marathon in all 50 states from a wheelchair. Koester is currently working on her second tour of marathons in all 50 states. She won six Gold Medals in the 2016 National Veterans Wheelchair Games.
Koester has special ties to Cleveland and the state of Ohio. She has served as a peer counselor for newly injured spinal cord veterans at the Cleveland VA. A motivational speaker, Koester has addressed veterans organizations, school groups and attendees at Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies.
Koester has also served as sports director and secretary of the Buckeye Chapter Paralyzed Veterans of America. Her achievements and dedication led to her induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 2017.
Koester is a retired U.S. Army Captain, and a patriotic theme has a special place in her life. Since 1996, she has competed in numerous Air Force and Marine Corps marathons. Others include the Columbus Marathon, the Mount Rushmore Marathon and the Maui Marathon.
Koester grew up in Buffalo, played high school sports and participated in volleyball at Fredonia State in New York, where she also joined ROTC. She was injured in an accident in the Persian Gulf War in 1990.
Holly’s twin sister, Joy, is a retired Army Colonel, and several other family members have also served in the military.
Wayne Embry embodies and lives by “P” words: preparation, perception, perseverance, persistence, pride and passion. Others will use another “P” word—pioneer—to describe a man who has made his mark during a long and storied basketball career.
Embry joined the Raptors on June 7, 2004, as senior basketball advisor and continues to serve in that capacity. He took charge of the basketball operations area as Interim GM from January 26, 2006 – February 28, 2006. Over the course of that time, Embry engineered two trades (Aaron Williams to New Orleans/Oklahoma City and Jalen Rose to New York) to create significant salary cap space for his successor, Bryan Colangelo, to rebuild the roster in the offseason.
Embry’s career in the NBA spans more than 45 years as a player and front office executive. While Embry enjoyed a successful 11-year career as a player, he will be forever remembered in professional sports circles for being the first African American to be general manager and a president of an NBA club.
Embry became the first NBA African American general manager in 1972 when he was named to the post by the Milwaukee Bucks. He served in that capacity for eight years leading the Bucks to two seasons of 59 or more wins and four postseason appearances, including the 1974 Finals. Prior to joining the organization, he was instrumental in negotiations that brought former teammate and legendary guard Oscar Robertson to Milwaukee to join forces with Lew Alcindor, the first overall pick in the 1969 NBA Draft. In 1971, the Bucks captured the NBA title, becoming the fastest expansion team in sports history to accomplish that feat.
From 1985-92, Embry served as vice-president and general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He moved to an executive vice-president position with the club from 1992-94, and in 1994 once again made history by becoming the first African American NBA team president and chief operating officer. Under his direction the Cavaliers won 40 or more games 10 times, 50 or more on three occasions and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final in 1992. Embry earned The Sporting News Executive of the Year honors in 1992 and 1998, as well as being named Sports Illustrated’s Executive of the Year in 1998.
The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Embry was known as “The Wall” during his playing days for his ability to set solid picks. He appeared in 831 regular season NBA games, averaging 12.5 points and 9.1 rebounds. He averaged double-figures in points in eight of his 11 seasons. Embry participated in 56 postseason contests where he contributed an average of 10.1 points and 8.0 rebounds, including averages of 16.3 points and 13.5 rebounds in the 1963 playoffs.
Embry began his NBA career in 1958 with the Cincinnati Royals, where he played eight seasons, including the final four as team captain. He earned first-team All-NBA honors for five consecutive seasons (1961-65). Embry joined the Boston Celtics for two campaigns (1966-68) and helped the Celtics capture the 1968 NBA championship with a 4-2 series triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers. He finished his playing career the following year as the first captain in Milwaukee Bucks history.
A native of Springfield, Ohio, Embry was a two-time honorable mention All-America selection at Miami (Ohio) University. He was the team’s leading scorer, team captain and MVP in 1957 and 1958, and is the fourth player in school history to have his jersey (No. 23) retired. Embry earned a bachelor of science degree in education and a minor in business administration from Miami.
Embry has been involved in a number of business ventures, including membership on the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Board of Directors where he plays a large role in shaping monetary and economic policies. He was enshrined in the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and has had his high school and collegiate uniform numbers retired. He also has a road named in his honorin Clark County, Ohio.
Embry and his wife, Terri, are the parents of three children: Debbie, Jill and Wayne Jr.
Slapnik won nine state championships in his 17 years as Collinwood’s girls track coach. He also won the Jesse Owens Cleveland City championship every year he coached. His nine state titles rank third in Ohio history, and is the most by any coach in Cleveland history.
Slapnik—called “coach Slap” by his students—was inducted into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross-Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2012. In his career, his athletes won 41 individual events in state championship meets. Prior to coaching Collinwood, Slapnik spent nine years coaching at Patrick Henry Middle School, where his teams won eight MS Cleveland City Championships.
Slapnik grew up in Cleveland and went to St. Joseph High School and Ashland University, where he pitched on the baseball team. He spent 32 years teaching physical education in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Athletes coached by Slapnik have talked about his emphasis on classwork and team. Collinwood’s Athletic Complex is named after him.
Powell was the second African American to compete on the LPGA Tour, and the first African American woman to become a member of the PGA. In 2022, Powell was honored by the World Golf Hall of Fame as the first recipient of the Charlie Sifford Award. Powell played in more than 250 tournaments from 1967-1980. In 2003, she was honored with the First Lady of Golf Award from the LPGA.
Born in East Canton, Powell attended Central Catholic High School. Renee’s father, Bill, encountered racial discrimination on the golf course after he had served in World War II. That prompted him to design and build a course where all are welcome. Clearview Golf Club in East Canton—the first course in the country designed, built, and owned by an African American—opened its first nine holes in 1948, the second nine in 1978. Renee would eventually work as Clearview’s Head Professional.
“Renee Powell and her family’s remarkable life-long commitment to changing the face of golf cannot be overstated,” LPGA Commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, said in an LPGA press release. “Renee is a global ambassador and trailblazer within the game and has provided a model for how to use golf as a means of inclusion.”
Kain is the former President and CEO of International Management Group (IMG). His achievements in his 31 years are a testament to the impact of IMG in the sports world.
Kain, who lives in Gates Mills, graduated in 1971 from the University of Virginia where he was a four-year letterman in tennis. He sought to be involved in tennis in some way for his life’s work, and in 1976 he was hired by Cleveland-based IMG to represent professional players and to build IMG’s tennis business. His clients over the years included Rod Laver, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal on the men’s side, and Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Venus and Serena Williams on the women’s.
In 1984, Kain created and built IMG’s figure skating business. Clients included Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, and Scott Hamilton. Kain was in charge of the building of IMG Fashion and became CEO of IMG in 2003 after the death of founder Mark McCormack. He retired in 2006.
Kain worked for the Cleveland Browns in 2007 and 2008 and has been a senior advisor to the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). As chairman, he helped build the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission into one of the most respected in the country. He also is an accomplished amateur golfer; he played in four U.S. Senior Amateur Championships and three British Senior Amateurs.
Cribbs had a sterling career with the Cleveland Browns as a returner, receiver, and occasional quarterback, and at Kent State, where he set several school records as a four-year starter at quarterback. Cribbs’ 11 total punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns are fifth in NFL history, and his eight kickoff returns ranks second.
His success with the Browns came after he went undrafted. He made the team and became an all-purpose standout who could score from anywhere on any play. Cribbs had never returned kicks until he tried it with the Browns. Browns fans especially enjoyed Cribbs’ success against the Pittsburgh Steelers; his kickoff return for a touchdown in ’07 is one of the most memorable in team history, and came after he had 90-yard return earlier in the game.
Cribbs, who played one season with the Raiders and Colts before retiring, now calls the Cleveland area home. He and his wife, Maria, host “Cribbs in the CLE,” providing reports about various aspects of life in Cleveland, on WOIO Channel 19.