Thomas V. Chema, better known as Tom Chema, is an American
academic administrator and attorney. Chema served as the 21st President of
Hiram College from 2004 to 2013. Prior to becoming president of Hiram, Chema spent more than 30 years in business, government, and law.
Early life and education
A native of
East Liverpool, Ohio, Chema earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Notre Dame and
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
.
Career
He began his career with the
Cleveland-based law firm of
Arter & Hadden in 1971 and became a partner in 1979. He took a leave of absence in 1983 to serve as Executive Director of the
Ohio Lottery. In 1985, became Chairman of the
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Chema also serves in a number of national higher education associations including the
Council of Independent Colleges, the
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) located in Washington D.C.. It is an organization of private American colleges and universities. Founded in 1976, it has over 1,000 independent hig ...
, the
Annapolis Group, and with Ohio-based organizations such as the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio, the
North Coast Athletic Conference, and the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges.
In 1990, he was appointed executive director of the
Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex and was responsible for overseeing the
public-private partnership that led to the financing and construction of
Progressive Field
{{Infobox stadium
, name = Progressive Field
, nickname = ''"The Jake"''
, logo_image = Progressive_Field_Logo.svg
, logo_caption =
, image =
, caption = Progressive Fiel ...
and
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. He then resumed his law practice and in recent years has consulted across the country on sports and entertainment-related economic development projects as President of Gateway Consultants Group.
Chema is recognized as an expert on energy and telecommunications economics and regulation, infrastructure planning, and developing public-private partnerships. He has published numerous articles on these topics and frequently lectures throughout the country, including assignments at the
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban ...
.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chema, Thomas V.
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
Presidents of Hiram College
Harvard Law School alumni
University of Notre Dame alumni
People from East Liverpool, Ohio
People from Hiram, Ohio