Helen Forbes Fields Highlighted in 'Phenomenal Woman' Magazine

Tri-C Trustee chair discusses her unique career path

For more than 30 years, Helen Forbes Fields worked as an attorney, following in the footsteps of her father, George L. Forbes.

But in a recent interview with Phenomenal Woman magazine, the chair of the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) Board of Trustees said she never saw herself finishing her career practicing law.

About a decade ago, Forbes Fields reassessed her career path and opted to enter the world of nonprofit management.

Already connected to many nonprofit organizations from years of serving on their boards, she began working at the United Way of Greater Cleveland, where she served in multiple roles, including vice president of community impact and executive vice president and general counsel.

"I was able to learn about the work that nonprofits do every day and how they serve the community," Forbes Fields told Phenomenal Woman. "(I learned) how nonprofits know their community best and provide amazing services to those in need."

After six years at the United Way, Forbes Fields became the president and CEO of the YWCA Greater Cleveland, where she continues to expand the organization's mission by combating homelessness, fighting for racial justice and empowering women.

"We are very much focused on those unhoused and, of course, on women," she said. "We have our Early Learning Center, which is a preschool. We're focused on children who have suffered from trauma."

In addition to her service on Tri-C's Board, Forbes Fields is also a trustee of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

To learn more about her career journey, read the full article in the February 2025 issue of Phenomenal Woman.

March 05, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu