Eric Gordon was appointed CEO of the 39,000-student Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) in June 2011 after serving as chief academic officer for four years. Gordon, together with Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson and other business, philanthropic, and education leaders, successfully lobbied Ohio legislators to pass The Cleveland Plan, a revolutionary education reform package that was signed into law in July 2012. The Cleveland Plan has received national attention for its strong bipartisan support and unprecedented collaborative process that united the people of Cleveland around a mission to transform their public school system.

Gordon is active nationally in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards curriculum and the Social and Emotional Learning Standards for children. He serves as a member of the executive committee for the board of directors for the Council of the Great City Schools. In July 2019, Gordon began a one-year term as chair of the council’s board of directors.

Prior to joining CMSD, Gordon was the executive director for secondary learning for the Olentangy Local Schools in suburban Columbus, Ohio. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of education for students in grades six through 12. He has worked in suburban and urban school districts as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal.

In 2016, Gordon was honored with the Green-Garner Award, which named him as the Urban Educator of the Year, the highest honor available to an urban superintendent in the United States. He was featured in Inside Business Magazine’s Power 100 in 2013 and was voted one of Cleveland Magazine’s Most Interesting People in 2012. Corporate College and Smart Business honored him with a Smart 50 Award, which is given to the region’s top executives.

Gordon is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he earned his master’s in education administration and supervision and a bachelor’s in secondary mathematics education and driver education.