Michael Bier has been on the HRRC board for one year. He recalls, “While attending my daughter’s second-grade music performance at Roxboro Elementary School last year, board member Susie Kaeser and I were chatting. She mentioned that the HRRC board was seeking new members and encouraged me to join. With my work in non-profit housing development in Cleveland, it seemed like a natural fit; plus, as the son of founding board member Tom Bier, I guess it was my destiny to follow in his footsteps.”

Mike grew up in Cleveland Heights and always appreciated the community’s older housing for its high quality, durability and craftsmanship. Since 1999, he has worked in the community development field in Cleveland, where he has been involved with housing repair, rehabilitation and development. Mike is now the Director of Real Estate Development at Famicos Foundation, a well-established community development corporation that develops affordable housing and promotes neighborhood revitalization in some of Cleveland’s most challenged neighborhoods.

Mike also knows the personal challenges facing homeowners. “As an owner of a Cleveland Heights century-home,” he explains, “I know how demanding home repair and maintenance can be, and I am fortunate to have the ability to deal with those demands. For many homeowners, those demands can be overwhelming. That’s why HRRC is so important to older communities like Cleveland Heights, and I am glad to help with that mission.”

In Mike’s opinion, one of HRRC’s biggest challenges is the fact that much of the community’s rental housing is obsolete and needs substantial investment. “We need to get landlords to maintain their rental housing to the level that we encourage homeowners to meet. To remain competitive with University Circle’s surging rental stock, Cleveland Heights rentals will need to maintain a high standard.”

Mike and his wife, Jennifer, purchased a “fixer-upper” on Grandview in 2002. He says, “Although mostly fixed-up, my list of improvements remains unfinished. I enjoy being able to walk with my daughter, Natalie, to Roxboro Elementary School, where she is a third grader. As a graduate of the Heights school system, it’s a thrill to see my own child as a Heights Tiger. We enjoy biking to Shaker Lakes and walking to Luna cafe for breakfast.”