2007 Hall of Fame

Our third class of Hall of Fame inductees consists of two exceptional former students and an outstanding community business partner.  The two former students, Eric Clemens and James MacMillan, have leveraged their Polaris career-technical experiences to pursue distinguished educational and professional careers.  Marcia Mitchell Columbro, M.D. spent one year in the Polaris Medical Assisting program.  She is being inducted as an outstanding community business partner, recognized for her on-going commitment to Polaris.

We are proud of our hall of fame inductees’ accomplishments and appreciate the role they serve as Polaris supporters and ambassadors.  They were officially inducted into the Polaris Hall of Fame during a ceremony on April 24, 2007.

Eric Clemens
 
Polaris Program: Electronics
1993 Graduate, Midpark High School
Current Employment:
President/CEO
Acroment Technologies, LLC
 
Eric Clemens, a 1994 graduate of the Electronics program, attended Polaris to learn in a practical setting and expand his choices after high school.  While at Polaris, he worked as an Information Technology (IT) consultant for the Berea City School District. After graduating from Midpark in 1993, he returned to Polaris for his 13^th year, interned at NASA Lewis Research Center, and work for a local telephone service company.  In 1994, he was placed with Micro Pro, servicing and building computer systems in a retail establishment.  His duties quickly expanded into marketing, sales, and training new sales and technical staff.  Capitalizing on his diverse experience in the retail computer market, Eric helped setup and open two local computer retail operations.  In 1997, he joined Grace Software Marketing as IT Director.  He later became Vice President of IT, overseeing a staff of five programmers and administrators, managing all technical infrastructures for offices in Mayfield, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona.  In 2004, he left Grace and founded Acroment Technologies, a successful Rocky River-based firm that provides strategic IT consulting services to small businesses in Northeast Ohio.
 
Eric holds a number of IT credentials, including the Certified Principal Lotus Professional and Microsoft Certified Professional certifications.  While at Polaris, he received two gold medals in the regional VICA Electronics Technologies competitions, one State gold medal, and represented Polaris at the 1994 National VICA Electronics Technology competition.  In March of 2006, Acroment received the NEO Success Award for being one of the fastest growing companies in Cleveland.  In addition, Eric was named as "One to Watch" by Inside Business Magazine in January of this year.  He is also involved with the John Carroll University Entrepreneurs Association, University Settlement, and the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club.  Eric currently resides in Lakewood.

Marcia Columbro, M.D.

Pediatrician and Medical Site Director
Columbro, Greenberg, Carruthers, Garner & Aziz
Polaris Program: Medical Assisting (1 year)
1976 Graduate, Strongsville High School
 
Marcia Columbro is the first community business partner to be inducted into the Constellation of Shining Stars.  Although she is being honored for her tremendous commitment to Polaris, Marcia actually started here as a student.  In high school, she knew she wanted to enter the healthcare field.  Her mother worked in pediatrics at Southwest General Health Center, and she chose to follow in her footsteps.  Marcia spent her junior year in the Polaris Medical Assisting program, which paved the way to a nursing assistant position at Southwest, a job she held her junior and senior years.  After high school, she attended The Ohio State University where she earned a BS in Nutrition and ultimately her M.D.  Marcia did her pediatric residency training at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.  She then joined the Westlake practice, now known as Columbro, Greenberg, Carruthers, Garner & Aziz, which she has been a part of for nearly 17 years.  Dr. Columbro is a Pediatrician and Medical Site Director, overseeing both the clinical and business side of the practice.  In addition, she is on the Clinical Faculty of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
 
In 1998, Marcia received an award from University Primary Care Practices for contribution and commitment to the Physician Advisory Board.  She was also the 2003 recipient of the YWCA Women of Professional Excellence.  Dr. Columbro serves on the Citizens Advisory Board for the City of Westlake, the Westlake City Schools Wellness Committee, and the St. John West Shore Hospital Community Advisory Board.   In addition, she has been a valuable member of the Polaris Medical Assisting Advisory Council for several years, providing input on curriculum, equipment, and other important aspects of the program.  Marcia hires Polaris students, provides externship opportunities, participates in panel discussions, and has been a classroom guest speaker, presenting a broad range of topics including professional behavior, dress, work ethics, attendance, and study habits.  She, her husband John, and four children currently reside in Westlake.

James MacMillan
 
Polaris Program: Drafting
1982 Graduate, North Olmsted High School
Current Employment:
Vice President
Karpinski Engineering, Inc.

A 1982 graduate of the Polaris Drafting program, James MacMillan developed an appreciation of drafting in junior high shop class.  Once enrolled at Polaris, his love of school blossomed.  After graduating from high school, James worked as a drafter for Ohio Mechanical followed by stints with RE Warner and Middough & Associates.  In 1989, he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Fenn College of Engineering at Cleveland State University.  Shortly after earning his engineering degree, he was hired by Karpinski Engineering, Inc. and worked his way up the ranks to Vice President, a position he still holds today.

James is a Registered Professional Engineer and was the first engineer in Ohio to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council.  He currently sits on the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers National Technical Committee on Geothermal Energy.  In 2006, MacMillan was inducted into the Cleveland State University Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.  At CSU, he continues to volunteer his time, assisting in various student recruitment and professional development activities.  He lives in Cuyahoga Falls with his wife Chris, a former Polaris Drafting student, and three children.