Marcus Harris finds footing in Cleveland
Former Sandusky diversity officer and county commission candidate is workforce development director for Cuyahoga County board
PERKINS TWP. — Marcus Harris, who ran unsuccessfully for the Erie County commission in November 2024, has moved on from city government but not from public service.
Harris, 46, left his position as Sandusky’s diversity and economic opportunity manager in April to become director of programs and services for Greater Cleveland Works, the workforce development board serving Cuyahoga County.
“Workforce development is my area of expertise,” Harris said during an interview on Sunday.
The role puts Harris on the front lines of helping people find sustainable employment. His team manages federal job training funds, contracts with service providers and oversees both adult and youth workforce programs.
“We are responsible for making sure programming runs with operational excellence and is human-centered and focused on outcomes — which are job placements for people to break the cycle of poverty,” he said.
Though his career path has shifted east, Harris, who grew up in Sandusky and is a 1997 graduate of Sandusky High School, hasn’t left Erie County.
“We still reside in Perkins,” he said, noting that his wife works as a dental hygienist in Sandusky and their son is a senior at Perkins High School. “This is still home.”
As for politics, Harris said he has no regrets about his 2023 run for county commissioner. He was the Democrat who ran against incumbent commissioner Pat Shenigo.
“The day after I was like, this sucks. And then the next day the sun came up … life goes on and you continue to do the work,” he said. “It wasn’t the outcome that I wanted, but it brought in my perspective on what it means. I’m happy I did it. I do not regret doing it.”
Asked if he might run again, Harris was cautious.
“That all depends on what comes next after (his son) Dallas graduates and whether we want to move … right now I’m where I want to be.”
For now, Harris is focused on workforce development, where national policy decisions meet local realities.
“It’s not about politics for me,” he said. “It’s about making sure people get a fair shot at opportunity.”
Coming this week:
• Does Sandusky have a DEI program? Does it matter?
• On the front lines of Trump policy shifts, Harris sees real-world fallout