CLEVELAND, Ohio—The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is pleased to announce the appointments of Freda J. Levenson as legal director and Kim Schuette as communications director, according to Executive Director Christine Link. Levenson will be located at the organization’s headquarters in Cleveland and Schuette will be based out of its Columbus office.

“We are pleased to have these two very experienced and committed professionals on staff to help the ACLU of Ohio continue its efforts in protecting all of our civil liberties,” Link said. “Both women bring in-depth knowledge and achievement to their fields—Freda as a seasoned litigator, as well as a long-time adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and Kim as a public relations practitioner for regional, state and national nonprofits.”

Levenson started work as managing attorney at the ACLU of Ohio in February of this year and was promoted to legal director in September. Her major responsibilities include litigation, management of the legal team, and legal analysis of pending legislation and other emerging civil liberties issues.

A graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts and the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Mich., Levenson was a litigation partner at a large commercial law firm in Chicago until moving back to her hometown of Shaker Heights, Ohio. There, she served on the Shaker Heights Board of Education for 16 years, including four years as its president. At the CWRU School of Law, Levenson taught in both the master of laws (LL.M.) and juris doctor (J.D.) programs.

Schuette will be responsible for the organization’s communications programs, including media relations, social media, website content, and publications. Prior to joining the ACLU of Ohio, she was the media relations manager and editor for Lancaster Pollard, a national investment and mortgage banking firm headquartered in Columbus, for three years. Previously, she worked in marketing-communications for the Ohio Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection), The Ohio State University, the Ohio Society of CPAs, the American Heart Association, and the Central Ohio Diabetes Association.

Schuette attended Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, and received her master’s degree in journalism from Marshall University in Huntington, W. Va. She is a long-time member of the Columbus Chapter of International Association of Business Communicators.