John R. Cleveland
The ladder of success is one John R. Cleveland has been climbing steadily for a long time. The University of Mississippi civil engineering alumnus has worked with oil and gas conglomerate ExxonMobil for more than 26 years. During his tenure, Cleveland has emerged a proven leader who has delivered significant results in each of the 16 assignments held.
“We love Ole Miss and Oxford and have built a house just off the Square so we can return and enjoy the ambiance of the Square and Ole Miss,” Cleveland said. “We fully subscribe to the writing of Frank E. Everett Jr. and his words hang on our wall, wherever we live that states ‘one never graduates from Ole Miss.'”
Cleveland’s leadership abilities were validated early on. The Fulton native became an Eagle Scout at age 15 and was a three-year starting point guard in varsity basketball at Itawamba Agricultural High School. Named Mr. IAHS as a senior, that experience brought him an athletic scholarship to Itawamba Community College, which he attended before entering UM.
“While at Ole Miss, I was a member of the ASCE, Chi Epsilon and VP of the Engineering Student Body,” said Cleveland, who graduated cum laude in 1988. “Since then, I’ve become a Life Member of the Alumni Association, Woods Order, Woods Society, Ole Miss Fund, Education 111 Initiative and Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.”
As the Americas Heavy Fuel Oil Commercial Trader for ExxonMobil, Cleveland has exercised his international business knowledge and adept commercial negotiating skills honed through interactions with major global corporations. His sales savvy, business acumen, vision and leadership enable him to manage large portfolios, in excess of $4 billion.
“I’m a strategic marketer with the ability to manage high-profile brands as in a previous role as marketing manager for Mobil 1, including Mobil 1 Racing,” he said. “I have both organizational design and start-up experience. Being technically astute in critical thinking and strategic analysis has given me the ability to motivate and develop people to achieve a common cause. I also have developed keen expense and capital budget management skills.”
An Ole Miss campus recruiter for ExxonMobil, Cleveland regularly returns to his alma mater and meets with engineering students and faculty. He’s served on the Engineering Advisory Board and is a UM Lacrosse Club sponsor and team booster.
Cleveland has lived in multiple cities with ExxonMobil, including Kingwood, Texas, Bridgewater, New Jersey, Nashville and, presently, in Centreville, Virginia. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Beth, for 29 years. The couple has three daughters: Megan, Courtney and Kellie.
“A 2013 cum laude graduate of Harding University, Megan is a second-year occupational therapy President’s List student at the University of Mississippi Medical Center,” Cleveland said. “Courtney is a junior in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at Ole Miss double-majoring in banking and managerial finance. Kellie is a junior at Westfield High School, where she is an honor student and Virginia state champion field hockey and lacrosse player. She plans to attend Ole Miss in 2016.”
The Clevelands are members of Manassas Church of Christ. His hobbies include golf, whitetail deer and upland game hunting, snow skiing and running. Cleveland has been SYA girls travel basketball coach for six years and AAU girls basketball coach for Western Fairfax Mustangs for one year. Other involvements include Rainbow Christian Services (Prince William County Foster Children’s Home), Rainbow Golf Classic co-chair raising $35,000 for foster children, young family ministries leader and vision, mission and values leader at Fairfax Church of Christ and youth and young professionals Bible school teacher at Manassas Church of Christ.
As president of the Westfield Athletic Booster Club, Cleveland oversaw a $2 million capital improvements campaign. The effort produced a turf athletic field in the main stadium, comfort station expansion, lacrosse wall, accessibility paving upgrade and an additional $500,000 to WHS athletic operations. He championed the selection and giving of more than $125,000 in scholarships to deserving WHS athletes to continue their education in college.