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Donovan led the non-profit from 1990-2020
Canalway Partners is sadden to share the death of Tim Donovan, who served as Canalway Partners’ first executive director from 1990 until his retirement in 2020. Donovan dedicated more than three decades to the development of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area and the extension of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail through Cuyahoga County. He cited his proudest moments to be the successful passage of legislation in Congress that recognized the Ohio & Erie Canalway as a National Heritage Area and the completion of the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga County. Donovan died August 13 in Cleveland.
His vision, expertise, tenacity, and ability to collaborate paved the way for a trail system that has forever improved the quality of life in northeast Ohio.
“We are saddened to lose Tim Donovan. His commitment to Canalway Partners and his enthusiasm for sharing Cleveland’s history was unmatched. As an organization, Canalway continues to benefit from the legacy of Tim’s determination. The Towpath Trail will stand for decades to come as the proof of his leadership and dedication to Cleveland,” said Mera Cardenas, current executive director of Canalway Partners.
Donovan started many programs that continue to connect people to historic stories and places. Through 2025, Donovan stayed actively involved with Canalway via his participation in the planning committee for Cleveland History Days, an event he founded in 2018.
Donovan founded RiverSweep in 1989, the largest one-day litter cleanup in Ohio and still one of Canalway’s most impactful events. In its 36 years, RiverSweep has cleaned up more than 1.55 million pounds of trash, transformed more than 400 acres of land into public parks and trails, and engaged more than 23,000 volunteers.
Together with longtime colleague and friend Tom Yablonsky, Donovan co-founded Take a Hike in 2009, a program of Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation that guides people through Cleveland’s vibrant neighborhoods, cultural sites, and legacy architecture.
In 2019, Tim Donovan was named Community Leader of the Year by Cleveland Magazine. He was a lifelong Clevelander and an alumnus of Cleveland State University and of Saint Ignatius High School.
Canalway is forever grateful for Tim Donovan for his commitment, his grit, and his vision. He will be missed.