Columbus mayor names review committee

Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther

COLUMBUS-OH- Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and City Councilmember Shannon G. Hardin has announced the nine members of the Charter Review Committee this week at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

The Committee members were selected from applications submitted over the last three weeks. The Committee is charged with leading the discussion on the structure and governance of City Council.

“This is an opportunity to review how to best serve all residents in every corner of the city,” said Councilmember Hardin. “The Charter Review Committee will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the structure of Council and how to effectively serve our constituents.”

“The members we have selected for the Charter Review Committee reflect a range of backgrounds and neighborhoods,” said Mayor Ginther. “I am confident they will lead a thorough and thoughtful discussion of how City Council can best represent Columbus in the future.”

The work will begin this month with a minimum of seven public meetings over the next six months. The Committee will report its findings to the Mayor and Council in February of 2017. Any recommendations made by the Committee to amend the City Charter will require a vote of Council and the approval of Columbus voters.

The members of the Charter Review Committee are:

Stefanie L. Coe, of Southwest Columbus has been selected as the chair of the Charter Review Committee by Mayor Ginther and the City Council President Zach Klein. Coe is general counsel at MPW Industrial Services and chair of the Southwest Area Commission. Coe’s previous experience includes serving as an assistant city attorney for environmental prosecution, helping prosecute misdemeanor code violations throughout the city.

Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, of Merion Village is the executive director of City Year Columbus and has been involved in City Year for nearly 20 years. A first generation American of Cuban decent, Barroso was born and raised in Columbus and left as part of her City Year obligations, but returned to Columbus.

Jennette B. Bradley, of Far East Columbus is the former Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, former Treasurer of Ohio, former director of the Ohio Department of Commerce, former chair of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency Board, and an 11-year member of Columbus City Council where she chaired the City’s Utilities and Public Safety committees. She is currently the managing partner of J. Bradley Partners, LLC.

Frieda L. Gilyard, of Eastmoor is community activist involved in the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence where she works with faith-based institutions to raise awareness, promote education and empower women and men to make changes in their churches and communities to create a culture that does not tolerate family violence.

Tyrone A. Lawes, of the Hilltop is the presiding pastor of the Philadelphia Baptist Church of Love and Faith. Rev. Lawes is a member of the Baptist Ministerial Alliance of Columbus and the Vicinity and former associate minister of the Mount Vernon Avenue Baptist Church. Rev. Lawes began his call to ministry at the age of 18, in which time he and his wife have served as foster parents to many children throughout the city.

Keary McCarthy, of Clintonville is the President and CEO of the non-profit policy think tank Innovation Ohio. McCarthy has also served on the transition teams to both Cuyahoga County Executives as they sought to define the new position and make county government responsive to residents. McCarthy has also served as Minority Chief of Staff to the Ohio House of Representatives.

Frederick E. Mills, of Northwest Columbus is a retired partner of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP and former leader of the firm’s government relations group. Mills is a former Majority Chief of Staff, Majority Legal Counsel and Clerk for the Ohio House of Representatives; former Ohio Superintendent of Banks; and is currently a member of the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission, which is tasked with developing recommendations to the Ohio General Assembly for improving and modernizing Ohio’s Constitution.

John C. Rosenberger, of German Village is the president of the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation – a non-profit corporation designated as the land reutilization corporation for Franklin County, which also serves as the County’s land bank. A practicing attorney, Rosenberger has extensive community experience guiding the Capital South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and served has served as special counsel to the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Robert Vitale, of German Village is the editor-in-chief of Outlook Magazine, an LGBT news and entertainment publication. Vitale is a former beat reporter for the Columbus Dispatch assigned to Columbus City Hall and has worked at several other news outlets throughout the eastern United States.

“The Committee has been charged with the important work of making sure all residents in all neighborhoods have a say in the future of governance,” said Coe. “I am grateful to Mayor Ginther and City Council for the opportunity to serve with this diverse group who cherish Columbus as much as I do.”

“These members are ready to hear from the community, examine the national best practices and facilitate a citywide conversation so that all Columbus residents can have a say in the structure of their City Council,” said Hardin.