ACE Mentoring Program Offers Pathway for Ready Students

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Special to the Real Deal
Celebrating ACE Mentor Program of Cleveland’s 10^th Anniversary 

Building Future Leaders in Architecture, Construction and Engineering

“Tonight is a celebration of the people who have found a way to support CMSD student scholars.” - Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO and ACE Mentor Cleveland board member Eric Gordon

By Kim St. John-Stevenson

Local architects, builders, construction leaders and engineers – and more importantly students – recently gathered at two events designed to celebrate 10 years of academic achievement, mentoring and scholarships for Cleveland area youth, youth who will contribute to our region’s development.

The celebrations – ACE Mentor Cleveland’s 10^th Anniversary Gala and the organization’s annual Presentation and Scholarship Night – honored youth, mentors and industry leaders. The stars of both events were students, past and present. 

Warrensville HS students
presenting at ACE Anniversary Gala

Showcasing what they learned, students from Warrensville High School and the John Hay School of Architecture and Design shared presentations that were the culmination of a year’s worth of work with ACE mentors and volunteers. The Warrensville team focused their presentation on the revitalization of Warrensville Heights, while the John Hay team – which took their project national when they competed against teams from 35 other affiliates – focused their efforts of development of a modular smart house that could revolutionize home construction costs.

Following the presentations, Emeritus ACE board member Thomas Laird of Gilbane Building Company thanked the students for their energy and enthusiasm, noting that “every year, the bar gets raised just a little higher.” 

Javon Miller, Kent State

Celebrating the anniversary and reaching back were recurring themes throughout the evening.  Javon Miller, an ACE alum from the Warrensville team and current ACE Cleveland scholar at Kent State University, took to the stage to say thank you and to encourage the young people to keep moving forward.  Javon first thanked the many men and women who commit their time and their organization’s resources to the after-school meetings, field trips, mentoring and internships that ACE students experience.  He then added some advice for students: “Remember to have maturity, character and drive. Make effective relationships.”

“This program is so valuable to your collegiate and career future. So keep cultivating your character, building your drive and establishing good relationships with your mentors. Those attributes will carry you far in life.” – Javon Miller, former Warrensville Heights ACE participant and scholarship recipient

Fred Geis and Brandon Moore
of Geis Companies

Fred Geis of Geis Companies took the stage with Brandon Moore, a former ACE scholar who now works for Geis, to highlight the importance of sponsor involvement in ACE work. “As industry leaders, we can’t expect the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to take all of the responsibility for [students] getting into our field. We need to expose them.” Students like Brandon, who, Geis added, “got excited about what he could learn about construction.”

2018 ACE Mentor Program Winning Team from Warrensville Heights HS

How It All Began

It was a little over ten years ago that Laird, new to the Cleveland area by way of Washington D.C., began discussions about bringing the ACE Mentor Program to Cleveland. “From the very first meeting, I knew we had to do ACE here,” he noted. Since then, the organization has grown from one to eleven programs that engage nearly 200 students. In honor of his contributions, this year the organization launched the inaugural Thomas Laird Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship awarded this year to Mohammed Khaled, a John Hay graduate, who will be attending Cleveland State University as an engineering student in the fall.

Maureen Westropp of Panzica Construction
 and Tim Lavelle of Gorman-Lavelle

In 10 years, ACE Mentor Program Cleveland has awarded more than $700,000 to students studying in architecture, construction management and engineering (or related fields) and engaged hundreds of industry professionals, representing over 60 companies in the work of shaping future leaders.

In September 2017, ACE reported that 78% of the ACE recipients from 2016/2017 and prior are either enrolled in college or graduated. For comparison purposes, college graduation rate among U.S. students who attended high poverty high schools is 18 percent per the National Student Clearinghouse (2016). With the addition of the 2017/2018 freshmen, ACE has funded a total of 111 students since 2010. Of those 111, 38% have majored in Engineering, Architecture, Construction or Computer Science, with another 5% majoring in Business, Accounting or Finance.

“Students, there is no straight line to your career pathway. There are many paths to get to the many opportunities that exist. I thank you for your commitment and encourage you to continue to grow, continue to find ways to continue the good work. Seek that magic – it is well worth the effort.” – Richard Mayer, Senior Director –Construction Services for Sodexo USA/University Hospitals, ACE Mentor Program sponsor

Congratulations 2018 Scholars!

ACE Mentor Program Cleveland 2018 Scholarship Recipients

“I can’t put into words what ACE did for me in my two years of participation. I was able to learn and excel - with the help of all of my mentors. ACE helped a lot with my choice to study architecture at Kent State University.” - Isidro Villa 

Katie Chevalier Bawarski, ACE Director
 of Regional Programs, with Cleveland
ACE Executive Director Glen Shumate 

The 2017-2018 academic year has come to a close, and ACE Mentor Program Cleveland ended the year with a big bang as it awarded 30 scholarships totaling $125,000 to graduating seniors from across Northeast Ohio at its annual Presentation Night and Scholarship Dinner. Additionally, the organization gave out the Tom Laird and Kendall King awards and recognized the many scholarship sponsors and partners over the organization’s 10-year history.

Kim St. John-Stevenson is principal of Ink+ LLC, a strategic communications firm.

2018 ACE Mentor Program Scholarship Recipients

Name	High School	City of Residence
Chardajah Martin	Collinwood	Cleveland
Taylor Benford	High Tech Academy	Cleveland
Georgia Toomer	High Tech Academy	Cleveland
Jack Ovalles	James Ford Rhodes	Cleveland
Nicole Thornton	James Ford Rhodes	Cleveland
Maysaa Zaghari	James Ford Rhodes	Cleveland
Jesse Knight	James Ford Rhodes	Cleveland
Lucero Sandate	James Ford Rhodes	Cleveland
JuTayjua Hines	James Ford Rhodes	Cleveland
Steven Loomis	James Ford Rhodes	Cleveland
Bakari Ballard	John Hay - Local	Maple Heights
Justise Porter	John Hay - Local	Warrensville Heights
Tyrese Benson	John Hay - Local	Maple Heights
Courteney Martin	John Hay - Local	Cleveland
Mohammed Khaled	John Hay - National	Cleveland
Courtney Alexander	John Hay - National	Cleveland Heights
Jasmine Feller	John Hay - National	Garfield Heights
Jyae McWilson	John Hay - National	Cleveland
Juan Mojica (Lopez)	John Hay - National	University Heights
Crystal Webb	John Hay - National	Cleveland
Ke'Shone Williams	Max Hayes	Cleveland
Nylah Brown	Max Hayes	Cleveland
Shamar Hawkins	Max Hayes	Cleveland
Tynazia Powell	Max Hayes	Cleveland
Shaqwon Badley	Max Hayes	Cleveland
Nealvon Ezell	Max Hayes	Cleveland
Logan Conner	New Tech West at Max Hayes	Lakewood
Oscar Malave	New Tech West at Max Hayes	Lakewood
William Bailey	Warrensville Heights	Warrensville Heights
Ti'Naja Peters	Warrensville Heights	Warrensville Heights

To learn more about ACE Mentor Program Cleveland, contact Glen Shumate, Executive Director, at gshumate@ceacisp.org .

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 [A1]Link to online copy of the Presentation Night and Scholarship Dinner booklet

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Election Day in Cuyahoga County: What We're Watching

Here are some of the storylines we are following as Primary Election Day unfolds in Cuyahoga County; what happens today will go a long way towards setting the stage for even more decisive public choices in November. 

U.S. Senate

• Will turnout in the black community be so miniscule as to persuade the incumbent Sherrod Brown that he must find new ways to strengthen his connection to African Americans?

Governor 

• Will the relatively fresh face and true blue conservatism of Lt. Governor Mary Taylor appeal to enough GOP trumpettes to puncture the tired facade of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine?

• Will lifelong populist and pretend progressive Dennis Kucinich upset the earnest but unexciting Rich Cordray, whose mild manner shades a true dedication to effective public service?

Ohio Attorney General

• How might the unfolding charter school scandal currently centered on the apparently-criminal-but-in-any-event appalling behavior of ECOT officials affect voter perceptions of State Auditor Dave Yost?

Ohio Treasurer 

• Cincinnati Attorney Rob Richardson is perhaps the most promising black candidate the Democrats have fielded statewide in a non judicial race in memory. How will he fare in northeast Ohio?

State Senate 

• The District 21 race is filled with familiar names. Is this the last time voters will see the names of Jeff Johnson (backed by Congresswoman Marcia Fudge) and Bill Patmon (supported by Mrs. Patmon) on the ballot? Will the quiet but competent Sandra Williams cruise to renomination with the endorsement of Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson?

• Will State Rep. Marty Sweeney get a twofer? The notorious backroom brawler is trying to defeat fellow state Rep. Nickie Antonio for the open 23rd District state senate seat while sliding his daughter, Bride Sweeney, into office as his successor. Two Sweeney successes would confirm that old boy politics remains dishearteningly alive on the westside. 

• State Rep. John Barnes seems to do enough behind the scenes to keep him in the good graces of local municipal officials such that he has their endorsement at election time, notwithstanding his thoroughly uninspiring record in Columbus. Will he win sufficient support in his District 25 primary challenge to Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko to convince him to hang around and try again in 2022, when Yuko will be term limited?

Was there an establishment bias in the PeeDee choice to advance the callow ahead of the competent?

Ohio House

• District 10 is an open seat with a boatload of candidates vying to succeed the term-limited Bill Patmon. Can community organizer Kyle Earley ride the support of his mentor Nina Turner and the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus to victory? Will former Cleveland city councilman T. J. Dow get his career back on track, abetted by councilpersons Kevin (city) and Yvonne (county) Conwell? Or will city councilman Anthony Hairston be able to install his protege Terence Upchurch?

• The most interesting candidate in this race is Ivy League-educated Aanand Mehta,  The Jones Day attorney is one of a growing cadre of second-generation Indian Americans entering the political scene. The Ohio Legislature already boasts one Indian American member [a Republican]. Hamilton County clerk of courts Aftab Pureval, now running for Congress, is one of Ohio Democrats' most promising stars. But in a diverse district that is predominantly African American, it is unclear that Mehta has made substantive connections with those he wishes to represent.

• District 12 is also an open seat. Juanita Brent is the endorsed Democrat and Dimitri McDaniel is a promising newcomer. But we hope voters support Yvonka Hall. We like candidates who educate themselves and the public on  important issues, who work outside politics to serve the community, and who thereby establish their community credentials before declaring their desire to "serve the people". As founder and tireless executive director of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, Hall checks all those boxes. She is not a go along to get along person and would take a new spirit to Columbus.

County Council

The Plain Dealer endorsement of Michael Houser for county council was concussive for thinking people. There simply is no way at this time that he measures up to the outstanding record of public service that Cheryl Stephens has compiled over three decades as an elected official (mayor and council member in Cleveland Heights), civil servant (economic development official for City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County) and in the private sector. She is knowledgeable on the issues, well respected in development circles, comes to the table prepared, and is strong willed yet collegial. She is just the sort of thoughtful representative that a mostly meek county council needs around the table.

One might be tempted to think there was an establishment bias in the PD choice to advance the callow ahead of the competent. We hope the voters of County District 10 choose the independent Democrat Stephens over the machine-oriented Houser.

Common Pleas Court

We have written extensively about the highly contested races for the four open seats on the county trial court bench. We have endorsed Michael Rendon and extolled Karrie Howard, who we formally endorse here and whose election to the bench we think is of fundamental importance, both to the community as a whole and the black community in particular. We think both William McGinty and Andrew Santoli are qualified; our choice will be made in the ballot box.

The one race we have not discussed is the most troubling. Andrea Nelson Moore has been raked over the coals for a minor campaign misstep she made in a prior judicial race. Her convoluted and tin-eared explanation for that misstep earned her a zero rating from local bar associations and the Plain Dealer’s scorn. But the fact is she broke no law and, though suspended pending an inquiry, she was never sanctioned. Our problem is that her opponent, blessed with only a modest record of her own but a popular ballot name and an ample war chest, has blasted Moore as if she were a felon. The attacks have been relentless, pervasive, and in the aggregate, offensive. We prefer Moore in this race. 

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Finally, there are some underlying storylines that we are keen to follow. The Democrats are electing precinct committee representatives today. (The Republicans do it in presidential primary years.) A number of insurgents are on the ballot, though likely not enough to affect the party hierarchy. But there is a battle underway for the soul of the county party, and the precinct committee results may offer some markers as to how that is progressing.

The second underlying storyline has to do with endorsements by Cleveland’s most prominent black officials, Congresswoman Fudge and Mayor Jackson. They have backed competing candidates in several races in this cycle. Fudge’s choices often seemed tactical, that is to say, political, while Jackson’s appear more personal, rooted in his appreciation of loyalty.  What will today’s results say about the relative value of their respective endorsements? What will they say for the future of local black politics, especially among increasing speculation that Cleveland's next mayor will be white?

How the Cleveland Browns should draft

The Browns have been historically bad the past two seasons. They need help at every level on both offense and defense.
The fastest way to improve the team is by drafting the best player available every time, regardless of position. Even though they hold the first and 4th positions this year, they can likely get the two best players in the draft.
One plays offense, the other plays defense.
The Browns can get them both if they take running back Saquon Barkley of Penn State #1 and defensive lineman Bradley Chubb with their second pick at #4. They will be immensely improved immediately, especially if they continue that approach with their next THREE early picks.

Open Seat Judicial Primaries, Part I

This year's Democrat judicial primary contests carry out-sized importance for Party

Judicial races are often the proverbial red-headed stepchildren of the ballot. They come “down-ballot”, near the end of an often long list of races. Voters who have trudged to the polls often are tired of thinking and trying to remember who their neighbor told them they should vote for. The seven or eight minutes worth of time they’ve already spent making sure their pencil marks were correctly placed has them feeling like impatient schoolchildren, eager to finish up and go outside. So they either skip the last few races or stab at familiar names.

That kind of voter behavior means we often wind up with inferior judges on the bench.

We stirred up a hornet’s nest a few months ago when we pulled the lid off the judicial endorsement process of the County Democratic Party and took a look at the four open seats on the county court, i.e., those races where there is no incumbent on the ballot this year. What often appears a mysterious anointment of a few coveted judicial slots by hands unseen is this year a no-holds barred battle among lawyers eager to cap their careers or launch themselves into public office. And the results of their efforts will likely affect the course of the county party for the next few years.

Each of the four open races carries its own peculiar dynamic. Two of the races are head-to-head battles, one has three candidates, and the other has six contestants.

Voters should be aware that in several of the races there is at least one candidate who appears to be running more on a favorable ballot name than on a solid record of professional accomplishment. In that regard, we are providing a link to each candidate’s judicial questionnaire as submitted to www.judge4yourself.com, an independent, nonpartisan evaluation service operated jointly by four local bar associations. Their process is not perfect, but can serves as a useful aid for the thoughtful voter.

With early voting having started April 10, there are just over three weeks until Primary Election Day, May 8.

Here are some observations voters may find helpful:

William T. McGinty vs. Andrew J. Santoli

Andre J. Santoli

William T. McGinty

This race is a study in contrasts. Santoli, 38, is a career prosecutor who has been running for the better part of two years. He has the backing of the Bill Mason-Marcia Fudge machine, which shouldn’t necessarily be held against him. He has a solid 3.0 ranking [out of a possible 4] from judge4yourself.com.

McGinty, 65, entered the race at the filing deadline. His career has been primarily focused on criminal defense, although he has served as Fairview Park law director for the past two years. He would be limited to one term if elected. He is not related to former county prosecutor Tim McGinty.

McGinty was preferred by judge4yourself.com with a 3.5 rating. Santoli is endorsed by the county party and the Plain Dealer.

In our opinion, either candidate could serve commendably. It may be a matter of personal preference for the voter, with Santoli’s youth, prosecutor’s orientation, and organizational backing vs. McGinty’s end-of-career perspective and broader experience.

Emily Hagan vs. Michael Rendon vs. Retanio A. J. Rucker

Retanio A. J. Rucker

I have known Retanio Rucker’s family since before he was born. I can attest that he was raised by good and loving folk who practiced solid American values. He has served conscientiously as a magistrate in Juvenile Court for eleven years. He has an authoritative, no-nonsense manner on the bench. If elected, he would bring needed diversity to the court as an African American male jurist.

Rucker, 58, laid an egg before judge4yourself.com, earning a dismal 0.5 rating. I suspect the ranking reflects his assertive personality more than anything else. I am confident he could handle the transition from juvenile court magistrate to the Court’s General Division.

Emily Hagan

Emily Hagan, 40, has one of the thinnest resumes imaginable for a judicial candidate. She does not appear ever to have had the kinds of experience one would expect a trial court judicial candidate to have obtained. She enjoys the backing of the old guard, including Mason-Fudge, likely because her uncle is a former county commissioner and one-time head of the party. Judge4yourself.com found her “adequate” with a 2.0 across the board. Still, it was a surprise to many when she failed to win the party’s endorsement, largely because the process had become overtly racialized.

Michael J. Rendon

But Michael Rendon, 60, is far and away the superior candidate in this race. Take a look at his background and you will see a breath and depth to his professional and life experiences that make him ideal as a judicial candidate. I was surprised and delighted to see that he was a U.S. border guard for four years. His military background, Hispanic heritage, and rich experience combine to render him head and shoulders above the field. Judge4yourself.com concurs, giving him a perfect 4.0 rating.

Tomorrow we look at the other two judicial races that have challenged the black political establishment and will likely have far-reaching consequences regardless of who become the nominees.

Dixon's long tenure at GCRTA speaks to Cleveland's sub-par political culture

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​Our low standards are killing us

The forced resignation of George F Dixon III two weeks ago as board chair of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority at the behest of his fellow trustees comes across as an urgent carbon monoxide detector. He resigned as his fellow board members investigate whether Dixon may have improperly failed to pay his share of premiums for his GCRTA subsidized health insurance.

The situation points once again to a Greater Cleveland political culture that recycles and rewards a collection of undistinguished political insiders — both elected and appointed — whose chief assets seem to be a general affability accompanied by a reluctance to rock the boat.

The administration and management of GCRTA seem at this moment to reflect the same political culture that enabled the Jimmy Dimora-Frank Russo era of just a decade ago.  Blessed with a high school education, Dimora epitomized the archetype of the jovial back slapping, deal-making public official.

Even after the FBI raid on their county administration offices and homes in July 2008 — Dimora was one of three county commissioners and Russo the county treasurer — most local Democratic Party apparatchiks were reluctant to challenge the duo’s leadership of the party. Over and over, when asked how they could tolerate the indicted pair’s continued party leadership, people would recite some favor or kindness rendered to them or a family member by Dimora as a rationale for enduring an unconscionable situation.

Our preference for affability and comfort over a commitment to excellence and service is one of the key hindrances to our community advancement. It is not the kind of cultural attribute one expects would appeal to a corporate giant looking to expand to a new community.

We don’t know George Dixon personally, nor have any facts emerged thus far established that he has broken any laws. People we respect describe him

George Dixon was appointed to GCRTA board
in 1992 and served as chairman from 1994
until he resigned under pressure last month.

warmly as an intelligent guy with an engaging manner. He did enjoy a reputation as the King of GCRTA, however, with an aura reinforced by the fact that board meetings took place in the George F. Dixon III Board Room.

Yet on the face of it, something is wrong when a person serves as chairman of a public agency for nearly a quarter of a century. As former judge and county council president C. Ellen Connally has written, such long uninterrupted tenures are breeding grounds for threats to the public interest.

Dixon’s departure opens the door for a major overhaul of the ten-member GCRTA board. Not only did the terms of Charles P. Lucas and former East Cleveland mayor Gary Norton expire on March 31, but two other trustees continue to serve after their terms have expired. Valerie McCall’s term expired in March 2017 and Leo Serrano’s term expired in March 2016.

Three of Cleveland’s appointees are serving past term and the fourth just resigned. It does not speak well for the appointing authorities — the Jackson and Budish administrations — to be so lackadaisical about making timely appointments to a vital public agency with more than 2000 employees and a $300 million budget.

Mayor Jackson likes to say Cleveland will not be a great city unless and until all its neighborhoods share in the prosperity of the city’s renaissance. Most of the people who live in those “least of these” neighborhoods don’t have cars and are dependent upon public transit to get to work, to the doctor, and to shop.

It would behoove Mayor Jackson and County Executive Budish to consider appointing some regular bus riders to the board. We see little evidence that the current board members identify with workers who face two hour commutes each way to jobs that pay less than a living wage.

Frank, if you want Cleveland to be great, start by giving us some great board members. Even better, do it with a sense of urgency and transparency. 

Don't keep letting it be "what it is".

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[Cleveland appoints four members of the RTA board. The County appoints three, and the Cuyahoga Mayors and Managers Association appoints three.]