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Emerging Leadership

By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D.
The Truth Contributor

The leadership is there. If you go out and work with your people, then the leadership will emerge.     
                  - Bob Moses
 

 

Rev. Donald L. Perryman, D.Min.

The names of four stand-ins for suspended councilmen Tyrone Riley, Yvonne Harper, Larry Sykes and Gary Johnson will be announced very shortly. Lucas County Probate Judge Jack Puffenberger is in the final stages of interviewing approximately 10 finalists from 128 applicants for the temporary council positions.

Puffenberger, a Democrat, will ultimately decide as to who gets appointed.  However, we would be naïve to think that he is not asking others for input. The Judge has reached out to Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and many others in consultation. The judgment of Local 500’s David Fleetwood, Toledo Northwest Ohio Building Trades, and the Lucas County Democratic Party are other voices that Puffenberger will consider. The Judge is also a good friend of Democratic Party leader Mike Beazley and has known the political strategist personally for a long time.

What can we expect?

The Not Interested:

Several “preferred candidates” who Party leaders regarded highly, never applied for the job. Candidates such as Candice Harrison, Wendi Huntley and John Jones were not interested or quite ready to serve in a city council capacity for various personal reasons. 

No Familiar Faces:

Don’t look for anyone from the past to surface. A forceful August 26, 2020 opinion piece by the Blade’s Editorial Board made it clear that there was no appetite for “second-time arounders.” However, Harvey Savage, a previous council candidate, is a name that surfaces on the list of finalists.   

Democratic Party Chair Mike Ashford is also a candidate. Although Ashford has a lot of political support he is expected to run for an at-large council seat next year and therefore, not expected to be appointed by Puffenberger for the stand-in position.

Addressing Political Gender and Minority Gaps:

Women are running for political office at unprecedented rates since Donald Trump became president. Expect the trend to continue locally. Puffenberger is expected to increase current female representation on Toledo City Council.

Advocates have also insisted that we have a council that reflects the diversity of Toledo. Currently, Cecilia Adams is the only black or brown face on city council. It is mandatory, according to some, that the replacement of the four suspended minority councilmen also be persons of color.

Names You Should Know:

Expect new faces and surprising names to fill the available temporary Toledo City Council seats. If you don’t know the following, take note of these young, educated and accomplished people that have risen to the top of Puffenberger’s list. These emerging leaders make Toledo’s future bright:

1.     Tiffany Preston-Whitman, Ed.D., director of Academic Innovation and Testing Services for University College at the University of Toledo.

2.     Patrice McClellan, Ed.D., associate professor of Business and Leadership at Lourde’s University and a critical race scholar.

3.     Celeste Smith, regional director at Health Partners of Western Ohio.

4.     Vanice Williams, former Assistant Program Officer for LISC Toledo.

5.     Sharon Jeffries, retired Toledo Police Department

6.     John Hobbs III, The Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board; pastor of Dominion Fellowship Church.

Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org

 
  

Copyright © 2019 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 09/10/20 09:27:32 -0400.

 

 


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