Press Releases

Bipartisan trio leading new nonprofit that will support policy solutions for Ohio’s cities

COLUMBUS, OH – Former Ohio Governor Bob Taft is joining former Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman and former Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell to lead a new nonprofit that will provide research support for the Ohio Mayors Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of mayors in over two dozen of Ohio’s largest cities. The bipartisan trio will serve as board members for the newly formed Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation.

“As a governor, close partnership with the local elected officials was critical to the success of our state,” said former Ohio Governor Bob Taft. “I am honored to serve on the board of the new Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation and support our mayors as they implement new local policy initiatives.”

The Ohio Mayors Alliance is a 501 (c)(4) advocacy coalition for mayors in Ohio’s 30 largest cities. It helps to leverage the mayors’ collective voice and builds stronger partnerships at the state and federal level. The Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation is an affiliated 501 (c)(3) that will serve as the policy and research arm for the mayors, focusing on innovative local policy solutions.

“As an advisor to the founding of the Ohio Mayors Alliance back in 2016, I have been pleased to watch the growth and evolution of the organization,” said former Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “I am honored to be guiding the new work of the Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation and bringing my experience to the organization.”

Keary McCarthy will serve as the Executive Director of the Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation. He also serves in the same role for the Ohio Mayors Alliance. The shared mission of the organizations is to strengthen Ohio’s cities and metropolitan regions through collaboration, communication, improved advocacy, and stronger partnerships with policymakers.

“My time leading the City of Cleveland was the hardest and most important work of my life,” said former Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell. “The Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation will allow mayors from across the state to come together to share policy ideas, learn from one another, and most importantly be supported in the difficult work of implementation.”

For more information on the Ohio Mayors Alliance and the shared policy priorities of Recovery, Resiliency, and Equity for 2021, please visit: OhioMayorsAlliance.org. Additional biographical information is available below.

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OHIO MAYORS ALLIANCE FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS:

• Former Governor Bob Taft served as Ohio’s 67^th Governor from 1999 to 2007. He previously served as Ohio Secretary of State for two terms, as well as the state legislature and as a Hamilton County Commissioner. Mr. Taft is currently serving as a Distinguished Research Associate at the University of Dayton.
• Former Mayor Michael B. Coleman was the longest serving mayor in Columbus history, serving the city from 2000 to 2015. He also has the distinction of being the first African-American mayor of the state capital. Mr. Coleman currently works for Ice Miller Legal Counsel where he is the Partner-in-Charge of Government Law.
• Former Mayor Jane L. Campbell was the first woman elected as the Mayor of Cleveland, where she served from 2002 to 2006. Campbell also served five terms in the Ohio House and served two terms as a Cuyahoga County Commissioner. Ms. Campbell currently lives in Washington DC and works as the CEO of the United States Capitol Historical Society.

OHIO MAYORS ALLIANCE MEMBERS:

• Mayor Daniel Horrigan, City of Akron
• Mayor Steve Patterson, City of Athens
• Mayor Bob Stone, City of Beavercreek
• Mayor Tom Bernabei, City of Canton
• Mayor John Cranley, City of Cincinnati*
• Mayor Jason Stein, City of Cleveland Heights
• Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, City of Columbus*
• Mayor Don Walters, City of Cuyahoga Falls
• Mayor Nan Whaley, City of Dayton*
• Mayor Chris Amorose Groomes, City of Dublin
• Mayor Frank Whitfield, City of Elyria
• Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, City of Euclid
• Mayor Steve Miller, City of Fairfield
• Mayor Christina Muryn, City of Findlay*
• Mayor Richard “Ike” Stage, City of Grove City
• Mayor Don Patterson, City of Kettering*
• Mayor Meghan George, City of Lakewood
• Mayor David Scheffler, City of Lancaster*
• Mayor David J. Berger, City of Lima
• Mayor Jack Bradley, City of Lorain
• Mayor Nicole Condrey, City of Middletown
• Mayor Tim DeGeeter, City of Parma*
• Mayor Warren R. Copeland, City of Springfield
• Mayor Thomas Perciak, City of Strongsville
• Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, City of Toledo
• Mayor William D. Franklin, City of Warren
• Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, City of Youngstown

*Ohio Mayors Alliance Board of Directors