Candidate for
Council Member; City of Cincinnati

INTRODUCING WENDELL YOUNG, ENDORSED DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR CINCINNATI CITY COUNCIL:

Hello my name is Wendell Young and I am a candidate for Cincinnati City Council. Please allow me to introduce myself to you. I am a native-born Cincinnatian and proud of it. I'm just a regular guy, the eldest of my parent's four children, and I grew up in the community of Avondale. I was educated in the Cincinnati Public Schools of South Avondale, Samuel Ach Jr. High, and Hughes High School.

I served our country in the United StaesAir Force from 1963 until honorably discharged in 1967. I have a lifetime of service to Cincinnati. Beginning as a child at the age of 8, I was a Cub Scout and later a Boy Scout in a Boy Scout Troup my father and other concerned men started for kids in Avondale.

It was Scouting that introduced me to the joys of public service and community pride. This is something that has stayed with me all of my life. It was also in Scouting that I learned to appreciate the diversity in the cultures, ideas, values, and contributions of all the people who worked to make our city great. This formed the foundation of my pride and respect for Cincinnati.

After my military service, I joined the Cincinnati Police Department in April of 1967. I found policing to be an excellent way to serve my city. I enjoyed confronting the criminal element that threatens the quality of life for all of us. I believe in firm and fair law enforcement. I had ample opportunity to practice that kind of law enforcement while walking the beat in Avondale and other parts of the city.

My police career spanned a period of 25 years. I worked assignments all over the city, in uniform, old clothes, and civilian attire. Among the highlights of my police career is the time I spent as the School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to Withrow High School. Though my office was located within Withrow, I was also responsible for providing the police presence and service for most of Withrow's feeder schools. During this time, I met many young people of varied races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I learned that most young people have respect for and high expectations of law enforcement officers. I also had the opportuntiy to to work with many teaching profesionals and school administrators whose dedication to the education of Cincinnati's youth is likely unparalled anywhere else in their profession.

In 1984, my time as an SRO ended. I took away from that experience many of the lessons taught to me by children. Among the most important of those lesons; "In all matters of human interactions, respect for others is paramount for getting things done." The young people who taught me that lesson are adults today. Most of them turned out well. I still see some of them. Some credit me as a positive influence in their lives. They almost always address me as Officer Young. They say it with respect. They make me know my time as their SRO, was time well spent.

Even after my police career ended, I continued my public service service career with the city. From 1992 until 1999, I was the city's Assistant Director of Personnel/Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer. In this capacity I helped develop and implement the city's Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Program. Just as in policing, I found that inspite of your best efforts, you can't please everyone. Still this was a period of accomplishment for me. I made the EEO Counselor Network more racially and gender inclusive. I removed investigative responsibility from the counselors and trained them to be mediators as well as counselors. The end result was a more effective EEO Counselor Network that obtained pay equity, better promotional opportunities, fairer job assignments, and a few hiring opportunities that wouldn't have happened without the intervention of the EEO counselors.

In 2000, I returned to the Police Department to become the Assistant to the Police Academy Commander. With the title of Training and Education Officer, I found ways to enhance the training of Police Recruits that resulted in fewer failures in the recruit class. This was actually my fourth stint with a connection to the Police Academy. During my police career I served as a member of the Police Recruiting Unit, the Police Recruiting Unit Commander, and as a Police Academy Training Sergeant. I thoroughly enjoyed each of those assignments. Many of the people I helped to recruit and train are honorably serving Cincinnati to this day.

I September of 2000, I was recruited to the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) of Greater Cincinnati. This too became a rewarding experience. I was asked to set up a training program for MSD's employees. The result was the MSD Training Institute. I served as it's first and sadly, only director. The purpose of the MSD Training Institute was to provide MSD employees the opportunity to develop individual training plans geared for enhancing their upward mobility. Due to budget constraints and a change in mission philosphy for MSD, the Institute was short-lived. I remain saddened about that turn of events.

I also served as MSD's Diversity Manager. In that capacity I assisted employees with diversity issues and helped MSD Administration identify diversity needs within the organization. I also investigated EEO complaints and provided formal/informal interventions where needed. I retired from MSD and the City of Cincinnati in May of this year. Thus capping a career of nearly 38 years of city service.

I have also found time to be active in community affairs. In 1968, an advocacy group of for black Cincinnati Police Officers was formed. Originally called the Black Police Association, it was headed by it's co-founder, the late Artie Crum. After the election of a new president, the name was changed to The Sentinel Police Association. I had the honor of serving as the third president of The Sentinel Police Association, a position I held for five years.

In 1984 I became president of the Cincinnati Branch of the NAACP. I had already served the Branch as a Board Member and as Vice-President. It was during my service to the Sentinels and the NAACP that I learned I could provide additional meaningful service to my city beyond just being a police officer. I also learned that all these services are compatible and help to enhance the quality of life in our city.

I have been an on-air reader for Radio Reading Services, a board member of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, and most recently completed a second stint as president of the Cincinnati Chapter of The National Forum for Black Public Administrators. I served briefly on the ACLU's Collaborative Agreement Panel. In 1995, I was nominated by U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) for the post of U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio.

Now I want to continue my service to our city as a member of our city council. I believe that with my years of public service, civic involvement, and sheer love for Cincinnati, I can be a valuable member of city council. I know this city! I know Cincinnatians! I still have a stake in keeping Cincinnati great. I am a home owner, I'm married with school aged children, and I'm concerned about everything that affects the quality of life for our city. I want safe streets and neighborhoods. I want great schools. I want a thriving economy that makes downtown bustle, revives and/or reinvigorates neighborhood business districts. I want the best safety services that money can buy. I want to be a part of the local government that can make this happen.

I'm no longer content to sit on the sidelines and complain about what is wrong with Cincinnati. I want in on the opportunity to change the dialogue to brag about what is right and good about Cincinnati. I want in on the opportunity to keep Cincinnati great. With your help I'll get that opportunity. When I get it, I won't waste it. Together we are an unbeatable partnership.

If you give me your vote on November 8th, you will have done your part. I'll keep up my end of the bargain. I won't let you down.