Candidate for
Council Member; City of Cincinnati

My commitment to public service and our wonderful city speaks for itself. As a young person--long before I had the remotest inclination that he may one day run for Cincinnati City Council--I was focused on my community rather than myself. To this day, my natural urge to serve others and to improve the world around me remain at my core, a trait hardwired into my being thanks to my family and my faith. This is what makes me the likeable, determined, common sense leader that I am. This is what makes me so well suited and qualified for a seat on Cincinnati City Council.

I have never been one to sit on the sidelines and expect others to manage and improve my community. In recent years, I has been particularly active in Westwood where I live with my wife and our two daughters.

In 2000 I was elected, as a first-time candidate, to the Westwood Civic Association. I chaired the housing committee for one year, and then resigned to accept a board position with the Westwood Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation. This group promotes development of the Westwood business district, markets the community beyond its borders and creates working relationships with housing developers.

I has also helped form and continue to lead the Ryan Commons Park Team. Working in cooperation with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, this organization is creating a master plan, designing a fund-raising campaign, and planning "sweat-equity" opportunities for a new community park in Westwood. As part of this effort, I organized a planning meeting, with over 100 people participating, to solicit input from residents.

It's never been my leadership style to just assume what those who have placed their trust in me need and want. I respects people too much to operate from assumptions--or in the dark. I have always been one to solicit input, build coalitions and find the "win-win" in any given situation. Likewise, my lead-by-example approach inspires people to work together toward common goals. The kind of arrogance many of us have come to associate with "politicians" is simply not part of my makeup. That's perhaps because I am not a politician in the sound-byte, baby-kissing, grandstanding sort of way. To me, politics is just a means to an end, a means to a better community for us all.

Remember when, after the riots of 2001, support for our police and fire personnel waned a little? Well, I stepped up and did something about what I perceived as a sad and unfair state of affairs. I planned, organized and promoted "Hands Across District 3" in both 2001 and 2002. In these events, thankful citizens stood along a five-mile route to show their gratitude for those who protect us. The event culminated in a celebration and an opportunity to pray for peace and healing in our town--and beyond. Thanks to my leadership, more than 1,600 residents attended the rally. And, just as importantly, it provided a much-needed morale boost for our policemen and firemen.

My respect for our police department--and my inherent sense of fairness and the rule of law--is what inspired Mayor Charlie Luken to appoint me to the Citizens Complaint Authority. In this important role, I as one of seven city residents who perform civilian oversight of the Cincinnati Police Department. I served as vice president and earned the respect of those who have come before the board with a complaint or comment.

Mayor Charlie Luken and other city leaders aren't the only people who have noticed my natural leadership and bridge-building abilities. The Hamilton County Commissioners recently named me a board member of the Community Action Agency, which develops strategies to solve local poverty issues by seeking to provide educational and training opportunities, employment and the chance to live in decency and dignity.

The energy and focus that I bring to my community service is quite impressive. (after all, have a full-time job as an electrical engineer for PEDCo Engineering & Architecture Services Inc. And my wife serves as the director of the Apple Tree Daycare Center, a post she's held since 1985.) I earned my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati's College of Applied Science, by devoting myself to seven years of night school. When I makes up my mind to get something done, it gets done. It's that simple.

I has also servmyed his state and nation as a member of the Ohio National Guard's 1/147th Combat Support Company. I lead a mortar platoon as a fire direction control chief and a later as platoon sergeant. I was responsible for the training and welfare of forty men and the maintenance of four gun systems and various vehicles. I was honorably discharged in 1990 as a buck sergeant.

My devotion to my community comes from down deep. That's because I grew up here in our town, attending St. William's Elementary School in Price Hill (1976) and then Western Hills High School (1980), where I played football. While in high school, I was very involved in St. William's Youth Group. I respected by his peers and elected to serve as president. A year later I was elected to the youth board of the archdiocesan-wide Catholic Youth Organization. In that role, I helped plan and supervise events for tens of thousands of young people in southwest Ohio, skills that have obviously come in handy today. In 1980 I was named "Catholic Boy of the Year" by the Archdiocese, a harbinger of achievements to come.

I'm just not the kind of guy to forget about my roots or disconnect from my family or faith community that sustained and formed me--and continue to do so. I remain involved in the church. I am an active member of Saint Catherine's, where I serve on the festival steering committee and for the last five years I have chaired the very busy--and profitable--beer booth.

My community service ethic is something that my parents--and six siblings--helped instilled in me. My father, James, a retired district sales rep for an electric supplier, has volunteered with St Vincent-DePaul, Holy Family Gym Club, Knights of Columbus, Catholic War Veterans and the VFW. He fought in World War II with the Army Air Corp in Italy.

My mother, Pat (Sinnard), helped raise me and my six siblings, and then worked at St. Williams School as a secretary for 20 years. She volunteers at the Veterans hospital and she still attends mass at Holy Family Church in Price Hill, were she grew up.

To learn more about me visit my website http://www.johneby.com