Annette M. Blackwell
Annette M. Blackwell | |
|---|---|
| 18th Mayor of Maple Heights | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Jeffrey A. Lansky |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Annette Marie McMillian June 22, 1962 Alabama, U.S, |
| Spouse(s) | Alonzo Blackwell |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Ursuline College (BA) |
| Website | Official Website |
Annette Marie Blackwell (née McMillian; born June 22, 1962) is an American politician serving as the 18th Mayor of Maple Heights, Ohio. She was first elected as mayor on November 3, 2015.[1] and re-elected in 2019[2]. When elected mayor in 2015, Annette Blackwell was elected the first female and first African American mayor of Maple Heights.[3]
Background[edit]
While born outside Selma, Alabama, Blackwell grew up in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.[3] Blackwell graduated from Villa Angela Academy. She later attended Ursuline College, earning a bachelor's degree in public relations and corporate communications.[4] Blackwell spent over a decade working in the healthcare at University Hospitals and over a decade and a half working in property tax at Deloitte and Ryan.[5]
Mayor of Maple Heights (2016 - Present)[edit]
Blackwell has received numerous awards during her tenure as Mayor of Maple Heights, including Cleveland Magazine's 2021 Most Interesting People List[6] and American Planning Association, Ohio Chapter's Norman Krumholz Equity Award[7]
Economic Development[edit]
Blackwell and her administration attracted several significant economic development projects occurred in Maple Heights, including the redevelopment of the former Bally's fitness building on Warrensville Center Road to 3 new commercial developments (KFC, Dollar General, and Clean Express Auto Wash) and attracting GOJO Industries to locate a new manufacturing facility to the city. The GOJO Industries project represented a $25 million investment in the city and the creation of at least 100 new jobs.[8]
Fiscal Recovery[edit]
Prior to becoming mayor, Maple Heights was placed in fiscal emergency by then-Auditor of State Dave Yost on February 13, 2015.[9] Blackwell made financial and economic recovery of the city a main platform of her 2015 campaign to become mayor.[10] During Blackwell's first term as mayor, the City's general fund year-end balance went from a $2.7 million deficit (2016) to a $2.2 million surplus (2019).[11] While the City had maintained positive general fund balances as early as the end of 2018, the Auditor of State did not formally release the city from fiscal emergency until November 18, 2020.[12] Pursuit and award of over $9.5 million in grants from partner agencies such as Cleveland Water Department, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), and Northeast Ohio Public Energy Commission (NOPEC) during Blackwell's first term was key to the continuation of operations and capital projects while working to fiscal recovery.[13][14][15]
Parks[edit]
In 2018 with limited financial resources to maintain some of the city's largest parks, Blackwell worked with Cleveland Metroparks on a 99-year lease of the city's Dunham Park, which Maple Heights City Council approved.[16] Dunham Park is part of the Cleveland Metroparks Bedford Reservation. Blackwell also championed the creation of the 0.47-acre Lee-Libby Pocket Park—the site of a former service station and dumping site.
Public Infrastructure[edit]
Leading up to the city's fiscal emergency, ongoing public infrastructure investments were not regularly made, leading Blackwell to focus on making ongoing investments in water, sewer, and road infrastructure. Since 2018, the city has applied for and been awarded over $5.6 million in Suburban Water Main Renewal Project grants from the Cleveland Water Department, which maintains the city's water mains. Another $400,000 in grants were awarded in 2020[17][18] and 2021[19][20] to the city to add an elevator to City Hall, covering approximately 75% of the total project costs[21].
| Office | Name | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Director of Safety | Annette M. Blackwell | 2016 - Present |
| Chief of Fire | Vito Kavaliunas | 2016 - Present |
| Chief of Police | Todd Hansen | 2018 - Present |
| John Popielarczyk | 2016 - 2018 | |
| Director of Law | Frank Consolo | 2016 - Present |
| John Montello | 2016 | |
| Director of Finance | Tinita Tillman | 2019 - Present |
| Barbara Biro | 2019 | |
| Tracy Smith | 2017 - 2018 | |
| Irene Crowell | 2016 - 2017 | |
| Director of Service | Bob Dloniak (acting) | 2021 - Present |
| Tony Ciresi | 2017 - 2021 | |
| Dennis Lew | 2016 - 2017 | |
| City Engineer | Ed Hren, P.E. | 2016 - Present |
| Director of Human Services | Linda Vopat | 2016 - Present |
| Director of Economic Development | Patrick Grogan-Myers | 2020 - Present |
| Sources:[11][13][14][15][22][23] | ||
Electoral History[edit]
| Candidate | Primary Election[24] | General Election[2] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
 Annette M. Blackwell (incumbent)
|
1,243 | 82.70% | 2,809 | 85.79% |
| Cornelius Sandford, Sr. | 152 | 10.11% | 467 | 14.26% |
| Frank M. Rives | 108 | 7.19% | ||
| Candidate | Primary Election[25] | General Election[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Annette M. Blackwell
|
532 | 29.44% | 3,461 | 68.41% |
| Bill Browlee | 380 | 21.03% | 1,598 | 31.59% |
| Neomia Mitchell | 378 | 20.92% | ||
| Donald M. Grossmyer | 361 | 19.98% | ||
| Frank Rives | 156 | 8.63% | ||
| Candidate | Primary Election[26] | General Election[27] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Alex F. Adams
|
269 | 78.89% | 448 | 71.68% |
| Annette M. Blackwell | 44 | 12.90% | 177 | 28.32% |
| Stafford L. Shenett | 28 | 8.21% | ||
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 boe.cuyahogacounty.gov https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/pdf_boe/en-US/2015/Official%20Results%20by%20Contest.HTM. Retrieved 2021-10-30. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 boe.cuyahogacounty.gov https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/pdf_boe/en-US/ElectionResults2019/amend/11052019AmendedOfficialResultsbyContest.HTM. Retrieved 2021-10-30. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lebovits, Hannah. "Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell on the Successes and Struggles of One of the Region's Oldest Suburbs". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ "Ursuline plans outdoor graduation; Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell is speaker | Ursuline College - Liberal Arts Education in Ohio". www.ursuline.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ "Annette Blackwell". Matriots Ohio. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ "Cleveland's Most Interesting People 2021". clevelandmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2021-10-30. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ pgrogan. "APAOH21 Awards Press Release". City of Maple Heights. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ "GOJO announces addition of two new Northeast Ohio facilities to help meet demand for Purell". wkyc.com. June 9, 2020. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ "Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber". ohioauditor.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ "Statement of Purpose". blackwell4mayor. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 2020 Maple Heights State of the City https://citymapleheights.com/download/mayor/2020-State-of-the-City.pdf
- ↑ "Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber". ohioauditor.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 2016 State of the City https://citymapleheights.com/download/mayor/2016-State-of-the-City.pdf
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 2018 State of the City https://citymapleheights.com/download/mayor/2018-State-of-the-City.pdf
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 2019 State of the City https://citymapleheights.com/download/mayor/2019-State-of-the-City.pdf
- ↑ Segall, Grant; Dealer, The Plain (2018-01-19). "Cleveland Metroparks to lease Maple Heights' Dunham Park". cleveland. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Resolution 2020-0244 http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Resolutions/2020/R2020-0244D%20%5BELECTRONIC%20SIGNATURES%5D.pdf
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Resolution 2020-0077http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Resolutions/2020/R2020-0077.pdf
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Resolution 2021-0098http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Resolutions/2021/R2021-0098C%20%5BELECTRONIC%20SIGNATURES%5D.pdf
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Resolution 2021-0097 http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Resolutions/2021/R2021-0097C%20%5BELECTRONIC%20SIGNATURES%5D.pdf
- ↑ pgrogan. "City Hall Elevator Project". City of Maple Heights. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ Link, E.-Gov. "Classic Home". City of Maple Heights. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ 2021 State of the City https://citymapleheights.com/download/mayor/2021-State-of-the-City.pdf
- ↑ boe.cuyahogacounty.gov https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/pdf_boe/en-US/ElectionResults2019/Sept2019/official/09102019OfficialResultsByContest.HTM. Retrieved 2021-11-04. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ boe.cuyahogacounty.gov https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/pdf_boe/en-US/ElectionResults2015/Sept2015/09082015officialResultsbyContest.HTM. Retrieved 2021-11-04. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ boe.cuyahogacounty.gov https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/pdf_boe/en-US/ElectionResults2013/092013/09102013OfficialResultsbyContest.HTM. Retrieved 2021-11-04. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ boe.cuyahogacounty.gov https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/pdf_boe/en-US/ElectionResults2013/112013/11052013OfficialResultsbyContestAmended.htm. Retrieved 2021-10-30. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help); Missing or empty|title=(help)
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