City Council Names Eight Finalists for Vacancy Appointment
For Immediate Release
December 21, 2022
[COLUMBUS, OH] – Following today’s noon deadline, Columbus City Council Members have submitted their respective finalists to the City Clerk Clerk to be considered for the vacancy created by Council President Pro Tempore Elizabeth Brown’s announced resignation to serve as President and CEO of the YWCA Columbus. Eight finalists were submitted by Council Members.
“We had a very impressive pool of candidates, and I sincerely thank everyone who took the time to apply,” said Council President Shannon G. Hardin. “With the change to Council’s structure, my top priority is finding a candidate that will serve as an experienced caretaker and not as a candidate seeking to run in 2023.”
City Council will meet on January 3rd, 2023 at 5pm to host a public hearing and hear testimony from the public about the finalists being considered. All finalists are invited to speak, but it is not a requirement. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony, either in-person or digitally via WebEx, should email [email protected] with the subject line “Speaking at Vacancy Public Hearing” by noon on January 3rd. Written testimony may also be emailed to [email protected]. Following the hearing, the Council will enter an executive session to discuss the candidates and public testimony.
During the January 9, 2023 council meeting, Council Members will nominate applicants for the vacancy and vote to appoint a new member. If a majority of Council Members vote to appoint a nominee, they will then be eligible to be sworn in under oath and take office pursuant to Section 5 of the City Charter and Section 111.35 of Columbus City Code.
The full list of finalists along with their resumes is as follows:
- Charity Martin-King
- Densil Porteous
- Eli Bohnert
- Ilhan Dahir
- Kelly Lombardo-Matthews
- Lucy Gettman
- Mitchell J. Brown
- Olubunmi Adekanbi
Council’s process to fill the vacancy was detailed in a memo to Council Members written by Council President Shannon Hardin, which can be viewed here.