George Voinovich forged timely and historic partnership with the city’s business community: Thomas Vail (Opinion) | cleveland.com George Voinovich forged timely and historic partnership with the city’s business community: Thomas Vail (Opinion) In 1981, then-Mayor George Voinovich, left, to show his support for the new “Cleveland’s a Plum” campaign backed by Plain Dealer Publisher and Editor Thomas Vail, right, throws out the “first plum” at the Indians-Yankees’ game, May 29, 1981 The idea for this now universally renowned and widely used vehicle to help communities was born out of crisis and necessity in Cleveland in 1979 with the help of the city’s new mayor, George Voinovich. Its population was declining but remained diverse, and the community continued to enjoy the tremendous assets of cultural and philanthropic institutions, including one of the nation’s best symphony orchestras and art museums; the Cleveland Foundation — the second largest community foundation in the country, founded in 1914 and United Way, the first in the nation, started as The Community Chest in 1913.
From this core emerged the public officials, led by Voinovich, able to reach out and form a partnership with executives from the private sector, including myself, as publisher of The Plain Dealer.
4 things George Voinovich did for Cleveland
When Voinovich was elected mayor in November 1979, with The Plain Dealer’s support, he knew he needed the help of the business community.
Most notable and important was the aptly titled “Operations Improvement Task Force,” chaired, funded, and staffed by the private business community to, as then stated, “help improve the quality of life for the people of Cleveland by making local government more responsive to citizen needs.”
This unique and inspired civic revival effort operated for 27 months from December 1979 to March 1982 and reported at its conclusion that 443 of its 649 recommendations (68 percent) had been implemented and another 166 (26 percent) were in process.
This revolutionary effort saved the city and its finances and was the result of a truly admirable public-private partnership between the administration of then-Mayor Voinovich (later to become Ohio governor and a U.S. senator) and the Cleveland business community.
In this, starting with George Voinovich and the many who helped him from the private sector, Cleveland has been most fortunate in having so many here who inspire us all with their efforts to make our community a better place for everyone.
Thomas Vail was editor and publisher of The Plain Dealer from 1963 to 1991.
