Archived Meeting Minutes
The club heard from Matthew Ahn, visiting professor at Cleveland State University College of Law, on Critical Race Theory, and Meryl Johnson, District 11 representative to Ohio State Board of Education, on the culture wars within public education.
May 25, 2023
The club did not hold a formal meeting, but held a "Spring Social" event at Sauced in Lakewood.
The club celebrated Earth Day month with presentations from Rita Stevens & David Sangree of the Lakewood Tree Advisory & Education Board, Marnie Urso of the Great Lakes Audubon Society, and Jennifer Grieser of the Cleveland Metroparks. The club also received an update on NOPEC clean energy from Councilperson Tom Bullock, and Lakewood's Climate Action Plan from Councilperson Sarah Kepple.
The club celebrated Women's History Month (and Trump's indictment!) with presentations from Troy Greenfield, Regional Field Organizer for Protect Choice Ohio, Zoe Toscos, newly elected President of Cuyahoga County Young Democrats, Maggie Niedzwiecki, Superintendent of Lakewood City Schools, and Judge Tess Neff, Judge of the Lakewood Municipal Court.
The club welcomed Congresswoman Shontel Brown, President of Lakewood Black Caucus Patricia Wellborn, and Officers of the Cuyahoga County Young Black Dems, Kortney Mosley & Brian Siggers.
The club received updates on the Ohio Legislature and Lakewood City Council from local elected officials State Senator Nickie Antonio, State Representative Michael Skindell, and Lakewood City Councilpersons Tristan Rader, Kyle Baker, Jason Shachner, & Cindy Marx. Senator Antonio swore in the new club officers: President Erik Meinhardt, First Vice-President Maureen Dostal, Second Vice-President Jeff Pigott, Treasurer Catie McMahon, & Secretary Nicole Parke.
December 15, 2022
The club had their annual holiday gathering at Bottlehouse Brewery in Lakewood. Minutes were not taken.
The club welcomed Professor Tom Sutton, who gave a break-down of Ohio's midterm election results.
The club welcomed Ohio Attorney General candidate Jeffrey Crossman, Cuyahoga County Executive candidate Chris Ronayne, and Ohio Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington, ahead of Election Day.
The club heard from newly elected Chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, David Brock, on how we will get Democrats elected across the county and Ohio this election.
August 18, 2022
The club toured the Studio West 117 complex with Alan Saunders, Senior Director of Operations. The club then gathered at The Symposium to socialize and write postcards in support of the three Demoratic Ohio Supreme Court candidates. Minutes were not taken.
July 28, 2022
The club gathered for their annual Summer Supper fundraiser at Immigrant Son Brewing in Lakewood. Minutes were not taken.
We welcomed a comprehensive update on development projects in Lakewood. The first speaker was Betsy Figgie, one of the developers of Studio West 117, the budding LGBTQ+ entertainment complex at the corner of Detroit Ave. and West 117th St. The second presentation was from Councilpersons Kyle Baker and Jason Shachner, who provided the most recent plan for the property that was formerly the site of Lakewood Hospital.
May 26, 2022
Because of the leak of a US Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, we welcomed Kellie Copeland, Executive Director of Pro-Choice Ohio to join us and provide an update about what activists can do and what reproductive health and advocacy organizations will do if Roe v. Wade is, in fact, overturned. We were also joined by Dr. Tom Sutton, Professor of Political Science at Baldwin Wallace University and frequent commentator on NPR and WEWS who gave an overview of the recent primary elections and previewed the midterm elections in the fall.
April 28, 2022
The club gathered for an informal social outing at Sauced Taproom in Lakewood. Minutes were not taken.
March 31, 2022
We welcomed two speakers for March 2022: (1) Chris Glassburn, the Democratic Mapdrawer from the Ohio Redistricting Commission. He provided clarity about what happened with the most recent and ongoing shenanigans with redistricting, where the process has left us, and what he foresaw would happen moving forward. (2) Ohio Board of Education member Meryl Johnson also joined us and gave an update about her advocacy for truth in education regarding racism which has made her a target of unfairly redrawn State Board of Education maps in retaliation.
February 24, 2022
In honor of Black History month, we welcomed candidate for Ohio Lieutenant Governor and County Councilperson (District 10) Cheryl Stephens spoke to the Club about her candidacy and how she and Nan Whaley plan to win the gubernatorial race (both primary and general). We were also honored to have Congresswoman Shontel Brown join us (OH-9) to speak about her first 100 days in office and her agenda moving forward.
Cynthia Connolly (citizen of Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians located in Northern Michigan) and Jessica Vallejo (Secretary for the Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance) shared the history, experiences, and current struggles facing indigenous people throughout the United States and specifically in Northeast Ohio.
November 18, 2021
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who is running for Ohio Governor in 2022, joined the Lakewood Democratic Club and took questions on topics such as the opiate addiction crisis, gerrymandering, gun violence, abortion services, business development, infrastructure, and the environment and Lake Erie.
Special guests Kathleen Clyde and Collin Marozzi, experts on Ohio's redistricting process, joined for this meeting to update the Club about where the process is between the maps for the Ohio General Assembly and the US Congress. Kathleen Clyde is Chair of the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, former Ohio State Representative, Portage County Commissioner, and Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary of State. Collin Marozzi is a Policy Strategist and redistricting & voting rights expert from the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.
11 total candidates for Lakewood Council at-Large, Lakewood Municipal Court Judge, and Lakewood Board of Education gave opening statements and were asked a series of questions about their questionnaires. The club's voting members voted (60% threshold required) to endorse Sarah Kepple for Council at-Large, Tess Neff for Municipal Court Judge, and Nora Katzenberger and Betsy Shaughnessy for Board of Education.
Judge Sherrie Miday (Cuyahoga Common Pleas Court) and Judge Gayle Williams-Byers (South Euclid Municipal Court) presented innovations in the judiciary that they have made at their respective courtrooms. Miday updated the Club about her High-Risk Domestic Violence court docket for offenders most at-risk of murdering their intimate partners and Williams-Byers informed us about her implementation of the only night court in a Cuyahoga County municipal court as well as her specialized mental health docket and livestreaming court proceedings.
Ellie Turan, Development Director and Trans Wellness Coordinator at the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland spoke about anti-transgender legislation and developments in the Ohio Statehouse. Pam Mascio, voting rights activist with the group Fair Districts, gave an update on the 2021 Ohio redistricting process.
Liz Walters, the new Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, visited the Lakewood Democrats and answered questions about how the Party can win back the state, redistricting, messaging, diversity, and more.
Cuyahoga County Director of Sustainability Mike Foley, County Councilperson Sunny Simon, Port of Cleveland Board Member Chris Ronayne, and Executive Director of Citizens Utility Board of Ohio/Councilperson at-Large Tom Bullock presented about climate change and sustainability, the county plastic bag ban, the Ice Breaker Wind Project on Lake Erie, and consumer clean energy choice in honor of Earth Day.
State Representative Monique Smith & Local Activists Susan Shaw, Misty Elek discussed their November win & how Democrats can continue to win in Ohio.
State Representatives Phil Robinson & Stephanie Howse discussed their experiences as black state legislators.
U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur shared her experience in the January insurrection, Dr. Pauline Terebuh from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health discussed the county's vaccine distribution plan, the new Lakewood Democratic Club Executive Board was inducted by State Senator Nickie J. Antonio.
Lakewood Democratic Club President Erik Meinhardt reported on Ohio's election results.
Ohio Supreme Court candidates Jennifer Brunner & John P. O'Donnell shared their campaign platform, Biden Campaign Ohio Senior Advisor Kathleen Clyde discussed Biden's plan to promote women's rights, Historian Mary Osburn offered a brief history of the women's suffrage movement.
Reggie Greer, the National LGBTQ+ Vote Director for the Biden Campaign, and Rick Neal, Ohio Deputy Coalitions Director for the Biden Campaign, discussed what Biden will do for the LGBTQ+ community.
August 27, 2020
State Representative Juanita Brent discussed her proposed amendment to HB665 which would have prohibited the sale of confederate memorabilia at county fairs. Lakewood resident Devon White shared his experience organizing the June 13 Black Lives Matter Unity rally at Lakewood Park. Councilperson Sarah Kepple promoted the work the City of Lakewood is doing to be more equitable and inclusive.
Political Activism Committee Chair Jay Ketchaver encouraged Lakewood Dems to get involved in "The Big Send," Vote Forward's effort to mail10 million letters to Democrat-leaning inconsistent voters. Environmental activists David Beach and Glenn Campbell discussed the Green New Deal proposal and the path to enactment.
Lakewood Dems President Erik Meinhardt recapped the Ohio Primary results. Senator Nickie Antonio, State Rep. Mike Skindell, Cuyahoga County Director of Regional Collaboration Michelle Pomerantz, County Councilman Dale Miller, Lakewood City Councilpersons John Litten and Dan O'Malley, and Lakewood Mayor Meghan George each gave an update on local government.
Local representatives from each presidential campaign spoke on behalf of their respective candidates. School Board members Betsy Shaughnessy, Ed Favre and Emma Petrie-Barcelona encouraged Lakewood Dems to support Issue 28. Local candidates/candidates' representatives were given the opportunity to speak. DNC member Lana Moresky gave an update on the Equal Rights Amendment. Elizabeth Warren won the Club's presidential straw poll.
Local candidates/candidates' representatives were given opportunity to speak. Sarah Kepple, Chair of Northeast Ohio Grassroots Coalition, and Jay Ketchaver, organizer for Indivisible CLE, gave a presentation on 2020 goals and pushed members to get involved in Take Action Tuesdays, deep canvassing with Mobilize the Vote.