Mayor-elect Collins' transition team to include Finkbeiner, Ford

Former Toledo mayors Jack Ford, left, and Carty Finkbeiner, right, will be part of Mayor-elect D. Michael Collins' transition team.

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Former Toledo mayors Jack Ford, left, and Carty Finkbeiner, right, will be part of Mayor-elect D. Michael Collins' transition team.

Toledo Mayor-elect D. Michael Collins announced today that his transition team would include two former mayors, two labor leaders, and several former city administrators.

Former mayors Jack Ford and Carty Finkbeiner will be among several co-chairmen on the team.

George Tucker, executive secretary of the Greater Northwest Ohio Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO, and Ray Wood, president of United Auto Workers Local 14 who was recently selected president of the local chapter of the NAACP, will also be co-chairmen, Mr. Collins said.

“I think we have a transition team with a dynamic blend of experience and new ideas,” Mr. Collins said. “We will be focusing on three specific goals: identify what the city is doing well; what the city is not doing in terms of its capacity to perform to community satisfaction, and to come forward with a plan on how we can fortify what we do right and improve what we are marginally effective in doing."

Bob Reinbolt - who has a consulting business in Toledo, was an adviser to Mr. Collins during the campaign, and served as chief of staff for Mayor Finkbeiner - will be director of the transition team.

Toledo's Mayor-elect D. Michael Collins

Mr. Reinbolt said the first transition team meeting will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Maritime Academy of Toledo.

“This first gathering will be very organizational in nature and I doubt if we will have any discussion on cabinet positions for Mr. Collins’ administration,” Mr. Reinbolt said. “We will have welcoming remarks from Mr. Collins; introductions of those in attendance; an overview of what is expected of the transition team; a review of Mr. Collins’ platform; committee assignments; development of a time frame to issue reports; and breakout sessions for the various committees.”

The transition team committees will include labor relations, which will be run by Toledo City Councilman George Sarantou; neighborhood and safety, which will be run by Tom Kroma, a former Finkbeiner administration official; business development, run by Patrick Kenney; parks, recreation, and urban beautification, run by William Franklin, also a former Finkbeiner official, and media relations and special events run Matt Zaleski, who worked on the Collins campaign.

About 40 people are expected to fill out the various committees on the transition team, Mr. Reinbolt said.

The co-chairmen for the transition team also include Joan Uhl Browne, Mr. Kenney, and Baldemar Vasquez.

Former Toledo Councilman Betty Shultz is the honorary chairman for the transition team.

Jack Simonetti will facilitate the first transition team meeting.