More than three years ago, Mayor Jack Ford appointed his new chief of staff - a successful black banker heavily involved in community groups, but a political neophyte.

"I wanted to participate in this movement to elevate this city to the next level," Jay Black, Jr., said the day he was appointed to the post in January, 2002.

"You think our former mayor [Carty Finkbeiner] was the biggest salesman our city has ever had? I'm going to be bigger than that."

Two days ago, that appointment came to an end.

Mr. Black resigned after the mayor suspended him for five days without pay for calling a local television news program, giving a false name, and then asking for comments from the president of the city's police patrol officers' union, a guest on the show.

Mr. Black served three days, which longtime friends described as being some of the hardest in Mr. Black's life.

Mr. Black did not respond to a request for an interview.

"He felt he let folks down, and that Jay can't handle," said Judy Ellis, who worked with Mr. Black for 17 years at National City Bank. "When I heard, I did not believe it. I told my husband, 'Jay's been set up!' Everything I read has been so out of character."

Later, when she saw him in person and heard that it was true, "I basically said to him ... well, I can't say what I said. I [later] said, 'It's time to go, huh?' "

Larry Sykes, president of the Toledo Board of Education who is a longtime friend and colleague of Mr. Black, said: "When I was told that he was going to [resign], me and my wife went over to his house and we had a long talk in making sure he was all right in the decision he was making."

"He said he'd made the decision and it was the best, under the circumstances, for the mayor."

"We prayed on it. I hugged him and told him I loved him, and that things would be OK," Mr. Sykes said, his voice filled with emotion. "He'll be OK.... Sometimes you have to fall to rise."

None of Mr. Black's co-workers or acquaintances say they can figure out why he did it. They believe it was a split-second, out-of-character mistake made by a man who they said was not accustomed to being in the forefront - a man who was never one to grandstand or brag.

"He was a very quiet, conservative individual. Reserved and respectful. He always wanted to be in the background," Mr. Sykes said. "You wouldn't even know he was in the room."

Mr. Black grew up in a working-class Toledo family, graduated from Libbey High School, and after eight years in the military joined the financial business world.

Mr. Sykes brought Mr. Black into his first banking job, at the then First National Bank, a quarter-century ago. He started as a collector, became a lender, and made a name for himself.

"He got a lot of respect because he started calling on automobile dealers. He was doing indirect lending. He became known and respected in the community," Mr. Sykes said.

In 1985, Mr. Black switched over to the then-Ohio Citizens Bank, now National City Bank. Starting as a credit manager, he moved up to become vice president and head of the lending department.

About the same time, Mr. Black got involved in community work, eventually serving with Mr. Ford on a committee of the Ottawa Coalition community group.

In the late 1980s, Mr. Black helped found the Toledo chapter of the Urban Bankers Association, later known as the Urban Financial Services Coalition.

He served as president of the local chapter from 1991 to 1995 and was a regional vice president for the national organization in 1994-95.

"Jay led us," said Deborah Barnett, a vice president of community development for Huntington National Bank and member of the group. "He'd quietly go to an individual and say this is the way it needs to be, and it would get done."

Mr. Black helped found another community organization - KEVIN Inc. - when co-worker Judy Ellis' son, Kevin, was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Mr. Sykes and Ms. Barnett recommended Mr. Black to the mayor and, after eight years as a vice president at National City, he was tapped to serve as the No. 2 person in the Ford administration.

"He doesn't smoke, drink, or curse, or stay out late," Mr. Sykes said. "Here's a guy who worked in private industry, is well-respected, then goes into the political world, where there's alligators up to your backside."

Contact Tad Vezner at:

tvezner@theblade.com

or 419-724-6050.

First Published June 17, 2005, 9:37 a.m.