Matt Zone

11/18/2020

Why I've recommend Jenny Spencer to fill-out the balance of my council term.

As you know, I have made the difficult decision to step down from Cleveland City Council. Serving the citizens of Cleveland as a member of this body has been the highlight of my career. I will look forward to continuing to work with you in my new role at the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Thriving Communities Institute.

I would like to take a few moments to tell you more about Jenny Spencer and why I have recommended her.
I have personally known Jenny for over 12 years. Jenny grew up in Shaker Heights but has lived in Ward 15 since 2008. She is committed to public service and has a decade-long track record of success in community development.

Jenny holds an undergraduate degree in political science from The Ohio State University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the Harvard Kennedy School. Her first public service position was during the first year of the Jane Campbell administration, when she worked for the Chief of Regional Development. Subsequently, she served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, South America, where she met her husband Mario.

In 2008, Jenny began work with Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO) as Project Manager for the Gordon Square Arts District. In her free time, Jenny was an active volunteer with the 2008 Obama campaign. In 2012, Jenny departed DSCDO to work at Team NEO as a project manager to drive business attraction in Northeast Ohio. Also, in 2012, she volunteered as a co-Neighborhood Team Leader for President Obama’s campaign – a team that was ultimately featured in the TIME Magazine Person of the Year edition.

In 2014, Jenny accepted the position of Managing Director and returned to DSCDO, where she supervised staff providing services ranging from economic development, planning and housing to marketing, events, organizing, youth services and crime prevention. In 2018, Jenny’s responsibilities expanded to include the Cudell and Edgewater neighborhoods through a Shared Services Agreement with Cudell Improvement, Inc.
No one knows Ward 15 and its opportunities and challenges better than Jenny Spencer. When I began considering my replacement, I wanted to ensure continuity and someone who would be job ready on Day 1. Not only does Jenny have knowledge and technical expertise through her nearly 10 years of work with the development corporation, but she has built trust with our constituents and continually demonstrated her commitment to Ward 15.

Jenny is an active member of the Democratic Party and currently serves on the Central and Executive Committees.
I know that Jenny is excited to meet each of you, personally, and to begin work as a member of Cleveland City Council. You will find her to be a smart, genuine and committed to public service.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions about Jenny Spencer.

With gratitude,
Matt—

Zone is leaving to take a post with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

10/31/2020

Dia de Los Mu***os is happening virtually this year. Tune in.

10/21/2020

RTA NEXTGEN is the proposal for a bus system redesign, based on the 2019 System Redesign Study with Jarrett Walker and Associates (JWA) The community expressed a wish to redesign the system with a desire for more frequent bus service and continued region-wide access.

Main Features – many benefits to Ward 15:
Prioritize trips to work, education, and health care
More frequent service all day weekdays
More frequent service on Saturdays and Sundays
More direct transportation, less need to transfer between transit vehicles on trips between city and suburbs

Please share your voice. Go to the Website and leave a public comment. Even if you are happy with the recommended changes, please leave a comment. I suspect, this effort will be driven by public response. Make your voice heard, Ward 15.

NEXT GEN RTA will allow riders to enjoy shorter wait times throughout the week. When your bus comes more often, you don't need to wait as long. Many NEXT GEN RTA routes will also offer seven day a week service.

09/27/2020

In 2001, I made one of the most difficult and invigorating decisions of my life as I declared my candidacy for Cleveland City Council representing the neighborhood where I was born and raised. I decided to run because I knew improvements were needed in our community. Nearly two decades later, I am writing to inform you that after 19 years on council, I will transition off by mid-November. This was a difficult decision to make; I love serving this community and particularly, the passionate members who call her home, but I’m excited about the next chapter – more about that later.

It has been my privilege and honor to serve you as a member of council. It’s the job of a lifetime and I’m thankful every day I was able to do it. I have always approached the work with full dedication and truly believe that my time on council will be the toughest, most rewarding job I will ever have. During my tenure, I’ve advocated for a more thoughtful, creative and responsible approach for city government. To accomplish this locally, I have always engaged our city’s residents with an inspiring plan and made informed decisions that are based on evidence, community consultation and the merits of arguments - rather than a particular ideology.

Together, we have tackled many important issues and initiatives to make our community stronger and more inclusive. We’ve created a culture where acceptance and appreciation of everyone is the norm in Ward 15, and each individual is comfortable bringing their full selves to every initiative or problem we have tackled. Our community has led the efforts on creating a better city.

Ward 15 is one of the neighborhoods in the city to witness population growth over the past decade. The success of our community offers a model for how a neighborhood can come together in the city and reinvent itself. By energizing our residents and stakeholders, we have managed to create a dynamic community that has been adding new jobs and housing, improving safety, and building more sustainably. By focusing on economic development, we leveraged over a billion dollars in new commercial, housing and infrastructure investments.

Looking back, I am proud of what we accomplished in Ward 15. But now, I am looking forward.

And it is with pride and honor that I will be succeeding Jim Rokakis as the Executive Director of the Thriving Communities Institute (TCI) and will also serve as Senior Vice President of Western Reserve Land Conservancy (the Land Conservancy). For those that may not be aware, the Land Conservancy’s service area includes about 18 counties in northern Ohio, and they serve a great diversity of communities including rural, exurban, and urban. They have preserved more than 60,000 acres and have created more than 175 public parks and preserves. The organization’s Thriving Communities Institute (TCI) – leads all of their urban work and is a leader in the transformation of vacant and unproductive properties in urban areas into new opportunities to attract economic growth and support safe, beautiful neighborhoods. My primary focus will concentrate on leading efforts to optimize policy related to these and other areas (by way of example and not by limitation): urban land use, land banking, demolition and redevelopment, parks and preserves, urban reforestation, trails and greenways, and economic development efforts.

I look forward to remaining an active participant in the ongoing work of making Cleveland a just and equitable city, and I encourage all of you to continue to serve and stay involved. I thank each and every one of you for your ideas, support and civic participation. A personal joy throughout my time in office has been the people I have met who, every single day, make this community a better place to live, work and play.

As a long-held council tradition, I will be recommending Jenny Spencer as my successor. She is a long-standing Detroit Shoreway resident and has served as Managing Director of Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization since 2014. Jenny and I share the same passion and love for the Cudell, Detroit Shoreway and Edgewater neighborhoods.

As I leave this position, I’ll be carrying with me a wonderful feeling about the successes we have had together. It has been my sincere pleasure and honor to serve you and our city. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me for all of these years.

With gratitude, Matt

09/07/2020

Early Bird Pricing Ends 9/30

09/04/2020

💔🙏

08/28/2020

The deadline for the 2020 Census is Sept. 30th, and the City of Cleveland’s response rate is just above 50%. Please make sure to talk to everyone you know about the importance of the Census.
It's as easy as going to 2020census.gov to respond.

08/19/2020

DSCDO is now accepting applications for an Executive Director to lead our mission & vision for the 25,000+ residents we we serve. Candidates with a broad range of experiences are encouraged to apply. See full description at www.dscdo.org/careers.

A listing of career opportunities within the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization.

06/26/2020

The outdoor dining taskforce at the City is hosting 3 informational sessions for the new outdoor dining regulations adopted in response to COVID-19.

Please share widely as we are trying to inform as many businesses and residents as possible. Thank you!

Learn about the steps and requirements to safely extend outdoor dining for your restaurant and serve your customers

06/17/2020

Summer’s here, and that means many children won’t be receiving daily meals from their schools. If you know a child in need of free summer meals, come to one of our mobile Summer Meal sites listed below. Parents, Food Bank staff is available at each site to help you apply for SNAP and other critical benefits!

06/15/2020

Cuyahoga ETCI is now accepting in-person appointments for qualifying individuals and families to get their taxes prepared for FREE by IRS-certified volunteers.

We want to reach as many low-income taxpayers as possible before the July 15th filing deadline. During these difficult time, we know that the refunds and credits people receive from their returns can mean a lot right now.

Schedule an appointment today at refundohio.org.