Vote in-person or request an electronic ballot
Mark your calendar for this year’s Clifton Town Meeting (CTM) elections on Nov. 7, 2022, with options to vote in-person or, by request, with an electronic ballot. Seven candidates are vying for seven open seats. Candidates with the most votes will fill five 3-year terms while candidates receiving fewer votes will fill one 2-year term and one 1-year term.
Only current members can vote. You can make your membership active online by clicking here. You must be an active member on Friday Nov 4 to vote electronically. You can also make your membership active at the in person elections.
If you wish to vote electronically, request a ballot no later than 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022 by emailing contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org. The vote is anonymous, so those who request an electronic ballot will not be able to vote in person.
If you plan to vote in person, you can do so between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 at the Clifton Recreation Center, 320 McAlpin Ave.
Read on to learn more about this year’s candidates.
Mansee Chauhan
As I am becoming an urban planner, I wanted to be involved with the community where I live, engaging to know their concerns while working with them. I hope that with my skills, training and background as an urban planner, I will be an asset to the board. I wish to give back to community that has welcomed me. My coop experience and the classes that I have taken in past year and current year will help me to broaden my knowledge within real dynamic settings.
Gerald Checco
After 30 years spent as a public servant leading 4 agencies, I was elected to the CTM board in 2020. I was Treasurer for two years, then President in 2022. Among my accomplishments: I created a Memo of Understanding between the three Clifton civic groups (Clifton Business Association, Clifton Community Fund and CTM) that enables them to work more efficiently together maximizing effectiveness. I co-created CliftonCares during the pandemic to help our restaurants survive, and received a “Leadership in Crisis” award (2020). I organized 7 community volunteer cleaning events, earning a Keep Cincinnati Beautiful award (2021) and was recognized as “Friend of Clifton” (2021). I’ve helped to make the Chronicle financially selfsupporting and updated that mailing list. I obtained many grants on behalf of both CTM and CBA, managing the completion and reporting of these grants. I’ve volunteered for our cleanups, two Golf Outings, the Memorial Day Picnic and as a writer and distributor for the Chronicle. If elected, I intend to serve by fostering collaboration among our civic groups, developing win-win outcomes in every case, and by helping a new generation into a future of leadership.
Barry Gee
I have been serving on the CTM board for a few months in 2022 as a replacement for a Trustee who could not fulfill their term. I had the pleasure to lead the resurrection of the CTM Memorial Day Parade/Picnic and currently serve on the Events committee. We often hear discussion of the importance of community engagement, and I am pleased that through the work of CTM, here in Clifton community engagement is in the action phase. There are committees for many of the issues we are facing and we as a community are having a say and some control over what happens in our neighborhood. As a community we must always remain vigilant and be a proactive voice. I have seen directly that Clifton Town Meeting is an organized and effective organization, determining needs and building consensus for our community. I humbly ask for your vote as a Trustee and look forward to continuing to serve this great organization.
Tim Noonan
I’ve been serving on CTM by appointment since July 2022. I would like to continue the work I’ve begun on CTM’s accounting software, assuring that the treasurer’s duties are more easily transferable in the future. Our family moved to Clifton in 2017 after Karen and I retired from our jobs in Butler and Warren counties. We love this neighborhood and our neighbors and can’t imagine a better neighborhood for us. Besides the amazing people we have met in Clifton, we love Clifton’s “useful walkability.” It is so calming that so many necessary services are a short walk away. Supporting the safety and health of our business district should continue to be a CTM priority. Crime in Clifton is a major concern for many residents. We should continue our work with District 5 Police but should also look for actions CTM can lead to aid in crime reduction. The future will bring changes to how people move in our neighborhood. I have noticed a great increase in the use of electric bikes and I’ve seen incredibly fast electric scooters. CTM should continue its work to make Clifton’s transportation safe while staying aware of coming changes. I hope you will consider voting for me as a CTM board member.
Justin Ogilby
I first moved to Clifton to attend the University of Cincinnati and liked it so much that my wife and I bought our first house here in 2013. Elizabeth and I now live on Clifton Avenue with our 4 kids Jonah, Wesley, Ian and Isabell. Jonah and Wesley attend school at Fairview and Ian is in preschool at Immanuel. We are parishioners at Annunciation Church. Recently I’ve been involved with the CTM Transportation and Safety Committee, working on addressing safety issues along Clifton Avenue. Professionally, I’m an executive, board member and co-founder at STACK Construction Technologies, a software company in Blue Ash. On the CTM board I’ll work to continue to improve safety and quality of life for kids, families and all residents of Clifton.
Rachel Wells
As a car-free apartment dweller, I rely heavily on Clifton’s accessibility to greenspace and multimodal transportation. To me, the ability to walk through a dense canopy of trees and to entertainment, dining, retail and educational establishments is the rare mix that makes Clifton unique. I want all Clifton residents and visitors to feel welcome, included and valued. My career has included stints as a newspaper reporter, in communications and stakeholder engagement, and as a grant writer. I am currently a project manager for an education nonprofit. Throughout, I’ve worked to make systems more responsive to the communities they serve by building understanding and promoting civic participation. I’m eager to continue this effort as CTM trustee, and I believe my experience as a resident in multi-family housing and as a public transit user adds a valuable perspective to the board. I was appointed to fill a trustee vacancy in 2022 and now serve as co-chair of the communications committee and on the membership committee. I continue to volunteer as a writer and proofreader with the Clifton Chronicle. Going forward, I would like to encourage more and more diverse residents to participate in CTM and to expand content on CTM’s website.
John Whedon
I have been happy to be a Clifton resident now for 18 years and, like many of you, love our neighborhood’s beautiful parks, incredible architecture, mature trees and walkability. My family has enjoyed much that is here – from elementary education at Fairview, summers at Clifton Meadows, Clifton soccer on Spring Grove, great neighbors and block parties, and much more. No neighborhood is perfect, of course, and there areas of needed focus critical to Clifton’s viability. If elected to the board I would like to do what is possible to make the business district a more inviting place to be for shoppers, walkers, both residents and visitors to Clifton alike. This includes attracting the best possible retailers as well. Store theft, vagrancy, panhandling, litter, smoke shops are some areas of concern I have. I would also support the already growing effort to slow down traffic on Clifton Avenue. Clifton is great and can be so much better. Together we can make it happen.