The objective of CTM is to build a Board of Trustees that represents the diversity of Clifton including ethnic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, religious, profession (salaried/hourly), community of origin (lifelong Cliftonites/new to Cincinnati and/or Clifton), etc. so we ensure our decisions are informed by diverse perspectives. We thank our current slate of nominees for stepping up to serve their community and we hope that more of you will consider joining the board in the future.
Below are the bios for candidates running for CTM Trustee at the upcoming elections on Monday, December 7 from 6:00 – 7:00pm. Elections will be held at the parking lot of the Fairview-Clifton German Language School in a drive through style due to COVID-19. You will not need to leave your vehicle to vote. We welcome walk up voters as well. Please wear a mask so that you can protect the volunteers working the elections event.
Additionally, this year, we are offering the opportunity to vote from home using a confidential online election tool that we have tested. This opportunity will only be available to any member who has an active membership that includes an email as of Friday, December 4 at 5:00 pm. All who qualify by this deadline will get an email providing them a one time use link to vote. Anyone who renews after 5:00 pm on December 4 will be eligible to vote at the December 7 elections as noted above.
For members opting to vote at the drive-through election, you must be present to vote (proxy votes are not permitted). It takes only a few minutes. You can pay your membership current by clicking here prior to voting in advance or at the night of elections.
There are 5 three-year term and 1 two-year term positions to be filled by the six candidates receiving the most votes.
Teckla G. Akinyi
My relationship with Clifton starts during my college years; matinees at the Esquire, trivia nights at Olive’s, wine tastings on Friday’s at Mike and late nights at Arlin’s followed by passionate 3AM conversations at Skyline or J Gumbo’s. Having moved to the alone USA in my late teenage years, Clifton stood out to me because of the welcoming, diverse community that somehow manages to keep UC students in their 20s through to established late career adults and even retirees all engaged. After spending 2 years as a young professional, I spent some time travelling the world with two short stints living in Montreal, Canada and Philadelphia and these choices really highlighted the uniqueness of the Clifton community to me and I moved right back in the summer of 2020 to build on the home I have found here.
Beyond my college years, Clifton has allowed me a rich quality of life through activities that have kept me engaged as my life changes from exploratory college life to young professional and I trust through to when I seek family life by providing safe, walkable and aesthetically pleasing outdoor areas, keeping diverse businesses open and all the community events at Burnet woods or the plaza.
Beyond living in the neighborhood and patronizing the vibrant businesses (regular at Esquire), I had a small stint at World Peace Yoga after completing the training program where I helped with some of the community classes on Saturday. This engagement solidified my interest in the community as I interacted with long term and transitional Cliftonites and learnt more about Clifton’s values and motivations.
I work as a data programmer/analyst and seek to utilize my technical skills within committees that may find such useful within CTM. Further, I seek involvement in the CTM with the hopes of preserving the diverse and vibrant community nature of Clifton, which allowed this transplant from Nowhere, Kenya to find and build a home.
Brendon Cull
My name is Brendon Cull and since 2012, my wife Becky and I (and now our two children) have lived on Warren Avenue. Clifton is a place that seemingly everyone in our City has a connection to, and this is an important asset for our neighborhood. We have stunning parks, great schools, a bustling business district, and we’re a destination for families looking for a welcoming neighborhood to call home. I’m proud to live here and I’m committed to ensuring our neighborhood is a place that is known for safe streets, vibrant parks and arts, sustainable development, and inclusive values.
I moved to Cincinnati 25 years ago to attend Xavier, majoring in Organizational Communication with a Peace Studies minor. My first job was working for Amnesty International, and at nineteen, new to the city, I organized events in Burnet Woods and at the Esquire Theatre. I knew then this neighborhood was welcoming, diverse, and important to our City’s culture.
After graduation, I worked for the renowned diversity and inclusion firm, Global Lead Management Consulting. But a love for policy and politics led to a career change: in 2000, I started working for the Mayor of Cincinnati, where I served in various capacities over five years during a tumultuous yet critical time in our city’s history. As a city hall staffer, I attended Clifton Town Meetings, and was proud of the work we did to support our City’s 52 neighborhoods and to improve police-community relations. After public service, I led government affairs at Kroger for a decade, focusing on collaborative policy development, sustainability, and local engagement.
I’m currently the SVP and COO at the Cincinnati Chamber. My proudest accomplishment is developing the Chamber’s transportation initiatives strategy, that resulted in the successful ballot initiative supporting funding for Cincinnati Metro, roads, and bridges. A close second was the privilege of leading production and fundraising teams that delivered BLINK to our community.
I’m on the SORTA Board and I’m the Vice-President of the Mercantile Library’s Board. I’ve worked with dozens of organizations in volunteer roles, including the United Way, ArtsWave, Crown Cincinnati, and Tender Mercies. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, biking (we need safer streets!), and listening to live music. I look forward to working with neighbors, trustees, and anyone who is passionate about Clifton. I respectfully ask for your vote as CTM Trustee.
Christopher Harding
My name is Christopher Harding, and I am running to serve on Clifton Town Meeting. I am currently an appointed member of the Board, serving out the rest of a vacated term left open in July. I am originally from Portland, Oregon, and moved to Cincinnati to attend Xavier University. I have since decided to lay my roots in Ohio. My background is in political consulting, advocacy, and public policy. I am currently wrapping up a campaign this November, serving as the Deputy Campaign Manager for County Commissioner Denise Driehaus. Before that, I worked on the Issue 7 transit levy, which passed last Spring, and I have done work for the Hamilton County Democratic Party. Outside of local politics, I am also serving as Public Policy Director for the Ohio Chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest and largest Latino/Hispanic civil rights organization in the country. I have also spent time in Washington D.C. as a Policy Associate for the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders. Considering my background, experience, and network, I know that I can serve our neighborhood well.
I am incredibly passionate about public service, which is why I decided to apply for the vacancy. When I joined the Board in the Summer, CTM debated public safety issues in our business district and parks. Since then, a handful of Trustees and I have taken it upon ourselves to find solutions by creating an ad hoc committee. Through our work, we have pulled together a coalition of stakeholders, such as the Stewards of Burnett Woods, Cincinnati Police District 5, the Clifton Business Association, and most recently Strategies to End Homelessness. The committees’ work has all been part of a more considerable effort to find solutions to homelessness, crime, and other public safety issues in our neighborhood. If elected to the Board, I will continue to pursue equitable solutions to problems that pop up and be a fierce advocate for our community. I hope that I can earn your support!
Teresa Hoelle
Hello, neighbors. My name is Teresa Hoelle, and I’d like to continue serving you as your CTM Trustee.
I live on Clifton Ridge Drive with my husband and our two-year old daughter. Our home is my third residence in Clifton. Outside of a three-year stint living in Charlotte, NC where I earned my master’s in business administration, I have called Clifton home for the past 15 years. I first moved to Clifton in 2005, living at the end of Telford Street. I had just returned to the US after living and working in Germany, and I found renting in Clifton incredibly attractive because of the cultural diversity, Ludlow business district and proximity to UC.
I co-own a business, Ignite Philanthropy, with my husband where we manage community grantmaking for over a dozen family and corporate foundations and raise charitable dollars for key community initiatives and institutions, including Freestore Foodbank and Clifton Cultural Arts Center. I previously was an executive at United Way and ArtWorks, and have served on several boards, including Findlay Market, Friends of CCM, and MORTAR. I currently serve on an ad-hoc committee at Annunciation Parish.
I want to help to preserve and celebrate what makes Clifton unique, while advancing future adaptations and growth to ensure our community thrives for decades to come. I know this requires advocating for our residents and local businesses. I have the perspective of being both a Clifton renter and homeowner, as well as that of a business-owner. I also believe my experience of bringing community leaders and capital together to fuel community solutions in both the cultural and human services sector can be of great value to the neighborhood I love and call home.
I was voted onto the board by my fellow trustees in July 2020 to fill a vacancy. Of the trustees who will remain on the board, I represent only one of three incumbent women of the fifteen trustee positions. I would appreciate your vote so I may continue to serve and provide my diverse perspective as an experienced business-owner, former non-profit executive, woman, and mother in all decisions related to our Clifton neighborhood. Thank you.
Naghma Malik
My name is Dr. Naghma Malik and I have resided in Clifton for 11 years. My husband Dr. Geoff Calvert has been a Clifton resident for 26 years. We have always been actively involved in Clifton. For example, I regularly contribute to neighbor get-togethers by planning and sometimes hosting block and holiday parties and opening up our house for the 2018 Mothers Day Clifton House Tour.
I have a passion for promoting diversity. In 2017, this passion led me to organize an Asian Physicians Convention in Cincinnati that attracted approximately 300 attendees from across the country. I was most pleased that it showcased the colorful and rich Mughal-era culture of the Pakistani-Indian subcontinent, while also providing continuing medical education (CME) opportunities for licensed physicians, and generating tax revenue for the city and county
For the 11 years I’ve resided in Clifton, my heart has been filled by the warmth of the welcoming and embracing openness of the people in our community. This has led to many long-lasting friendships. Although this year has been especially challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Clifton community appears to be meeting that challenge by coming together.
To show my gratitude for the neighborliness I’ve experienced, I would like to serve as a CTM Trustee. I welcome the opportunity to use my organizing and networking skills to continue to preserve what is great about Clifton. I want to promote our community’s multicultural existence, and to continue to promote its strength and perseverance. I envision Clifton to be a beacon of diversity, inclusion and harmony.
I humbly request your vote to enable me to serve our wonderful community. Thank you for your consideration.
Genet Singh
I am an immigrant who emigrated from Addis Ababa Ethiopia to the United states in 1990 and settled in Cincinnati, and I am proud to be connected to the city. its rich history and community. I attended the University of Cincinnati to study pharmacy. While at University I met my husband of 25 years and later decided to stay at home and raise our three kids. Clifton was one of the first neighborhoods I visited upon arriving in Cincinnati, and I immediately fell in love with it. Having children who attended primary school in Clifton and being a business and home owner in Clifton has only deepened this love for the Clifton community.
I have owned various retail and wholesale businesses in Clifton, the greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area over the last twenty years. I hope to use the insights I have gained as a business owner to help the Clifton business district community. I believe that the success of the businesses on Ludlow Avenue are Important for the health of the Clifton community as a whole. I welcome this opportunity to give back to the community that has welcomed and served me and my family well.
