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reinvigorating his ward’s main thoroughfare, Detroit Avenue, into
the award winning Gordon Square Arts Districtand contributing to
Cleveland becoming the “America’s Hottest City” (Forbes Magazine
October 27, 2016),Councilman Zone’s focus is rebuilding Cleveland
into a world-class cultural destination city.
His public service accomplishments at home now demand of him to
accept the 2017 Presidency of The National League of Cities, and he
has just returned from Shanghai China where he was honored as the
Keynote Speaker of the China Society of Administrative Reform Forum
on “Urban Governance in the Context of New Trends of Urbanization:
Challenges and Responses.”
Within 60 days after Michael J. and Mary Zone were married in
September of 1944, Michael enlisted in the U.S. Army and left to
serve his country overseas in World War II. Captured by the Nazi’s
during the Battle of the Bulge, he was sent to Bad Orb, one of
Germany’s worst POW camps. Despite the sub-freezing temperatures,
famine and brutalizing conditions, Michael managed to stay alive
until the POW’s were liberated six months later. His future
son-in-law, Former Ohio Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, has written that
Michael, who kept a revealing diary of his ordeal, was able to
survive when younger, stronger men did not, because “He could see
beyond the barbed wire and the cruelty of the guards and could see
something that kept him alive. He could see his own future.”
Michael and Mary Zone 1944
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“He could see beyond the barbed wire
and the cruelty of the guards
and could see something that kept him alive.
He could see his own future.”
Michael J. and Mary Zone’s future after World War II included
the blessing of nine children, raised in the Detroit Shoreway
neighborhood on Cleveland’s west side where they grew up. They
established a neighborhood grocery store, a community newspaper, and
travel agency and, in 1960, Michael J. Zone was elected to Cleveland
City Council. His legendary service continued until his unexpected
death in 1974 from a heart attack attributed to the ravages of his
POW experience.
After Councilman Michael J. Zone’s death, City Council
President George L. Forbes asked Mary Zone to serve the remainder of
her husband’s term. She agreed, and subsequently was re-elected to
three additional terms. She was the first Italian-American woman to
serve on Cleveland City Council and the first woman to serve as
Council Majority Whip.
On the night of her husband’s death, it took over 50 minutes for an
ambulance to arrive at their home. The delay infuriated Maryand many
people in their west side neighborhood and all over Cleveland . As a
result, Mary’s first legislative initiative was the successful
establishment of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) unit in
Cleveland, one of the very first of its kind in America and the
world.
Mary Zone’s proudest day during her public service was when Mayor
George Voinovich and Cleveland City Council dedicated the Michael J.
Zone Recreation Center in her ward.Councilman Michael Zone had been
a tireless advocate for building a quality recreation center on
Cleveland’s west side, and was successful in lobbying the Ohio state
legislature to kill legislation which would have used the land that
the recreation center now occupies to build a state route highway
tie-in.
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Michael and Mary’s 8thchild,
Matt, has continued hisfamily’s deep-rooted legacy of public service
for the last 15 years since he was elected Cleveland City Council.In
November, 2001 he took his seat representing Ward 15, which includes
the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood where he and generations of his
family grew up and served their belovedcommunity for over 55 years.
During September 2016, Councilman Matt Zone traveled to
Shanghai upon the invitation of the China Society of Administrative
Reform to be a keynote speaker at their forum on “Urban Governance
in the Context of New Trends of Urbanization: Challenges and
Responses.” Councilman Zone gave a presentation on the topic of
“Joint Economic Development Agreements” which permit a regional
approach to economic development by sharing the benefits and
responsibilities of commercial and industrial development through
cooperation and contracts between communities.
Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone presents the LeBron James
jersey to Manchuan
Wang, Secretary-General, China Society of Administrative Reform (CSOAR),
Professor,Chinese Academy of Governance.
Matt is recognized nationally, regionally and locally as a leader
on environmental and arts & cultural issues. On the national level,
he now serves as President – Elect of the National League of Cities,
the United States oldest and largest organization representing
19,000 cities, towns and villages, serving more than 218 million
Americans. The first (and last) Clevelander to hold the position of
President of the National League of Cities was former US Senator
George Voinovich, who served as its President in 1985 while Mayor of
Cleveland. In 2017, Councilman Matt Zone will be the second
Clevelander to be honored as the President of the National League of
Cities.
President - Elect of the National League of Cities
representing 19,000 cities, towns and villages,
serving more than 218 million Americans.
Regionally, Councilman Zone has served as President of the
Northeast Ohio City Council Association (NOCCA) and is one of the
founding members of the Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force,
which is working to create offshore wind generation in Lake Erie.
Matt also serves on the steering committee of the Regional
Prosperity Initiative (RPI), which is working to create a “Smart
Growth” plan and “Revenue Sharing” for Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone
Locally, Councilman Zone continues to be a tireless advocate for
alternative energy and green building. His district is home to the
only “EcoVillage” in the State of Ohio and one of the first in the
United States. An EcoVillage is a community of people creating a way
of living that sustains healthy ecological relationships by offering
an alternative model that strives to replace consumption and waste
with preservation and regeneration. The Cleveland EcoVillage is
complete with an LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design)built school, theatre and certified Regional Transit
Authority (RTA) rapid station, as well as highly energy efficient
homes that heat and cool for less than $500 annually and a model
storm water demonstration project on 25 acre city recreational
facility.
As a devoted supporter of the arts, this second-generation Zone
believes the arts and culture community can serve as an economic
generator. As soon as he took office, Councilman Zone set to work on
a strategic plan to reinvigorate his ward’s main thoroughfare --
Detroit Avenue. He drew upon the diverse culture and his love of the
arts as a catalyst to save the community.? He has been the driving
force behind the development of the Gordon Square Arts District,
which is comprised of new housing and businesses, retail development
and the construction and renovation of three theaters. Councilman
Zone also sponsored the City of Cleveland’s “Percent for Arts”
legislation, which requires all applicable capital improvement
projects over $300,000 to set aside 1.5 percent of the total budget
to include artists in their design. He serves as council’s
representative on the city’s Public Art committee.
Councilman Zone’s background is quite diverse, and includes being a
trained mediator and urban planner. He has worked with city
constituents over the years and helped to empower stakeholders in
the decision making process. Matt also has extensive experience
fostering innovation, engagement and collaborative action across
community sectors.
Emily Cherney, Ward 15 Advocate, ITM Chairman/CEO Jack Craciun III,
Cleveland
City Councilman Matt Zone, Erie Chinese Journal Publisher Pu Ying,
ITM Associate, Lorinda Laughlin
Matt Zone is a proud Italian-American who learned at an
early age the importance of family and his heritage. Matt’s parents
are from the Campania region, each from two small towns, both near
Caserta. Michael Zone’s family is from CalviRisorta and Mary’s
family is from the town of Regali. He helped establish the Cleveland
Italian American Heritage Ceremony in 2006 to recognize the
contributions of Italian Americans to the City of Cleveland and
North East Ohio. The event is hosted each year by the City of
Cleveland and is the first official committee organized by the city
since 1917 to celebrate the historic and contemporary contributions
of Italian Americans. Notable Italian Americans are recognized each
year during a special ceremony drawing hundreds from across the
region.
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Matt is a life-long member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (West)
Parish, and a graduate of Cleveland State University’s College of
Urban Affairs and St. Edward High School. He has been married to his
wife Michelle for 26 years.
Other Zone family members dedicated to public service and
government leadership include his sister, Peggy Zone Fisher, who
served under President Clinton as a U.S. Small Business Commissioner
and is now President & CEO of The Diversity Center of Northeast
Ohio. Matt’s sister Melissa Zone is a Senior Urban & Regional
Planner in Austin, Texas and his cousin, The Honorable Joseph J.
Zone,is a judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court and former
Cleveland City Councilman. Matt and wife Michelle’s son, Matthew II,
is a member of the Ohio National Guard and a Cleveland Police
Officer.
By: Jack Craciun III.
November, 2016
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