Cleveland Mayor-elect Justin Bibb names transition leaders

Cleveland Mayor-elect Justin Bibb has named a team of transition leaders to help him take over from Mayor Frank Jackson in January.

Managing the transition effort will be Bradford Davy, the director of regional engagement for the nonprofit Fund for Our Economic Future. Jessica Trivisonno, the economic development director for Northwest Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation, will assist.

Both were closely involved in Bibb’s campaign, and Trivisonno was one of the driving forces behind the effort to add a public comment period to Cleveland City Council meetings.

Bibb also named six transition co-chairs:

• Erika Anthony, the executive director of the Ohio Transformation Fund
• Paul Clark, former regional president at PNC Bank Cleveland
• Richard Gibson, the pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church in the North Broadway neighborhood
• Phyllis “Seven” Harris, the executive director of the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
• Darrell McNair, president and CEO of MVP Plastics Corporation
• John Ryan, a former labor leader and a top aide to Sen. Sherrod Brown

The co-chairs will oversee 10 committees formed around key issues for the Bibb transition: economic development, education, environment, equity, health, a modernized City Hall, neighborhoods, open government, safety and talent.

“I have spent my entire career bringing people together. I have assembled a cross-section of leaders across 10 committees to advance my agenda to make Cleveland a leading American city,” Bibb said in a news release. “I want to be a collaborative mayor. This is the first step into how I will lead. I look forward to feedback and robust ideas to move us forward.”

By city charter, Bibb will take office as mayor on Jan. 3 next year.