source

Edward “Eddie” Levert (born June 16, 1942) is an American singer, and is the lead vocalist of the soul/funk/R&B vocal group, The O’Jays.^[1]

Levert was born in Bessemer, Alabama, but was raised in Canton, Ohio. While attending high school, he met buddies Walter Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, and William Powell. They were motivated to sing after seeing a performance from Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. They formed in 1958.

Career with the O’Jays

The O’Jays were originally known as The Triumphs and The Mascots. They were officially known as The O’Jays after they got their name from DJ Eddie O’Jay. Their first big hit was “Lonely Drifter” which was lifted off their debut album Comin Through. The O’Jays are mainly known by their hits “Back Stabbers,” “Love Train” and “For the Love of Money.”

He starred and performed in the movie (The Fighting Temptations) and performed the song He Still Loves Me.

In 2009, he and his group won the BET Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal life

Levert is the father of R&B singers Gerald Levert, who died on November 10, 2006, Sean Levert, who died on March 30, 2008 and Eddie Levert Jr., CEO of Levert Entertainment Group, a Music label headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. The relationships between Eddie Sr. and Gerald became a subject of a book, I Got Your Back: A Father and Son Keep It Real about Love, Fatherhood, Family, and Friendship issued in 2007

EDUCATION

Ph. D., Urban Studies, 2004

Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio

Dissertation – “Spatial Profiling: To What Extent Do the Cleveland Police Department’s Traffic Ticketing Patterns Target Blacks?”

MA, Sociology, 1998

Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio

BA, Sociology, 1996

Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio AA, Liberal Arts, 1994

Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio

TEACHING INTERESTS

Urban Studies

Urban Sociology

Racial Inequality

Criminology

Black Studies

Program Evaluation

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Race and the Criminal Justice System

Police/Community Relations and Police Accountability

Minorities and the Urban Poor

Racial Health Disparities

Urban and Social Policy

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

Assistant Professor, Levin-Goodman College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio: Fall 2005 – Present

Courses Taught – UST/PSM 302: Contemporary Urban Issues; PAD 581: Public Safety & Justice Management; UST 251: African American Images in Film.

Adjunct Faculty, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio: Spring 2005.

Course Taught – SOC 3850:  Introduction to Criminology.

Adjunct Faculty, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio: 2002.

Courses Taught – UST 1010: Introduction to Urban Studies.

Instructor, Levin-Goodman College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio: 2000 – 2005.

Courses Taught – UST 200: Introduction to Urban Studies; UST/PSM 302: Contemporary Urban Issues.

Summer Program Instructor, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio:

1995 – 1996.

Courses Taught – African/African-American History.

Research Assistant (undergraduate and graduate), Urban Child Research Center, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio 1994 – 2000.

PUBLICATIONS

“What is Urban Studies?: Context, Internal Structure, Content” (Bowen, W., Dunn, R. A., & Kasdan, D.). (2010). Journal of Urban Affairs, 32, 2, 199- 227.

“Measuring Racial Disparities in Traffic Ticketing Within Large Urban Jurisdictions,” Public Performance & Management Review.  (Dunn, R. A.) (2009). Public Performance & Management Review, 32, 4, 537-561.

“Racial Profiling: Driving While Black in Cleveland.” In The 21^st Century American City: Race, Ethnicity and Multicultural Urban Life. Kellogg, W. (Ed.) (2006). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.  (Dunn, R.).

“A Culturally Competent Approach to Cancer News and Education in an Inner City Community: Focus Group Findings.”  (Marks, J. P., Reed, W., Colby, K., Dunn, R. A., Mosavel, M., & Ibrahim, S. A.) (2004).  Journal of Health Communication, 9, 143-157.

Dissertation: “Spatial Profiling: To What Extent Do the Cleveland Police Department’s Traffic Ticketing Patterns Target Blacks?”

Manuscripts Accepted for Publication

Dunn, R. A. “Race and the Relevance of Citizen Complainants Against the Police.”  Forthcoming in, Administrative Theory & Praxis, December, 2010.

Reed, W. L. & Dunn, R. A. “Increasing Cultural Competency Among Public Health Workers,” chapter in forthcoming edited book (peer-reviewed) Handbook of African American Health: Social and Behavioral Interventions published by Springer Publishing.

Dunn, R. A. “An Examination of Citizen Complaints Against Police, Their Experience, and the Application of Hirschman’s Exit, Voice, & Loyalty.”   Public Performance & Management Review.

Dunn, R. A., & Reed, W. L. Book proposal: “Racial Profiling: Causes and Consequences,” under contract with Kendall-Hunt Publishing.

Selected Paper Presentations

Dunn, R. Keynote address on Racial Profiling at Central State University’s (Ohio) Pre-Law Day, September 16, 2010.

Dunn, R. Moderator for conference panel session on Pre-Prison: How Ohio Criminalizes its Youth, at the ACLU of Ohio annual meeting, Columbus, Ohio, June 30-31, 2010.

Dunn, R. Skip Gates, Race, and the Experience of Citizen Complainants Against the Police. Paper presented at the 40^th annual meeting of the Urban Affairs Association, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 10-13, 2010.

Dunn, R. What is Urban Studies?: Context, Internal Structure, Content. Paper presented at the 39^th annual meeting of the Urban Affairs Association, Chicago, March 4- 6, 2009.

Reed, W. & Dunn, R. A Proposal for Addressing AIDS Prevention from the Ground Up. Presentation proposing the use of a novel culturally specific, video-based approach to providing AIDS intervention in indigenous Ugandan Communities. Research is based on the model used in the Urban Cancer Project to address cancer prevention and intervention among low income African Americans.  Presented at the 6^th International Conference on Public Management, Policy, and Development, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa, June 15-22, 2007.

Dunn, R. “Spatial Profiling: To What Extent Do the Cleveland Police Department’s Traffic Ticketing Patterns Target Blacks?” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the The Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois, April, 20, 2006.

Dunn, R. A Refined Measurement of Racial Profiling in the State of Ohio. Paper presented at the 36^th annual meeting of the Urban Affairs Association, Montreal, Quebec, April, 19, 2006.

Reed, W., Colby, K., & Dunn, R.  Urban Cancer Project: A Culturally-Specific Solution to Race and Ethnic Cancer Disparities.  Presented at the American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA.

Reed, W. & Dunn, R.  Urban Cancer Project: The Wisdom Within.  Presentation of research on Emmy Award-winning, culturally specific television news-based health program designed to increase cancer screening and prevention behavior among low income African-Americans in Cleveland’s public housing estates, at The Association of Black Sociologist 35^th Annual Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., August 11 – 14, 2005.

Dunn, R. Racial Profiling in the City of Cleveland. Presented a lecture on racial profiling as part of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio’s Noon Lecture Series, July 21, 2005.

Dunn, R. Spatial Profiling: To What Extent Do the Cleveland Police Department’s Traffic Ticketing Patterns Target Blacks? Presented dissertation research at the 35^th Annual Urban Affairs Association Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, April, 13 – 16, 2005.

Dunn, R. Racial Profiling in the City of Cleveland. Presented a lecture on research on racial profiling as part of the Cleveland State University African American Cultural Center’s Curtis Wilson Colloquium Lecture Series, October 25, 2004.

Dunn, R. Spatial Profiling: To What Extent Do the Cleveland Police Department’s Traffic Ticketing Patterns Target Blacks? Presented research at the Association of Black Sociologists 34^th Annual Conference, San Francisco, California, August, 11 – 14, 2004.

Reed, W. & Dunn, R.  Urban Cancer Project: A Solution to a Deadly Problem.  Presented research on Emmy Award-winning, culturally specific television news-based health program designed to increase cancer screening and prevention behavior among low income African-Americans in Cleveland’s inner city, at The Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists 69^th Annual Conference, Cleveland, Ohio March 10 –13, 2004.

Dunn, R.  Moderator for conference panel session, Decentralization, Governance and Civil Service at the 4^th International Conference on Public Management, Policy and Development, Maputo, Mozambique July 20 – 23, 2003.

Dunn, R.  Racial Profiling: What is it? Why is it important? And, is it a problem locally? Presented at Cleveland State University’s Office of Minority Affairs Annual Community Forum, April, 2001.

Dunn, R. Measuring the impact of the Million Man March Association Mentoring Program on inner-city, African-American male middle-school students. Presented research paper at the annual STARS Program (Students Achieving in Research and Scholarship) statewide conference held at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, March, 1996.

FUNDED RESEARCH, GRANTS, and AWARDS

Contracted by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office to study use of police discretion in police jurisdictions throughout Cuyahoga County ($78,000).

Research funded by the Cleveland City Council to study the operations of the Cleveland Police Review Board ($20,000).

Travel grant from the Urban Affairs Association to attend and present a paper at the 2010 annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii ($700).

Levin College of Urban Affairs New Faculty Start-Up Award ($15,000).

Media Interviews and News Articles

Social Health Network, Barbershop Live, discussion of Cleveland’s, Imperial Avenue Murders, November 13, 2009 (live streamcast internet TV show at www.vesselwork.com ).

WCPN (NPR), The Sound of Ideas with Dan Maulthrop, discussion of Imperial Avenue Murders, November 11, 2009.

Village TV, NAACP Talknowlogy with Stanley Miller, discussion of Imperial Avenue Murders, November 11, 2009.

Village TV, NAACP Talknowlogy with Stanley Miller, discussion of race relations nationally and locally, September 9, 2009.

WCPN (NPR), Ideastream: Regional News Stories, Dan Bobkoff, “The Urban Agenda: Where the Candidates Stand on Cities,” September, 25, 2008.

WCPN (NPR), Ideastream: Regional News Stories, David Barnett, “The Glenville Riot,” July, 23, 2008.

WCPN (NPR),The BBC: World Have Your Say, discussion of Sen. Barack Obama’s speech on Race and Race in America, March 19, 2008.

WCPN (NPR), The Sound of Ideas with Regina Brett, discussion of Thug Culture, May 4, 2007.

PAX-TV, “i on Cleveland” interview on Racial Profiling, August 29, 2006.

Duncan, R. WERE Urban Talk Radio, Racial Profiling, February 16, 2006.

Morris, P. Reviving trust will take more than a Taser, The Plain Dealer, p. B-9, Oct. 11, 2005.

Tolliver, S. WERE Talk Radio Show, Racial Profiling, July 23, 2004.

Price, G. Changing the Police Paradigm, The Call & Post, July 22, 2004.

Reed, W.  Village TV Public Affairs Show, Racial Profiling, July 13, 2004.

Brett, R.  Traffic Tickets for One and All , The Plain Dealer, p. B-1, July 9, 2004.

Prinz, B.  WJW Fox TV 8 News Report on Racial Profiling, July 5, 2004.

Brett, R.  Tale of Two Roads reveals Racial Divide, The Plain Dealer, p. B-1, June 30, 2004.

Professional Affiliations, Community Service, and Awards

Commissioner, Cuyahoga County Metropolitan Housing Authority Board, and serve on the Public Safety Committee, appointed January 2010

Who’s Who in Black Cleveland, 2008, 2009, & 2010

Member, Citizens for a Fair & Safe Cleveland, 2007 – Present

Member, National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, 2007 – Present

American Sociological Association, 2006 – Present

Urban Affairs Association, 2004 – Present

Association of Black Sociologist, 2001 – Present

Member, Cleveland Division of Police Citizen Contact Committee, 2005

Member, ACLU, 2005 – Present

Member, Cleveland Housing Network Board of Trustees, 2003 – 2005

Board member, Union-Miles Community Development Corporation, 2003 – 2005

Military Service

United States Air Force

Public Affairs Specialist, 1983 – 1988

Keith A. King, President and Chief Investigator of United Research Inc. worked as a career Police Detective / Sergeant with extensive business knowledge and law enforcement experience since 1985.

Mr. King earned an MBA in Management, Bachelors in Criminal Justice Administration, and is a graduate of the Ohio Police Executive Leadership College. His law enforcement career is one of decorated success, documented excellence and commitment.

Keith King is also a licensed Real Estate Professional and former licensed Insurance Agent and maintains a wealth of industry knowledge and investigativfield experience. United Research Inc. and its associates are well-experienced investigators who provide clients with indisputable and precise results.

1. Almis J. Stempuzis Cleveland, Ohio phone (216) 692-1222 (216) 906-1234 (Cellular – 24 hours) fax (216) 531-8687 email: almislaw@gmail.com

A.J. Stempuzis began his association with the Sirvaitis law firm in 2000 after a 25 year career as a police officer, retiring as deputy police chief. Attorney Stempuzis had served as a provost marshal investigator with the United States Army military police prior to his civilian police career. During his police tenure, his accomplishments included the arrest of a high profile bombing suspect and the investigation of municipal corruption in a Cleveland suburban community, considered the largest municipal corruption case in Ohio’s history at the time.

Attorney Stempuzis has taught at police academies and as an adjunct professor with Tiffin University where he has instructed in Constitutional Law within the criminal justice undergraduate program as well as Police Ethics in the graduate program.

While no attorney supports impaired driving, the reduction of the threshold of impairment from .15 to .08 creates a unique set of problems. Police often resort to utilizing field sobriety testing guidelines to establish impairment improperly or without adequate training. Continued legislative action in the DUI field results in contradictory and often confusing laws with severe consequences. A.J. Stempuzis aggressively defends these cases ensuring that the constitutional and statutory rights of the accused are paramount.

Areas of Practice: Criminal Law Felonies Criminal Fraud Misdemeanor Sex Offenses Traffic Violations Divorce DUI/DWI /OVI

Bar Admissions: Ohio, 2000 Education: Cleveland State University, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, Ohio, 1998 J.D. United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio.

For 35 years Bill Denihan has directed large government agencies at the state, county and local levels and is the recognized authority in turning around and stabilizing troubled government in Ohio.

He has broad executive leadership experience in social services, human resources, law enforcement, labor relations and negotiations, nuclear power regulation, workers compensation, religion and behavioral health.

Bill considers himself a “public servant” / “change agent of government” and has fixed and made a difference serving as Executive Director of Ohio’s State Employee Relations Board, acting Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Human Resources Director for Ohio and Cuyahoga County, State Claims Director for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Chief Deputy County Recorder, Assistant Director for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, City of Cleveland Public Service Director, and Executive Director of the County Department of Children and Family Services.

In law enforcement he served as the Director of Highway Safety for the State of Ohio in charge of Highway Patrol and Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Cleveland Public Safety Director responsible for Police, Fire and EMS and served as acting Chief of Police on two occasions.

Bill also served at the request of Catholic Bishop Anthony Pilla, and was appointed chair of the Commission that reviewed and recommended changes to the Cleveland Diocese policy that handled allegations of sexual abuse against children by the clergy.

Currently Bill serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board in Cuyahoga County. He directed the consolidation of the Mental Health and Alcohol Boards. As a result of the consolidation, a new lease agreement and cost-effective and efficient staffing has resulted in 2.6 million dollars in savings.

Bill is a native Clevelander and is personally invested in the City. He founded and was the first President of Cudell Improvement Inc., a neighborhood development corporation on the west side of Cleveland. In 2001, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of the City of Cleveland. Currently, he is sharing his hobby of acrylic painting with homeless men at St. Joseph’s Home where he teaches painting.

Bill, with his wife Mary, has 11 children and over 34 grandchildren.