'What Happens When You Gather a TEAM of Ravels?'

Ward 6 Councilman and Council President Blaine A. Griffin represent one of Cleveland's most diverse wards, encompassing the East Side neighborhoods of Fairfax, Larchmere, Little Italy, Woodland Hills, and parts of Buckeye-Shaker, University Circle, North Broadway, Slavic Village, and Union-Miles.
Prior to serving on the council, Councilman Griffin had been executive director of the city's Community Relations Board for 11 years. He led a staff and board trustees in efforts to improve cross-culture relations throughout the city. The Community Relations Board also oversees police/community relations and youth initiatives.

Prior to City Hall, Councilman Griffin worked with the Cuyahoga Department of Justice Affairs. As a program officer, he managed community re-entry efforts and initiatives to help transition serious violent offenders from correctional facilities back into their communities. Councilman Griffin also served as a program director for the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland. He was responsible for the fiscal and operational oversight of the largest network of emergency food distribution sites in Cuyahoga County with a budget of more than $2.7 million. He managed seven staff members and more than 800 volunteers throughout Cuyahoga County to service 160 emergency food distribution centers.

Councilman Griffin began his community-based service work with the Harvard Community Services Center, as well as a community organizer and later program manager at East End Neighborhood House. While at Harvard Community Services Center, Councilman Griffin established a coalition of community residents, activists, and businesses to fight infant mortality and morbidity as part of the Healthy Family/Healthy Start project.

He is affiliated with a number of community and professional organizations: He is a member of Mount Sinai Ministries; F.B.I. Citizen's Academy; Malone University Advisory Board; Ecclesiastes #120 Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons; and Bezaleel Consistory #15. Griffin is a graduate of the Cleveland State University Maxine Goodman Levine College of Urban Affairs Leadership Academy and the Cleveland Leadership Center's Leadership Cleveland; Class of 2014, as well as a German Marshall Memorial Fellow.

Strategic Move with Kenn Dowell is a place where art, culture, business, and politics intersect.
I'm your host Kenn Dowell. As a political consultant as well as a government, public, and community relations specialist for more than 20 years here in the great city of Cleveland, Ohio, I've met and built relationships with some absolutely amazing and interesting people.

Because I want to help you make your next move, "A Strategic Move," this show is an opportunity for me to introduce you to some of these people, talk about some of the exciting things happening across the region and even eat at some great places.

I hope you'll hear something that can help you learn and grow as a person and/or professional.

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Kenn Dowell is the senior principal and president of Strategic Resources & Consulting, a Cleveland-based firm specializing in coordinating political campaigns, public relations, and marketing. With over 20 years of experience, Kenn has managed all aspects of a political campaign from grassroots "Get Out the Vote" activities to high-level strategic targeting and mass media engagement. His experience includes working as a consultant and organizer for political leaders such as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, Shontel Brown, United States Representative of the 11th Congressional District, former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, former Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, and numerous local, county, and state candidates and levies. Kenn also worked as a political strategist for the local 2008 Obama for President Campaign. In each of these campaigns, Kenn led a team that effectively targeted and persuaded diverse constituency groups to take affirmative political action consistent with his client's interest. In this work, he has developed deep working relationships with the African American clergy community, Arab American community, and the Hispanic community.

Kenn has handled all aspects of a campaign from grassroots "Get Out the Vote" activities to high-level strategic targeting and mass media engagement. His experience includes working as a political consultant and organizer for leaders such as Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. Kenn is also the minority outreach consultant for American Petroleum Institute. In each of these campaigns, Kenn led a team that effectively targeted and persuaded diverse constituency groups to take affirmative political action consistent with his client's interest.