COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus City Council is set to pick its new councilmember Monday.
Eight finalists are seeking to fill the position vacated by former President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown, who resigned from council this month to become president of YWCA Columbus.
The eight finalists are:
- Charity Martin-King, who works as the director of social change within Ohio State University’s Office of Student Life.
- Densil Porteous, the current executive director and chief executive officer of LGBTQ organization Stonewall Columbus.
- Eli Bohnert, a campaign manager for Rep. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville) who also serves on the community advisory committee for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and as a commissioner on the West Scioto Area Commission.
- Ilhan Dahir, who works in public policy, currently as a researcher for the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington D.C.
- Kelly Lombardo-Matthews, a longtime teacher and Italian program director who now works as the digital marketing manager at LifeCare Alliance.
- Lucy Gettman, who has worked in federal and state government in a variety of roles and has also taught classes at American University and Ohio State University.
- Mitchell J. Brown, a former council member who has also served as the city’s director of public safety and the state’s lottery commission.
- Olubunmi Adekanbi, a program manager for an adoption agency in Toledo who has previously worked with foster and adoption programs as well as other youth organizations.
Initially, 27 people filed to fill the vacancy.
The new member will be the fifth of the seven current members who got their start on the council by appointment, at least through the November 2023 election.
Council will also add two new members in 2023 when the election for members switches from at-large to districts. Columbus residents will still vote for all members of the body, but council members will be required to live in the district they represent.
Council’s meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Monday at Columbus City Hall, 90 West Broad Street.