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MINUTES OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE <br /> June 13, 2022 <br /> Auditorium <br /> Present: Councilmembers Litten, Kepple, Bullock, Rader, & Baker <br /> Also Present: Mayor George, Chief of Staff Storey, Interim Human Services Director Chad <br /> Berry, Director Leininger, Clerk Bach & Deputy Clerk Lascu taking minutes, members of the <br /> public <br /> Call to Order: 6:07 p.m. <br /> Motion by President Litten, seconded by Vice President Kepple to excuse the absence of <br /> Councilmember Shachner. All in favor. Motion passed. <br /> Approval of the minutes of the June 6, 2022 Committee of the Whole. <br /> Motion by President Litten, seconded by Vice President Kepple to approve the minutes from the <br /> Committee's last meeting. All in favor. Motion passed. <br /> RESOLUTION 2022-22 -A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it receives <br /> the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take <br /> effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law, approving the appointment <br /> of Chad Berry to the position of Director of Human Services upon his or her taking the <br /> oath of office. (Referred to COW 06/06/22) <br /> Chad Berry, Interim Human Services Director, gave an overview of his educational background <br /> and career path that led him to his appointment to Human Services Director. Throughout his <br /> studies in bio ethics, Mr. Berry worked at University Hospitals and the Veteran's Administration, <br /> where he saw social workers doing a lot of great work. These experiences led him to get a <br /> master's degree in social work from Case Western Reserve University, and eventually to work <br /> for the City of Cleveland Department of Aging. During his time with the city of Cleveland, Mr. <br /> Berry worked in low-income housing communities and played a role in the creation of a bed bug <br /> assistance program. He then went onto work for University Hospitals in the hospital emergency <br /> department to examine the high utilizers of emergency rooms, which led to the conceptualization <br /> of a neighborhood paramedic program that is still under review. He noted that he was hired into <br /> his current position with Lakewood as Assistant Director of Human Services 4 years ago and has <br /> been thankful to work under the tutelage of Toni Gelsomino. He has played a role in every aspect <br /> of the Human Services Department, understands its funding and how its budget is offset, and <br /> enjoys working on efficiencies and programs. <br /> Councilmember Rader lauded Mr. Berry's credentials and asked whether he would be sticking <br /> around the department for the long term. Mr. Berry indicated that he'll be around as long as the <br /> mayor and community will have him, highlighting his desire to serve the community. <br /> Vice President Kepple asked what kind of opportunities he sees for the department now that he <br /> would be leading it. Mr. Berry spoke to how the community health needs assessment data would <br /> 1 <br />