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institutions, including the Cleveland Orchestra, in effect, ‘Enough is enough.’ They decided that Gradually Cleveland’s public-private
the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland they were not going to let politics ruin a major partnership came to the attention of the rest
Foundation, and the Cleveland Play House. city. They began to get involved and to offer of the country. An important early recognition
After World War II, Cleveland’s major electric their help and cooperation.” was an article in the March 1989 issue of
utility declared the city “the Best Location in the Led by E. Mandell (Del) de Windt, at that Fortune magazine entitled “How Business
Nation.” And, as Pogue recalls, “We believed it!” time the CEO of Eaton Corporation, the heads Bosses Saved a Sick City.” The subhead of
But in the 1960s and 1970s, a series of factors of the city’s major corporations recruited that article asked: “Could this happen in your
converged to send Cleveland into a rapid Ohio’s lieutenant governor, George Voinovich, town? With local government in shambles
downward spiral. These included a movement to to run for mayor. Backed by commitments and companies fleeing, CEOs took charge of
the suburbs, the advent of air conditioning (which from the business community, Voinovich Cleveland’s fate. The turnaround is impressive.”
facilitated the relocation of manufacturing to won a relatively close election against Dennis Over the years, speakers from Cleveland
lower-cost areas in the South and West), and the Kucinich in the fall of 1979. were invited to explain to the leadership of more
emergence of plastics and other substitutes for To help straighten out City Hall, Cleveland’s than 35 cities how Cleveland had accomplished
steel. These factors combined to cause Cleveland business leaders loaned the new mayor more than its comeback. The city made headlines in major
to decline far more quickly than other industrial 100 executives (with specific skills in such areas publications, such as Philadelphia Magazine
cities during those two decades. as transportation, procurement, and finances) for (“Why Can’t We Be Like Cleveland?”), the
Dick Pogue recalls that the city government periods ranging from six weeks to many months. London Financial Times (“What Cleveland
did not seem to know how to arrest the slide, The “Operations Improvement Task Force” made Can Teach the US”), and The Washington Post
or even how to slow it down. With the tax base approximately 800 recommendations, almost all (“DC’s Solution May Lie in Cleveland”).
sharply eroding, city services deteriorated and of which were accepted and implemented. Throughout those years and beyond, Dick
local politics turned strident. Cleveland became During this period, Dick Pogue became Pogue has been a constant driver in the movement
a symbol of political ineptitude, of polluted air Managing Partner of Jones Day, overseeing the to restore Cleveland’s fortunes. Recognizing his
and water, of business out-migration. When Firm’s entry into and expansion of international influence, Cleveland Magazine in 1988 named
the national press reported on the Cuyahoga practice in a number of countries around the Pogue “the most powerful man in the city.”
River catching fire, the mayor burning his hair world. Pogue nevertheless found time to be Characteristically, he deflects credit, telling former
with a torch at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and deeply involved in leadership roles in dozens Plain Dealer editorial director Brent Larkin
his wife’s declining to visit the White House of Cleveland civic institutions, including the recently, “That’s hyperbole. I was in positions
because it was her bowling night, the city’s 16,000-member Greater Cleveland Growth where I could make a difference and that’s what
image changed from “the Best Location in the Association (now the Greater Cleveland I tried to do. In terms of influence, Del de Windt
Nation” to “the Mistake on the Lake.” Partnership) and Cleveland Tomorrow, both of was number one. After default, he saved the city.”
The metamorphosis from greatness to which contributed to the city’s renaissance. Preferring to focus on the success of the
deterioration was sharp and seemingly Cleveland Tomorrow, created in 1982, endeavor, Pogue looks back with satisfaction
inexorable during the years that followed. As comprised the CEOs of the 50 largest companies on the night of July 22, 1996, when hundreds
conditions worsened and local politicians bashed in the area. Pogue recalls, “Individually, each of of thousands of citizens sat on the banks of
business to court voter support, a vast chasm of these executives agreed to attend all meetings the Cuyahoga River, celebrating Cleveland’s
noncommunication opened up between local personally and to act as liaison with a major Bicentennial — a positive bookend to that
government and business leaders — a chasm that nonprofit organization. As a group, we agreed dark night in December 1978.
reached its nadir on December 15, 1978. to have a small but outstanding staff, to focus Reflecting on Jones Day’s involvement in the
On that night, Cleveland’s mayor, Dennis on a few key priorities, and to avoid seeking municipal crises of both Cleveland and Detroit,
Kucinich, decided, for what the business publicity or credit. In part because of these Dick Pogue and Heather Lennox credit the
community regarded as political reasons, that five principles, Cleveland Tomorrow did some Firm’s commitment to the industrial heartland
the city would default on a small issue of local wonderful work over its 22-year existence.” of America with helping the cities survive near-
ordinary working-capital bank loans. Serving as Through these organizations, business catastrophic stresses with a renewed vigor to
counsel for the lead bank, Cleveland Trust, Dick leadership and civic entities worked hand in tackle future challenges. Looking to the future,
Pogue was among those at the center of the glove with local government leaders, and the Dick Pogue says, “May the past become prologue.”
drama. In the days that followed, the national redevelopment of downtown Cleveland began, “The views and opinions set forth herein are
— and indeed, international — headlines including projects such as Tower City, Jacobs the personal views or opinions of the author;
noted that Cleveland was the first city since the (now Progressive) Field, Gund Arena (now they do not necessarily reflect views or opinions
Great Depression to default on its municipal Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse), the restored of the law firm with which she is associated.”
obligations. Pogue recalls, “It was a blow to our Playhouse Square theaters, the Great Lakes
community’s solar plexus. But in retrospect, the Science Center, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,
traumatic event of default turned out to be the and the phoenix-like emergence of the Flats Paula Batt Wilson is Of Counsel
best thing that ever happened to us. It mobilized and the Warehouse District. Pogue notes that to the Firm.
our business community into action. Standing previously, many developers would not touch
on the precipice and looking over the edge into the area, but because of these efforts, billions of
the abyss, Cleveland’s business leadership said, dollars of investment were forthcoming.
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