Title
To Recognize and Celebrate Ken Paul and his Contribution to the City of Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, Chief Kenneth C. Paul became involved in state and local government in Central Ohio after he moved to the City of Columbus in 1999 to serve as a Legislative Aide to State Senator Mark Mallory; and
WHEREAS, Ken proudly graduated from the Ohio University with a degree in Political Science and later earned his MBA from Franklin University; and
WHEREAS, He is a graduate of Leadership Columbus, Class of 2008 and was named to the “Forty under 40” Class of 2016 by Columbus Business First; and
WHEREAS, Ken Paul served as a leader at City Hall since 2007 when he began his work as Chief of Staff to City Council President Andrew J. Ginther; and
WHEREAS, In November 2018, Ken was appointed Chief of Staff by Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, taking on the enormous task of leading the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Mayor, running the mayor’s cabinet, and overseeing the City’s operating and capital budgets; and
WHEREAS, Ken helped craft and launch the Mayor’s Equity Agenda and many programs to lift up residents and build a more resilient city; and
WHEREAS, Ken served as a trusted political advisor for the mayor’s re-election campaigns as well as those of other regional candidates; and
WHEREAS, Ken helped calmly guide the City’s response to a global pandemic and a national reckoning over racism and community-police relations; and
WHEREAS, Ken’s many roles and service on boards and commissions are often not in the civic spotlight, but still make deep impact through his thoughtful, patient management, including running a City with nearly 9,000 employees over 224 square miles, with billions of dollars spent annually on infrastructure and neighborhood services. In these roles, we must applaud his personal efforts to advance historic police reforms, including amending the City Charter to establish a Civilian Police Review Board and Inspector General; and
WHEREAS, During the time Ken has served Mayor Ginther, Columbus became America’s 14th largest city and the fastest growing city in the Midwest in the last decade; and
WHEREAS, Ken Paul will be missed by friends, allies and colleagues throughout Columbus City Hall as he continues his years of public service leading the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby recognize and celebrates Ken Paul and his contributions to the City of Columbus.