The Voinovich legacy lives on, spreads community values

Photo via Haley Richardson/The New Political

Mayor, governor and senator are only a few words used to describe the late George V. Voinovich. Others would be husband, father and grandfather. Throughout his long legacy of public service in Ohio, Voinovich made a lasting impression as a leader and someone dedicated to making long-lasting change. 

Born to Josephine Bernot and George S. Voinovich on July 15, 1936, Voinovich grew up in Cleveland, a community he would later serve as mayor for three terms. His interest in government showed early when he graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in government and later a law degree from Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law. While a student at Ohio U, he served as student body president.  

Before taking his position as mayor, he held multiple jobs as a public servant, such as Assistant Attorney General of Ohio, a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Cuyahoga County auditor, a member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio for former governor James A. Rhodes. 

Voinovich’s career in politics really took off when he was elected mayor of Cleveland in the 1979 election. Throughout his three terms as mayor, he was credited with restoring Cleveland’s financial status after the city defaulted on its loans and encouraging downtown development through projects like the Operation Improvement Task Force. He was the last Republican to serve as Cleveland’s mayor. 

After being elected governor of Ohio in 1990, Voinovich served two terms from 1991 to 1998, leaving the office once he was elected to the United States Senate. He proceeded to serve in the Senate from 1999 to 2011, when he decided not to run for reelection. 

Voinovich retired from public service in 2011 and returned to Cleveland where he lived with his family until his death on June 12, 2016.  

Voinovich’s legacy reaches far beyond Cleveland and has roots in several parts of Ohio. A prominent part of his legacy comes from the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio U. The Voinovich School was formally established in April 2007, but has existed since 1981 in its original form as the Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development founded by its former director Mark Weinberg. Since then, the school has worked on numerous community issues to improve the well-being of all in Southeast Ohio.

Tracy Plouk has served as Dean of the Voinovich School since July 2023. To her, the school honors Voinovich’s legacy through its dedication to the community. 

“The growth…really was aligned with Governor Voinovich’s vision of working with integrity, and working to help your fellow human beings,” Plouk said. 

Much of the Voinovich School’s work with its community partners happens through the Voinovich Undergraduate Research Scholars program founded in 2000, which allows admitted students to work with professionals on local, regional and statewide projects covering issues ranging from economic development to environmental sustainability practices. 

Jen Bowman is the Director of Environmental Programs at the Voinovich School and works directly with scholars, overseeing the project teams they are assigned to. Bowman said the research scholars help the school meet community needs. 

“They need this work done and our students get a working atmosphere where they get to immerse themselves in real projects,” Bowman said. 

One such project took place in 2012 when Athens County commissioners hired people from the Voinovich School to test water quality after locals expressed concerns about hydraulic fracturing. 

“That was an example of a…great community concern that we were able to bring some attention to and funding to help people feel empowered to handle and to be able to communicate for themselves because they felt like they were getting walked all over,” Bowman said. 

Bowman also said the research scholars she works with are enthusiastic about the work they do.

“They’re just an invaluable resource across our project teams and it’s a great experience for them, too,” she said. 

This sentiment was echoed by Alexandra Hopkins, a junior studying journalism through the Honors Tutorial College. Hopkins joined the undergraduate research scholars in fall 2024 as a member of the communications team. Since then, she has worked on covering events hosted by the Voinovich School and on marketing for the Appalachian STEM Enrichment Academy. Hopkins said her time with the program has been an incredible opportunity. 

“It’s taught me a lot about myself, about the university again and it’s made me have more of an appreciation for the work that the people do behind the scenes to make everything happen smoothly for the students,” she said. 

Unlike other colleges at Ohio U, the Voinovich School has a hand in almost all aspects of the university and off-campus communities. One of Hopkins’ biggest takeaways was how involved the Voinovich School was in all aspects of Ohio U, both on and off-campus, and beyond.

“It has such an influential presence in the Athens and in the OU community and even just Ohio as a whole,” Hopkins said. 

Unlike other colleges at Ohio U, the Voinovich School has a hand in almost all aspects of the university and off-campus communities. 

Voinovich’s legacy is also seen in Ohio U’s branch campuses, such as in the George V. Voinovich Academy for Excellence in Public Service. The academy opened in June 2017 and was headed by Director Jay Johnson at Ohio U’s Dublin campus. According to Johnson, the academy named after Voinovich based on one of his famous quotes, which read, “‘I believe the government’s highest calling is to empower people and galvanize their energy and resources to help solve our problems, meet our challenges, and seize our opportunities.’”

The academy provides professional development opportunities to businesses and organizations looking to give their employees leadership and management training. While most of the programs are designed to meet the students’ needs, some are more structured and can result in certifications such as the Ohio Certified Public Managers Program. 

Johnson said he wants each student to understand what their end goal is when they join the academy. 

“When we come in there and we set up the programs, it’s all about beginnings and endings,” Johnson said. “When you start something…you want to think about the ending.” 

While many remember Voinovich as a dedicated public servant and politician, his family members know him as a loving grandfather who hosted “pig outs” in the backyard with multiple different ice cream flavors and was always willing to talk about his extensive travels and what he learned throughout his years in government. 

Carys Voinovich is one of nine Voinovich grandchildren. She is currently a junior studying philosophy through the HTC and works as a Voinovich Undergraduate Research Scholar with Plouk. 

While Voinovich is met with her grandfather’s legacy in most aspects of her daily life, she remembers him best as her grandfather. 

“As I’ve gotten older, and even as I work in the Voinovich School, it’s like that human person was kind of who he was to everybody,” Voinovich said. 

Voinovich sees her grandfather’s legacy through the work done by the Voinovich School, especially when it comes to its dedication to the community. 

“At the Voinovich School I’ve definitely seen that, where it’s like, you can work so hard on one piece of the puzzle, and then you step back and you’re like, ‘Okay, it’s time to go back in, and it’s like, it’s time for the next phase.’ And that was very… reminiscent of how he was,” Voinovich said. 

From politician to grandfather, George Voinovich’s legacy continues to spread throughout Ohio. Despite the decade since he last served in politics, his focus on bipartisanship, community and dedication to the work guides the Voinovich School and its many branches to continue bringing positive change to the region. 

This article was published in TNP’s Spring 2025 Print edition.