New Bay councilman selected to fill at-large seat

Bay Village Councilman-at-large Steve Lee takes the oath of office Jan. 14.

Bay Village City Council welcomed its newest member at the Jan. 14 meeting. Councilman-at-large Steve Lee was sworn in to replace outgoing Councilman Scott Pohlkamp, who resigned Dec. 31, 2012, to devote his full energy to his new position as CEO of the Bay-based firm All-American Teleradiology.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the residents of Bay Village,” Councilman Lee said. “I want to be part of maintaining this special place and enhancing the quality of life for current and future residents.. It is my hope that if, in twenty years, my children were to decide to raise their families in Bay Village, they will find it to be the same great community we know it to be today.”

A twenty-year resident of Bay Village, Steve Lee has worked as a corporate attorney since graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in 1989. He currently practices law in his own firm and is a principal in a specialty insurance brokerage. His wife Diana, nee DiVenere, has lived in Bay Village since 1978. The couple has two children - Marissa, a sophomore at Bay High School, and Jack, a Bay Middle School eighth-grader.

Lee was selected from among 14 candidates interviewed by Council for the vacant seat.

"Steve Lee demonstrated individual and professional traits which Council found appealing during the interview and selection process,” said Councilman Dwight Clark. “He is an active member of the Bay Village community, currently serving as a trustee for the Village Foundation and on the Bay Rockets Athletic Boosters board. Having served as general counsel for Westlake-based TravelCenters of America for 10 years, and as an integral member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Bay Village Schools, Steve's all-around credentials made him a excellent choice to join Bay Village City Council."

Lee was given the oath of office by Mayor Debbie Sutherland at the start of the Jan. 14 meeting, then settled in for his first session as councilman-at-large. He later admitted to the Observer that he was a bit nervous during his swearing-in, joking that he thought the mayor was repeating parts of the oath, as his time in the spotlight seemed to last quite a while.

The good-natured Lee describes himself as a “practical problem solver and consensus builder.” In his letter to City Council requesting consideration for the position, Lee expressed a strong sense of community, stewardship and service toward Bay Village.

Councilman Lee plans to seek election to the seat in November, when his current term expires.

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Volume 5, Issue 2, Posted 11:59 AM, 01.22.2013