By Sheri Hager , Communications Director

Paul Haffner, president and chief executive officer of Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, will retire on Dec. 31, 2025. Haffner has served in his role since 2016. 

Under his leadership, Lighthouse Youth & Family Services (Lighthouse) created and implemented programs aimed at ending youth homelessness, opened the Lighthouse Clinic as part of an effort to advance health equity, and increased capacity for youth in its shelters and residential treatment programs through renovation and construction.

Plus, every Lighthouse location underwent improvements and upgrades, including trauma-informed design to create a sense of safety, community, respect and dignity. 

“Paul is a champion of building communities where every young person has the opportunity to thrive,” said Debbie White Richardson, chair of the Lighthouse board of trustees. “He is a strong leader who remains focused on doing what’s best for those Lighthouse serves, no matter the challenge — including successfully leading the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, always putting safety first and ensuring Lighthouse’s doors stayed open.” 

Also, under Haffner’s leadership, Lighthouse Youth & Family Services has become a beacon of diversity, equity and inclusion, principles embedded in its practices and services. The effort includes continual learning, courageous conversations, closing gender-and race-based wage gaps, and evaluating policies and hiring practices. 

“My time at Lighthouse has been the most rewarding of my career,” said Haffner. “It has been a privilege to lead the organization and an honor to work with a team that is passionate about our mission and delivers excellence every day.” 

The search for Haffner’s successor begins immediately. 

Haffner joined Lighthouse after a 22-year career as a corporate lawyer and business manager with prominent Cincinnati law firms and the Great American Insurance Group. A member of Leadership Cincinnati Class 39, he previously served as board chair of the Cincinnati Nature Center and on the boards of directors of Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services, Ronald McDonald House of Greater Cincinnati and the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, Ohio Chapter. He currently serves as board secretary for the Ohio Children’s Alliance. 

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By Kathleen Riemenschneider

Executive Director

The Cincinnati Youth Choir, Ensemble in Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), has announced that founder Robyn Lana will conclude her outstanding career with the Cincinnati Youth Choir (CYC) at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season, after which she will be named Director Emerita and will continue to lead and engage the alumni choir and network.

Recognized as one of the leading children’s and youth choir conductors in the United States, Robyn Lana has actively worked with choruses ranging from children to adult for more than 40 years. Lana began CYC in 1993 with a small 35-voice ensemble. The program has blossomed into one of the most revered youth choral programs in the USA currently serving nearly 1000 singers each year. Beginning as an independent program, Lana collaborated with Dr. Earl Rivers in 2001 to bring CYC into the fold of the University of Cincinnati where the program was enhanced by the unmatched artistry and reputation of the College-Conservatory of Music. CYC has continued to grow while serving as the resident children’s choir for all of CCM’s choral, orchestral, and operatic works and offering internships and assistantships to choral and music education students.

Dr. Rivers, now a professor emeritus of conducting at CCM, venerated this partnership as an example for others to follow. “Robyn Lana created and developed the Cincinnati Youth Choir into a world-class organization that over 30 years has nurtured hundreds of greater Cincinnati children and youth in developing their musical, intellectual and social skills. The CYC’s relationship with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) as ‘Ensemble-in-Residence at CCM’ is a nationally unique partnership between an all-city Youth Choir and an internationally recognized Conservatory of Music. This partnership has become the gold standard role model for other youth choir organizations, and it has allowed several generations of CCM choral, music education, and voice students to develop their skills by engaging with the CYC as conductors, assistant conductors, accompanists, mentors, and administrators. Robyn’s legacy will have left Cincinnati with a crown jewel in the pantheon of Cincinnati’s outstanding musical organizations.”

Lana will continue to teach in the Miami University (Oxford, OH) Department of Music where she began in August 2022. Prior to teaching at Miami, she taught choral music education and women’s choir at Xavier University and was honored to teach at her alma mater, CCM for a semester in 2017.

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By Lauren Victoria Burke

NNPA Newswire Contributor

Herbert “Bertie” Bowman arrived in Washington, D.C. in 1944.  He took a job sweeping the steps at the U.S. Capitol at 13 to become a well-known and very well-regarded staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  Bowman died at 81 after heart surgery on October 25.

“Bertie Bowman was a trailblazing South Carolinian and the longest-serving Black staffer on Capitol Hill. His dedication to public service is an inspiration to us all. May he Rest in Power,” wrote Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn in tribute.

Bowman encountered everyone on Capitol Hill, from southern segregationists to future presidents of the United States, from Bill Clinton as a 20-year-old intern to Senator Joe Biden, who would become a future Vice President and President.

Former President Clinton called Bowman “a first-rate example of the men and women who love our country and work hard every day with little fanfare to keep it running. I’ll always be grateful for every encounter I had with him over the years.”

Bowman was the fifth of 14 children, and his parents were sharecroppers in South Carolina. In 2008, he wrote his autobiography “Step by Step.” His book detailed an incredibly personal story about a man who navigated racial segregation in the Jim Crow South to become a respected confidant in the corridors of power.

Before his retirement in 1990, Bertie Bowman had worked for the Foreign Relations Committee for 25 years, first as committee clerk and then as assistant hearing coordinator. Bowman then operated a limousine service for Washington VIPs.  In 2000, Bowman returned to federal service at the Foreign Relations Committee after the committee chairman, Senator Jesse Helms, hired him back to the Senate after a ten-year hiatus.

“For 57 years – 57 years! – if you served on or appeared in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, you knew the big smile, the booming laugh, and the bear hug of Bertie Bowman. His title may have been “hearing coordinator,” but it could’ve just as easily been “heart and soul.” I first met him when I came to testify at 27 and was still lucky to be in his presence when I left as Chairman 42 years later. Bertie was an institution – an inspiration of a man who started in the Senate sweeping floors at 13 and made the place both his career and his home – but more than that, he was a great human, and I’ll miss him,” wrote former Senator John Kerry.

“To remember the life of Bertie Bowman is to remember his integrity and his steadfast dedication to public service. Throughout his life, Bertie overcame adversity, broke down barriers, and forged an inspiring future that led him from sweeping the halls of the U.S. Congress to working under 16 Chairs of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He imprinted himself on the work and lives of every member that had the privilege to serve on our Committee across both sides of the aisle and did so with honor, decency, and kindness. Bertie was the very embodiment of the American Dream,” wrote Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, then current Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Bowman’s career in Washington started after South Carolina Senator Burnet Maybank told him, “if you all ever get up to Washington, D.C., drop by and see me!”  Bowman took the Senator up on the offer, traveled to the U.S. Capitol, and stayed.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the publisher of Black Virginia News. 

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By Dan Yount

The Cincinnati Herald

Retired Cincinnati Police Officer Princess Davis said one of her dreams was fulfilled when she attended “The Price is Right” show in Pasadena, Calif., in August, and she was called down to the stage by host Drew Carey to participate as a constant. Although she is limited in discussing details about her experience as a contestant, Cincinnati viewers can watch the segment of the show when she appeared when it airs November 13, 11 a.m. on WKRC Channel 12.

In July she went on line and applied for tickets for the CBS game show “The Price is Right,” and she was able to secure tickets for August 21 and 22.

However, on August 20Tropical Storm Hilary and an earthquake struck California, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a storm state of emergency.

She had already booked a flight, made reservations for a hotel and a rental vehicle.

“Thank God there were no delays or cancelations.

Once I arrived in California, I drove to the “The Price is Right’s” new studio, located in Pasadena, she said. “Once I located the studio, I headed to my hotel to get ready for the big day.

“When I got inside the studio, after waiting in line for hours, it was on. I thought I was ready, but I became so excited, I started hyper ventilating. I lost it when my name was called. I grabbed my head and kept saying ‘Oh my God.”

Princess Davis was a member of the Cincinnati Police Department for 27 years, before retiring in 20XX. She devoted her career to the communities she served, as a beat officer, a neighborhood liaison officer, and the department’s Citizens on Patrol Coordinator.

According to awards and commendations she received as a former police officer, Davis was recognized by colleagues and citizens alike for her positive, willing attitude, sound judgment, a generosity of spirit, and a determination to make a positive impact every day on those she encounters. She endeavored to build relationships with area senior citizens, and youth that allowed her to focus on community partnerships that worked.

She participated in community-based efforts to fight crime and address quality of life issues within Cincinnati. She worked with communities to design strategies that would keep unsupervised teens off the streets and involved in many after school and summer initiative programs.

She rolled up her sleeves on many occasions, working effectively alongside citizens to address community concerns ranging from litter, illegal dumping, and junk cars to drug sales and drug-related felonious assaults, robberies and prostitution.

Officer Davis said she maintained respect of those she encounters each day, because she firmly believes that policing is more than enforcing the law – it is about building community awareness, participation, ownership and greater focus toward problem-solving solutions.

She received 169 accommodations throughout her career and earned numerous awards largely for being an exceptional role model.

As a mother and grandmother, Davis said she enjoys the love and laughter of her family. She is proud to have one grandson graduate from college and the other grandson graduate from high school this year, seventh in his class, who now attends college.

Her biggest dream, she said, is to someday soon, take her children and grandchildren on a 7-day, all-expense paid vacation. 

She continues to volunteer serving communities in the City of Cincinnati.

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By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, a stalwart advocate for gun control measures and a figure known for seeking bipartisan cooperation during her extensive tenure in the Senate, has died at 90.

Feinstein, renowned as the Senate’s elder stateswoman, the lengthiest-serving female senator, and the lengthiest-serving Californian senator, announced her decision to retire in February, sparking both accolades and concerns about her health. Following her retirement announcement, President Joe Biden commended his former Senate colleague, praising her as a “passionate defender of civil liberties and a strong voice for national security policies that keep us safe while honoring our values.”

In late February, when Feinstein was absent from crucial votes, her spokesperson disclosed that she was tending to a health matter in California and expressed hopes for her swift return to Washington.

The California Democrat has supported gun control initiatives throughout her career, most notably by spearheading the 1994 campaign for the assault weapons ban, which President Bill Clinton signed into law. She continued to advocate for stringent gun control measures after the ban’s expiration in 2004. As chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Feinstein spearheaded a comprehensive investigation into the CIA’s post-9/11 detention and interrogation program, culminating in legislation prohibiting such torture methods.

Positioned as a centrist Democrat, Feinstein won recognition for her efforts to bridge divides with Republicans, a stance that occasionally drew criticism from progressive party members. She diverged from them on several significant issues, including her opposition to single-payer, government-run healthcare and her reservations about the ambitious Green New Deal. These ideological differences came to a head during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in October 2020, when Feinstein’s cordial exchange with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham garnered swift calls for her removal as ranking member. Ultimately, she did step down.

Feinstein was an advocate for preserving Senate traditions. Yet, in 2021, she expressed a willingness to consider adjustments to filibuster rules if Democrats encountered obstacles in passing critical components of their legislative agenda, such as voting rights reforms, gun control, and the reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. There was mounting pressure for Feinstein to make way for younger lawmakers in recent years, but she steadfastly defended her commitment to represent Californians.

Democratic Representatives Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee have entered the race for Feinstein’s Senate seat.

Feinstein’s influence extended far and wide in state and national politics, with her endorsement carrying significant weight. Notably, she suggested Alex Padilla, California’s secretary of state at the time, fill Kamala Harris’ Senate seat after Harris became vice president. Her husband, investment banker Richard Blum, who died last year, preceded Feinstein. She is survived by her daughter, Katherine Feinstein, a San Francisco County Superior Court judge, her son-in-law, Rick Mariano, and her granddaughter, Eileen Feinstein Mariano.

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By FRED GOODALL

AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — This time, Tom Brady says he’s done for good.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner with New England and Tampa Bay announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, exactly one year after first saying his playing days were over, by posting a brief video lasting just under one minute on social media.

Unlike last winter, though, the most successful quarterback in league history, as well as one of the greatest athletes in team sports, said his decision was final.

“Good morning guys. I’ll get to the point right away,” Brady says as the message begins. “I’m retiring. For good.”

He briefly retired after the 2021 season but wound up coming back for one more year with the Buccaneers. He retires at age 45, the owner of virtually every meaningful NFL passing record in an unprecedented 23-year career.

A year ago when he retired, it was in the form of a long Instagram post. But about six weeks later, he decided to return for one more run, citing “unfinished business” after an early playoff exit.

The Buccaneers — with whom he won a Super Bowl two seasons ago — made the playoffs again this season, losing in their playoff opener. And at the time, it begged the question about whether Brady would play again.

Only a couple of weeks later, he has given the answer.

“I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” Brady says in the video. “I won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year.

“I really thank you guys so much, to every single one of you for supporting me. My family, my friends, teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever. There’s too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”

Brady is the NFL’s career leader in yards passing (89,214) and touchdowns (649). He is the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and has been MVP of the game five times. He also holds marks for regular-season wins (251), Super Bowl appearances (10), playoff games and wins (48, 35), as well as playoff yards (13,400) and TDs (88).

“Tom’s legacy is unmatched in the history of this game. All the Super Bowl titles and statistical records speak for themselves, but the impact he had on so many people through the years is what I appreciate the most,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Lichet said.

“His imprint on this organization helped take us to the mountaintop. We will certainly miss him as our quarterback, but I will also miss him as a leader and friend,” Licht added. “Our entire organization is indebted to him for what he provided us over the past three years. We won’t ever forget the wins or the accolades, and his influence will be felt for years to come.”

Brady announced his retirement one day after attending the premiere of “80 for Brady” — which comes out Friday — in Los Angeles. The movie tells the story of four lifelong friends, played by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field, who went to a Super Bowl to see Brady play.

He was asked Tuesday night whether he felt a connection working with women — the four stars range in age from 76 to 91 — who don’t want to retire.

“They’re working hard and they love it. So good for them,” Brady told The Associated Press. “You know, it’s just that’s what life is about. You got to, you know, wake up every day with a purpose. And when you find something you love to do, you know, it’s hard to stop. You really enjoy it. And there’s a lot of aspects that you do enjoy. So they still bring it at this age. It’s really unbelievable to watch them on set and how much energy they have. And I certainly was inspired by them and learned a lot of lessons on this whole experience.”

Famously underrated coming into the NFL — he was picked 199th in the 2000 draft by the Patriots, behind six other quarterbacks, three kickers and a punter — Brady certainly wasn’t expected to become synonymous with greatness. He played in one game as a rookie, completing one of three passes for six yards.

The next year, it all changed.

Brady took over as the Patriots’ starter, the team beat the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl that capped the 2001 season and he and New England coach Bill Belichick were well on their way to becoming the most successful coach-QB duo in football history.

More Super Bowl wins came after the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The Patriots returned to football’s mountaintop for a fourth time in Brady’s era a decade later to cap the 2014 season, the start of three more titles in a span of five years.

He signed with Tampa Bay in free agency in 2020 and added a seventh Super Bowl ring to his collection in his first season with his new team. The Bucs and won 37 games (including postseason) with Brady at quarterback — third most in the league over the past three seasons behind Kansas City (46) and Buffalo (41).

“I think I’ve been on the record dozens of times saying there’s no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady, and I still feel that way,” Belichick said in 2021 — shortly before Tampa Bay, with Brady, came to New England and beat the Patriots in a game dubbed “The Return.” “I was very lucky to have Tom as the quarterback, to coach him, and he was as good as any coach could ever ask for.”

Brady set league single-season records for completions (490) and pass attempts (733) while throwing for 4,643 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his final season. The Bucs, however ranked dead last in rushing offense and, forced to rely almost solely of Brady’s arm, struggled to get the ball into the end zone.

After scoring 61 touchdowns in 2021, Tampa Bay slipped to 31 last season and averaged just 18.4 points per game — down from over 30 in Brady’s first two seasons with the Bucs.

At 8-9, Brady’s only losing season in over two decades as a NFL starter, the Bucs became just the fourth team in league history to earn a postseason berth with a losing mark in a non-strike year. The offensive struggles continued during a lopsided loss to Dallas in the NFC wild-card round.

Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times.

Brady and model Gisele Bündchen finalized their divorce this past fall, during the Bucs’ season. It ended a 13-year marriage between two superstars who respectively reached the pinnacles of football and fashion.

It was announced last year that when Brady retires from playing, he would join Fox Sports as a television analyst in a 10-year, $375 million deal.

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Contributed

Princeton City School Superintendent Tom Burton announced his retirement at Monday’s school board meeting. It will be effective July 31, 2023.

“Mr. Burton’s passion for students, staff, and community was a key element behind our success for the past five years,” said board president Susan Wyder.

As a proven and dynamic school leader, Burton was adamant about living the district’s mission statement of “Empowering each student for college, career, and life success.”

Serving as an educator since 1987 and at Princeton City Schools since 2015, Burton’s dedication to students has been evident in all that he has done. His student-first attitude has helped create a collaborative environment that values each member of the educational community.

Each board member expressed their appreciation and praise for Burton. “As a board, we want to thank Tom Burton for his innovative leadership and service to the district,” said Wyder. “Tom’s passion and investment, not only in education in our community, has been evident in all the relationships he has built.”

Wyder said plans to find Burton’s successor will be discussed in the near future, and a timeline will be shared with the community.

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By Dan Yount

The Cincinnati Herald

“Deputy Richard Jones, who has just completed 32 years of service to the Hamilton County Jail Services Division and retired August 16, has been a fabulous deputy sheriff,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey during Jones’ last day. 

Jones, who started at the department’s Work House at the Queen’s Gate facility on August 16, 1990, then transferred to the Hamilton County Justice Center, and the Reading Road and the Woodburn Avenue facilities, faced a lot of stress during those years, McGuffey said, for his work as corrections officer with incarcerated men required him to be a social worker, a “dad” and an officer clerk, sometimes all at the same time.

“Rich was always firm, but fair, with the inmate population, and he knew when to call B.S.,” the sheriff said. “Most of all, he was a great friend to his partners, a great listener, and he had some good one-liners. There was never a dull moment when Rich was around.”

Deputy Jones used very little sick time during his career, she said. His supervisor, Sgt. Tim Scholz, said Jones always showed up at work on time and never missed a day. Chief Jack Gramke, added that Jones’s tenure of 32 years at the department “is not small thing.” 

He is described as a friend and brother by fellow officers. Jones added that everyone should have a supervisor like Sgt. Scholz.

“I appreciate everybody here and love you all,” Jones said.

Jones will continue to be active with the department as a special deputy, or a volunteer deputy who can be called to duty when there is a need for extra manpower, like in an emergency situation.

When asked what he looks forward to most about retiring, Jones says without a doubt it is sleeping in. “I never liked getting up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready for the shift,” he added.

Special Deputy Richard Jones will now have more time for his favorite pastimes, such as flying his drones, attending Sunday services, and roller skating. In addition, he was an outstanding tennis player while at Woodward High School.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert who became a household name — and the subject of partisan attacks — during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Monday he will depart the federal government in December after more than five decades of service.

Fauci, who serves as President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation. He was a leader in the federal response to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases even before the coronavirus hit.

“I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career,” Fauci said in a statement, calling those roles “the honor of a lifetime.”

Fauci became the face of the government response to COVID-19 as it hit in early 2020, with frequent appearances on television news and at daily press conferences with White House officials, including then-President Donald Trump. But as the pandemic deepened, Fauci fell out of favor with Trump and his officials when his urgings of continued public caution clashed with the former president’s desire to return to normalcy and to promote unproven therapies for the virus.

Fauci found himself marginalized by the Trump administration, increasingly kept out of major decisions about the federal response, but he continued to speak out publicly in media interviews, advocating social distancing and face coverings in public settings before the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines.

He was also the subject of political attacks and death threats and was granted a security detail for his protection.

When Biden won the White House, he asked Fauci to stay on in his administration in an elevated capacity. The president praised Fauci in a statement, saying, “Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work. I extend my deepest thanks for his public service. The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.”

Fauci said despite retiring from federal service he planned to continue working. “I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats,” he said.

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By Regina Carswell Russo

RRight Now Communications

Deborah Mariner Allsop, executive director/CEO of FamiliesFORWARD for more than 14 years, was honored during her retirement celebration on July 1. Allsop was given a proclamation from Ohio State Reps. Catherine Ingram and Sedrick Denson, surrounded by noted community leaders and dignitaries during the reception.

Allsop, a 2019 Cincinnati Enquirer Women of the Year honoree, often referred to as a “Champion for Children,” took office in 2007 after retiring from United Way of Greater Cincinnati after more than 29 years of service.

Celebration attendees included FamiliesFORWARD board members, former Executive Director Betty Hinton, Dr. O’dell Owens and retired United Way of Greater Cincinnati President/ CEO Rob Reifsnyder, to name a few. 

H. Michelle Toney succeeds Allsop as executive director. 

FamiliesFORWARD is a neighborhood-based resource center for schools, students, their families and the community. Its after-school program serves Bond Hill Academy of Math and Science Discovery, Carson School, Hays-Porter School and Withrow University High School.

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