Communiqué
Former Sen. Voinovich Gives WOUB His Views on Politics and Leadership
By: Tom Hodson
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Former U.S. Senator George Voinovich visited Athens recently and sat down for an hour-long interview with WOUB’s Tom Hodson. Sen. Voinovich talked about his views of “gridlock” in Washington and how to solve it. He also discussed qualities of leadership and what qualifications future presidents should have.
He did the interview in front of about 50 Ohio University students and responded to their questions after the formal interview concluded.
Voinovich voiced his concern about the current status of politics in Washington D.C. and what he called the lack of “trust” that the American public has in its government.
He also shared his views on “leadership” and the qualities that make a person an effective leader. He believes that government needs to look beyond its own confines to solve problems. Specifically, he calls f
or more public-private partnerships to address critical issues.
Voinovich says his long experience in government gave him the critical tools to solve problems during his 12 years in the Senate. Not only did Voinovich serve as U.S. Senator but he also served as Governor of Ohio, Mayor of the City of Cleveland, Lt. Governor, Cuyahoga County Commissioner and Cuyahoga County Auditor.
He is the only person to have served as both chairman of the National Governors Association and president of the National League of Cities.
Throughout his 40 years in government, Voinovich advanced his mantra: “Work harder and smarter and do more with less.”
While Mayor of Cleveland, he was credited with turning the city from a laughingstock to an All-American City. In 1995, he was hailed as “Public Official of the Year” by Governing magazine for his many successes as Governor.
As a Senator, he had four goals: assure fiscal responsibility, strengthen national security, enhance American competitiveness and improve management, efficiency and effectiveness of the federal government.
Since his retirement in January 2011, Voinovich has been named a Senior Fellow at Cleveland State University and an Ohio Visiting Professor of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. As an Ohio University alumnus, he remains involved with the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at the university.