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Tuesday, December 03, 2019

Member Spotlight: Bill Lavezzi

Alyssa Raybuck

Occupation: Retired educator.

Neighborhood where you live: Bedford

Tell us a bit about yourself:
A year after we were married, my wife Lynn and I moved into our "starter home" in Bedford, which is now just the right size for the two of us. We have three grown children, living in Twinsburg, Las Vegas, and Philadelphia. We enjoy spending time with our three grandchildren, who live in Twinsburg.

I enjoyed two careers in education: first as a teacher of English, theatre, and psychology, in every grade from six to twelve; and second as executive director of the North Eastern Ohio Education Association (NEOEA), where I was a full-time advocate for public schools, their students, and teachers.

But I've always had other interests: public policy, parliamentary procedure, union leadership, music, genealogy, and photography. Since retiring in 2017, I've focused on those interests.

I am a cantor at the Church of the Resurrection in Solon and an occasional substitute organist at several worship sites. I am a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians and have served as parliamentarian for a number of Ohio Education Association affiliates around the state; I am working to complete a Registered Parliamentarian credential.

As is perhaps obvious, I’m still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up.

How long have you been a member of the City Club? Probably about ten years.

Tell us about a recent forum that you enjoyed:
Linda Darling-Hammond, January 25. Darling-Hammond offered some pretty good analysis of what works and what doesn't in education. She made it clear that there's a lot we don't know, and there's a lot that we do know but we don't practice.

Why you are a member of the City Club?
We get smarter when we are forced to defend our easily-held assumptions. As Milton said, "I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue." The City Club values civil but fervent exchange of competing ideas, and we have especially great need of that these days.

What's one of your favorite 'hidden gems' in Greater Cleveland? The Lantern Theatre, performing in the Big Red Barn in Valley View

What tip would you share with someone who is attending their first forum at the City Club?
Don't be shy about asking a question, but make sure it's a question!