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New Advisory Board Members

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:50 pm
by Jim O'Bryan
This is the beginning of many changes here at The Lakewood Observer. As I have hinted for over a year, the Lakewood Observer is playing to a world stage. We have gotten inquiries into "Can we help start an Observer?" from as far away as Cyprus.

The fact is, the Lakewood Observer has become the "Gold Standard" for public discourse and citizen journalism projects. As strange as it sounds, around the world! Because of you, and the hard work of the Advisory Board.

Let me introduce our newest members are Advisory Board/Board of Directors.


LAUREN RICH FINE

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Lauren Rich Fine is currently Practitioner in Residence, Kent State University College of Communications & Information. Ms. Fine, CFA, was, until recently, a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch in Equity Research. A 19-year veteran, she covered the publishing, information, advertising and online industries. She was a ranked member of the Institutional Investor All-American Research Team for 14 years holding the number one position for 11 years. Lauren has an MBA from the Stern School of Management (NYU) and a BA in Psychology/Economics from Tufts University. Ms. Fine is married and has five teenage children/stepchildren.

Lauren also serves on the Boards of Brand Muscle, the Cleveland Film Society, the Cleveland Jewish News (Executive Committee), the Chautauqua Foundation, In Counsel with Women (Executive Committee), Laurel School, and Urban Community School, a not-for-profit school for low income families in Cleveland. She is on the Advisory Boards of Dix & Eaton, a public relations firm in Cleveland, and the Poynter Institute, a school for journalists in St. Petersburg and on the marketing committee at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

STEVEN OTT

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With Ott & Associates, Steven M. Ott concentrates in several areas of law in Ohio and California, including Internet law, general business and corporate law, and real estate. Mr. Ott also represents businesses and community associations as general counsel. His practice includes counseling and advising clients as well as prosecuting and defending claims and lawsuits in all the above areas of law.

Steve is licensed to practice law in the States of Ohio and California, Federal District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, Ohio Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He has served as a speaker in numerous seminars.

Steve is a graduate of Lakewood High School (1973), Ohio Wesleyan (1977), and Cleveland Marshall College of Law (1980). He and his wife, Kathy, both moved to Lakewood in the 1960s and have been here ever since. They have two children. Steve is the Two Rivers District Chairman with Boy Scouts and is currently serving as Chairman for Lakewood Community Progress Inc.?s Organization Committee.

We are honored to have two such eminently qualified experts on board.


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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:18 pm
by sharon kinsella
Congratulations to the LO Project - Board members of this caliber are quite an asset.

Lauren Fine is very much a woman of our time and Steve Ott has an excellent reputation in the legal community.

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:04 am
by Jim O'Bryan
sharon kinsella wrote:Congratulations to the LO Project - Board members of this caliber are quite an asset.

Lauren Fine is very much a woman of our time and Steve Ott has an excellent reputation in the legal community.

We ran into Lauren at a City Club Meeting about the death of newspapers. It was a fascinating speech about why the Plain Dealer, Sun Papers and 90% of the papers we know will soon be out of business. Her forecast saw only papers like The New York Times, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, would be around. She even thought USA Today would disappear. At the end of the talk someone asked about WebSites, and she said no future, "however I have been watching one project that seems to be ten years ahead of the curve, The Lakewood Observer."

As she was still based in New York at the time it was a bit overwhelming. I went up and spoke with her, as did Ken and Heidi. The following week we had lunch, and she started to advising us and letting us learn more about the media business on the national level. I would call her the most visible and vocal member of the "hyper-local" media movement.

She is an incredible asset to this project. This is like having Mick Jagger joining a local garage band. Her dedication to this project, and the depth of knowledge is quite amazing

As for Steve Ott, what can one say? His credentials and love for Lakewood speak for themselves. Steve has been one of our lawyers in the shadows since day one. Now he is on the Advisory Board, and has instantly started to make an impact. One of his many specialties is Internet Law, and how to succeed on the Internet. Another is intellectual property, and he is busy with us on that as well.

This will herald in a new era at the Lakewood Observer, and let me assure you there is nothing but up for this project. We have noted every complaint, and every kudo, and they will all be addressed. With the help of every member and even lurkers I have spoken with, this project is about to make more news.

Stay tuned, to your board, and your paper.

Thanks to all.


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