A lot of people say that life is a game — and if you can win at life, you are doing very well. Winning at life for Blaine Griffin started at sixteen when he used basketball to escape the mean streets of 1970s Youngstown. At that time, Youngstown ruled as the murder capital of the country. Griffin was headed down a path of crime and bad choices until he realized that he was good at sports.
“I was not the model citizen growing up,” Griffin admitted. “I was a part of a group of kids that were into some bad stuff, and I was right there with them.”
The same street guys that Griffin ran with were the guys who pushed him to explore his gift and use it to escape the path he was on. Griffin excelled at basketball throughout high school and attended Malone University on a scholarship. Malone won a lot of games while Griffin played there, and Griffin was starting to win at life, too.
“Malone was a very conservative area in Canton, Ohio and there wasn’t much to do, so I went to school, played basketball, and learned how to become successful,” Griffin said.
After receiving his Liberal Arts Degree, Griffin stumbled into community service after he was hired on the spot to mentor the kinds of kids he almost became. That mentorship opportunity gave Griffin a view into the life of working in public service.
“I was raised by some incredible women. My grandmother and mother were very influential in helping me become the man that I am today,” Griffin said.
Blaine came to Cleveland to take care of his ailing grandfather who was suffering from cancer. He fell in love with the city while watching his mother earn her Master’s degree from Case Western University.
“I never knew my grandfather while I was growing up. But when I was an adult, I got a chance to meet him. We hit it off and became exceptionally good friends,” Griffin said, smiling. “Ray Griffin, my grandfather, was a professional football player who played for the Detroit Lions and was a huge influence on me. So much so, that I took care of him until he passed away.”
Griffin began working for Frank Jackson and that led to him beginning a career as a city council member. Serving as a Ward 6 council member, Blaine uses his gritty upbringing, coupled with a deep love for Cleveland, to manage his relationships around the city.
“I get along with our new mayor very well, but it’s also my job to make sure I provide oversight for the things that are important to Cleveland as a whole,” Blaine explained. “As city council president, it’s my job to make sure Cleveland gets what it deserves.”
So far, since taking over as city council president, Griffin, Mayor Justin Bibb, and the city council have passed some measurable legislation.
They saved Shaker Square from foreign investment. They were able to pass a new Lead Law that saves Cleveland children from harmful lead poisoning throughout the city. There are numerous building projects in the works around the city and there are some new and exciting ideas being discussed for the Cleveland lakefront.
“One of the proudest moments of my career was helping 40 to 50 homeowners save their homes when the Buckeye Development Corporation shut down,” Griffin said. “We were able to step in the help those homeowners who didn’t go into foreclosure due to the fact that the titles to their homes were caught in bad business decisions.”
Griffin and the city are doing some impressive things on the east side of Cleveland as well. The Opportunity Corridor is beginning to take shape with the help of significant investments being made to the city through grants.
The city is also investigating new opportunities to develop the lakefront and hopes to have a plan in place by the end of the year. Burke Lakefront Airport is a different monster for the city. There are so many federal laws that need to be examined and addressed, Griffin knows it will be some time before anything can be done with that land.
But for now, there are so many projects taking shape, Griffin, the city, and its citizens are busy just trying to keep up with the pace of development of all things Cleveland.
“It’s a great time to be a Clevelander,” Blaine said. “If you’re from here, you can feel the excitement of what’s going on from our sports teams to the businesses booming here. Cleveland is the place to be right now.”
Griffin is correct. The city of Cleveland, along with other inner-ring cities, have become climate destinations due to climate change. Cleveland does not suffer from drought, forest fires, floods, earthquakes, ocean depth increases, or hurricanes. What it does have an abundance of is water. Fresh water has become a commodity for those who are struggling to deal with the lack of clean drinking water in their cities, thus making Cleveland a wonderful place to live.
“With the changes in remote working, the cost of living and our location, Cleveland is a major player when it comes to choosing a great place to live,” Blaine said. “We need to continue to create great housing, and make sure that we offer people opportunities for career advancement.”
Griffin feels like Cleveland missed the chance to land Intel. And now Google is investing one billion in Columbus to buy land for data centers. Cleveland has a land problem and Griffin knows it.
“We need to do a better job and create opportunities for companies to come here. We need to make sure there is land available so they can build, develop talent, and create the jobs of the future, right here in Cleveland,” Griffin said.
Griffin has the unique ability to remain himself no matter to whom he is speaking. Whether it is an employee at a store or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Griffin speaks and acts the same. That quality is rare in today’s politics. Griffin remains the same at home in the Larchmere neighborhood, too.
“My wife and I raised all three of our boys right here in the city of Cleveland and I am proud to say that they’re all doing well,” Griffin beamed.
When Griffin isn’t working, he can be seen attending all things Cleveland sports and theater.
The city is well cared for with Griffin as its city council president. He understands his role and the city seems to understand him, too. They both seem to be the same: tough, gritty, and polished enough to win at whatever they want. Game, set, match!
