Russell Baron Honored for Service on Planning Commission

When he was invited to the to be honored for his 16 years of service on the Planning Commission, Russell Baron thought he was just going to receive a plaque.

“I thought, ‘Oh, they’ll hand me a certificate, then I’ll leave.' But I did not expect all seven members of council to give me those accolades,” said Baron, a Cleveland Heights resident and lawyer who served on the commission from 1994 to 2010.

Baron has been a fixture in Cleveland Heights government for years. He served on the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School Board for more than a decade, and was asked to be an acting judge in the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court in the mid-'90s after he lost the election by six votes.

He said that shortly after the election was over, people who were saddened by the loss suggested that he get involved in local government, which is what prompted him to pursue the Planning Commission.

“God was good to me,” he said of how things turned out. “(Being a judge is) not an easy job. It gets very difficult, and there are such a huge amount of cases coming in every day.”

And Baron got to be involved in some of the biggest projects in Cleveland Heights, such as constructing the Lee Road bridge that connects to , developing and, what he said was the most rewarding, getting the in the former Heights United Presbyterian Church on Washington Boulevard and Lee Road.

When his term ended in December, he said he was called and asked if he wanted to continue.

“Forget it. Get a younger person,” Baron said, laughing.

He was not expecting all council members to speak about why they respected him and why he deserved recognition for his work, he said.

“He’s a very modest person, and it doesn’t surprise me that he was taken back by it,” said Susanna Niermann O’Neil, Community Relations director for the city who asked him to come to the meeting. “The thing to remember is that he had a voice in some of the biggest projects that this city has had, one of the biggest being the Community Center and the renovations of that.”

A few council members said that Baron was the person who inspired them to pursue politics. After City Council members shared their thoughts about Baron, he walked up to the lectern to thank them.

“I think I’m floating across the floor, and I’m glad I was alive to hear all these nice things.”

Below are excerpts from what City Council members said about Baron:

“When I first moved to Cleveland Heights and was interest in politics, I received a list of a few names of people to call … and your name was on that list. And I called you out of the blue, 15, 16 years ago, and you actually took the time to discuss things. You didn’t even know me … and what it said to me was that you are the epitome of the type of person that gives up their time without question to help people.” — Mark Tumeo

“Russell Baron is the kind of person and resource that makes us so proud to live in Cleveland Heights … In addition to his wonderful service on the Planning Commission, he’s just an all-around good guy.” — Kenneth Montlack

“He’s been involved in every aspect of our community … He’s fair, he’s honest, he’s got a sense of humor, he’s a great friend, he loves Cleveland Heights and he embodies everything that makes us special.” — Bonita Caplan