Village Council

John Black

Northeast Ohio has always been my home. I grew up in Cleveland's Slavic Village and attended South High School. From high school, I went to college and graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting. After Miami, I became a Certified Public Accountant and obtained an MBA from Cleveland State University. I married my lovely wife Susan in 1985 and moved to Brooklyn Heights in 1993. Our children (John, Bob and Kathleen) attend Cuyahoga Heights Schools. I earn my living as a financial manager and as an adjunct college professor.

Serving as your councilman is a privilege and honor for me. Some other ways that my family and I reach out to the community are as follows:

• Volunteering for Homedays has become a Black Family tradition. Each year our family is happy to support the Homedays effort.
• I recognize the wonderful civic treasure that we have in our school system and I actively support our schools. I currently sit on the Cuyahoga Heights School Finance Committee and Master Plan Committee.
• At our church, I serve on the Finance Advisory Committee.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. Have a great day!

Bruce Cichocki

Bruce loves Annie, Matt, Chris, Val and Hershey. He is very fortunate to live in Brooklyn Heights and privileged to serve as a council member where he can use his love and passion for his family and community to continue to make this Village the special place that it is.

Since 1951 Bruce has participated in many different Village activities and programs in many different capacities. These activities include playing and coaching in the various Village Sport Programs, being a worker in various booths at Homedays including being the Chairman, and volunteering for the Men's Service Club.He realizes that one of the things that makes this Village unique is that it gives the individual the opportunity to serve and when one serves more is received then ever given

When Bruce is not involved with his family or the community, he practices law with his practice emphasizing individual and family matters. He hopes that he can do this for many years to come.

Leslie Foote

Les became a council member in 1992, after serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Prior to that, he was a member of the Brooklyn Heights Fire Department where he worked alongside his father. Les married Ann in 1979 and together they raised three children, Joel, Lauren and Maureen.

As a 15 year member of council Les has served as chair of several committees and as past Council President Pro-Tem. He has been an annual Homeday volunteer.

Les is a Spanish teacher and head of the foreign language department at Shaker Heights High School.

Tom Lahiff

Tom joined council in January 2006 after being voted in by the community in the November 2005 General Election. Tom and his wife Lu Anne moved to Brooklyn Hts. when they built a new home on Shady Ridge Lane in 1996. After graduating from Kent State, they married in 1977 and have raised 3 sons, Dan, Jim and Mike (also Max - a Shiba Inu dog). Tom works as a Financial Advisor (stockbroker) with LPL Financial in Westlake. There he markets qualified pension plans to local businesses along with helping individual investors. Tom and Lu Anne run the Prize Raffle booth at Home Days and are on the Home Days Committee. They also are on the St. Leos Festival Committee.

Other activities include:

• Operations Chairperson of CERT
• Member of the Mens Service Club
• 15 years as Boy Scout Leader
• 12 years basketball coach
• 9 years baseball coach
• Plays in both a 40 and over and 50 and over basketball league
• Plays on 18 and over softball team together with 3 sons

Tom and Lu Anne love to ballroom and swing dance and thoroughly enjoy living and being a part of the Brooklyn Hts. community. Their intention is to spend the rest of their lives here.

Jennifer Presot

I moved to Brooklyn Heights at 3 years old when my parents bought a greenhouse business in 1972 and have been here ever since. I married my husband Joe in 1998, and my son, Dominic, was born in 2004. I was appointed to Council in November 2004, and elected by the voters in November 2005. Currently, I am the chairperson of the Streets and Beautification Committee.

I have been involved in many aspects of the Village. I have been a member of the Women's Service Club since 1998 and the Vice-President since 2004, and have been on the Home Days Committee since 1998, and was the chairperson of the event from 2001-2005.

I was in Customer Service Management from 1987-1998 with two different companies and involved in the family greenhouse business from 1999-2004, when my son was born. I enjoy horseback riding, traveling, and gardening in my spare time.