Members will serve on the Clark County Law Enforcement Team, referred to as CCLEAT, for three years with a limit of two terms, according to the county.
There was no formal application process for the team, Commission President Melanie Flax Wilt said previously. Instead, nominees were asked, “to provide a submission of interest confirming they were interested in serving and what marginalized populations they would represent.”
The team’s organizing committee, composed of Wilt, Clark County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeff Meyer, Springfield Pastor Carl Ruby and Samina Ahmed, who advocated on behalf of the local Muslim community.
“The organizing committee selected a diverse group representing African-American, Hispanic, LGBTQ, minority faith, clergy and geographical perspectives,” Flax Wilt said previously. “Each member was selected based on their interest, their background and experience and their ability to represent the diversity of the community.”
Members of the team will include:
- Janea Ivory, of German Twp., will serve as chairperson
- Adam Banks, of Springfield, will serve as vice-chairperson
- Pat Banaszak, of Bethel Twp., will serve as secretary
- Karlos Marshall, of Springfield
- Truman Harris, of Springfield
- Ashley Harris, of Springfield
- Maria Goeser, of German Twp.
- Monserrate Salas, of Springfield
- Samina Ahmed, of Springfield
- Carl Ruby, of Green Twp.
- Jeff Meyer of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, non-voting member
- Melanie Flax Wilt, president of the Board of Clark County Commissioners, non-voting member
- Michelle Noble, assistant county administrator for the Board of Clark County Commissioners, non-voting member
CCLEAT was established in July 2020 to work with the sheriff’s office to give minorities and all community members, “a stronger voice in law enforcement standards in our community and ensure that Clark County is a community where all residents have safe and equal protection under the law,” a statement from the county said.
The team was established in the wake of social justice protests nationwide that took place after the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man while in Minneapolis Police custody in May. Floyd’s death renewed conversations about police brutality and systemic racism in the country and prompted massive protests throughout the summer.
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