Newsletter 2024 Q2
President’s Message to Alumni
I am pleased to report that your Board of Directors is continually working hard to improve our communication with our alumni and we want your feedback on how we can earn your support as an active and engaged member. There are many opportunities for you to become more involved in our Alumni Association, such as being a volunteer for a future event – Light Ohio Blue, Camp Forbes, Flags for Honor, and more. Details are highlighted in the Newsletter.
The Board of Directors and I were pleased to see many new faces at the last Coffee Cases and Hot Topics, Speaker Series event, and the Alumni Happy Hour. Special thank you to alumni member Ricardo Sandoval for allowing the FBICLECAAA to use his facility, Tremont Public Works, for our happy hour in February. (If you have a location, food, service, etc. that can help the Alumni Association push forth our efforts for memorable events and experiences for our members, please do not hesitate to let me know.)
We have many more events planned for 2024 and hope to see you there. As a reminder, some events require having an active membership. if you haven’t renewed your 2024 membership, you can easily do so on our website www.fbiclecaaa.org and click membership renewal
Regards
John C. Kikol
President
Gary graduated from the FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy in 2022 and quickly got involved with the Alumni Association assisting with outreach and social media. He was invited to join the Board in 2023, and elected to Vice President at the Annual Board Retreat held in the Fall.Gary spent 10 years in the US Navy and 6 years in the US Army Reserves. Having spent most of his post-military career in the technology field, he currently is in cybersecurity software sales.With the improved communication efforts to our Alumni, Gary was recently selected to sit on the FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association as a part of the Chapter Services/Engagement Team. He will be attending the National Board Meeting in Detroit this June along with 3 other FBICLECAAA Board Members.Gary lives in Bay Village with his wife, Kelly. They have two adult sons, Kyle and Cameron, and two grandchildren.When asked why he has become so engaged with the Alumni Association, he said “Never have I seen a more dedicated group of people all working together to advance such a worthy cause. I am blessed to be engaged.”
2024 FBICLECAAA BOARD & COMMITTEES
Please consider volunteering your time for a committee below by emailing the contact below to sign up, or sending a request for additional information to get-engaged@fbiclecaaa,org!
Executive Committee
President – John Kikol – EMAIL
Vice President – Gary Sharp – EMAIL
Treasurer – Mark Summers – EMAIL
General Counsel & Secretary – Ray Marvar – EMAIL
Marketing & Communications – Monica Ghose – EMAIL
Committees
Membership
Board Member Chair – Kim Hammond – EMAIL
Clothing – Carl Dister – EMAIL
Ideal minimum committee size would be 5 to 10 members
Events and Activities
Board Member Co-Chair – Tracy Carloss – EMAIL
Board Member Co-Chair – Monica Ghose – EMAIL
Ideal minimum size is 25 to 30 members
Community Engagement/Awareness
Board Member Chair – Dale Hlavin – EMAIL
Sub Committees
Flags for Honor – Linda Kazen – EMAIL
Cleveland Safety Forces Aid – John Kikol – EMAIL
Community Engagement Council – Anita Gray – EMAIL
Light Ohio Blue – Grace Leon – EMAIL
FBI Memorial Service – Monica Ghose – EMAIL.
Ed McNamara
Education and Training
Board Member Chair – Dr. James Long – EMAIL
Sub Committees
Camp Forbes – Board Member Gary Sharp – EMAIL
Partnership Schools “Conversations” – Board Member Ray Marvar – EMAIL
Scholarships – Steve Rothenberg – EMAIL
Future Agents in Training – Frank Ondus – EMAIL
FBI Student Academy – Carl Dister – EMAIL
FBI Citizens Academy – Board Member Kim Hammond – EMAIL
FBI CEO Event – Board Member Marty Tarr – EMAIL
Country Clubs/Church Outreach – Frank Ondus – EMAIL
Social Media – We hope that you and your family will follow us on our social media outlets to stay informed of all the great things we are collectively doing in our community!
Light Ohio Blue
Light Ohio Blue is a statewide campaign to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Light Ohio Blue also strives to show support to the currently serving law enforcement personnel who protect our communities throughout our great state.
The FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBICLECAAA), along with the Cleveland FBI Community Outreach Staff will be distributing FREE Blue Light Bulbs to individuals and North East Ohio Police Departments from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Thursday, May 2, 2024, from inside the Home Depot Steelyard Commons, located at 3355 Steelyard Drive, Cleveland Ohio 44109.
All North East Ohio Police Departments are encouraged to pick up as many bulbs as they want to distribute to residents in their community to show support for Law Enforcement during National Police Week, beginning Sunday, May 12th through Sunday, May 19th. The blue light bulbs should be placed in your outside pole lamp or on the front of your home as an indication of your support for surviving families of Fallen Officers and actively employed Law Enforcement Officers.
Thanks to the generosity and support of the HOME DEPOT Corporation, they have donated one thousand five hundred (1,500) blue light bulbs in support of National Police Week. Volunteers are needed to assist in the distribution of bulbs, so please reach out if you are interested!
FBI Cleveland invites you to join us for the 12th Annual FBI Memorial Service, honoring the men and women of the FBI family who lost their lives serving the American Public.
The event will be held Tuesday, May 14 at 2pm at the FBI Cleveland building, 1501 Lakeside Avenue, E., Cleveland, and seating will begin at 1:40pm.
Join us as we share an afternoon of music and song, and this year, we pay tribute and honor FBI Special Agents Dan Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger, who tragically lost their lives serving a warrant on Feb. 2, 2021, in Sunrise, Florida.
Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony courtesy of the FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association.
If you plan on attending, an RSVP is required by May 7 to mwright3@fbi.gov
All non-uniformed law enforcement officers and those without a TS clearance will need to provide their driver’s license number along with their full name (first, middle, last) when submitting their reservation.
There is no cost to attend and free parking is available in the FBI front visitor lot. Additional building guidance is attached to this email.
Flags for Honor
We are thrilled to announce Flags for Honor will be returning to Edgewater Park from September 11th (Patriots Day) to Sunday, September 15th. As one of our most successful volunteer and fundraising events, we have a bold goal to not only increase our sponsorship dollars but our flag sales as well. If you haven’t considered a sponsorship individually or from your company and/or a flag purchase in the past, l hope you will consider doing so this year, as all proceeds raised from this event will directly support FBI outreach programs in the Greater Cleveland area. Individual and Corporate flag sponsorship is LIVE NOW for $75 at www.flagsforhonor.org
If you aren’t able to donate towards the flag sponsorship, but would still like to get involved, consider volunteering your time. We would truly appreciate the donation of your time to help set up the flags, volunteer at our Alumni booth, and/or tear down. Shifts are only two hours long, and it is an amazing way to meet new people while helping to educate the community on our organization and its mission,
We truly hope that you will consider sponsoring a flag or two or volunteering your time to this worthy cause.
Flags for Honor Partners with the Travis Manion Foundation
My name is Ginny Wagh, Coordinator for the Travis Manion Foundation, a 501(c)3 national veterans service organization. Our focused mission is to empower veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. We strongly believe that by instilling core values such as service, sacrifice, volunteering, and mentorship, we can positively impact the lives of children and nurture their potential.
Our leadership team at TMF is comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, all united by a common passion for serving others. We firmly believe that combining our character strengths can create meaningful and sustainable change for children who need it most. TMF currently has an active Chapter led by veterans and inspired civilians working within the Columbus area. I’d like to expand to the Cleveland metropolitan area to include activations from veterans, families of the fallen, first responders, and inspired civilians who are looking for a way to engage and inspire youth in their communities. Whether it’s through mentorship programs, educational initiatives, or resource-sharing, there are countless avenues where our partnership can make a difference. I am eager to connect, exchange ideas, and lay the groundwork for a collaborative and impactful partnership.
On September 11, 2024, TMF will host a 9/11 Heroes Run 5K race at Edgewater Park, one of 52 races across the country. The race will occur on the evening of 9/11 so that participants may join the opening ceremonies for the Flags of Honor at 12 pm. The event that FBICCAAA has scheduled is a true testament to respect for those who have been lost and those who continue to serve. Working with the City of Cleveland Parks Services, we have been able to secure our 5K route to follow alongside the Flags of Honor so that every person running, walking, rucking, or cheering may see and feel the importance and impact of this date. We hope that you will join us as we continue to honor, showing that we have not forgotten.
Mark Your Calendar For Our Upcoming Events
As we approach 2024, we are very excited about the upcoming events sponsored by the FBICLECAAA. Thanks to the support of members and friends like you, this past year we have raised over $46,000 in critical resources to help fuel our work for 2024. These programs are only successful thanks to the participation and support of member volunteers, like you – THANK YOU!
Camp Forbes
Camp Forbes is a residential camp for City of Cleveland youths between the ages of 9 and 13. This camp is run by the City of Cleveland Recreation Department and is held every Summer at the Recreation Center located at 25440 Harvard Road, Cleveland. This Summer, our organization will help the camp for 8 weeks, with approx. 100 different kids every week! We are excited to ramp up our participation at Camp Forbes.
Our organization is making a capital investment this year, providing much-needed equipment to keep the children entertained and busy during their week-long camp. As part of the Alumni Association’s commitment to engage the kids in an activity, every week we will be building a picnic table with a select group of kids. At the end of the Summer, the Camp will have 8 new picnic tables!
We invite you to volunteer your time building these tables with us. If you are interested and available on any of the dates below from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, please let us know. Dates would be 6/13, 6/27. 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, or 8/8.
CEO Shoot
The CEO Shoot is back for 2024! This year’s event will take place on Wednesday, August 14th, and will be hosted at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, OH.
The CEO Shoot is an opportunity for top-level executives to interact with other Cleveland area executives, leaders, and FBI Cleveland personnel. This event will include an overview of the FBI’s mission in the Cleveland area, hands-on experience shooting with various weapons, situational shooting exercises, a SWAT demonstration, and other educational FBI presentations. The day will conclude with a social hour and heavy appetizers at the Camp Perry Clubhouse.
If you have a person you would like to nominate to attend this event, please send a brief note as to why this person would be a good nominee, as well as their company, position/title, and email address to Community Outreach Specialist Tracy Morse, tlmorse@fbi.gov.
The CEO Shoot is organized by the FBI Cleveland field office, but wouldn’t be possible without the support of the FBICLECAAA!
Nominations are due Tuesday, April 30th
**Please remember that this is a nomination process, just like Citizen’s Academy. Not all nominees will be selected.**
FBICLECAAA Community Lectures
We are thrilled to announce FBICLECAAA Community Lectures. Similar to our members-only “Coffee, Cases and Hot Topics,” we would like to host community lectures for the Greater Cleveland area so our Alumni can continue spreading our message and mission to various groups in the community.
With this being a fairly new initiative, we could use your help! If you are a member of your local Rotary Club, Chamber Of Commerce, Country Club, etc., we would love the opportunity to bring a guest speaker to support and educate your group. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to reach out to Frank Ondus from the email link above, and he will work with you and your group to ensure your organization’s interests are matched by the wide variety of topics available. Topics include but are not limited to – Cyber Crime, Past Local Crimes, Gang Violence, Elder Abuse and much more!
FBI Citizens Academy Merchandise
The FBI Cleveland Citizen’s Academy merchandise was in high demand at our November Annual Meeting, featuring speaker Phil Torsney. We want to encourage our members to wear these items in public to help promote and advocate for the FBI Cleveland Citizen’s Academy, and as a reminder, proceeds go to help our cause. If you weren’t able to purchase, you are in luck as we still have some inventory available for purchase, and you can either pick it up at the next event, or we can get it shipped to you. If you are interested in seeing what’s available, pricing or placing an order, please reach out to Carl Dister at carldister@ieee.org.
Mission Statement
The FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association(FBICLECAAA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that supports local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The goal of the FBICLECAAA is to promote public safety and security through its two pillars of Community Engagement/Awareness and Education/Training which promote a greater understanding of the FBI mission by organizing various community programs to initiate and encourage civic engagements in the Northern Ohio business communities, citizens, youth, and our FBICLECAAA members.
