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Now
Gabriel has achieved a new career milestone. Last week,
Finkbeiner appointed her to the position of assistant chief
of staff replacing David Moebius who retired on the same
day.
“She’s
been here for a respectable number of years,” said the mayor
at a news conference announcing the move. “She is a wise
person and we will all benefit from both her wisdom and her
feistiness.”
Finkbeiner also took the time to praise Moebius for his
expertise in keeping the city’s finances in line during the
difficult times the City of Toledo has experienced with
revenue shortfalls. In doing so, the mayor acknowledged the
degree of expertise needed to manage expenses meant that
African-Americans had not been as visible in high-level
posts in his administration as he would have preferred.
“The
challenges we had when we came in – which were largely
fiscal – we felt we needed the most fiscally competent team
we could assemble,” said Finkbeiner of his decision to have
Moebius lead the effort to balance the city’s budget during
his first two years of this term of office.
As he
praised Gabriel for her abilities he also took the time to
point out other black members of his administration, many of
whom were there for the announcement: Calvin Lawshe, acting
director of the Plan Commission; Kattie Bond, director of
the Department of Neighborhoods; Calvin Brown, commissioner
of the Office of Affirmative Action/Contract Compliance,
Deputy Fire Chief Brian Bird; Juanita Greene, executive
director of the Board of Community Relations and Willie
Perryman, commissioner of water distribution.
“She
doesn’t stop learning,” said Finkbeiner of Gabriel. “She is
a real hungry person for knowledge and education. She does
not want to be wrong and she’s willing to pay the price in
gathering knowledge so she doesn’t have to be wrong. She
will help us grow dynamically.”
Gabriel
noted that she had been pressed for some time to accept the
assistant chief of staff post by the mayor until only
recently giving in to his entreaties.
“We are
a team in the City of
Toledo,”
said Gabriel. “We will advance further than anyone can
imagine.”
Gabriel’s promotion came just nine days after the City of
Toledo was charged with racial discrimination in a lawsuit
filed by three former African-American administration
officials. That suit, brought in the U.S. District Court, by
Perlean Griffin, former director of the Office of
Affirmative Action/Contract Compliance; Dwayne Morehead,
former co-executive of the Youth Commission and Gary
Daugherty, former manager of environmental services. Each is
asking for $1 million and reinstatement.
In that
suit, Finkbeiner has been accused of using some
uncomplimentary racial statements about black ministers,
black women and the parenting skills of African-Americans.
Gabriel,
who as director of human resources was involved in the
Griffin controversy, declined to comment on the accusations.
Finkbeiner, however, called the charges “absolutely, totally
fabrication and false … absolutely, patently false …
totally, completely made up falsehoods but we will have our
day in court.”
Gabriel’s appointment as assistant chief of staff does not
carry with it the title of safety director, as was the case
with Moebius. Robert Reinbolt, the mayor’s chief of staff,
will assume those additional duties.
Gabriel
began her employ with the City of Toledo in 1963. In 1983,
she was appointed administrative officer for the division of
Streets, Bridges and Harbor. She became commissioner of that
division in 1997 during the second Finkbeiner term in
office. In 1998 Gabriel became director of Parks, Recreation
and Forestry.
A
Republican, Gabriel found herself at odds with top officials
in the Jack Ford administration and resigned her post in
late 2002. She was immediately appointed to the Toledo
Municipal Clerk of Court position to complete the unexpired
term of Maggie Thurber after Thurber’s successful race for
the Lucas County Board of Commissioners.
Gabriel
narrowly lost her bid for election to the Clerk of Court job
to Democratic opponent Vallie Bowman English in 2003 and
subsequently lost a bid to unseat Democrat Bernie Quilter
for the Lucas County Clerk of Courts position in 2004.
Gabriel
was brought back into city service after Finkbeiner won his
bid for election against Ford in November 2005.
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