City Manager Taps Thomas B. Corey to Oversee Economic Inclusion

City Manager Harry Black has appointed Thomas B. Corey, an attorney, to oversee Cincinnati's economic inclusion efforts. He takes office Feb. 9, 2015.

As Economic Inclusion Executive Project Director, Corey will lead the reorganization of the City's current Office of Contract Compliance into the Department of Economic Inclusion. This new department will centralize economic inclusion initiatives and be responsible for:

• as approved by City Council, executing all applicable Mayor’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Council (EIAC) recommendations;
• evaluating, recommending and implementing policy;
• identifying and implementing opportunities to expedite economic inclusion contracting opportunities;
• assuring that City Administrative staff is regularly trained on economic inclusion policies and practices;
• advocating and partnering with large local companies and stakeholders; and
• reviewing, contracting and monitoring vendors and ensuring compliance with established City policies.

Additionally, Black is asking that Cincinnati City Council approve elevating Corey's role into a Director-level position. The appointment of a Director-level position to manage the City's economic inclusion program was a key recommendation of the EIAC, which announced its findings last week. The EIAC, comprised of local business and community leaders, spent more than a year researching best practices on how to make the City's contracting practices more inclusive and reflective of the community it serves.

"I'm thankful to the Economic Inclusion Advisory Council for their thoughtful, diligent work over the past 12 months. There's even more work ahead for the City to implement these recommendations. I'm pleased Tom has agreed to join our team as we enter the next phase of improvement," City Manager Harry Black said.

Corey has had a distinguished career as a lawyer, mediator and arbiter with extensive experience leading minority business contracting programs. Most recently, he served as Chief Solicitor with the City of Baltimore Law Department. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing the legal and administrative functions of the Minority and Women's Business Opportunity Office.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my career in Cincinnati. There is positive momentum and community engagement in Cincinnati around economic inclusion and I look forward to making my contribution," Corey said.

Corey is a member of the Maryland Bar Association, Monumental City Bar Association (past President), District of Columbia Bar, Board of Trustees Baltimore Employees and Elected Officials Retirement Systems, National Association of Public Pension Attorneys, and a former member of the Maryland Stadium Authority Board. He has also received awards from the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, the Baltimore Small Business Resource Center, the Allegany County Branch of the NAACP and the Black Law Students Association.