My name is Mike Moroski and I like people.
In fact, I love people. I also love Cincinnati, music and baseball.
Furthermore, I love people and Cincinnati so much that I am running for City Council in 2013. Get to know me here at mikemoroski.com and tell all of your friends. Be on the ground level as Team Moroski launches what will be remembered as a fun, historic and victorious campaign for years to come.
So, how did I get here?
I was born in Atlanta, GA on June 10th, 1978 and attended Marist High School. In 1997 I found myself attending Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH.
I graduated XU in 2001 with degrees in English and Secondary Education and immediately got hired at Moeller High School. While at Moeller I taught British Lit, American Lit and Writing. I also helped to research, implement and run Moeller’s House System for my last six years at the school. While at Moeller, I also found my life’s passion – working hard to make Cincinnati all that it can be and more.
In 2001, my first year at Moeller, I began taking students down to Over-the-Rhine to rehabilitate buildings for affordable housing. The two buildings we effectively rehabilitated are managed by OTR Community Housing (ReSTOC when I first began working in the neighborhood). During this time I met a man, Mike Rogers, who had recently completed the Men’s Recovery Program at the Drop Inn Center and was living in the Recovery Hotel. For reasons that only the Universe understands, Mike and I quickly became much more than friends – we became brothers – and opened a not for profit coffee shop at 1506 Elm Street – Choices Cafe.
Mike and I had a third partner in the venture – Tony Morgan. Tony had been clean for a number of years, but unfortunately was murdered in the summer of 2010 by desperate youth. This event, combined with numerous other factors I was feeling in my soul (see the post, “Kej,” on this site), led me to seek work outside the walls of Moeller, but still within reach of the youth.
In 2011, shortly after wrapping up my Masters in Arts at XU, I became the Dean of Student Life at Purcell Marian High School. My daily routine was providing love to teenagers who are trying to find their way in this crazy world that seems to favor only a few. Choices Cafe’s programs still thrive, but the doors have sadly been closed. The MACH 1 Program (Moeller Advocates for a Common Hope) still exists at Moeller, and the HELP Program, run by Br. Mike Murphy, still seeks to help young adults with felony convictions find gainful employment in our city.
On February 11th, 2013, I was terminated from my position at Purcell Marian by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati over my public support of marriage equality on this website (see, “Choose Your Battles”). For a more in depth reason as to why I am running for Council this year, please see the post entitled, “Why Now? / Why Not?” on this site.
Currently, I just wrapped up two years on the Drop Inn Center’s board of trustees and continue to serve on the board at WordPlay Cincy.
I said I love people and I do. I should be more specific – I really love the youth & those without a voice and creating environments in which they can actualize their true potential. What’s more, I work tirelessly to see to it that, not only can the children actualize their true selves, but that they also have the tools to maximize those actualizations. Cincinnati has a bright future ahead of itself, but only if our initiatives at the policy level pave the way for ALL of the city’s children and marginalized communities to grow, succeed and give back to the very same community that benefitted them.
In the past few years I have been recognized as XU’s Magis Award recipient, Marist High School’s Outstanding Young Alumnus, the Business Courier’s 40 Under Forty Class of 2011, the Human Rights Campaign’s Ally Award recipient & Cincinnati’s Jefferson Award Recipient. I do not list these accolades to receive a pat on the back, only to show that it is clear to me that the city and its organizations are ready for leadership that embraces change, community development and proactive decision making.
On September 1st, 2012, I made the best decision of my life and married Katie Meyer. Katie has earned degrees at XU and the University of Dayton and has run retreats at the Milford Spiritual Center and Mount Notre Dame. Katie and I share much in common, but the most significant things we share is our undying passion to the children in our city. Katie currently serves on Roxanne Qualls’ events committee for her Mayoral Campaign, is the Volunteer Coordinator at WordPlay and is also a sales rep at Queen City Cookies. She was born and raised on Cincinnati’s West Side and attended McAuley High School. She is a runner, the best cook I know and loves Cincinnati with a fervor that is exhilarating. Most importantly, she serves as a constant inspiration to me to be better and serves as an example of what loving human beings look like. Katie and I currently live at Park Place at Lytle in Downtown Cincinnati.
So, what do I bring to Cincinnati City Council? Relationships. Relationships deeply rooted in trust and justice with those who reside on the Drop Inn Center’s bunk beds – to those who hold C-Suite positions at the city’s largest corporations. These very people, and every single person in between, is part of the solution, and we hope will be part of Team Moroski.
If you would like to volunteer, contact us through this website and we will find you something that you will not only love, but will excel at doing. Bring us your talents and ideas and help with the direction of a campaign that will change lives and neighborhoods one day at a time.
Stay tuned to mikemoroski.com for blog posts and the like. Here’s to us, and here’s to November 5th, 2013.
Unity Assists.