CINspirational People
Mariemont Graduate Co-Writes Book
Teachers can have a huge impact on young impressionable minds. Within their classrooms are often born dreams and ideas that linger, and encourage lifelong pursuits. Ben Cober, a 2003 graduate of Cincinnati’s Mariemont High School, know this. It was there, nestled in a quaint, tree-line village where his love for creative expression first took flight. Little did he know when he donned his cap and gown that years later that love would lead to his co-writing science fiction fantasy adventure…but it did!
His path since high school took him first to Butler University where he studied theatre before transferring to University of Illinois, then back to his home town to work in development and public relations for the Cincinnati Museum Center. He later attended Indiana University in 2010, and after earning a duel MBA in marketing and management, ultimately joined a tourism architecture firm, PGAV Destinations and today lives in Washington.
It was a fateful fall day, 2005, when Ben first met Greg Zimmerman on the campus of University of Illinois. Their shared excitement for sailing (and the exact same birthday) somehow blended their lives, and, after a few years of deep friendship, they came to share something else…Encounter IX.
Their journey to science began in Greg’s the chasm between college graduation and a first ‘real’ job. He and his girlfriend (now wife), Katie, were living with her mother in Bellingham WA. Katie was working full-time and Ben was looking for a way to take up his time.
“Thus began a process that I could never have imagined at the time. Within a few days, I had drafted a very rough, yet well though-out synopsis for a sci-fi / fantasy adventure. It contained approximately forty or so chapters, the general plot, characters, places, and framework for a world which would become the main setting for Encounter IX,” Greg wrote on their blog.
Fast-forward a few years. He was rummaging through his Chicago apartment when he stumbled upon that journal and synopsis preserved in a metal briefcase and decided to share it with his good friend.
“Without hesitation he was interested in writing a few chapters. Then a few chapters became sections, and sections became a novel. Ben has always been a great storyteller, and I knew that we would be able to work well together stitching together a tale,” Greg detailed.
Fast forward again to 2016.
Encounter IX, a rich blend of space opera, nautical adventure and Odyssey-inspired episodic, is published. You can purchase it on Amazon.
About the book:
In the year 2221 C.E., facing unstoppable overpopulation and resource extinction, the most passionate and brilliant minds on Earth banded together to send ten ships – 60 souls – into the distant, swirling arms of the Milky Way Galaxy to begin life anew. Ten hopeful planets – all Fertile Crescents with atmospheres, water, shifting tectonics, and safe distances from their nearest stars – served as the blind prayers for the future of the human race.
Ten ships left our solar system. To date, we only know the fate of one – Encounter IX.
Encounter IX follows the fated crew-members of one interplanetary star ship as they fight to establish the first off-world colony. Their journey explores the depths of the human soul, self-preservation, and to what extent we can, and should, go to protect and save the ones we love. Through navigating the daunting waters of geopolitical affairs, civil war, dangerously devout religion, and a planet on the verge of tearing itself apart, six space pioneers grapple, grow, succeed, and succumb through myriad adventures to discover what it truly means to be human, and what we must become to survive.
I asked Ben a few questions.
Lisa: Where did your inspiration come from in writing the novel?
Ben: As Greg (my book partner – you can read more about our partnership in this post) has told me, in his initial outline, he was largely inspired by The 
Odyssey as well as a life of sailing. These two elements factored immensely into his original narrative.
I drew from a myriad of resources as I wrote the novel over the course of seven years. They say write what you know, so I drew largely from various travels I’ve been lucky enough to have: the Amazon jungle, old towns of Italy, German and British castles, Israel, the Caribbean, and a lifetime of sailing up and down the east coast. Music was influential as well while writing; and as a child of the ’80s, I grew up on lots of wonderful films that influenced some of my storytelling as well, including the Aliens series, Master & Commander, Jurassic Park, and the Lord of the Rings series.
Lisa: Who was someone, a role model or teacher, who inspired you in your writing and how?
Ben: I would have to say my high school AP English and Creative Writing teacher, as well as theater director, Mrs. Cathy Ransenberg. Cathy was first and foremost full of energy and life, and made the world of literature appealing and fun. When writing our own pieces though, she deeply encouraged the wildest creativity, but was tremendously stringent in writing well – punctuation, grammar, and story and sentence structure. Outside of my own family, Cathy was one of my greatest proponents in creativity, and I owe her a great deal for that.
Cincinnati Cats Have An Advocate
Today I would like to introduce you Liz Johnson, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Computer Science at Xavier University with a big heart for cats. In addition to her busy career, she is the volunteer executive director of Cincinnati nonprofit, Ohio Alleycat Resource (OAR), a position she has held since 2009. Please read more about her below.
Lisa: Please tell us a little about yourself.
Liz: I grew up in Dayton, Ohio with 3 brothers. I graduated from Baylor University with a degree in computer science and worked at various universities in computer user support. During that time, I discovered that I loved teaching so I went back to school at Indiana University and completed a doctorate. I’ve been a faculty member at Xavier University since 1997 in computer science and am currently chair of the Department of Computer Science. One of my passions is increasing the diversity of the computer science field. I’ve been involved in various activities focused on that, including a summer camp for middle school girls to promote interest and confidence in science, technology, and math. I live in East Hyde Park with my husband of 31 years.
Lisa: We would love to learn more about your work with OAR and why it is important to you.
Liz: In 2001, I heard about a cat rescue in O’Bryonville and decided to look into volunteering. I quickly became hooked, joining the board of OAR the next
year and becoming its executive director in 2009. I’ve done most of the jobs at OAR at one time or another – cleaning litterboxes, fostering kittens, doing trap-neuter-return (TNR) on feral cats, driving the Neuterville Express van to bring cats to our spay/neuter clinic.
Since 2001, OAR has grown from a small rescue in the basement of a local business to a spay/neuter clinic, adoption center, and community cats resource housed in 2 buildings in Madisonville with about 15 staff members and more than 200 volunteers. We spay/neuter almost 10,000 cats a year and last year we adopted out almost 500 cats. We’re working closely with county shelters in our area, including the Cincinnati SPCA, to save cats who enter the shelter system.
I’ve loved cats since I was a young girl begging for a kitten of my own. My work at OAR is an extension of this love. I’ve recently been working with a woman who has been feeding stray cats in her yard. Even though these cats are too wild to be pets, she loves them. She started with two cats but these multiplied so she asked OAR for help. We’ve trapped and spayed or neutered 11 of these cats and will soon get the rest. 8 of them were female so many litters were prevented. She’s appreciative and her neighbors have also thanked us. This work is important to me not only because cats’ lives are bettered through our efforts, but also because we are helping the people who love the cats.
Lisa: Please share with us an experience during your volunteer work that really touched you.
Liz: One of the reasons I got hooked at OAR was that I helped to socialize a shy kitten who was not adoptable when I started. Each week, I would spend time with her after my cat care shift was finished, slowly winning her over through treats and petting. Eventually she learned that humans were ok and she was adopted. Though I don’t have as much time to do this now as in the early years, I’m still drawn to the shy cats who need reassurance and love in order to come out of their shells.
I try to do the same thing in my teaching – encourage a struggling student to overcome a barrier, convince someone that they can succeed in computer science who may never have considered it as a career. Whether human or cat, we can all use affirmation that we matter in the world.
Lisa: What is something good that has happened to you?
Liz: I just finished a four-year term as chief reader for the Advanced Placement Exam for Computer Science. We score the exams for almost 60,000 students to determine if they should receive college credit for their high school course. My colleagues in this work surprised me with a farewell gift of sponsorship of a cat at OAR in my honor. I was quite touched by their thoughtfulness in honoring me by supporting a cause dear to my heart.
Lisa: What is one of your life lessons?
Liz: I’m a firm believer in the power of kindness to change the world. Every day, especially at OAR, I see this in ways big and small, shown to both animals and people. Practicing kindness rewards us with a warm glow and makes the recipient feel better about the world. Life would be pretty barren without it. I’ve regretted missed opportunities to show kindness but I’ve never been sorry when I made the effort to be kind.
#GoodThingsCincy
Greg Landsman Helps Kids Succeed
Today I would like to introduce you to a man absolutely deeply passionate about making a positive difference in 
this world, and in the future of our children. Most recently, Greg Landsman has been leading two very significant education initiatives: the Cincinnati Preschool Promise, an effort to provide every child with two years of quality preschool, and the Every Child Capital philanthropic venture fund, which invests in high impact and scalable interventions for children (parentally through age 9) that can also attract sustainable, public funding. I first met him when he was leading The Strive Partnership, an education consortium of providers and funders working together to improve academic achievement along the education continuum in the urban core of our region. In 2015, at its annual convening in Minneapolis, StriveTogether announced him as the 2015 Bill Henningsgaard Cradle to Career Champion Award recipient for his outstanding work.
In an announcement of his honor, Greg had this to say, “We have the privilege to inspire people to work differently together, determined to change outcomes. They know that when they work together, kids will do better. Thousands of children could have a better future because of what we do, how we do it, where we spend our money, our time, and whether we always strive to get better at our work.”
You could say, Greg’s instinct for serving others runs in his family. His maternal grandfather, Gordon Block Jr., served in the U.S. Medical Corps with the 101st Airborne Division during WWII; and was awarded three battle ribbons and a Purple Heart medal for his time as a POW. Greg’s paternal grandfather, Herb Landsman, ran the Greater Cincinnati United Way’s 1976 campaign as an executive vice president of Federated Department Stores, now Macy’s. As for his parents, Greg’s mother Lee Hamill spent most of her career as a classroom teacher and college professor; and his father John Landsman served for over ten years on both the Board and Executive Committee of the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Let’s learn more about him.
Lisa: Please tell us more about Greg Landsman on a personal level.
Greg: I am first a father and husband, something I get a lot of joy from although I take both roles very seriously. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful marriage, and two healthy, wonderful children. After that, I’m someone who believes in a personal responsibility to help others achieve meaningful change in partnership with those who need change the most – particularly those who have been marginalized and left out.
Pursuing change in partnership with those who need real change is my purpose, beyond being a good father and husband, and it comes from two places. It comes from a deep and personal relationship with God, and the expectations that I believe God has for me to do as much as I can to change whatever needs to be changed in order for there to be real justices and fairness.
It also comes from my intellectual commitment to equality and justice, and what I know to be the very serious moral and economic implications of establishing real fairness for everyone.
Lisa: Where did your inspiration come from for your career path?
Greg: My inspiration comes from God, and my understanding of what is expected of me, but also my parents. My faith is probably the biggest driver of why I do what I do. That said, I have exceptional parents. My father is an incredibly hard worker who cares about the people he works with and for. My mother spent her career working with students with disabilities, recognizing the talents and dignity in each in ways that continue to inspire me today. My step-father, an anthropologist, had us out on Indian reservations out west most summers growing up. Each summer I was exposed to the harshness of the injustice and the incredible power of those who care enough to help. My step-mother is someone who also has an unwavering commitment to fairness.
My parents have this in common: they believe in fairness and know that for millions, things just aren’t fair. We need to change that.
Lisa: What are some of your accomplishments professionally and personally for which you are most proud?
Greg: Having a good marriage and being a reliable and committed father is something I’m proud of. It’s to be expected, I know, but far too often we overlook just how important being a good partner and parent really is, and I am glad it’s been a priority for me.
I also spent time teaching, and I m very proud of the time I was in the classroom. Teachers deserve much more praise and pay, and I ll always be a strong advocate for educators.
Going to Harvard was always a dream of mine, so being able to do so and graduate with a master’s in theological studies is something that I’m proud of. The same is true for Ohio University and the degrees I have in economics and politics science. I worked hard for my degrees, but I also recognize how fortunate I was to be able to access these two universities and have the supports I needed to be successful. Most students don’t have that.
Being appointed by the Governor to run the Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives was an honor, and I’m proud of the fact that we cleaned up the office and restored its reputation (it had previously been under investigation for the misuse of public funds). I’m also proud of the fact that we invested tens of millions of dollars into highly effective efforts to help those previously incarcerated find work, children find mentors and summer learning and food programs, and adults struggling with poverty access a supportive network of people and resources previously unavailable to them.
I’m also proud of what we’ve been doing locally to dramatically improve the lives of some of our youngest children. We’ve advanced the Cincinnati Preschool Promise to a point where voters will have the opportunity to invest in two years of excellent preschool for children – particularly those children who need it the most but who’s families just can’t afford high quality preschool. We also created an early development and literacy venture philanthropy fund, Every Child Capital, and it’s initial investment provides a book a month for the first five years of a child’s life. By the end of the summer, we hope to have as many as ten thousand low-income children getting books sent to their home every month.
Lisa: What are some little known facts that people may be surprised to learn about you?
Greg: There isn’t much that would surprise people, I’m afraid. I’m a very basic guy. I do have several tattoos, which I suspect would come as a surprise. I also love to box – mostly the training – but I’ve really fallen in love with the sport.
Lisa: What is a piece of advice or words of wisdom that has stuck with you?
Greg: Never giving up or breaking a commitment has been the most helpful advice I’ve taken. I strongly believe in the power of perseverance and “grit” (which happens to be one of my tattoos!). Everyone has talent, and I know I have some. But effort and a willingness to stick with something you believe in is key to getting things done – especially the big things.
Lisa: What are some of your simple pleasures?
I love when I have time to eat a good breakfast and read the paper.
Chris Pinelo Promotes The CSO
You may or may not know the name Chris Pinelo but if you are familiar with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra or Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, then you know of Chris’ work. His presence is felt behind every news article and interview, social media post, and public appearance. Chris has been a member of the CSO staff since 2001, the past seven 
years as the organization’s vice president of communications.
He is also a husband to Tasha and father of a pretty adorable little boy who is featured in frequent ‘moment of zen’ videos on Facebook. Born in Illinois to a Cuban refugee father and the daughter of a U.S. Naval Commander, he learned many life lessons from them. They moved to Northern Kentucky before Chris’ first birthday so that may count as his being a native Greater Cincinnatian. After graduating from Highlands High School, he earned two bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin College. Most of his career has been centered around music. Before the CSO, he was the project manager for Cincinnati’s popular Pepsi Jammin’ on Main festival.
AND, he has a singing voice that can touch an entire stadium. You can watch him sing ‘Good Bless America’ for the Cincinnati Reds below.
Let’s learn more about Chris.
Lisa: Tell us some little known facts about you that people may not know about you.
Chris: My very first job was as a toy tester for Kenner, specifically for their Star Wars line. I was six and paid in toys.
I’m a trained opera singer and have performed as a soloist with the CSO for a Young People’s Concert. I’m also a past member of the May Festival Chorus and the Vocal Arts Ensemble, and sang “God Bless America” at the Reds game as a soloist on the 4th of July both in 2007 and 2008.
I appeared in a series of promotional videos on MTV in 1995 featuring the Jerky Boys.
I spent part of my junior year of high school in Peru and survived a terrorist bombing in Lima by the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path).
I worked as a college admissions offer one fall and visited too many high schools to remember in virtually all points between Upstate New York and Lawrence, Kansas.
I once arranged disco songs for the acclaimed chamber ensemble, eighth blackbird.
I appeared as a college student in the movie, Little Man Tate. Since I was a college student at the time, it wasn’t a stretch.
Lisa: Tell us about an experience in your job that has impacted you in a positive way.
Chris: I had the honor and privilege to sing in the chorus for Erich Kunzel’s final concert on August 1, 2009 at Riverbend. He was suffering from cancer and not strong enough to conduct the first half, but came out for a truly magical set during the second half of the concert. He did it with such grace and humor and it’s a night I will never forget.
Lisa: Tell us about someone who has been a positive influence in your life and how.
Chris: My parents have been incredible role models. My late father was 17 when he fled from Cuba, not speaking English and without money or so much as a high school diploma. He managed to become a professor emeritus, published author, community volunteer and Fulbright scholar. My mother is a brilliant force of nature and both instilled in me a sense of adventure, a deep faith, intellectual curiosity and an unwavering commitment to family.
Lisa: What are some of your simple pleasures?
Chris: Music – all kinds of music. I also enjoy movies, baseball, good food, a fine bourbon and spending time with friends and family.
Lisa: How would you like for others to describe you?
Chris: I’d like to be thought of as creative, kind, responsible and funny…and a good storyteller.
Joani Lacy Has A New Book
Joani and Robin Lacy a
re two people who I love being around. I have known them, and their music, for many years; and only recently learned that Joani shares a passion of mine – writing. Her newest book, Sorry’s Run, is hot off the press and she has a book signing this weekend. What a perfect time to introduce her to you!
Joani has been entertaining Cincinnati audiences for over 20 years with her singing and playing the rubboard in her and her husband’s group, Robin Lacy & DeZydeco. The chank-a-chank, as the rubboard is sometimes called in Louisiana, is a metal washboard that is an integral rhythmic part of Zydeco music. She began her career as a vocalist in 1973, performing in Japan while serving in the USAF. Since then, she has toured in Top 40 bands and traveled throughout the Midwest and Southern states until moving to the Cincinnati area where she has covered jazz standards, blues and country music. It was in 1989 that Robin Lacy & DeZydeco was formed, traveling extensively overseas entertaining troops for the U.S. military.
Below is a video of them performing.
Let’s learn more about Joani, the writer.
Lisa: When was it that you realized you were a ‘writer’?
Joani: I never felt like I was a “writer” even though I enjoyed writing poetry at a very young age. I dabbled in songwriting and more poetry in my 20s, but I was in my early 30s when I felt a shift. I had had an experience while serving in the USAF as a medic that suddenly I felt compelled to put down on paper. And literally, I wrote with pen and paper before I ever had a laptop. So I guess that’s when I realized that I could be a writer. That story about my experience with a young boy who died from leukemia on my watch became a full-size manuscript and remains in my drawer. I never wanted to publish it. I just wanted to write it. So that was a turning point. As far as how it felt…it was fascinating to me, and it made me feel a creative purpose in a new way.
Lisa: Please tell us about your new book.
Joani: My book is set in a fictional town called “Sorry’s Run” in Greenup County, Kentucky. The town was named for its founder, Sorina Duncan Bride, who was an abolitionist, 
active in the Underground Railroad. Its original spelling was “Sori’s Run” but after years of bad luck the name was changed to Sorry’s Run. The main character is a stunning ex-model who lives in New York with her roommate (also an ex-model). Shelby Jean Stiller gets a letter from her grandmother in Greenup County, KY asking her to return to her home town to help care for her cantankerous, ailing father. Shelby reluctantly returns to Sorry’s Run, only to experience tragedy and life-changing experiences that cause her to shift in her thinking. Just as she is acclimating herself to a new life in Kentucky, and getting close to her grandmother’s friends, including a fascinating intuitive who believes herself to be the reincarnation of Sorina Duncan McBride, Shelby vanishes. The rest of the book is solving the mystery of what happened to Shelby. The investigation is headed up by a retired police chief, and all of Sorry’s Run gets involved trying to discover where Shelby has disappeared to. There’s a thread through the book following the flight of slaves from a century before that parallels Shelby’s terrifying journey, and flashbacks into the lifetime of Scottish healer, Sorina, and her unparalleled courage in a fierce new world. Scotch-Irish influences spice up the story with pagan folklore.
I was inspired to set this story in Greenup County because it’s where my family is from and I love the colorful down home quality of Kentucky and its rich heritage.
Lisa: What is it that you enjoy most about writing?
Joani: The ah-hah moments when I figure out where a plot is going.
Lisa: When you are not writing, what are you doing?
Joani: I suppose you mean when I’m not working at court reporting to pay the bills. LOL But my favorite past time is movies. I am a movie nut. I love films, and of course reading great books. And being on stage with my band is where things really come together for me.
Lisa: Please tell us about one of your life lessons.
Joani: I don’t think we’re here to get anything really done in this lifetime. I think it’s more about embracing change and growth. Of course, that’s a life lesson that is ongoing for me and never fully grasped. It’s a challenge to dare to be happy no matter what comes at us.
Joani’s book signing for Sorry’s Run
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Joseph-Beth Crestview Hills
www.JoaniLacy.com
#GoodThingsCincy
