Cincinnati's newest City Council member is now officially on the job. Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney was sworn-in Wednesday at the end of the weekly council meeting.
Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Tyrone Yates administered the oath of Kearney.
"I know I have a lot to learn," Kearney said. "This is a tough time for our city. I love the way the mayor and our council people and our leaders are saying we will get through this, because we will, the city of Cincinnati will get through this together."
Council Member P.G. Sittenfeld said other council members can learn a lot from Kearney.
"To know Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney is to know someone who is kind and compassionate and decent," Sittenfeld said. "And as I said and I really mean this and I do not say this lightly, you're gonna make the rest of us better and our city needs that at this moment."
Sittenfeld announced Kearney's selection last week to fill the seat of Tamaya Dennard, who resigned March 2. Dennard resigned after being arrested and federally charged with wire fraud, bribery and attempted extortion. She had designated Sittenfeld to select her replacement if her council seat became vacant for any reason.
Kearney, who lives in North Avondale, is the president of Sesh Communication and the publisher of The Cincinnati Herald. She's also a licensed real estate agent and an attorney in private practice. Prior to starting a private practice, she was with Taft Stettinius and Hollister.
She was born in Cincinnati and graduated from Walnut Hills High School. She has a degree from Dartmouth College, and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School.
Kearney is married to former state senator Eric Kearney, who's now the head of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce.
