Dean to enter Veterans Hall

WARREN - Council President Robert "Doby" Dean next month will become the eighth Trumbull County resident inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

Dean served in the U.S. Air Force from 1962 to 1982 and retired as a senior master sergeant. He is being honored for his work outside of the military.

The induction ceremony for the newest members of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame will be conducted at 11 a.m. Nov. 8 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, 1100 Spaatz St., Dayton. The ceremony is open to the public.

There were 145 people nominated for the 2012 class and 15 were selected to be placed in the Hall of Fame. Annually, up to 20 people may be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

There have been 435 inductees in the Hall of Fame since its formation in 1992.

"We go through all of the application packets sent to us and select those who best fit the criteria for the hall," Karen Kish, a spokeswoman with the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame said.

"Members of the screening committee then read through the top candidates packages to make their decision on those whose work outside of the military did the most in servicing their communities."

Faye Smith, in a nominating letter, described Dean as being everywhere and doing everything in Warren.

"He has worked to find a company to donate 60 turkeys to Warren Family Mission, purchased a dryer for a single parent when a fire damaged her home, spearheaded a drive to to raise more than $16,000 to assist with the burial of four children killed in a fire and helped to distribute more than 800 smoke detectors at Jefferson and Willard K-8 schools, which were donated by First Alert Inc. and Mr. Herb Washington, just to highlight a few," she wrote.

Bob Faulkner, a Warren School Board member, said he has watched Dean over the years and has been impressed with his diligence in helping others.

"He has for several years raised money and gathered items to be sent veterans in Ohio nursing homes," Faulkner said.

After retiring from the Air Force, Dean served in a variety of positions dealing with the training of youth in the Houston mayor's office. For his work, in 1987, Dean received the National Institute for Public Service Award and was the recipient from President George H.W. Bush of the National President's Volunteer Action award.

Dean in 1993 worked in two Texas-based programs that helped youth in the areas of parenting and drug-free living in Harris county, Texas, as well as a program assisting teens with mental and emotional health problems in Houston.

Later that year, Dean moved to Cleveland to work with the Cleveland Cuyahoga Port Authority as its first diversity manager.

In 2004, Dean was appointed to serve a term on Warren City Council, where he worked to improve relations between the police and the community through various programs and organized an annual Coats for Kids Give-a-Way.

While honored with the nomination and acceptance in the hall of fame, Dean emphasized that he will emphasize that the work he has done is not about him, but doing things for others.

"I will talk about veterans using their talents to do what they can to help others in their communities," he said. "I also will talk about civilians doing more than thanking veterans for their service, but finding ways to help them.