Politics & Government

Mentor Chamber Names Lynne Mazeika Citizen Of The Year

Mazeika recalls the two decisions she made while on Mentor City Council of which she is the most proud

Lynne Mazeika -- a former Mentor City Councilwoman and Lake County Clerk of Courts, as well the Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce's 2012 Citizen of the Year -- does not like to take credit for things.

She helped bring -- Mentor's largest employer -- to the city. But when that is mentioned, she immediately replies that she worked "along with a lot of other people."

She also helped launch the It's Better In Mentor Festival but she passed along the bulk of the credit to other volunteers and the Mentor Chamber.

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"The chamber had so much to do with that," she said of the festival's first year.

She also got her clerk of courts' office involved in the “Christmas for a Family” program, which provides gifts to a less fortunate family. But Mazeika said that, while it may have been her idea to participate, it was her staff that made it happen.

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"They were behind it 100 percent," she said. "I wouldn't do it if the staff didn't want to."

Mazeika, now retired, has spent most of her life in service to the city of Mentor and Lake County.

Despite that, she was still surprised by the chamber's award. She said she found out when Chamber President and CEO Kevin Malecek called her about two weeks ago.

"I'm retired and really haven't been as active so it was like a bolt out of the blue," she said. "It was very flattering."

Mazeika's nominator noted her many civic and community accomplishments and said she had the ability to have her colleagues be “reasonable council members."

Two big votes

Mazeika said there were two votes in particular that she is proud of from her tenure on Mentor City Council (from 1977 to 1993.)

In both cases, Mazeika broke a 3-3 tie; and, in both cases, the vote had a major impact on the city for decades to come.

The first came on her first night as a council member. The council was split on whether or not they would allow to build a dealership at the intersection of Center Street and Tyler Boulevard.

Mazeika voted to allow it and Classic Automotive has gone on to become one of Mentor's cornerstone businesses.

"Can you imagine (if council had voted against the permit?) Not just from a financial aspect but (Classic Auto Group CEO) Jim Brown is such a big part of our city," Mazeika said. "And if we would have lost him, that would have been terrible."

Mazeika was also the swing vote on building the .

Mazeika said when she got on council in 1977, Mentor had "no parks to speak of."

However, during her tenure, the city built the ice arena and the pools at, obtained , and the and expanded its recreational programming.

"Now I have grandkids who use all these facilities," Mazeika said.

She added that she showed her grandchildren the plaques at the parks that commemorate their opening.

"See, there's grandma's name," she told them.


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