Ward 11
A 31 year Cleveland City Council veteran, Councilman Michael D. Polensek has had the honor to serve nine terms as Ward 11’s representative and is the “Dean” of Cleveland City Council. He has represented Cleveland’s Ward 11 since January 1982.
Councilman Polensek has a consistent record of progressive civic leadership and is instrumental in development of the Ward 11 community. He served as President of City Council from 1999 to 2002. In that position, he worked diligently for his community as well as to create a legislative body that provided strong leadership for all of Cleveland’s neighborhoods. Through his leadership, Council created the Neighborhood Equity Fund, which targeted $21 million for neighborhood development projects in each Ward.
As a Council Member, Councilman Polensek fulfills his obligation to the people of his community by working with the City’s Administration to ensure that the best services are provided to Ward 11. He is proud to be able to serve the neig
hborhood where he was born and raised and is honored to be able to continue to make a difference in the Ward 11 community.
Councilman Polensek is active in many civic organizations including the Collinwood Village Homeowner’s Association, the Nottingham Civic Club, East 185th Street Block Watch, the NAACP, Arts Collinwood, and the Waterloo Beach Association. He currently serves as an Executive Board member of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party as well as on various committees including the Salvation Army Temple Corps Advisory Committee, the Lakeshore Golden Age Center Advisory Committee, and the Hospice of the Western Reserve Advisory Committee. He is also the founder of the Collinwood Nottingham Villages and the Northeast Shores Development Corporations in Ward 11.
A proud product of the Cleveland Municipal School District, Councilman Polensek attended the Nottingham and Hannah Gibbons Elementary Schools and graduated from Collinwood High School. He studied Industrial Management at Cuyahoga Community College through the Cleveland Scholarship Program. He was employed at White Motors on St. Clair Avenue where his involvement in Local 32 of the United Auto Workers led to his first run for public office. He also worked in the area of youth development with the Lake Erie Girl Scout Council as a program specialist before being elected to Council.
Councilman Polensek has supported many community based projects throughout his tenure as a Cleveland City Councilman. A list of these projects can be found here along with a full list of organizations he belongs to and honors he has received.
Councilman Polensek and his wife, Kathy, live on Brian Avenue in the North Shore Collinwood area and attend St. Mary's Catholic Church. He is also the proud father of Lisa, Deana, Michael, Lauren and Andrew. Andrew, the Councilman’s youngest son, is currently a student in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.