The chairmen of the city's race commission — Cincinnati Community Action Now — are expected to appoint at least 20 people next week to serve as “action team” leaders to address issues of racial equity, opportunity and inclusion.

        Ross Love, chief executive officer of Blue Chip Broadcasting and one of three commission co-chairs, said an announcement will be made once all 20 of the candidates have made commitments.

        The commission chairmen are Mr. Love; Tom Cody, a Federated Department Stores Inc. executive; and the Rev. Damon Lynch III, leader of the Black United Front.

        Though Mr. Love would not reveal any of the names, he did say the slate of candidates consisted of a mix of people from different races, ethnicities, genders and economic backgrounds.

        “We wanted to ensure that team leaders had a high level of interest in the commission and what we are trying to accom plish,” Mr. Love said. “We wanted people who had expertise in the areas that they would lead and the ability to help access resources needed to implement the commission's plans.

        “More importantly, we wanted to be inclusive and not overly weighted toward one particular part of the community,” he said.

        Mr. Love said six action teams will focus on:

        • Education and youth development.

        • Economic inclusion.

        • Police-community relations and the justice system.

        • Housing and neighborhood development.

        • Image and media.

        • Health care and human services.

        Cincinnati Community Action Now had been planned to concentrate on five areas, but panel leaders recently decided to add health care and human services to the list.

        “After three weeks of discussions with residents, we found that health care was a clear area of concern for a lot of people,” Mr. Love said. “A lot of people feel there is not as much access to health care in the inner-city core areas, nor is there enough education about it.”

        Team leaders will choose 15 to 20 advisers to serve on each committee — possibly by the end of next week. The commission's first meeting would take place shortly thereafter, Mr. Love said.

        Creation of a race commission was announced by Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken in response to the outbreak of violence and protests over the April 7 shooting death of Timothy Thomas. The mayor said the panel would examine the roots of the violence and explore problems such as housing, employment and education.

        Unlike previous commissions, which made recommendations but had no power to implement them, the panel will work directly with those in power: city government, business leaders, educators, and housing and social service agencies. The task force will be funded through corporate and foundation contributions.

        The co-chairmen are expected to report to the city every 90 days.

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