TOLEDO, Ohio — New leadership in Maumee and new thinking in local philanthropy share the spotlight on this week’s edition of “Leading Edge,” dropping Sunday morning on all WTOL 11 platforms, including the podcast on Spotify and Apple.
From recall to City Hall
Chelsea Ziss helped lead Maumee’s political shake‑up and now finds herself making history as the city’s youngest and first female mayor, a move she admits even she is still processing. She tells “Leading Edge” host Jeff Smith how months spent immersed in council meetings, ordinances and community organizing left her more prepared for the job than her lack of traditional political experience might suggest.
Ziss talks candidly about stepping into office just as Maumee faces what she calls its biggest leadership changeover ever, with a new city administrator and human resources director to hire while major sewer and infrastructure projects continue. She explains why her background in culture change and organizational development may be exactly what Maumee needs as she works to rebuild trust with residents, businesses and city staff after a period she describes as instability and fear.
Changing culture at City Hall
In the interview, Ziss recounts calling an all‑staff meeting on her very first Monday, before she was even sworn in. It was something she says had not happened since early summer. With departments scattered in separate buildings and even on different floors, she says simply getting everyone into one room to talk priorities and “what’s on fire” was a crucial first step to restoring cross‑department communication.
She lays out her top priorities heading into 2026: rebuilding culture and trust across the city, keeping Maumee’s massive sewer and EPA‑driven infrastructure work on track, and driving smart economic development that benefits both businesses and residents. Ziss also addresses critics who question her experience, arguing that managing change, fostering inclusion and bringing people to the table are the skills City Hall needs most right now.
Can fewer nonprofits do more?
Later in the show, Greater Toledo Community Foundation president and CEO Kate Sommerfeld joins Jeff to talk about how shifting tax rules and rising need are reshaping local giving. She notes that while area nonprofits are being asked to do more with less, Greater Toledo donors helped channel roughly $47 million in gifts this year, with demand especially high for shelter and food as winter sets in…