(Arnold Pinkney is donating one hour of his time to the winning bidder)


Arnold R. Pinkney, is the Chairman of Pinkney-Perry Insurance Agency, Inc., a forty-one (41) year old business located in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also Senior Consultant and Chief Operations Officer of the consulting firm, betpin & associates, inc., started by his wife Betty T. Pinkney in 1996. The firm's primary focus is Political Strategic Planning, Management Consulting and represents Motivational Speakers. He is married to former Betty Thompson for forty-five (45) years. The couple have one daughter, Traci Lynne Pinkney. They are residents of Shaker Heights, Ohio and members of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church.

Mr. Pinkney, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, is a product of the city's public school system having graduated from Youngstown South High School. His desire for education and higher learning led him to Albion College in Albion, Michigan, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Political Science and History and minor in Economics.

During his student career at Albion, he was elected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, served as President of the Independent Men's Union and Treasurer of the Athletic Club and was a member of the All Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Team (M.I.A.A.) for Baseball and Basketball. Subsequently, he attended the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and is a graduate of the Agency Management Training Course. Mr. Pinkney holds an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Mr. Pinkney has enjoyed professional success at Great Lakes Mutual Life Insurance and Prudential Life Insurance Companies respectively. At Great Lakes Mutual, he began his career as an Insurance Agent and was soon promoted to Management. He later continued his success in the industry by joining Prudential Life Insurance. He was the first African American hired by the Prudential Insurance Company, nationally, and the first African American to become a Million-Dollar Producer.

Mr. Pinkney is a concerned and involved citizen of Greater Cleveland, Ohio. Through tireless efforts, he has demonstrated his dedication and commitment to the health and welfare of the city. He has made a career of providing limitless public service and community volunteerism in support of business, civic, educational and political endeavors to improve or enhance Cleveland, the State of Ohio and the nation.

A great proponent of education, Mr. Pinkney became an appointed member of the City of Cleveland School Board in 1967. The appointment led to an illustrious
career with the School Board that included becoming an elected member in the years 1967, 1973 and 1977 respectively. He was elected School Board President in 1971 and re-elected every year thereafter until 1978.

Mr. Pinkney was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Central State University by Governor John Gilligan. He served on the Board for seven years, three years as Chairman of the Board and was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree from Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio in 1979.

Mr. Pinkney serves as a Trustee and Member of several Boards affecting the Cleveland economic, civic and political community. He was one of the Founders and a Member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank Association. An institution established in 1974, as the first African American full service bank in the State of Ohio.

Current business, civic and community activities include, but are not limited to:

Member, Board of Directors, The Urban League

Member, Executive Committee, University Circle Incorporated

Member, Board of Trustees, University Circle Incorporated

Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cleveland Initiative for Education

Member, Board of Directors, Cleveland Musical Arts Association

Consultant, Cleveland Browns

Member Board of Directors, A Cultural Exchange, Inc.

Member, Dean's Advisory Board, Kent State University, Geauga Campus

Member, Board of Directors, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Race for Success, Inc.

Honorary Member of the 100 Black Men, Inc.

Past business, civic and educational Board affiliations have included:

Founder and Past Member, Board of Directors, Greater Cleveland Roundtable

Past First Vice President, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Led the most successful membership drive for the local NAACP in its history.

Past Member, Board of Trustees, Albion College, Albion, Michigan, 1974-1976

Past Member, Board of Directors, Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball Team, 1972-1976 and 1980-1988

Past Member, Board of Directors, Cleveland Indians Baseball Club, 1978-1984

Past Member, Board of Directors, The Greater Cleveland Growth Association

Past Member, Executive Committee, The Greater Cleveland Growth Association

Member, Board of Trustees, AAU Junior Olympics, 1999

Member of the Board of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC)

Mr. Pinkney is highly esteemed in the political arena on the local, state and national levels. Some of his career highlights include:

Candidate for Mayor, City of Cleveland, 1971 and 1975

National Deputy Campaign Manager, Senator Hubert Humphrey for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, 1972

Served on the Democratic Party's Vice Presidential Selection Committee with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, 1974

Deputy Campaign Manager, John Gilligan for Governor, State of Ohio, 1974

Deputy Campaign Manager, Richard F. Celeste for Governor, State of Ohio, 1982 and 1986

National Campaign Manager, Reverend Jesse Jackson for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, 1984


Additional public service and community volunteerism activities in the political arena have included:

Campaign Manager, Louis Stokes for U.S. Congress, 1968

Campaign Manager, the late Carl B. Stokes re-election for Mayor, City of Cleveland, 1969

Campaign Manager, Louis Stokes re-election for U.S. Congress, 1970

Campaign Manager/Consultant, City of Cleveland School Board Levy, Issue 4, 1994

Campaign Manager/Consultant, City of Cleveland Issue 5 - Extension of the Sin Tax, 1995

Co-Chairman, Mayor White's " Save Our Browns" Campaign, 1995

Campaign Manager/Consultant, Cleveland Board of Education, Issue 31, 13.5 Million Levy, 1996

Consultant, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) Levy, 1996

Campaign Manager/Consultant, Michael R. White re-election for Mayor, City of Cleveland, 1997

Consultant, Lee Fisher for Governor -- State of Ohio, 1998

Consultant, Cleveland Public Library Levy, 1998

Consultant, Cleveland Public Library Community Outreach Program, 1999

Consultant, Williams for Mayor City of Warren, Ohio, 1999

Consultant, Warrensville Heights School Board Levy, 1999

Campaign Manager -- Issue 4 -- 2002

Campaign Manager, Bryan Flannery for Secretary of State for Ohio, 2002

Additional Information:

Served in the United States Army, 1952-1954. Served eighteen (18) months in Germany. Special Troop Information and Education (TI&E)

Developed and built two (2) Wendy's Restaurants; one (1) in the City of Cleveland, Ohio and one (1) in the City of East Cleveland, Ohio. Developed and built six (6) Wendy's Restaurants in Detroit, Michigan

Purchased and developed an office building at 2131 Fairhill Road, Cleveland, Ohio in 1965

Purchased and developed an office building (20,000 square feet) at 2143 Stokes Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio in July 1991