Tell me about your early years: When were you born and where were you raised; about your mother and father and siblings; what you were like as a child; where you went to school?
I was born at home in Cleveland Heights [1933]. My mother had all three of her sons at home. We moved from there to Shaker Heights and I went to school there until 9th grade, when I transferred to University School .
I have two older brothers. One is a businessman, a super salesman: He could sell iceboxes to Eskimos. My other brother is, and has been all his life, a rancher. He's a real rancher, he doesn't just own the ranch, he works it too. And he loves it. I don't know anyone who is happier with life than he is.
I became very interested in politics early on and as a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old I went to the Republican National Conventions: in '48, Dewey was nominated and in '52, it was Eisenhower.
I definitely got the political bug early. My ambition in life was to be a U.S. Senator. During spring breaks in college, I'd go down to Washington and spend most of my time sitting in the Senate gallery. My nickname back then was “Senator.”
But that's not all I did. I was editor of the high school newspaper, I was president of the student council and business manager for the year book, and I had hobbies. I collected stamps – still do – and I loved singing. I was in the high school glee club and college glee club and choir.
What do you remember about World War II and how did it impact you and your family?
I was eight years old when it started. My father was the air-raid warden for our block.
I remember the rationing and how we took care of ourselves. My mother made our butter and we had a Victory Garden …That was very important for us, for everyone then. I hated that garden, especially all the weeding. And that's ironic, because now I love gardening. When it becomes your garden, you change your mind about all that weeding and digging and work…This weekend my wife [Barbara, whom he married in 1998] and I did 15 hours of gardening.
While I don't remember much about the war, I do remember D Day [in June of 1944], and VJ Day (August 15, 1945). Our neighbor had a convertible, and he piled his kids and us into the car and we drove all over honking and waving and celebrating. When I think about that now, I realize what an unbelievable experience that was.
You came of age during the post-World War II years. How do you think that shaped who you are today?
I really can't say that growing up in those years shaped me. My parents obviously had a hand in that. Very early on my mother, who was very active in the community – involved with the Council on World Affairs and the Women's City Club – made me aware that involvement in the community was important. Through the church and youth activities and the things I was doing in high school, I heeded the calling – or whatever you want to call it – to get involved with the community.
My father was a successful businessman – he was in advertising – and he tended to discourage me from going into politics. His definition of success was financial success, and as I got more and more involved in community-related things he'd say: “This is fine now, but when you have a family you'll have to provide for them and with politics you can be in one day and out the next or beholden to someone or some group.”
When I got out of the military, I went into banking, but I kept pursuing politics as an avocation.
Which branch of the service were you in?
I enjoyed flying, so I was in the ROTC program at college. I wanted to become a pilot in the Air Force when I graduated. That never happened because during the summer between my junior and senior year, when I went down to Georgia for summer basic training I got kicked out of the flight training program. Everyone at training went for a physical and then got called into the shrink's office. During the session with the shrink he asked if I'd ever fainted, and I told him I had. I'd broken a finger playing neighborhood ball when I was a kid, and weeks later, when the splint was coming off from the break, I keeled over in the doctor's office.
At the end of the summer flight training program they called me in and said I'd been thrown out of the program because I had a “history” of fainting. I thought they were kidding, but they weren't.
When I told my ROTC commander at college he got me a waiver to stay in the program. But, when I graduated in June of 1956 and was sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio , Texas , they wouldn't allow me to go into the flight training program because of my “history” of fainting. But I was there, so they assigned me to Air Police. There was nothing in my background that indicated I'd be good at that, but I was there and they needed to fill a slot.
Eight weeks later – after Air Police school – I was assigned to a Strategic Air Command base in Ft. Worth , Texas . It was a big SAC base, with two bombing wings and B-52s armed with atomic bombs and ready to go in case the Russians attacked.
I had a commanding officer who hated paperwork, so he gave me lots to do and lots of responsibility…including managing the base's K-9 corps, so for the three years I was there I flew a desk during the day and ran base security at night.
And after the Air Force?
I came back to Cleveland and joined National City Bank in 1959. I was there 13 years, until 1972, when I joined Roulston and Company, Inc. I got my big break with them in late 1974, when I was assigned new corporate accounts in Chicago and Milwaukee .
But, in early 1975 I got a call from the mayor of Cleveland, Ralph Perk. He wanted me to be his chief of staff. I agonized over that call and my wife [Mary Beth, who passed away in 1995], said: “You love politics so much. If you don't do this you will be kicking yourself the rest of your life.”
So in 1975 I became Chief of Staff to Mayor Perk, and stayed with him till 1977, when Mr. Kucinich defeated us. I then joined what was then Cleveland Trust, which changed its name a year-or-so later to Ameritrust, and then in 1990 was bought by Society National Bank, which [in 1994] merged with Key Bank. And that's where I retired from. I retired in 2000, but actually left the bank in 2001 because I spent a year as a consultant.
In each position, I had bosses who were very supportive and encouraging of what I was doing in politics – in service to the community.
Do you see a difference between being a politician and serving the community?
No. They are very related. Civic service is, of course, a broader concept, but political awareness and activism and participation are a very key part of it. And I think more people should go into politics with that sense of civic service.
You are now serving your 5th term as Mayor of Pepper Pike (and you were named Municipal Leader of the Year in 2006). What led you to run for mayor in the first place? And will you be running for a 6 th term?
When I married Mary Beth and we moved to Pepper Pike, some people there encouraged me to run for City Council. I did and was elected in 1971. But when I went to work for Mayor Perk I had to resign because Ohio law does not allow you to serve in two public offices at the same time.
In 1979, I ran again, and served on the council until 1991 when I ran for mayor. I ran unopposed and since then I've only had one election – my third term – where there was an opposing candidate. He got 11% of the vote.
You asked about a 6 th term. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
Last year you were one of 9 Cuyahoga County residents appointed to the Commission on Cuyahoga County Government Reform. What is the purpose of the Commission and why do you think you were appointed to the commission?
I was appointed to the commission by State Senator William Harris, the Senate President.
The purpose of the commission was to study the issue of county reform and make suggestions. We met between June and October and delivered our report on November 7. The House passed it but the Senate killed it.
But you didn't ask me why I think we need reform. And the answer to that is we simply won't survive if we don't change how the county is run.
You have had, and continue to have in “retirement,” a full and active life. Through the years – as you became the man you are today – who were the people who had the most influence in shaping you professionally, civically and personally. In other words, who were your mentors and role models?
Clearly my parents. My father was an advertising copywriter and one important thing I learned from him was how important writing and communicating were. Even today, no one writes my speeches or the newsletters we [the City of Pepper Pike] send out.
And my middle brother David. He taught me a lot about people skills.
Another was my sophomore history teacher – Carter Sanders – back in high school. When my first 6-week grade came out, I got a C. When I went to him and said I deserved a better grade than that, he said: “Bruce, you do deserve better than that, but you have to earn it.”
From then on, I got A's in history, and when I went on to Princeton I majored in history. I dedicated my senior thesis there to Mr. Sanders.
And, over the years, especially at the banks where I was, there were many people who were role models to me.
You have mentored many people over the years. Why do you think that's important? Or do you?
When you work with people, particularly younger ones, you hope that your actions as well as your words set an example. But, to answer the question, people have always felt they could come to me for advice and counsel. I vowed, never, ever to turn down someone who wanted to talk to me. I'd always spend time with a person. Sometimes I haven't been much help, but most of the time there was something I could – and can – do, whether it is simply listening or making an introductory call or asking key questions or making suggestions.
But my cliché on that is that advice is easy and cheap to give, so it's worth exactly what you pay for it.
But you weren't just mentoring in the workplace.
No. I started with the Big Brother Program* in 1961 when I heard about it from a colleague at the bank who had just become a Big Brother. I became fascinated with what he was doing and became a Big Brother, too. I was with Stu [his “little brother”] for 9 years, until he joined the Air Force and I lost track of him. [*Now, thanks largely to Mr. Akers' efforts, the Big Brother/Big Sister Program]
You volunteer with scores of groups and organizations – everything from Park Works to Opera Cleveland to the Salvation Army. Why do you do some much volunteering?
I believe in my community. And I believe that we can't leave it to “others” to get things done. We are the “others.”
I get a great sense of satisfaction helping because in many cases I can see how what I do is improving the lives of others. That's one reason I became so involved with the Salvation Army. But it's more than that. Our community isn't going to be a great community unless everyone is working toward a shared goal.
Where do you get the energy to do so much, and such diverse kinds of, volunteering?
I know how to work the phone, and I had a very active mother and a very hard-working father, and I think I inherited their energy. And early on I realized that my success in life was not going to be in business, as it had been for my father and oldest brother. It evolved that my success in life was going to be in the civic and volunteer areas.
And I had two older brothers – one was 8 years older and the other was 6 years older – who were smarter and better athletes and better looking than I,so I was determined not to be the black sheep of the family.
You were born a fairly privileged child. Do you feel that to those to whom much is given much is expected?
Yes, definitely. Those who have been fortunate enough to have a nice standard of living have perhaps a responsibility or obligation to improve things for everyone. Any kind of class situation is not healthy for society, and I think that to the extent that each of us does our bit to make things better for those who are less fortunate we are creating a win-win situation.
But I want to make it clear that I have never seen what I do as an obligation. I wanted to do what I have done and I want to do what I am doing now. There is a real sense of satisfaction – and it's not an ego thing – that comes with making a difference.
I've inherited a couple of situations where the programs were doing good, but the organization was in trouble and I didn't want them dying on my watch. Turning things around didn't just give personal satisfaction, preserving them helped maintain the community's quality of life. And the future of communities depends a lot on their quality of life.
You are 75 and you run a city and volunteer all over Northeast Ohio . What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies or passions?
Yes. I mentioned that my wife and I are very active gardeners. And we are hacking away at improving our golf. And we have tickets to the symphony and I like singing. Right now I'm a member of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center 's Choral Society. We are rehearsing for a benefit performance this September.
And I can't leave out my grandkids. I'm so blessed. When Barbara and I married in 1998, we blended two families and between us we have 10 grandchildren – from 4 to 11. We get all 10 of the kids for Christmas and the place is buzzing.
You retired from KeyBank in 2000. Is the life you are leading now the life you'd planned when you retired?
I can't honestly say that this is the life I planned when I retired. But, because I'd gotten more and more involved in the county's Mayors and City Managers Association, it's the life I was looking forward to because I felt so strongly about the need for county reform that would get rid of the duplications and waste and inefficiencies.
I guess you could say this is a passion, too. I know it's certainly taken up a lot of my time.
What's your definition of successful aging?
I can't give you a definition for that, except to say I'm not the sit-on-the-porch-in-a-rocking-chair type. I'd climb the walls if I had to do that.
But maybe I can give a definition for what it isn't. It isn't a time to stop being who and what you are.
I have seen so many people who hit retirement – either elected or forced – and because they had no other interests they were affected physically and mentally and psychologically.
Nothing says that at 65 you are finished. At that age, you have vast experience and you should be putting it to work. If you can't put it to work professionally, because you've been retired, then put it to work in other areas: for instance mentoring or volunteering or community service.
I think it's a crime to not take the experience and expertise and ability you have gained over the years and put it to use in something you care about. There are so many crying needs in society for it. And, when you approach retirement in that way, there isn't enough time in the day for everything you want to do.
I guess the short answer to that question is: “Be engaged.” Doing that keeps your mind young, and that helps keep the body young.
And speaking of keeping the body young, you are in excellent physical shape. What do you do the stay in such good shape.
Eight years ago, I asked my wife what she wanted for her birthday. She said she wanted a personal trainer.
My jaw dropped, and I said, OK, but if you are going to work out, so am I. So now, every Monday and Friday the trainer comes at 7 a.m. and we both work out, doing stretching and muscle strengthening exercises and lifting weights. At the end of the hour, I know I've had a workout.
That was the smartest birthday gift I ever “gave.”
And we work out during the week – doing the exercises the trainer does with us – and we walk the neighborhood and golf, too. And taking care of the grandchildren when they come, that's always a good workout.
What are you doing, on a daily basis, to live your definition of successful aging? In other words, what are Bruce Akers' rules for successful aging?
For one thing, get organized. On the weekends, I have a list of what needs doing and I get a great kick out of being able to cross things off when they are done. And I make lists because I know it keeps me focused.
If you don't stay focused, it's so easy to get sidetracked, goof-off, or put things off until mañana. And then things just become more of a burden on you.
During the week at the office, I do the same thing, but the list gets dictated by the phone calls I need to make and the meetings I need to attend. And I cross those things off as I do them, too.
Make it a point to stay active and to have commitments to various things and groups. And to follow through on those commitments.
The thing I regret most is that I don't have more time to read. I'm a history major and would love to have time to read more history books, but…
If you could be remembered for only one thing you have accomplished in your 75 years, what would it be?
That I left the world a better place than when I came into it. That's what drives me – has always driven me – to do the various things I do that – and I keep going back to this – improve the quality of life for the community.
What did I not ask that I should have?
What I like about being mayor. And it's that I enjoy proving that local government can be responsive and innovative in providing better services for residents without spending that much more money.
In this day and age, there is so much cynicism against politicians, and because of that I set myself a goal to show that a local government can be pro-active, responsive and even innovative in ideas and new programs.
We were the first city in Northern Ohio to place automated electronic defibrillators in every police car. We were one of the first communities to have a reverse 911 system. We have our own radio station for community assistance and announcements. We have launched a document shredding program in the city to provide destruction of records and avoid identity theft. We've set up a citizens' police academy and are the first city in Ohio to have set up an arrangement with the local Red Cross to offer residents an emergency preparedness training program.
All of this shows how pro-active we have been, and I'm proud of the fact that we have been in the top 10 of suburban rankings, and number one on three occasions.
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