J. Kenneth Blackwell, Director
(independent/voting member—February 2015 – Present)

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and Former Mayor of Cincinnati The Hon. J. Kenneth Blackwell join the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund in early 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Blackwell has enjoyed a vast and successful career, ranging from politics, education, and journalism. Mr. Blackwell began his political career as the mayor of Cincinnati (1979-80) and moved his way up through higher offices as the Ohio State Treasurer (1994-99) and Secretary of State (1999-2007), and eventually the federal level as the undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. As an author and writer, Mr. Blackwell is a best-selling author and editor for Townhall.com. His op-eds have been featured in newspapers like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today. At various points in his career, Mr. Blackwell has been a fellow at Harvard University, the Heritage Foundation, the Aspen Institute, the Salzburg Seminar, and Johns Hopkins University. He has also received honorary doctoral degrees from ten institutions.