It is with absolute devastation and maybe a broken heart that I am writing this post today. I found out early this morning that my mentor passed away. I’ve known Todd Portune for a long while now and to be honest with you I know the cancer was bad but I truly believed he would fight until the bitter end and he would beat the cancer.
I know by writing that I’m sure a few people will scoff and remind me that this isn’t something you can just be stubborn about and win but if you knew Todd, you might get it. He has (sorry if I switch to has I just still can’t believe it’s he had instead of he has…) overcome impossible odds before. He had tumors along his spine. It should have killed him or put him in a wheel chair for the rest of his life and it didn’t. I have been in countless parades with him where he walked the entire route. Then he lost a leg to cancer; that should’ve been a final blow but he refused to give in. He continued to be mobile and walk with the prosthetic. Even when the cancer diagnosis came again he was a fighter. I thought it was bad but this is Todd and he won’t go down without a fight I guess part of that statement still stands true; he most definitely didn’t go down without a fight.
I know that many people are aware of who Todd Portune was. He got more votes in Hamilton County than President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. He was a dedicated leader (he always made time to hear a concern from one of his constituents and he took notes to follow up.) He was also a lawyer and maybe a crazy driver but I want to give you the chance to see him as I first met him.
He has three kids. His son played basketball growing up and for a few years he was on the team my younger brother Nick was on. Dad coached the team and as always when your parent is the coach for a junior pro team you get to help with something or another. I decided to keep the books as to who played when, who scored, and worked the score board. Well this parent volunteered to work the score board with me from our team. I didn’t give him a second thought. We became buddies. He laughed at my sarcastic remarks and my love of the game. Further into the season my dad asked if I knew who that was. To be honest I had no idea. In my teenage mind I just responded yeah Dad duh that’s Ethan’s Dad. My dad just kinda laughed at me (okay maybe he did one of those dad chuckles where they know something you don’t and want to educate you but whatever) and then proceeded to explain who he was and why he was important. While I agreed with Dad, I honestly don’t think it changed the way I saw him. He was still just Mr. Portune; the man who worked the score board next to me. We kept that up for a few years.
Fast forward a few years I love political science and have just accepted an internship on my first campaign by myself. (I have to insert that there because my mom is a die hard advocate, she has had me wearing political buttons since I could first understand the topics, she even bought me a children’s book on Clinton. We have worked countless hours canvassing or passing petitions but this is my first one as an adult.) I gave everything I had to that campaign and to be honest while some of it might have been grueling I loved every minute of it. One moment in particular comes to mind. I volunteered to help work a political fundraiser where Bill Clinton would be speaking. When I was helping usher people to their seats, who did I see walking in, none other than Todd Portune. He took the time to acknowledge me and ask how I was and how my family was. It really struck me because in the midst of everything he asked how I was. Mind you in about twenty minutes he would go on to introduce President Clinton. We lost that election but the fire in me never died down I knew in that minute I wanted to stay in politics.
The next Summer was approaching quickly and I needed some kind of an internship, I knew I wanted to work in government but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. As many of you know I am a go getter and not afraid of a little rejection so I emailed Todd and asked if he could use an intern that summer. I was very happy to find out that he could and he had me come in that week to get started. I was so excited. My mom and I bought a business professional outfit and everything. I went in and he said he wanted me there three days a week and for four hours (I had another job at the time as well.) but I took it. I went to commissioners meetings, got to meet everyone and helped draft a proclamation or two. I reported directly to his chief of staff, Kathy Binns, and worked with his assistant, Lisa Daria. I’m not sure when it happened but sometime along that summer I fell in love with the work they did and the importance of this office. I learned so much but I honestly believed that I still had more to learn, I ended up staying on through the fall and the spring.
As I kept working I guess I proved my worth enough that when it was time to reelect Todd I was asked to be the Volunteer Coordinator on his upcoming campaign. As a member of the team I got to go to campaign strategy meetings, team building events and even Hamilton County Democrats meetings for candidates. I got to have a back stage pass to see exactly how politics worked. I got promoted within the campaign to be Deputy Campaign Manager and I couldn’t thank Kathy enough for everything she taught me and showed me. I probably put in about sixty hours a week doing campaign work. During the summer it was great. I babysat by day then campaigned by night. Once college was back in session I did the majority of the work I could online and then spent my weekends campaigning. During this time I got to watch President Obama speak, I saw President W. Busch speak, I met Jerry Springer (stop it right there. Please google Jerry and see his activities in Cincinnati politics and then resume reading.)
I met other politicians that I completely adore. Todd was a rock and was always explaining everything to me. On the 4th of July when we had already done two parades he pushed us wanting to represent ourselves in a third parade. We rallied; we showed up at the tail end of the Harrison Parade where the police blocking the parade route actually escorted us honking their horns and sirens so the parade watchers knew we were coming. The look on everyone’s face as we slid in last but certainly not least was well worth it.
The night before election day Bridget, Todd, a volunteer and I went all over Cincinnati putting literature on people’s cars so they had one last chance to learn before election day. Then on election day we were out right after the polls opened to support the election volunteers by bringing them snacks and water so they knew how much each candidate was appreciated and supported in what they were doing. We won that election! At one point, if you know where to look, you can see me in the background of election coverage behind Todd right as he was formally announced to have won. We were in the board of elections and it was one of those nights I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Following that night I went back to school and was just a student for a while. When the first Commissioners Meeting of the year happened and they had their swearing in I skipped class and went down to celebrate my mentor being sworn back into office.
During the campaigning I took my LSAT. The night before I took it Todd and I were at a festival by our homes and he kicked me out early to get a full eight hours of sleep to make sure that I was fully prepared. Todd also reminded me this is a logic test and not to let it freak me out. I took that test and I bombed it to be honest but I took it again and then I, with a letter of recommendation from Todd and a few other (thanks guys!), I applied to law school and got in.
While I was in law school a friend of mine didn’t meet the ABA’s requirements for a GPA. I was angry and wanted to take on the world. I texted Todd upset and wanting a lawyer’s opinion of the circumstances. Unfortunately, or maybe it was fortunate, he walked me through the rule and showed me why it was necessary and beneficial. I took his guidance to heart and trusted the system. I continued to take classes and become an attorney.
As a law student we are able to work researching cases for attorney’s and get paid for it. Todd called me needing help researching a case. It was my first paid research experience and Todd helped walk me through what I needed to look up and how to lay it out to be the most helpful for attorneys. The best part is that I got all of his help and experience and he paid me for my time. It was a wonderful learning experience.
When I graduated law school I told Todd and he was incredibly proud of me. We grabbed a coffee to celebrate. Then I had to tell him when I failed the bar and I’m not sure why but it felt absolutely miserable to tell him that I failed my bar. Mind you he wasn’t the least bit disappointed in me and told me to stay strong and retake it.
When I passed the bar this past summer he was struggling with his health but still took the time to make sure that I knew he was proud of me for all my accomplishments. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t had a mentor like Todd to look up to. I am going to miss grabbing coffee with him and hearing about his next ideas (he called them his irons in the fire on his notes to himself.) I will say that while he is gone he will never be truly gone as those of us who has been influenced and inspired by him still continue to pass on the hard work and determination he did.
The Real Elle Woodz 