Who: Charles Jemison.
Where: Lives in the Moreland neighborhood.
Business: I’m a truck driver and rubbish crew worker for the City of Shaker Heights
Service Department. I have worked here for eight years.
Professional Mission: To give residents of Shaker Heights the best quality service they
deserve, keeping our city and neighborhoods clean, and doing it safely and efficiently.
Personal Background: I have lived in Shaker Heights my entire life, and I couldn’t
see living anywhere else. My mother, JoAnn, and my father, Charles Jemison, were
married on Chelton Road in 1965 and moved into the house next door. My mother
still lives in that house. I went to Moreland Elementary School, then Woodbury Junior
High for one year, and then I was part of the first class that went to Shaker Middle
School. I graduated from the High School in 1990. ¶ My oldest son, Charles, went to
Shaker schools and now attends the Chicago Institute of Art. My younger son, Giovanni,
is at Shaker Middle School. My wife, Christa (principal at Mary Bethune School in
Cleveland), grew up on the West Side of Cleveland, so it was hard to convince her to move
here at first. The friendliness and openness of the community are what finally won her
over. She would see people at Heinen’s and they would say hi and recognize her as my
wife. That made her feel very welcome here.
What I love about my work: My work is great. I love the camaraderie with the
guys. And yes, it can be fun to drive the scooters, but not so much in the bad weather.
Last winter was probably the worst in 20 years! ¶ We really get close to some of the
residents. Sometimes they come out and have conversations with us, or thank us. One
time, I found some keys that were lying on a resident’s driveway in the snow, and put
them on top of her garbage can lid where she could find them. She called the Service
Department to thank me personally. I felt grateful that she took the time out to do that.
I ended up receiving a customer service award along with some of the other Service
Department workers and we had lunch with the Mayor. ¶ We recently had a town hall
meeting about recycling, which has really grown in Shaker. It’s very exciting that we are
taking a lot of positive steps to do more in this area.
On Working and Living in Shaker Heights: I love being close to home and not having
much of a commute. I’m very proud of my city and I like giving residents the best service I
can. ¶ I have to say that what really makes Shaker a special place are the services. I have to
applaud all of the service workers in Shaker, including the police and the firefighters. ¶ I also
appreciate the parks, like Horseshoe Lake Park and Thornton Park, for spending time with
family. I like to eat at Boston Market at Shaker Towne Centre, and my long-time favorite
place is Baskin-Robbins. I just can’t get enough of that chocolate chip ice cream.
Contact: Public Works Department, 216-491-1490. SL
SHAKER LIFE | WINTER 2015 55
Photograph by Janet Century | Interview by Jennifer Proe