Faces of River: Serving the City, Loving the Community

Michelle Root, Executive Assistant to the Mayor and Legal Assistant to the Law Director 

As executive assistant to Mayor Pamela Bobst, Michelle Root is always on top of what’s going on in the city. A Rocky River resident since 2004, Root worked as a paralegal for over 30 years. “I was working for the city of Cleveland when I saw the posting for this job, and I have always wanted the opportunity to serve the city I live in, so I applied,” says Root, who settled into her new position in March.

Root works behind the scenes, ensuring every detail of Mayor Bobst’s day runs smoothly. “I maintain her calendar and get her schedule ready for the day, and I take calls from residents,” Root says. 

She adds that one of the most fulfilling parts of the job involves citywide proclamations. “If someone is having a 100th birthday or a special recognition, I get to talk to the person or family member to get a brief history,” she says. “I really get to know people and hear their stories and their history. It’s pretty amazing.”

Serving the community she lives in makes the job particularly special to Root. She says that as executive assistant to the mayor, she gets to be involved with the people in her community and is able to really get to know them. 

When she is not assisting the mayor or communicating with residents, Root finds time to enjoy the natural beauty of Rocky River. “I love Bradstreet’s Landing,”she says. “I live close by, so I can just walk up there and watch the sunset or soak up the sun, and it almost feels like a mini vacation.”

Jonathan Lindow, Assistant Finance Director 

With 18 years of government finance experience, Rocky River’s Assistant Finance Director Jonathan Lindow is tackling his new position with enthusiasm. 

Lindow is five months in and settling into the job comfortably. “I have previous experience with two cities in Northeast Ohio and one in the Columbus area, and I have been a CPA for the last nine years,” he says. 

On a typical day, Lindow dabbles in a little bit of everything. From helping to formulate the 2026 city budget to looking over current year spending and taxes to union contracts and property tax, he manages how money is used throughout the city. “My role has to be involved in lots of different things,” he says. “Every day is different for me.”

According to Lindow, a good finance department helps the city run smoothly by being helpful and accommodating for residents. “Even though Rocky River is a smaller community, it’s a robust community,” he says. “The finance department has to be knowledgeable and helpful to all the city’s areas and departments and understand that every department is different.”

When he’s not keeping tabs on the financial health of the city, Lindow enjoys the parks and businesses that make Rocky River so great. “I enjoy going for runs and bike rides through [Rocky River Park],” he says. “It’s very convenient to have that right in the city.”

Rocky River has been a particularly friendly community to work in, Lindow notes. “It’s been a very welcoming city with a lot of good employees and good residents.”

Brad Wisniewski, Fitness & Community Programs Manager 

Brad Wisniewski has always been drawn to sports and recreation. The Pittsburgh native studied sports administration at Kent State University and found himself in the parks and recreation field when he landed his first job with the city of Macedonia. 

Since June, Wisniewski has been heading up the fitness and community programs department for the city of Rocky River. “I’m new here, but it’s been great,” he says. “My whole background has always been sports and recreation, and I really can’t see myself doing anything else, so I jumped at this opportunity.”

Wisniewski is in charge of all of Rocky River’s fitness classes and instructors as well as overseeing fitness equipment. “The fun and unique part of recreation is that every day could be completely different,” he says. 

The “programs” part of the job includes all community events and programs such as kids’ dance workshops, arts and crafts classes, educational fitness classes for seniors and more. 

Staying connected with residents is an integral part of his job. “Listening to our members is our driving factor,” he says. 

As the fitness and community programs manager, Wisniewski is always looking ahead, which means he is already thinking about summer and fall events for 2026. “I think we are going to do a lot of the same stuff with some fun little twists,” he says. “We’d like to expand a little bit on that and include a fun fall festival, which is something I’m looking forward to, and just getting our community out into the parks and enjoying recreation.”