The Woodward Alumni Hall of Fame Association
Keith Wilkowski Inducted 2008 - Class of 1973
Lake Street was a great place to live, the Board of Education property was the perfect place to play stickball, and Hamilton was still the name of an elementary school when Keith Wilkowski was growing up in the neighborhood. Keith knew what to expect at Woodward. His father had taught at WHS, and his sister Kathy was already a student there. His brother Craig followed a couple of years later. In Keith's senior year the Extravaganza was revived, and who better to play the lead than Keith-a-good-man to fill the shoes of Charlie Brown. This experience, nurtured by the faith that teacher/director Dick Hoffman showed in Keith, began a life-long love of theater. Perhaps Dave McMurray's challenging history classes and Keith's two terms as class sergeant at arms set another stage for Keith's future.
After graduation Keith attended The Ohio State University and graduated with a bachelor's in history. In 1982 he graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctorate from The University of Toledo. The following year Keith was elected to membership on the Toledo Board of Education, and
re-elected in 1987. In 1988 he became a Lucas County Commissioner. In1990 he left that post to become Law Director for the City of Toledo.
After four years he returned to private law practice. From 1994 to 1997 he served as the Chairman of the Lucas County Democratic Party. In 2005 Keith threw his hat into the ring for Mayor of Toledo, finishing third in a seven person primary. He is currently in private practice with the firm of Vassar, Dills, Dawson & Bonfiglio.
During this entire time Keith has served as a volunteer on many community boards and committees, including The Toledo Public Schools Foundation, the Public Defender Commission, and the "Access to Justice Awards Dinner," which promotes legal services for the poor and disadvantaged. He is recognized as an expert in local government law and lectures on the subject across the state of Ohio.
Keith and his wife Barb value their family time and love lively discussions with their four children, Erica, Emily, Gregory, and Joseph. Each is a unique person with strong opinions and all are able to argue a point successfully. Grandson Colin Patrick, the newest addition to the family, has a very limited vocabulary, but he always expresses his opinions clearly-especially in the wee hours of the morning. Keith loves to read and still plays basketball. For the last seven years he has hiked the Grand Canyon. He says he's just hiking, not searching for the Great Pumpkin, but the jury's still out on that one.