The Woodward Alumni Hall of Fame Association
Linda Brown-Ewing Inducted 2009 - Class of 1967
Representing the best that Woodward has to offer; Linda credits her high school debate and oratory skills as the basis for her success in conflict resolution at the corporate level and in the volunteer community. Linda’s career has revolved with one of Toledo's most recognizable landmarks. After graduation from The University of Toledo, Linda was WTOL's reporter for One Seagate's impressive groundbreaking, and, upon completion, moved with Owen Illinois into their spacious world headquarters in the Human Relations Department at One Seagate. Linda, after an impressive rise through the offices of employee relations, is once again at One Seagate as Vice President of Community Affairs for Fifth Third Bank.
And now more of the story . . .
Raised in the primarily Polish neighborhood off Stickney Avenue near Forest Cemetery, Linda's early education was comprised of Woodward's feeder schools where friendships were forged that
would last forever. Membership in the Woodward Boosters and Student Council would reinforce Linda’s friendships with Linda Barnett, Mary Aldrich, Glen Catchings, Robert Easterly and others. Woodward, Linda would later write, "... was a big school, but friendly . . . we all knew each other via the neighborhood, sports, or being in an organization together. . .. " Linda's earliest and her best remembered Woodward events were the competitions fostered by the speech and debate tournaments. During one of the contests sponsored by Mr. Smythe's speech class, Linda placed first in "Original Oratory" at Start High School. Linda remembers Mr. Smythe telling her that she was talented in speech and that a career in the television arts was a possibility that she shouldn't overlook.
Little did Linda know that within, several years, they would be working together at Toledo's Channel 11. Mike Smythe anchored the weekend sports, while Linda filled in as the substitute news anchor personality. Linda spent seven yeas at WTOL honing her skills and learning her craft from both sides of the camera lens. Linda's training in the use of 16mm equipment as an intern at WTOL always reminds her that continuing education is the key to retaining your future.
From Channel 11 to Owens Illinois, her career seemed on track until a downsizing in staff led her to Fifth Third Bank as an employee relations representative. Accepting the challenges that the bank offered, Linda has diligently worked her way to Vice President of Community Affairs.
Widowed in 1998 from Tillis, her husband of almost 20 years, Linda takes great joy in the accomplishments of her daughters, Vanessa and Jessica.