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Speakers address ethics at Mahoning Rotary meeting
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Following their discussion at a joint Rotary meeting on Oct. 18. Henry Shea and Richard Juliano met with local Rotary officials. The group included, from left, Poland Rotary president Stephen Zentko, Canfield president Michael Raulin, Boardman president Ginny Amstutz, district assistant governor Sieglinde Warren, Juliano, Shea, Youngstown president Suzanne Fleming, and Struthers president Michael Evanson.
By SARAH FOOR
Henry J. Shea, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota and St. Thomas Law School Fellow, finds that learning and teaching ethics is becoming increasingly vital in our world.
Troubled by the moral scandals that rock national and even local communities, Shea travels the country to teach ethics with a hands-on approach.
On Oct. 18, Shea and guest Richard Juliano spoke to a joint meeting of Mahoning County Rotary Clubs and discussed how Rotary can provide ethics education to their communities.
As an attorney for Minnesota for 20 years, Shea prosecuted a wide range of corporate and economic crimes in the state.
“I often get asked ‘What does ethics have to do with me?’ I answer that these crimes can happen to anyone. No job in any area is without the temptations and choices that will test the boundaries of what is right,” Shea explained to the Rotarians.
Shea then welcomed Juliano to share his story. After Juliano graduated from high school in Cleveland Heights, he moved to Chicago for law school and began to get involved in local political campaigns. While aiding in Governor George Ryan’s gubernatorial campaign, Juliano was compensated as a government employee with taxpayer dollars, although he was doing political work.
“I was told that it was simply how things were done and it felt wrong even then. There is always a incremental nature to misconduct. It starts small with something that can be rationalized, until it simply gets too big to handle,” shared Juliano of his experiences.
When charges were filed in early 2001 against Gov. Ryan and his campaign for mismanagement, Juliano made a decision to be completely honest about his role. In nearly five years of testimony against his former co-workers, Juliano was forthright and was granted leniency for his continued effort to make amends.
“My life has been greatly impacted, but I am secure because I chose to be honest. If I can share lessons from my experience, one would be to never ignore a red flag – if it feels wrong, it is. Two, know that everything you do will be scrutinized one day. Lastly, if your misgivings about your job are too great, it’s time to change jobs. Have certitude and don’t ignore moral dilemmas,” Juliano said.