Candidate for
Member of Council; City of Cincinnati

I was appointed to fill a vacancy on City Council in April 2013. My appointment to Council has provided the opportunity to further my professional and personal goal, which is to improve the quality of life in our community through service.

Over 35 years ago, I began my career in the legal system as an intake and hearing officer for the Private Complaint Program, under the jurisdiction of the City Prosecutor's Office. My responsibilities included interviewing clients to gather information for misdemeanor cases and conducting hearings and mediations related to those cases. I then joined the staff of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission as an investigator handling discrimination complaints. My leadership skills quickly propelled me into a variety of management positions, first as Director of the Minority Women's Employment Division of the Department of Labor, and then as District Manager for the U.S. Department of Commerce Census Bureau. I also spent nearly a decade as a Bailiff in the Hamilton County Municipal and Common Pleas Courts, serving as Chief Aide to Judges Jack Sherman, Jr. and Carol McIlwain.

My extensive career with the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) began in 1992, and culminated with my retirement in August 2013. At the outset I was a substitute teacher, but was promoted into Business Operations as Executive Assistant to the Superintendent. Most recently, I was the Ombudsman and Director of the Customer Help Center, which I created. I also administered the Inactive Records Department and the Enrollment Center where I managed and archived student records, responded to customer inquiries, handled complaints, and provided confidential mediation services. Regularly collaborating with attorneys, I handled matters relating to subpoenas, custody disputes, and security issues. As a result of my efforts, operational productivity and efficiency improved within the District by identifying and recommending effective policy and procedural changes. Sustained improvement of the Public School system remains an essential facet of my commitment to serving the citizens of Cincinnati.

As a member of Cincinnati City Council, I am fully prepared to utilize my leadership skills and policy expertise, and am focused on increasing transparency within city government. I am working to improve communication from City Hall to the community to ensure that the community is fully engaged and well-informed on the decision making process within City government.

My strong business background and 35-plus years of professional experience in creating structurally balanced budgets is the center of my commitment to ensuring the city has a structurally balanced budget for the first time in over a decade.

A lifelong resident of Hamilton County, I grew up in Blue Ash, Ohio. A graduate of Sycamore High School, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Cincinnati, and a Masters in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from Sullivan University in Lexington, Kentucky. Additionally, I am a licensed real estate agent, a notary public, and a certified EKG technician. I am married to former Cincinnati City Councilman Cecil Thomas and we have four children and four grandchildren. I have lived in North Avondale for more than 25 years.