About Roxanne

Roxanne Qualls (born March 3, 1953 in Tacoma, WA) was the three-term Mayor of the City of Cincinnati from 1993 to 1999.She was first elected to Council in 1991.

Since returning to Council in 2007, Qualls has focused on initiatives that are fundamental to building a strong Cincinnati and result in enhanced quality of life, a globally competitive local economy, and smart management of City resources.

Qualls chairs Council's Vibrant Neighborhoods, Recreation and Public Services Committee, as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.

As Mayor, Qualls led the city's efforts to redevelop the central riverfront, prioritized cleaning up neighborhoods, improving safety, and increasing homeownership. The U.S. Conference of Mayors recognized both her Zero Tolerance Initiative and the Ambassador Realtors programs as "Best Practices." She emphasized openness and transparency in governance and established "Mayors Night In," where once a week anyone could meet with her on any subject.

As Mayor and as a member of the Executive Committee and later President of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, she oversaw the Major Investment Study that resulted in the significant redesign and reconfiguration of Fort Washington Way; and successfully lobbied for federal dollars to fund the region's light rail major investment study. With then County Commissioner, Bob Bedinghaus and members of City Council, she helped form the joint City-County Planning Committee to develop the Master Plan for Cincinnati's Central Riverfront and to determine the location of the two stadiums. In 1998, she insured the expansion of the city's premier riverfront park system by working with Council to insure that money was budgeted for the construction of the Theodore Barry International Friendship Park.

Qualls was recognized for her strong supports of Cincinnati's arts and cultural assets. She was one of three founders of Artworks, a youth employment program that teaches young people work skills by producing public art. She supported the construction of the internationally recognized Contemporary Arts Center, the Aronoff Performing Arts Center, and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and supported funding of small arts organizations.

Prior to serving in elected office, Qualls served as director of the Cincinnati office of Ohio Citizen Action, executive director of Women Helping Women, and director of the Northern Kentucky Rape Crisis Center.

After leaving office due to term limits, Qualls went to Harvard University where she served as a fellow in the Institute of Politics, a Loeb Fellow in the Graduate School of Design, and a Malcolm Weiner Fellow in Social Policy at the Kennedy School of Government; in 2002 she earned a Masters degree in Public Administration. She returned to Cincinnati in 2004 and taught in the Masters of Public Administration program at Northern Kentucky University and served as Director of Public Leadership Initiatives until December 2007.

Qualls is the recipient of numerous awards and has also served on the boards of many of the region's organizations.  For a detailed biography, please click the heading below for the extended version of this page.