Roxanne Qualls (born March 3, 1953) is an American politician from Ohio who served as the 66th Mayor of Cincinnati from 1993 to 1999. A member of the Democratic Party who has long been allied with the Charter Committee, she was Cincinnati's second woman mayor and the city's last mayor under the system in which the mayoralty was awarded to the top vote-getter in Cincinnati City Council elections.

Qualls served on the Cincinnati City Council from 1991 to 1993 and again from 2007 to 2013, including a term as Vice Mayor. She was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 1998, losing to incumbent Steve Chabot, and was the Democratic-endorsed candidate in the 2013 Cincinnati mayoral election, in which she lost to John Cranley. She was subsequently a candidate in the November 2013 election for Mayor of Cincinnati, but was defeated by John Cranley.

Early life and education

Qualls was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer. Before her family settled in Erlanger, Kentucky, when she was seven years old, she lived in Taiwan, Japan, and New Hampshire.

She attended St. Henry's Grade School in Erlanger and then attended Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Kentucky for high school. While at Notre Dame Academy, she participated in the school's chapters of the National Forensics League and National Honor Society. She attended Thomas More College for three semesters majoring in history and then attended the University of Cincinnati in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.

Political career

Early career

Before entering elected office, Qualls was the first director of the Northern Kentucky Rape Crisis Center (now the Women's Crisis Center) from 1975 to 1977, and the executive director of Women Helping Women (now the Hamilton County Rape Crisis and Abuse Center) from 1977 to 1979.

Return to City Council (2007–2013)

On August 8, 2007, the Charter Committee selected Qualls to fill the council seat vacated by Jim Tarbell. She was elected to full two-year terms on council in November 2007, 2009, and 2011, and served as Vice Mayor from 2009 to 2013, chairing the Budget and Finance Committee, the Livable Communities Committee, and the Subcommittee on Major Transportation and Infrastructure Projects. Council unanimously adopted the resulting code in May 2013, with Madisonville, College Hill, Walnut Hills, and Westwood as the first neighborhoods to implement it.

2013 mayoral campaign

On December 6, 2012, Qualls announced her candidacy for mayor at an event at which the term-limited incumbent, Mark Mallory, endorsed her.

On September 10th, 2013, John Cranley led with about 56 percent to Qualls's 37 percent. Cranley defeated Qualls in the November 5 general election, taking roughly 58 percent of the vote.

  • Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, Board Member (2006–2007)
  • Vision 2015 Regional Stewardship Council, Board Member (2006–)
  • Great Rivers Girl Scout Council, Board Member (2006–2007)
  • Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Board Member (2005–2007)
  • ArtWorks, Board Member (2005–2007)
  • Congress for New Urbanism, Board Member (2000–2008)
  • The Holocaust Memorial Library, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (2000–2002)
  • Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati, Ohio, Vestry Member (1998–2000)
  • National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), First Vice President (1997–1999), Second Vice President (1996–1997), Board Member (1995–1999)
  • Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Co-Chair (1993–1999)
  • Friends of Women's Studies (University of Cincinnati), Honorary Chair (1993–1994)
  • March of Dimes Health Professional Advisory Committee, Member (1993–1994)
  • Ohio•Kentucky•Indiana Regional Council of Governments, President (1995, 1996), First Vice President (1994), Second Vice President (1993), Executive Committee (1992–1999)
  • Shuttlesworth Housing Foundation, Advisory Board (1991), Board Member (1989–1991)
  • Governor's Commission on the Storage and Use of Toxic and Hazardous Materials, Member (1990)
  • Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, Chairperson (1990–1991), Commissioner (1988–1991)
  • Lower Price Hill Task Force, Member (1989–1992)
  • Solid Waste Advisory Committee of the State of Ohio, Member (1988–1991)
  • Governor's Waste Minimization Task Force of the State of Ohio, Member (1987–1990)
  • Solid Waste Task Force of the City of Cincinnati, Chairperson (1988–1990), Member and Vice Chair (1987–1988)
  • Hazardous Material Advisory Committee of the City of Cincinnati, Member (1985–1988)
  • Rape Services Subcommittee of the Women's Service Implementation Committee of the United Way-Community Chest, Member (1979)
  • Cincinnati Committee of the United Methodist Church's Board of Global Ministries Child and Family Justice Project, Vice-Chair (1978–1979)
  • Covington Family Health Clinic, Board Member (1976–1977)
  • Northern Kentucky Catholic Commission of Social Justice, Board Member (1973–1978)

See also

  • Cincinnati City Council
  • Ohio's 1st congressional district

Notes

  • Charter Committee (local Cincinnati political party)