Cheryl Stephens candidate for Cleveland Heights City Council
Biographical information
What neighborhood or area of the city do you live in? I live in the Forest Hill neighborhood.
How long have you lived in Cleveland Heights? What brought you here?
I have lived in Cleveland Heights for 20 years. I moved into Cleveland Heights because I was hired by the city of Cleveland Heights to manage economic development programs.
Tell us about yourself.
Launching her first campaign for elected office, Cheryl Stephens is a candidate for Cleveland Heights City Council. Cheryl, a 20 year resident of the city, brings more than 25 years worth of economic development, finance, and leadership experience to her candidacy.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Cheryl, the eldest child in a tight-knit military family, was raised throughout the world as her father’s military assignments required a lot of moving. Her father, Cato was a technical sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and her mother, Fran was a registered nurse. As her father’s assignments took them all over the world, Cheryl experienced a childhood grounded in the traditions of her parents’ southern roots, yet enhanced by the cultures of locales as diverse as Japan, Germany and Spain. The family was stationed at domestic bases as well including the country’s heartland of Illinois, Oklahoma and Kansas. During these travels and assignments, Cheryl learned to speak Spanish, a skill she maintains.
PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from a small university in Tennessee and later a Master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Dayton, Cheryl began her career in public administration and fell in love with development. She has worked in four different development departments in Ohio, a New York based national development not for profit, and a leadership program in Northeast Ohio.
In her spare time, she is often called on by members of the Ohio business community to provide research and strategic development services. As principal of her own consulting practice, Strategic Development Solutions, LLC, Cheryl has been a key player in ushering more than $100,000,000 of investments to growing businesses and real estate developments in Ohio.
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
§ Director of Acquisition, Disposition, and Development, Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio
§ Principal, Strategic Development Solutions, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
§ Board of Revision Member, Cuyahoga County Board of County Commissioners, Cleveland, Ohio
§ Executive Director Leadership Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Partnership (Regional Chamber of Commerce), Cleveland, Ohio
§ Director, National Development Council, New York, New York
§ Director of Development, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Ohio
§ Director of Planning and Development, City of Cleveland Heights, Ohio
§ Economic Development Manager, City of Cleveland Heights, Ohio
§ Senior Development Officer, Department of Economic Development, City of Cleveland, Ohio
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDMaster of Public Administration, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
Bachelor of Arts, Southern University of Seventh Day Adventists (formerly Southern Missionary College), Collegedale, Tennessee
Study of Spanish Language and Culture, Colegio Adventista de Sagunto, Valencia, Spain
Economic Development Finance Professional Certification, National Development Council,
New York, New York
COMMUNITY COMMITMENT
Cheryl is asked to volunteer regularly on committees, boards and commissions. Over the years she has served on numerous diverse boards and commissions, from the Friends of Shaker Square (now Shaker Square Area Development) to both the major Komen for the Cure events the Race for the Cure and the Breast Cancer 3 Day. Since her mother’s (Frances) death in 2006 Cheryl has been strong believer in proactive measures to help women and men fight Breast Cancer. The pink color used in her campaign materials reflects her commitment to fight breast cancer in honor of Frances, with all her personal and professional resources.
COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTEER AFFILIATIONSCleveland Heights City Planning Commission, Current.
Breast Cancer 3 Day (A Susan G. Komen For the Cure Event), Training Walk Leader, 2008 & 2009.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure – Cleveland, Team Leader, 2004, 2005, 2006,2007,2008, 2009
Strickland/Fisher Transition Team for Development Issues
Pandemonium Fundraising Committee for the Cleveland Public Theater, 2006.
Barbara Boyd’s State Representative Campaigns
Sandra L. Walker’s Judicial Campaign, 2005.
Peter Lawson Jones’ County Commissioner Campaign, 2002, 2004, and 2008.
If elected, how would you encourage citizens to participate in decision making?
I would encourage citizen’s to participate in Cleveland Height by volunteering to be on boards and commissions (i.e. Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission) that have a direct impact on the daily lives of residents, the second thing that I would encourage all residents to do is attend a City Council meeting at least once a year. Attendance at a meeting (either a working session or a formal meeting) would allow people to see the interaction and discussion between staff and the council. Many times watching how the process works encourages people to participate more or to have ideas about requests/recommendations on the improvement on services.
Describe one innovative idea that would transform the city.
Creation of a joint Planning and Development authority with several municipal governments and school districts participating that would facilitate large and long range planning and development in a cohesive manner. Especially for the neighborhoods and districts that have shared municipal boundaries. A business plan would have to be developed in advance of hiring staff so that new capacity would be developed to meet the joint and participating needs of development in the different communities and the school systems. The collaborative efforts could be very powerful and the long term plans could involve the sharing of taxes generated by the development authority.
Who are the community stakeholders in Cleveland Heights?
The community stakeholders in Cleveland Heights is everyone who lives in the city, owns or operates a business in the city, the employees of businesses that are located in the City, in reality just about anyone who has an interest in helping this community to be a better place is a stakeholder.
What ideas do you have for how these stakeholders can work together toward common goals?
No one wants to meet to meet. We need to establish working groups in the neighborhood that review issues once a year, and at that time call for other meetings if necessary.
What is your plan to develop the local economy?
What are the best qualities of Cleveland Heights and what would you do to sustain them?
The best qualities of Cleveland Heights evolve around the wonderful housing stock in the community and the small scale neighborhood business districts that offer our residents the ability to obtain important services within a few minutes of their homes. I would work with council and staff to get short term and long term plans for the continuous improvement of the districts. For example each district will have to have infrastructure improvements and as technology improves lighting concepts the lighting will have to be changes some basic things can be scheduled and other items will require the input of property owners, business and the home owners in the surrounding neighborhood.
Describe one way that you think the city could realistically work cooperatively with other local governments to reduce costs and/or improve services.
Studies have shown that joint purchasing of standardized materials and supplies can be effective due to the cost breaks received when ordering in bulk. Everything from deicing materials for the streets and sidewalks could be purchased by larger groups to office supplies since everything from pencils to ink cartridges will be used by all local governments.
How would you market the City of Cleveland Heights to a prospective resident?
One of the best things about Cleveland Heights that is under emphasized is its walkability and ease of shopping for daily household needs. I market the ability to walk to restaurants, shopping centers and parks and drive within minutes to grocery stores, dry cleaners, and drug stores; basically all the core needs of an individual can be supported within our community. This is significant because it means that you can reduce you travel time to do chores and spend more time in leisure activities and with your family and friends.
To learn more about this candidate visit http://www.cherylstephens.org/.
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