Roxanne Qualls

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. ==Career in academia==

After leaving office, Qualls held a series of fellowships at Harvard University, including a Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a fellowship at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government, before completing her mid-career MPA in 2002. ==Career in business==

Qualls currently is an Executive Sales Vice President with Sibcy Cline Realtors in Cincinnati. She received her Ohio real estate license in 2010. She is licensed in Ohio and Kentucky. ==Professional achievements==

Awards and honors • Post-Corbett Award Special Award in Arts Education for Artworks, 1997 • National Homebuilders Association, Public Official of the Year, Region C, 1997 • Project Interchange Seminars in Israel, American Jewish Committee, Women Leaders Exchange, 1997 • Honorary Doctorate, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, 1996 • Ohio Public Employees Lawyers Association Award for Outstanding Service, 1996 • National Association of Social Workers, Public Official of the Year, State and Cincinnati Region, 1996 • YWCA, Women of Achievement Award, 1994 • Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus, Outstanding Achievement Award, 1994 • Soroptimist Club, Making a Difference for Women Award, 1993 • Girl Scouts Great Rivers Council Woman of Distinction, 1992 Continuing education • Loeb Fellowship in Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Class of 2001 • Fellow Institute of Politics, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 2000 • Institute for New Mayors, Harvard University, 1993 • Mayors Institute on City Design, Harvard University, 1996 • Mayors Institute on City Design, University of Virginia, 1997 Board memberships • Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), Board Member (2007) • 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==