Mission Statement
As a member of Cincinnati City Council, Vanessa White will be committed to helping Cincinnati emerge as a city of choice that we grow together.
By "city of choice" . . . Vanessa envisions safe and inviting communities that attract and retain families and young people. She will fight to make sure our neighborhoods provide all residents with the chance to be successful through quality schools and available resources.
To "grow" such a city . . . Vanessa will seek investment in promising locations throughout the city where economic enterprise can flourish to generate new revenue. She will make sure that neighborhood residents are prepared and conneted to new jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.
To accomplish this "together" . . . Vanessa will continue to work across sectors, geographic boundaries, and party lines to get things done. She will encourage "inside-out" leadership by engaging neighborhood residents and community stakeholders in transparent decision-making processes.
Description
In 2002, when many people were leaving Cincinnati in the wake of racial civil unrest, Vanessa White moved back home. Since she, her husband and five children returned from Chicago to her hometown, Vanessa has been an active volunteer and public servant, tirelessly devoted to making Cincinnati a better place for families and young people. She loves the city and wants to help it grow for all.
Her efforts led her to the Cincinnati Board of Education, where in 2009 she was the only non-incumbent elected to the board from among 12 candidates. With all her children in Cincinnati Public Schools at the time - and a graduate herself - she proved to be a strong advocate for families and communities, and earned a reputation for bringing people together across differences and demonstrating fiscal responsibility by voting in favor of saving money and taxpayer dollars.
Vanessa’s civic participation has ranged from her past positions as President of the board of Parents for Public Schools of Greater Cincinnati and a member of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati’s Committee of Management at the Melrose Branch to her current role on the board of directors of the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She also has served as a member of the Lighthouse Youth Services board of directors, as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the juvenile court system. She is an alumna of the Urban League’s African American Leadership Development Program (AALDP) Class XVI and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s WE (Women Excel) Lead, Class II.
A graduate of Walnut Hills High School, Vanessa earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati and pursued a successful career in child and family welfare in Cincinnati and Chicago. After returning to Cincinnati, she earned her MBA from Xavier University and later became Vice President of Community Engagement & Partnerships at ArtsWave (formerly the Fine Arts Fund). Currently, Vanessa is working on her Ph.D. through the Educational Studies Doctoral Program at the University of Cincinnati.
The mother of two adult children, she and her husband, Byron, and their three teen-aged children live in North Avondale.
