Stephanie McCloud

About: McCloud began her career as a staff attorney for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in 1996 and returned to the organization in 2019 as leader of the largest state-run insurance system in the U.S. She’s a longtime public servant who has held prominent roles across state government. She was announced as the new director for the Ohio Department of Health in November. McCloud has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University and received her law degree from Capital University. She lives in Reynoldsburg with her husband, son and cat.

Outside of work: In addition to being a former Truro Township trustee, McCloud served six years on Ohio’s Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists Board and served more than 10 years chairing Reynoldsburg’s Design Review Board. McCloud served more than a decade on Maryhaven’s board.

What does Columbus need to thrive? In light of the turbulence and division cities are currently experiencing, there must be a vibrant partnership with leaders of the various stakeholders of the downtown area. While the outer edges of a city cannot be ignored, the reality is that cities fail from the inside out. A thriving downtown leads to a fruitful and prosperous outer edge.

A partnership of merchants, residents, safety forces, elected officials and philanthropic organizations (to include churches) must unite to establish a plan of goals and objectives that includes a timeline of implementations of short, medium, and long-term. Each shareholder, while having different needs and wants, still shares the common desire to see the city thrive.

McCloud’s idea: The Future 50 can organize and sponsor such a partnership for its first year. Each year the partnership would identify a geographic region within the city on which to focus its efforts.

Some short-term goals achievable in the first year can include beautification, a food festival and open house for any and all businesses and households wishing to participate in the corridor.