Stephanie McCloud
Director, Ohio Department of Health
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.
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.
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.