 Leslie Ghiz was elected to her first term on Cincinnati City Council on November 8, 2005 and was sworn in on December 1.
Leslie was raised in Huntington, West Virginia, directly across the Ohio River from Chesapeake, Ohio. Her love for the City of Cincinnati stems back to her childhood in West Virginia, when, as a child, Leslie's family would travel to Cincinnati for long weekends in the summer, attending Reds games and frequenting Kings Island. The excitement she felt as a child has never subsided. In a town that offered her everything from the arts to a world-class zoo, Leslie was always certain Cincinnati would become her home.
Her career in private practice started at the firm Peck, Shaffer & Williams LLP, then with Thompson Hine LLP. While at Thompson Hine, she was solicited by the City's Human Resources Department to become the Chief Labor Negotiator for the City. This was an opportunity she could not turn down. After two years of learning the ins and outs of the City Administration, Leslie decided to run for Cincinnati City Council.
Outside of her professional career, Leslie has had a rich history of service to her community. Her involvement includes: being a tutor in the Cincinnati Public Schools, first at Washington Park Elementary, then McKinley Elementary; a former Board Member for Youth Opportunities United; a development committee member for Women Helping Women; a Sunday School Teacher for Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church; a volunteer/donor for Pro-Kids, a volunteer for Dress for Success Cincinnati, the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, Hoxworth Blood Center as a blood/bone-marrow/stem cell donor, a volunteer for the May Festival, the Cincinnati Jaycees, and Ensemble Theatre.
Leslie's top priority as City Councilmember is working with the police department to reduce the crime rate in Cincinnati. During her term, Leslie was able to fight for the increase of some $10 million to the public safety budget including funding for hiring 60 police officers, increasing police walking patrols and funding neighborhood crime cameras. The result is that the City has experienced a downtrend in violent crime. Leslie is committed to continuing that progress in her second term.
Leslie attended West Virginia University, where she received a bachelor's degree in English. She earned her jurist doctorate from Capital University (Columbus, Ohio) in 1994. Leslie currently is in private law practice and resides in North Avondale.
Visit Leslie Ghiz's Web site at www.leslieghiz.com |
