Stephanie Howse

Stephanie Howse is a caregiver, mentor and public servant, presently serving as Ward 7 Councilwoman in Cleveland City Council. Her journey in civic engagement spans over 30 years, beginning as a campaign street team member helping her mom, the Honorable Annie L. Key, pass out flyers to help candidates get elected. Through the years, she has grown to understand the interconnections between the laws created and the social, economic and physical environments community members face in working toward breaking generational poverty. Prior to joining Cleveland City Council, Stephanie served as an Ohio State Representative, Educator, Consultant and Engineer. Her range of lived experiences keeps her grounded in the realities of everyday people and motivates her to use her public platform to share uncomfortable truths and engage in uncomfortable conversations to move our community forward for the benefit of all and not just a select few.

Stephanie earned her B.S. in Civil (Environmental) Engineering from Florida A&M University and her M.A. in Environmental Studies from Cleveland State University. Go Rattlers, Go Vikings! A few of her notable honors and recognitions: 2020 Trainer – Progressive Governance Academy, 2019 Honorary Chair – Cleveland Walk to End Alzheimer’s; 2017 Fellow - Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (Council of State Governments); 2016 Youth Voice Awards Civic Leader Recipient – MyCom.

Today, Stephanie uses her voice to advance racial and environmental justice, close the gender pay gap and create spaces where community members can be heard and valued. Beyond her civic responsibilities, Stephanie enjoys cooking new recipes, traveling, watching Netflix, singing/rapping karaoke and is an ever-enduring Cleveland Browns fan.