Michelle M. Mills
(Chair: Public Safety & Judiciary Committee)
Committee Member of: Health & Human Services; Workforce Development; Recreation & Parks; and Rules & Reference.
Appointed in January 2011 and elected in November 2011, Michelle M. Mills is a member of Columbus City Council. As Chair of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee, Mills has championed protecting Columbus’ safety officers by making sure that they have up-to-date protective gear, equipment, and vehicles. She is actively working to ensure that the Columbus Division of Police has the necessary tools at its disposal to reduce crime, keeping our streets and homes safe. In further support of safety officers, public employees, and unions alike, Mills was a staunch and strong voice against S.B. 5 and Issue 2.
At Council, Mills has supported legislation to enhance penalties against repeat trespassers. She has sponsored legislation for the implementation and expansion of the Neighborhood Safety Camera Program, which has led to multiple arrests. She has advocated for consumer protection at the gas pump and is looking forward to launching a fuel quality testing pilot program this year. Additionally, she has taken a stand against the proliferation of unregulated adult gaming parlors by instituting a moratorium. Mills has also worked to fight scrap metal theft at both the local and state levels. She successfully advocated on behalf of residents and businesses for the adoption of a uniform statewide tracking and reporting system. This legislation, Senate Bill 193, was passed in June 2012. Finally, she is happy to support the Franklin County Municipal Court’s specialty dockets, including the new Military and Veteran Service court.
In addition to her work on Columbus City Council, Councilmember Mills is President/CEO of one of the most diverse and impactful social service agencies in Columbus, nationally accredited St. Stephen’s Community House. In that position, she guides an organization with a multi-million dollar budget and uses her professional experience as a launching point to help improve the lives of Columbus residents, by promoting healthy families and safe neighborhoods.
Mills holds an array of leadership positions at the local, state, national and international levels. In February 2009, Dr. Alvin Jackson asked her to serve on Governor Strickland’s Infant Mortality Reduction Task Force. In June of 2011, she was asked by Director Mike Smeltzer to serve of the Leadership Team for a project to reduce chronic disease morbidity and mortality in Franklin County by addressing the social determinants of health. Mills is also the board treasurer of the International Federation of Settlements and a current board member the United Neighborhood Centers of America.
Mills has earned numerous awards and recognitions for her outstanding, extensive career in the human services sector. In 2010 alone, she received the Columbus Education Association’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award, the Smart Business 2010 Smart Leader Award, and The Medical Mutual 2010 Pillar Award for Community Service--Executive Director of Year. She was featured on the cover of the 2010 central Ohio edition of The Women’s Book. Recently, she was selected by the Women for Economic and Leadership Development as a 2013“Twelve Women You Should Know” honoree.
Mills earned her Master’s degree at Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Science and her Bachelor of Arts at Cleveland State University. In 2010 she participated in the Partnership’s Next Generation Executive program in affiliation with the Harvard University Business School. Mills is a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Ohio.