Charleta B. Tavares
Chair: Health, Housing & Human Services; and Workforce Development Committees
Member: Finance; Public Service and Transportation; Minority and Small Business; Administration; Recreation and Parks; and Zoning Committees
Charleta B. Tavares is a committed public servant who has served as a member of Columbus City Council since 1999. Tavares’ state and national reputation as a leader in the areas of health and human services was instrumental in her appointment to serve as the Chair of the Council’s Health, Housing and Human Services Committee. She also chairs the new Council Committee on Workforce Development. In addition, she serves on the Finance, Development, Public Service and Transportation, Recreation and Parks and Zoning Committees.
Tavares was the chief sponsor of and successfully passed some of the most significant legislation in recent history in the areas of health, housing and human services including:
- The Clean Indoor Air Act
- The Housing Preservation Fund
- Living Donor Paid Leave Program
- Emergency Human Services Capital Fund
- Columbus Foreclosure Resolution
- Columbus/Franklin County Affordable Housing Trust
- Columbus Legislative Internship Program (CLIP)
- The Columbus Youth Safety Helmet Law
Prior to joining Council, Tavares left a legacy for the citizens of Ohio during her 5 ½ year tenure in the Ohio General Assembly as the State Representative in the 22nd House District. Tavares was the first African-American female to serve in the state legislature from Franklin County and the first African-American woman ever to hold a leadership position in the Ohio General Assembly.
Tavares currently serves as Executive Director of Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competence (MACC), a statewide non-profit membership organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of care in Ohio’s behavioral healthcare system and to incorporate cultural competence into systems and organizations that provide care to Ohio’s vulnerable and at risk populations.
Tavares formerly served as the Chief of the Children’s Protection Section in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. In this position, she played a leadership role in developing and advocating for policy and legislative initiatives to protect the health, safety, education and security of Ohio’s children. She also served four years as Associate Director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio and as a Legislative Assistant and chief staff person to the Human Resources Subcommittee of the Ohio House Finance-Appropriations Committee.
Boards:
National: Former Board Member, National League of Cities Board of Directors (NLC); NLC Advisory Council (Vice Chair); National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials,NBC-LEO-(2nd Vice President); Immediate Past Chair of The NLC Human Development Steering Committee; WAND Education Fund (Board Chair); State: The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (President); Local: Columbus Compact, Franklin County Family and Children First Council; Access Health Columbus; Community Research Partners (Immediate Past Chair) and Columbus/Franklin County Housing Advisory Board (Vice-Chair).
Memberships:
Corporate Sisters; Ohio Business and Professional Women’s Organization; The Ohio Municipal League; Hispanic Elected Local officials (HELO-NLC); Women in Municipal Government (WIMG-NLC)
Previous Boards:
Central Community House (President); Metropolitan Human Services Commission (Secretary); Ohio Commission on Minority Health. (Commissioner); The National Black Caucus of State Legislators; National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women; and Women in Government (Director)
She has received more than 200 national and state honors and awards including the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill’s Legislative Leadership Award for her work in drug, alcohol and mental health parity legislation, Ohio Hispanic Coalition Award, Ohio Tobacco Control, Central Ohio Breathing Association, Friends of the Homeless Leadership Award, NASW-Ohio Chapter Legislator of the Year Award, Metropolitan Area Church Council’s Living Faith Award, Southeast Mental Health’s Public Official of the Year. Most recently, she received the Columbus Education Association’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award and the City Year MLK Day Dreamer Award. In addition, she was named a 2001 YWCA Woman of Achievement and was selected as one of 35- 1996 Flemming Fellows, a member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders and the Darden Institute’s Executive Leadership Program.
Tavares is a founding member and former Vice President of the Columbus Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. She serves on the Executive Committees of the Franklin County and Ohio Democratic Party and served as a member of the 1988 Platform Committee and attended or served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from 1984-2008.
Tavares is a graduate of Eastmoor High School and attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and Ohio State University.
CONSOLIDATED PLAN
On October 21, 2009, Councilmember Charleta B. Tavares held a public hearing to discuss the 2010 Consolidated Plan budget. The Consolidated Plan and the related Action Plan combine into a single submission the planning and application aspects of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs. The plan represents a continuing commitment to provide quality housing and expanded economic opportunities to the community. Please contact (614) 645-8580 with comments.
COLUMBUS AND FRANKLIN COUNTY FORECLOSURE WORKING GROUP
Emergency Shelter Contacts
EMERGENCY HUMAN SERVICES FUNDS (ESF) & EMERGENCY HUMAN SERIVCES CAPITAL FUNDS (ESCF)
In 1985, City Council created the Emergency Human Services Fund (ESF), allocating a portion of the City’s bed tax to address one-time emergencies and unforeseen circumstances in non-profit human service agencies that lacked adequate financial resources of their own. Council wanted to ensure that agency clients continued to receive critical life services. In 2007, this funding source generated about $1.2 million for this important purpose.
To refine the ESF, Councilmember Charleta Tavares sponsored and successfully passed Ordinance No. 0153-00 in January 2000 to create the Emergency Human Services Capital Fund (ESCF). This fund sets aside $300,000 annually to assist social service agencies emergency capital needs.
Download ESF & ESCF Guidelines Brochure
VOICE OF OHIO VETERANS AND FAMILIES SURVEY
The Ohio Department of Mental Health along with the Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competence (MACC) is asking for your input on how the State of Ohio can better provide mental health services to active and retired members of the military and their families. This information, along with a series of regional focus groups, will be used to compile a statewide needs assessment report to assist the mental health service providers in our state to better meet the needs of veterans and their families. Click HERE to see the updated focus group schedule.
Many of you have personally witnessed or experienced issues such as depression, post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), sleep disorder and other challenges after you or a loved one’s military service. We are interested in learning how mental health providers in Ohio have responded to your unique needs and perspectives as a veteran or family member
The survey is anonymous and available online until November 18, 2009. If you are interested in receiving hard copies to take to your meetings or to have completed by veterans or family members at your organization, please contact our consultants at the information below. Click HERE to Take Our Survey (Online) or cut and paste: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=FrKsOVzXj6aaJQeM49aGBA_3d_3d
For survey questions contact Quentin Taylor, Project Associate, RAMA Consulting, Inc. (614) 245-0451. Thank you for your service and sacrifice to our nation.