Davida Russell Contribution
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Cleveland Height Council Vice President Davida Russell and Labor Leader is the State President of the Coalition of labor Union Women, a Vice President of the Ohio AFL-CIO, APSE/AFSCME Local 4/AFL-CIO, Northeast Ohio President and State Executive Board Member, Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, Executive Board Member Cleveland North Shore Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, in these positions, Davida represents more than 180,000 members across Ohio and 10,000 just in Northeast Ohio. She is a Commission Member of the Cuyahoga County Charter Review Commission, Executive Board Member of the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland. In 2021 Davida was re-elected to her second term as Cleveland Heights City Councilwoman as the top vote getter of all Cleveland Heights candidates representing over 44,000 residents. Davida serves as the Labor Chair for the Ohio NAACP and the Greater Cleveland Chapter NAACP.
For 20 consecutive years Davida served as president and administrator of OAPSE/AFSCME Local 744, until her retirement 2013. Davida also served as State Vice President of OAPSE Local 4 as the First African American woman to hold a top leadership position in her union which she held for over 10 years until her resignation in 2015 to focus more of her time in Northeast Ohio.
She was appointed by Governor, Ted Strickland to the Ohio Board of Commission of MR/DD to serve on the Futures Study Committee. Davida served as the Vice Chair of the first historic Cuyahoga County Charter Review Commission. And served as a commission member on the second Cuyahoga County Charter Review Commission.
Davida served nationally on President Clinton’s Women’s Round Table of Greater Cleveland, Worked on Biden- Harris transition committee with a focus on housing, urban development and education. She has represented public employees in Sao Paulo Brazil where she received an award from the Ambassador of Italy.
Well known for her dedication to working people and her community, she has been in the forefront of organizing, educating, training, increasing political awareness among workers, campaigning for pro-labor politicians and issues and operating and managing and CEO of the largest canvassing operation in the state of Ohio since 2002.
Since elected in 2019 to her position on Cleveland Heights City Council, Councilwoman Davida Russell has created her own community engagement form called “You Talk I listen” To engage the community in Cleveland Heights to find out their issues and concerns. She’s created legislation earmarking 4 million dollars from the APRA Funds to Cleveland Heights distressed areas and one million to help the businesses in Cleveland Heights thrive again after Covid.
She created legislation around the Crown Act stating that African Americans should not be discriminated against their hairstyles in the workplace. Her along with two other council members created legislation declaring racism a health crisis and went even further by creating a racial justice task force for Cleveland Heights to investigate any systemic racism in the city. She created legislation to permit residents to walk their dogs on a leash in all of Cleveland Heights Parks.
Davida created A resolution on behalf of the residents of Cleveland Heights for a 311-call center/Mayors action center. Which she called the People’s resolution. A centralized resource system to report needs and obtain services for numerous activities and services in the city, to deal with noise complaints, needed street repairs, graffiti removal, abandoned trash, illegal parking, code enforcement/neglected and distressed properties, how to obtain a permit. This resolution was not supported by 4 members of council and removed from the agenda.
Davida created legislation for the Pro Act which would give unions and employers the freedom to negotiate fair share contracts and agreements. Councilwoman Russell urged for immediate infill housing development in the Noble/Caledonia Taylor community with 23 new homes to be built. She has connected the Biden campaign to local black businesses owners in the Noble Taylor area bringing attention to their talent and the area as a whole. She challenged the Cleveland Heights residents to fill out and complete the 2020 census and helped create temporary jobs for the residents. Councilwoman Russell continues to engage the residence with her “You Talk I Listen” forms. She hosts tenant landlord forms quarterly to help tenants and landlord knows and understand their rights with Cleveland Heights Judge J.J Costello.
She has partnerships with banks and financial lending institutions to hosts quarterly pathway to home ownership housing programs to create generational wealth for the community and to open the welcome door to invite potential home buyers to think about becoming as stakeholder in Cleveland Heights. Councilwoman Russell has partnered with the hospital, Cleveland Heights Libraries, Cleveland Heights Churches and Rabbi to bring free first aid in CPR Courses to every resident in Cleveland Heights at no cost! Councilwoman Russell and the Cleveland Heights Staff in 2021 built a new disability playground for children at Cleveland Height Forest Hill Park and was responsible for the new playground at Dennison Park along with the development of a splash pad for the children north of Mayfield to enjoy for the summer, to be built in 2024. Vice President Russell have created legislation for the city of Cleveland Heights to fund the payment of lifeguards at Cleveland Heights University Heights School Pool. This legislation was passed 4 the 3. Vice President Russell has also posed legislation to create a Cleveland Heights Canine Recreation Park, and a live in wage ordinance, to ensure Cleveland Heights city employees earn a living wage which is still working on.
Councilwoman and Council Vice President Davida Russell and labor leader continues to organize, educate, train, increasing political awareness among workers and in her community, campaigning for pro-labor politicians and issues and operating and manages the largest canvassing operation in the state of Ohio as the CEO of her non-profit “Ohio Alliance for Community Education” (Ohio ACE).
Councilwoman Russell, Davida been entered into numerous editions of Who’s Who including the 2023 edition as One of The Most Influential Black Women in Cleveland Celebrating African American Achievement. Not only that She has also been a co-host on a local television show. She has written, produced, and directed a union play, Davida is a published author and has even been featured in union sponsored radio commercials. She is a graduate of Cleveland State Labor-Management Relations Center Program a graduate of Leadership Cleveland, and a graduated from the George Meany National Labor College with a double major Bachelor’s in Labor Studies and in Union Leadership and Administration. Maintain
Davida is a proud Labor Leader, Cleveland Height City Council woman, School Bus Driver, Substitute Teacher, CEO, a wife of 46 yrs. proud mother of two daughters Domonique and Brittany a grandmother to 3 Dionna, Reuben and Clenson
