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In the wake of the
unexpected death of her predecessor, Mayor D. Michael
Collins, Hicks-Hudson plans to continue pursuing some of the
big projects on which the mayor’s office was focused –
retaining Jeep, assisting ProMedica in their plans to move
downtown and renovate the steam plant and putting in place
the next city budget.
To do so, Hicks-Hudson has
stated that she intends to retain the Collins’ staff and has
no plans to make changes, at least for the immediate future.
“My style – having staffed
elected officials before – is to allow staff to do what they
do, what they are supposed to do and to expect them to do
their jobs,” she said just after she assumed her duties as
the city’s chief executive. She cited the old Ronald Reagan
quote “trust, but verify” to explain how she intends to rely
on a staff whom she considers to be “dedicated, professional
and willing to accommodate me … good public servants.”
Hicks-Hudson is a native
of Hamilton, OH. She earned her bachelor’s degree from
Spelman College and a master’s in communications development
from Colorado State University.
Hicks-Hudson, who earned
her law degree from the University of Iowa, arrived in
Toledo in 1982 to work for the Toledo Legal Aid Society.
After two years with Legal Aid, she spent five years as a
prosecutor with Lucas County.
Among her public service
stints are one as legislative director for Toledo City
Council and, during the Gov. Ted Strickland administration,
four years as chief counsel in the State of Ohio Office of
Budget and Management.
In January 2011, Michael
Ashford, City Councilman for District 4, resigned from
Council in order to take up his duties as a newly elected
state representative. Hicks-Hudson was elected by the
remaining council members to take his place. A long-time
resident of the Old West End, she won election in her own
right later in the year.
In January 2013, her
colleagues elected her president of City Council thereby
placing her in direct line of succession to the mayor’s
office, not that she would ever have anticipated having to
make such a move. Nevertheless, being president of council
has helped prepare her for her new challenge. She spoke
often with the late mayor and had “a cordial relationship”
with him, albeit not always agreeing with him in his
approach to certain issues.
Now, however, Hicks-Hudson
might well find herself in greater agreement with her
predecessor since she has to view local issues “from a
larger level than as a district council person.”
For example, with
ProMedica undertaking a major steam plant renovation,
Councilwoman Hicks-Hudson would have been focused intently
on minority contractors’ inclusion. Mayor Hicks-Hudson will
find herself just as focused on, if not more so, local
inclusion on the project.
At a town hall meeting
months ago in her district, Hicks-Hudson was heard to
proclaim that “District 4 is the best district.” We won’t be
hearing such proclamations from her anytime in the near
future – at least not until November.
As for November, when an
open general election will be held to pick someone to
complete the Collins four-year term, Hicks-Hudson has said
she will make a decision soon whether or not to run. She is
mindful of the fact that should she not run, the city will
have had four mayors in three years, a lack of continuity
that is perhaps not the best formula for moving the city
forward.
Even as she expands her
role in guiding Toledo, there are aspects of her dedication
that will not change. “I have a heart for this city and have
30-plus years in the community working for different
organizations,” she told The Truth more than three years ago
in the run-up to her election as District 4 councilwoman.
“My role is to listen to
constituents and what they want and be a conduit for them to
government.” |
