1. Background and Education
    Early Life  Education  Family Life 

2. Political career
    Cincinnati City Council (2003-2005)  President of the Cincinnati NAACP (2007-2014)  Hamilton County Jail Tax  Red Light Cameras  Cincinnati City Council (2011-Present)  Vice Mayor of Cincinnati (2018-Present) 

3. References

Background and Education

Early Life

Christopher E.C. Smitherman was born on July 16, 1967, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father Dr. Herbert Smitherman, was a chemist and the first African-American with a PhD hired at Procter & Gamble (P&G). His mother Mrs. Barbara Smitherman, was a teacher and administrator at Cincinnati Public Schools.^[4] Smitherman has five siblings - one sister and four brothers.^[5]

Education

Raised Catholic, Smitherman attended St. Mark Elementary for primary school. Smitherman then became a product of Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), attending the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating, Smitherman attended The Ohio State University (OSU) where he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. After completing his undergraduate program, Smitherman moved to Bowling Green, Ohio to attend Bowling Green State University (BGSU) where he obtained a master's degree in counseling. It was at BGSU that Smitherman met his wife, Pamela. Throughout his time in college, Smitherman worked as a resident advisor (RA) and, in 1990, Christopher accepted full-time employment as a Hall Manager at BGSU. While studying for his master's, Smitherman began hosting a workshop called "Let's Talk About Race."^[6]

Family Life

Pamela M.T. and Christopher E.C. Smitherman married in 1990 and, in 1997, returned to Cincinnati and settled in the neighborhood of North Avondale where they raised five children - all products of Cincinnati Public Schools. Smitherman is a small business owner, operating his own financial planning practice. In 2009, Smitherman purchased the old Bond Hill Library and relocated his financial planning office to the building located in Bond Hill, Cincinnati.^[7] As a financial planner, Smitherman focuses on helping his clients gain wealth through systematic savings, life insurance, and estate planning. ^[8]

On January 15, 2019, Christopher's wife, Pamela M.T. Smitherman, died after a two year battle with breast cancer and an autoimmune disease.^[9] Pamela Smitherman was an educator at Cincinnati Public Schools and left behind her husband and five children. ^[10]

Political career

Cincinnati City Council (2003-2005)

Christopher E.C. Smitherman was elected to Cincinnati City Council on November 4, 2003 as a member of the Charter Committee. Smitherman ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility, racial reconciliation, improved community-police relations, and improved transportation and employment opportunities. During his first term on council, Smitherman served as the Vice-Chair of the Arts & Culture Committee. He also served on the Law and Public Safety Committee, Neighborhood and Public Services Committee, the Community Development Committee, and the Education & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.^[11] During his term, Smitherman focused on neighborhood improvements including authoring a motion to allow part of drug-related dollars seized by police to be returned to the affected community. He introduced motions to pioneer regional economic cooperation via Joint Economic Development Districts (JEDD) and Cooperative Economic Development Agreements (CEDA). Smitherman worked to firm up the City's working capital fund and also played a leading role in ending Fire Department brownouts. ^[12] Smitherman did not win reelection in 2005.^[13]

Organizations

• Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, a labor union representing teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel and others in the Cincinnati public school system.^[14]
• Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union Local 48, Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union^[15]
• Laborers' Local 265, The International Hod Carriers’ and Building Laborers’ Union of North America, Laborers’ International Union of North America^[16]
• Sierra Club, Miami Group ^[17]
• AFL-CIO, (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is the largest federation of unions in the United States.^[18]
• AFSCME, (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States.^[19]
• Charter Committee ^[20]}}

President of the Cincinnati NAACP (2007-2014)

On March 27, 2007, Christopher E.C. Smitherman was elected President of the Cincinnati Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) after a highly contested election with incumbent Edith Thrower.^[21] During his term the chapter's membership increased 600% from 500 to 3,000 members and the chapter's debt was eliminated.^[22] In June 2013, Christopher Smitherman temporarily stepped down as President during his reelection campaign for Cincinnati City Council. James Clingman, a vice president of the NAACP and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African-American Chamber of Commerce, served as interim President.^[23] Smitherman won reelection to council in November of 2013 and tendered his resignation as President of the Cincinnati NAACP effective January 1, 2014.^[24]

During Smitherman's time as President, the Cincinnati NAACP co-authored and co-sponsored five ballot initiatives, three of which were successful. Those initiatives that passed included defeating a county jail tax, stopping red-light cameras, and allowing voters to ratify the sale of Greater Cincinnati Water Works. Smitherman fell short in his attempt to institute proportional representation on city council and to pass Issue 9, the anti-street car rail initiative.^[25] In order to place these initiatives on the ballot, Smitherman helped collect more than 100,000 signatures.

Hamilton County Jail Tax

In 2007, the Cincinnati NAACP partnered with various bipartisan activist groups throughout Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio to oppose a proposed tax increase to fund a massive jail development in Cincinnati. The sales tax increase included a 0.5 percent for eight years and 0.25 percent for an additional seven years. The tax would pay for a $198 million, 1,800 bed adult detention facility, $11 million juvenile detention facility expansion of 50 beds, a $2 million Hamilton County Justice Center remodeling and other programs that altogether totaled $736 million over 15 years.^[26] In order to place this initiative on the November ballot, 28,750 signatures were needed. The Hamilton County Board of Elections confirmed 38,961 valid signatures were obtained.^[27] On November 6, 2007, Hamilton County voters of rejected the sales tax increase by more than a 12% margin.^[28]

Red Light Cameras

In 2008, the Cincinnati NAACP, along with other activist groups, collected over 10,000 signatures to put the use of red light cameras to the voters.^[29] The ballot initiative would allow the voters to decide on an amendment to the city charter prohibiting local officials from ever installing either red light cameras or speed cameras.^[30]

Cincinnati City Council (2011-Present)

On November 8, 2011, Smitherman was elected for a second time to Cincinnati City Council after receiving 23,760 votes in the at-large general election.^[31] Smitherman ran as a nonpartisan politician. Smitherman was sworn in for a two year term on December 1, 2011 and has subsequently won reelection in 2013 with 23,585 votes^[32] and again in 2017 with 27,149 votes ^[33]. Smitherman is term limited and will conclude his term in January 2021.

Vice Mayor of Cincinnati (2018-Present)

Smitherman was reelected to Cincinnati City Council on November 7, 2017. Following the election, on December 13, 2017, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley appointed Christopher Smitherman to serve as the Vice Mayor of Cincinnati - replacing former Vice Mayor David S. Mann.^[34] Smitherman took the oath of Vice Mayor on January 2, 2018 during the City Council and Mayoral inaugural ceremony. The role of the Vice Mayor is to act and preside over City Council in the absence of the Mayor. Smitherman's term as Vice Mayor will end in January 2021.

References

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