Hamilton County, Ohio – Denise Driehaus has been elected by her colleagues to serve as the President of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners for 2025. The commissioners select a president annually during their organizational meeting. The president's responsibilities include chairing commission meetings, organizing weekly staff meetings, and acting as the lead spokesperson at community and media events.
The Hamilton County Commissioners manage a $1.3 billion budget that covers areas such as economic development, social services, environmental protection, and public safety. Driehaus joined the Board of County Commissioners in 2016 and has initiated projects like the Commission on Women and Girls and the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition. She is also known for supporting environmental initiatives such as bike trails across the county and policies related to recycling, solid waste, and stormwater.
Driehaus advocates for civil discourse and serves on various boards including the Portman Center for Policy Solutions. She holds leadership roles nationally and statewide as Vice Chair of the National Democratic County Officials, Vice President of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, a facilitator for the National Institute for Civil Discourse, and a Board Member of the Community Learning Center Institute.
She takes over from Commissioner Alicia Reece who served as president for two years. Reece led initiatives like “One Hamilton County,” created Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, launched 513Relief Bus which assisted over 30,000 residents across multiple locations, established an Office of Small Business along with Small Business Day and Pitch Night events.
Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas was designated as Vice President during Thursday's organization meeting on January 9th. She created initiatives like INSPIRE to support grassroots organizations benefiting over 23,000 youth in Hamilton County. Summerow Dumas also founded Beyond Your Imagination for foster youth experiences and advocated relocating Cincinnati Police Department’s Gun Range away from certain neighborhoods.
The Board meets regularly in Commission Chambers located at Todd B. Portune Center for County Government in Cincinnati. Public participation is encouraged either in person or virtually during scheduled meetings held on Thursdays which are available online through various platforms or televised by local cable channels.