A passionate servant leader who understands the power of the people, Veronica Sims has dedicated her career to the transformative power of empowering others with the tools needed to effect the changes that they desire to see in the communities in which they live, work, play, and educate.
Elected to Summit County Council in 2020, Councilwoman Sims has the unique distinction of being the first elected official in Summit County to serve on the Akron Public School Board, the Akron City Council and Summit County Council.
A lifelong resident of Akron, and a proud product of Akron Public Schools, Veronica earned her Masters of Public Administration and Bachelors in Criminal Justice/Political Science from the University of Akron. She has held a variety of leadership positions over her storied professional career including: Executive Director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus; Director of Outreach and Community Development for Community Action Akron Summit; Regional Facility Manager for Adult Services for Summit County Developmental Disabilities Board and today in addition to serving as the District 5 Representative on Summit County Council, Veronica leads the community outreach/partnership effort at Stewart & Calhoun Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
Councilwoman Sims has a deep love and is a fierce advocate for creating more relevant and equitable access that provides healthful food to all communities – especially marginalized neighborhoods where being a part of a food desert has become commonplace. She often reminds that she was always moved by the change one person could affect by simply putting their hand to the proverbial plow and having the unmitigated audacity to believe change was possible. During her work with Community Action, Veronica initiated: Talks in the Garden; Employment Training and soft skills development programs; Voter Education promotions; Dialogues on Poverty; Growing Hope Food Summits and a “Yes We Can” Canning Initiative.
As a legislator, Councilwoman Sims worked to help devise the City of Akron’s Body Worn Camera Policy; championed the violence interruption plan to help address youth violence – especially gun violence; championed legislation to ensure that tasers were standard issuance for APD officers and introduced legislation to ensure that infant changing tables were installed in men’s restrooms in all City parks and recreation centers as an additional safety protocol in the continued work to reduce infant mortality. With County Council, Veronica has introduced legislation declaring racism a public health crisis, supported the earmarking of resources during the pandemic to support struggling small businesses, and support struggling families with basic needs such as rent, mortgage and utility assistance and co-sponsored legislation to make Juneteenth a paid holiday.
Councilwoman Sims’ legislative, community, and advocacy work has earned her many recognitions of honor – 2021 Elected Official of the Year (National Association of Social Worker – Ohio Region 2), 2021 Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award in Government, 2021 Liam Murray Local Food Hero Award (Summit County Food Leadership Coalition), and the 2020 Community Building Award (Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Commemorative Commission) to name a few. Veronica has served as Chair of Planning and Economic Development, Vice Chair of Health and Human Services and Member of the Public Safety and Finance Committees on County Council. She is also Co-Chair of the Racism as a Public Health Crisis Special Review Committee. When her colleagues on County Council selected her to serve as Vice President in 2022 and President in 2023, she became the first African American female member to ever hold those leadership positions. Councilwoman Sims also serves on numerous boards and committees including:
- Summit County Land Bank
- Sojourner Truth Monument Project
- Adult Guardian Service of Summit County
- Summit County Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Summit County Criminal Justice Advisory Board
- Ashland University Women in Leadership Advisory Board
- Summit Lake Community Development Corporation
- Summit County Racism A Public Health Crisis Special Review Committee, Co-Chair
- Let’s Move Summit County, Chair
Veronica and her husband Quintin are the proud parents of Qyra, a 2022 graduate of the University of Akron.
