Toledo mayor: Hamilton taught me value of hard work, education

Prior to becoming mayor, she served as Toledo City Council president.

“I didn’t set out on a career path to work in City Council,” she told the Journal-News, adding that she started working in Colorado with juveniles in the Upward Bound Program while working toward her master’s degree in Communications Development from Colorado State University. She had previously received her political science and journalism degrees at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga., and received her law degree from the University of Iowa.

“I felt it was important to become well-rounded, and knew that I wanted to travel and explore different parts of the United States,” she said. “Spelman College opened up that door for me … I also knew that I wanted to be a lawyer, and I wanted to make sure I got the best education possible.”

After her years of work toward gaining her educational degrees, Hicks-Hudson moved back to her home state and settled in Toledo, working with the Toledo Legal Aid Society and as an assistant with the Lucas County prosecutor. She moved on to become the Lucas County Board of Elections legislative director in 1998. Then in 2012, she worked in the Ohio Office of Budget and Management in Columbus.

“I moved back to Toledo to work in juvenile court, and stayed a lawyer while also being on City Council,” she said.

Though most of her family has moved out of the city, Hicks-Hudson still comes back to Hamilton to visit those who have stayed, including her older sister Patricia, who said it was “fantastic” to watch her younger sister move from Hamilton to the mayorship of Toledo.

“We grew up on Wallace Street in the Second Ward, which I think is important to highlight to encourage our youth and inspire them,” she said.

Hicks-Hudson credits her family’s work ethic and involvement in city administration as her inspiration for going into civil service.

“Growing up with a combined large family with a father that worked with the city taught me the value of hard work and education,” she said. “My father encouraged his children to pursue higher education, and I did just that.”