About RTA: Organization
Board of Trustees: Valarie J. McCall

Valarie J. McCall, Chief of Government Affairs for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, was appointed to the RTA Board of Trustees in July 2006.

Ms. McCall serves as the Administration’s primary liaison to the state government and federal government, and monitors mayoral appointments to internal and external boards and commissions. She also serves as the Mayor’s primary representative to the:

• U.S. Conference of Mayors
• National Conference of Black Mayors
• National League of Cities
• National Black Caucus of Local and Elected Officials
• Ohio Municipal League
• Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency
• Cuyahoga County Mayor’s and Managers Association

Ms. McCall also serves as the Vice-Chair of the National League of Cities, City Futures Panel on Equity and Opportunity.

Previously, Ms. McCall served as Cleveland City Council’s youngest City Clerk, Clerk of Council in the City’s history. Sworn in to the office in May 2002, she streamlined the processing of legislation, installed an effective management team and reorganized the day-to-day operations of the office to maximize efficiency.

As Clerk of Council, Ms. McCall was the chief administrative officer for the 21-member Cleveland City Council, and supervised a staff of 41.

Prior to becoming the Clerk of Council, Ms. McCall served as the City of Cleveland’s Director of the Empowerment Zone, where she was responsible for a $200 million budget. She supervised the distribution of funds for job training and placement programs, as well as direct lending programs that assisted businesses in four targeted neighborhoods.

She serves on a number of Boards, including:

• Look Up To Cleveland
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
• Greater Cleveland Visitors & Convention Bureau
• Downtown Cleveland Improvement District
• Advisory board of Cleveland State University's Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice

A member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2007, Ms. McCall traveled to Japan with the American Council of Young Political Leaders. The experience expanded her knowledge of international relations and allowed her to compare the policies, strategies and day-to-day operations of Japanese and American local governments.

In 2003, she became an American Marshall Fellow of the German Marshall Fund, which fosters transatlantic partnerships to build international relations. Ms. McCall traveled to several European counties, including Greece before the 2004 Olympic Games. She gained knowledge of Europe’s regional social and economic issues through this experience, which she has been able to incorporate into the ways she assists Clevelanders in achieving their goals.

She has received numerous honors:

• Cleveland State University’s 2003 Alumni Emerging Leadership Award
• Ebony Magazine, 2002-2003 Young Leader of the Future
• Crain's Cleveland Business' 40 under 40
• Kaleidoscope Magazine's 40/40 Club in 2002

A native Clevelander, Ms. McCall graduated from Martin Luther King Law & Public Services Magnet High School. She has a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's degree in public administration, both from Cleveland State University.

Direct phone calls and e-mail to:
Board Secretary
216-566-5221, RTABoard@gcrta.org

Updated 7/20/06

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