TALLMADGE, Ohio — For more than 200 years, the faces of leadership — represented in photos lining the walls of City Hall in Tallmadge — have looked remarkably similar. But with the new year comes some big changes.
That's because starting in 2024, for the first time in its 217-year history, all three branches of Tallmadge's government are now run by women.
"I think it is important that there is female leadership, because it's half the population that's voice needs to be heard," Law Director Megan Raber said. "That perspective needs to be there."
Raber, now in her fourth term, is joined by Finance Director Mollie Gilbride, who happens to also lead an all-female staff.
Both women say their own female predecessors were instrumental in their success. Gilbride was brought in as an assistant by the city’s first female Finance Director Jill Stritch, and is now serving her third term in the top role.
"To watch her lead and to have her include me in that leadership early on when I came here was very important," Gilbride reflected. "That's always helpful to just give you that person to say, 'You know what? Somebody else did it. I can do it, too.'"
"It certainly doesn't hurt to know that someone that is a female is taking that leadership role and out there leading way," Raber added.
Paving the way herself is the city's new mayor, Carol Siciliano-Kilway. Elected in November, she was sworn in as the city's 18th chief executive this month, the first woman in the role. It’s an honor she says she doesn’t take for granted.
"Walking into City Hall that first day, it was really quite surreal," she said.
Surreal, but not out of reach. Born and raised in Tallmadge, Siciliano-Kilway was controller in her family's business, Circle Mold & Machine Inc. She then served on City Council for 12 years as a ward councilwoman, at-large councilwoman, and eventually, council president.
"The running for City Council, the running for mayor, all of that, it never even occurred to me that I couldn't do this job because I'm a female," she said. "I can do this job because I'm the most qualified candidate for it."
But the ladies in leadership in Tallmadge are not the only ones affecting change in Northeast Ohio. Over in Lakewood, women are also leading the way.
"Our chamber of commerce is led by women," Mayor Meghan George, who was elected to her second term in November, explained. "The majority of our school board are women, so that's just wonderful to see throughout our community."
And that extends to Lakewood's city government, because for the very first time, the mayor, City Council president, and Lakewood Municipal Court Judge are all women. That makes Lakewood the largest female-led city in the state, according to Council President Sarah Kepple.
"Judge Tess Neff was the first female judge, and Mayor George is only our second female mayor," Kepple said of the milestone. "And it turns out I'm only the third female president of Council."
"The court was established in 1928, and there has never been a female judge," Judge Neff noted. "It kind of hit me a little bit. I felt really proud and honored that I was elected to the position and I feel honored to be serving with these two women leaders."
Together, these women are showing future generations what's possible.
"It's really heartwarming when I see children in the schools," Neff said. "I, too, will go and they just kind of give you a double look like, 'What? You are the judge?' And it makes me smile."
"I see the twinkle in their eyes," George added, "and hopefully I can inspire more young women to go into this career."
The way George says her late father, former Lakewood Mayor Thomas George, inspired her.
"I'm really proud to be in the office that he once sat in. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple weeks before I was elected to City Council, but he'd be really proud," George said. "[I keep a photo of] him looking over my desk, watching me, making sure I'm doing the good work that we do here every day."
It all comes back to the old saying: "If you can see it, you can be it." Kepple says she took that to heart.
"Part of the reason that I was first called to serve on City Council was to make sure that women [were] represented," she remarked, "and I think all three of us, at one point, were the only woman serving on City Council."
These women are all proving through the power of representation that ladies certainly belong in leadership.
"We're setting this example throughout the state," Kepple said. "We can show other municipalities that it can be done and that it's normal and should just be the expectation that women could be leading."