Office of Human Services
As Director, Deanna leads the office of Human Services; coordinates operations related to the City's human services fund and leveraged support; implements programming related to violence prevention, eviction, and homelessness prevention; and is the central point of contact for both internal and external human services stakeholders.
Deanna previously worked for 18 years at the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, where she staffed the medical-legal partnership with Cincinnati Children's Pediatric Primary Care (PPC) Center. At the Legal Aid Society, she worked face-to-face with families on legal issues impacting their children's health and coordinated a coalition of community partners tasked with enrolling people in Ohio Medicaid and connecting people with medical homes. Her areas of expertise include public benefits (including food assistance and Medicaid) and housing issues (including rent assistance, eviction prevention, and addressing poor living conditions).
Prior to joining the Legal Aid Society, Deanna worked at Cincinnati Works from the organization's inception, ultimately becoming Director of Employment Support. She began her career at Hamilton County Pretrial Services, where she focused on drug courts and first-time offender diversion.
Deanna is a 2018 UHCAN Ohio Lend your Voice - Health Care for All Honoree, a recipient of the 2014 HealthSource of Ohio Community Health Award, and a 2009 Cincinnati Business Courier Health Care Heroes finalist for Community Outreach.
A lifelong Cincinnatian, Deanna attended McAuley High School and earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. She lives in Westwood with her fiancé, and enjoys live music, her book club, and visiting local breweries and restaurants with her fiancé Kelly.
