Delores L. Gray Ward 5

A Central Neighborhood resident, she has been active on boards and initiatives aimed at improving the neighborhood. She has been a community engagement coordinator for the last five years for Care Alliance, a federally qualified health clinic that expanded its services a few years ago to a new center offering medical and dental services in the Central Neighborhood.

Until her appointment, Councilwoman Gray served on the board of Burten, Bell, Carr Community Development Corp., the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners and its Progressive Action Council, which works closely with CMHA to address quality of life issues for residents.

The PAC works closely and collaborates with CMHA Administration, providing the residents’ perspective on new opportunities and modifications to existing procedures, including the Agency’s Annual Plan and Capital Fund programs. She was the Local Advisory Council (LAC) president at the CMHA Cedar High Rise, where she lives but will soon be moving, and as a precinct representative in Ward 5. 

She is also a former Community Board member for Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and a former member of the board of governors for The Friendly Inn, a community settlement organization that for 145 years has offered services and programs for children and families.

She will continue on the advisory committee with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland’s work on right to counsel. Council passed legislation last year to ensure free legal services to residents facing eviction. She was active in the foundation’s work in the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood, a collective network of residents, organizations and educators focused on improving health and education outcomes for families and children in Central. 

While born in Saginaw, Michigan her family moved to Cleveland when she was a child. She has one son, has three granddaughters and a great grandson. Her goal is to finish her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on small businesses.