Donna Owens' story
Born on August 24, 1936, Donna Owens was raised in Toledo, Ohio, where she made history in 1983 as the city’s first woman mayor. While politics was not a career to which she aspired, Owens became actively involved in issues pertaining to her children’s school. She eventually ran for school board and rose to become Mayor of Toledo. Owens also made history as the first woman to serve as Chair of the State Employment Relations Board.
Owens was active in a wide variety of organizations at DeVilbiss High School including the Christian Youth Club, Charlemos Spanish Club, and Deviltries. She was also the student representative to the Parent Teacher Association. After graduating in 1954, Owens married and began working at Art Iron and Wire Works in Toledo. When her boss indicated she could earn more if she knew shorthand, Owens enrolled at Stautzenberger Business College.
During this time Owens and her husband began raising their three children. When they moved to a new neighborhood, the condition of the local school concerned Owens. Encouraged by a teacher, Owens attended a meeting of the Mothers Club and was soon recruited to be vice president and, later, president.
Owens attended every meeting of the Washington Local School Board where she observed that “one board member slept every single time.” Thinking to herself, “I can do better than that,” Owens ran for the board in 1975. Despite losing, Owens was encouraged to apply for a vacancy on the larger Lucas County Board of Education. Amidst 24 other applicants, Owens won the appointment.
Owens won election outright to the Lucas County Board of Education in 1977 and became its vice president. In 1979 Owens was elected to the Toledo City Council in a 17-person race. Though she was recruited to run for mayor in 1981, she opted to run again for Toledo City Council and easily won reelection. By 1983, Owens wished to tackle Toledo’s “big picture” issues, particularly those pertaining to economic development. She ran for mayor and won, winning reelection in both 1985 and 1987.
Following her tenure as mayor, Owens served as Director of Business Development for the Perz Group, Inc. Governor George Voinovich appointed Owens Chair of the State Employment Relations Board in 1991 and Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce in 1994. Governor Bob Taft later appointed Owens to be the Public Member of the three-person Industrial Commission of Ohio.
In addition to her elected and appointed positions, Owens has been involved in over forty volunteer and civic organizations at the local, state, and national levels. These include the Ohio School Board Association, the U.S. Conference of Mayors Advisory Board, and the National League of Cities Committee on Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations. Owens continues to be devoted to public service. She is one of four former mayors who lead the Coalition for Peaceful Toledo Neighborhoods. In 2022 Owens was elected to represent District 11 on the Ohio Republican Party’s State Central Committee.
The Team Behind Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics
Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics is a collaboration between WBGU-PBS and Dr. Melissa K. Miller, Professor of Political Science at Bowling Green State University. Narrative profile compiled and written by Katelyn Konecny and Melissa K. Miller.
Sound Bites
Kids being shortchanged
Everybody calls it "Donna's Light"
City councilmen dismissive
Plugging potholes loses appeal
1975
WASHINGTON LOCAL SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION
Primary Election
No primary held
General Election
Bernard J. Janis – 21.6%
Henry Metzger – 28.5%
Donna Owens – 18.9%
Betty K. Schultz – 23.2%
Geraldine L. Williams – 7.8%
1977
LUCAS COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Primary Election
No primary held
General Election
Harvey J. Davis – 42.2%
Donna Owens – 57.8%
1979
TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL
Primary Election
Robert H. Arrington – 0.6%
Pete Baughman – 0.7%
Joseph T. Baz – 2.1%
Charles J. Clark – 3.5%
Frank C. Clemons – 3.1%
Gene Cook – 7.1%
Howard C. Cook – 6.0%
William T. Copeland – 6.6%
Guy B. Daoust – 1.5%
Helen Hanicki Delbert – 1.4%
Donald E. Detlef – 0.5%
Andy Douglas – 9.4%
Calvin C. Duhart – 0.9%
Carty Finkbeiner – 7.8%
Edward J. Gomorski – 0.9%
Paul E. Hauser – 0.6%
Tim Kenczewicz – 4.1%
Alice A. Lyczkowski – 4.4%
Ray Nies – 6.5%
Jim Nowak – 4.0%
Donna Owens – 5.7%
Leo Puccetti – 5.6%
Max C. Reddish – 6.3%
Bernice S. Saxon – 4.9%
Walt Skotynsky – 3.4%
Adolf S. Tylinski – 0.9%
Lucinda Turner Washington – 1.4%
George Windau – 0.2%
General Election
Charles J. Clark – 4.3%
Frank C. Clemons – 3.3%
Gene Cook – 9.5%
Howard C. Cook – 6.5%
William T. Copeland – 8.1%
Andy Douglas – 11.1%
Carty Finkbeiner – 8.9%
Tim Kenczbeiner – 4.7%
Alice A. Lyczkowski – 5.0%
Ray Nies – 8.1%
Jim Nowak – 3.7%
Donna Owens – 8.6%
Leo Puccetti – 7.9%
Bernice S. Saxon – 6.9%
Walt Skotynsky – 3.2%
Lucinda Turner Washington – 0.1%
George Windau – 0.0%
1981
TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL
Primary Election
George F. Beard – 3.2%
Mansour S. Bey – 0.9%
Frank C. Clemons – 4.1%
Gene Cook – 9.0%
Bill Copeland – 8.2%
Michele Delaney – 5.9%
Edward Silvio’ Emery – 1.1%
Mario F. Fitch – 3.2%
Warren B. Goode – 3.8%
Olga L. Lopez – 3.5%
Alice Lyczkowski – 6.0%
Hilton H. Murphy – 4.8%
Ray Nies – 7.7%
Donna Owens – 8.7%
Leo Puccetti – 7.2%
Max C. Reddish – 7.5%
Susan A. Skinner – 2.0%
Walt Skotynsky – 4.1%
Harry Sohikian – 1.7%
Peter Ujvagi – 7.3%
General Election
George F. Beard – 2.9%
Frank C. Clemons – 4.0%
Gene Cook – 9.8%
Bill Copeland – 8.9%
Michele Delaney – 6.3%
Marion F. Fitch – 3.0%
Warren B. Goode – 3.7%
Olga L. Lopez – 3.6%
Alice Lyczkowski – 6.5%
Hilton H. Murphy – 4.7%
Ray Nies – 8.2%
Donna Owens – 10.0%
Leo Puccetti – 7.7%
Max C. Reddish – 7.9%
Walt Skotynsky – 4.9%
Peter Ujavgi – 8.0%
Susan A. Skinner – 0.0%
1983
MAYOR OF TOLEDO
Primary Election
Donna Owens – 46.5%
Janet E. Post – 1.7%
Peter Ujvagi – 51.7%
General Election
Paul Aubry – 0.0%
Donna Owens – 58.8%
Janet Post – 0.0%
Peter Ujvagi – 41.2%
1985
MAYOR OF TOLEDO
Primary Election
Donna Owens – 49.1%
Toby Emmerich – 1.8%
Michael D. Packard – 2.6%
Michael Rankin – 46.5%
General Election
Toby Emmerich – 0.0%
Donna Owens – 60.1%
Michael Rankin – 39.8%
1987
MAYOR OF TOLEDO
Primary Election
Carty Finkbeiner – 62.8%
Donna Owens – 36.9%
John Radon – 0.0%
Douglas J. Thomson – 0.0%
General Election
Carty Finkbeiner – 47.9%
Donna Owens – 52.0%
John Radon – 0.0%
1989
MAYOR OF TOLEDO
Primary Election
Timothy McGowan – 0.5%
John McHugh – 68.6%
Donna Owens – 31.0%
General Election
John McHugh – 71.1%
Donna Owens – 28.9%
Journaling prompts for 7th through 12th graders
PDF Instructor Guides for high school and college educators also available
While growing up, Donna Owens never aspired to a career in politics or thought about herself as political. Do you think of yourself as political? Explain why or why not. In Owens’ case, the poor condition of her children’s school motivated her initial involvement. What issues might motivate you to become actively involved in the politics of your community?
Donna Owens observed an elected member of the local school board sleep through all of the board meetings and thought to herself, “I can do better than that.” Do you ever have the same feeling – that you could better address your community’s pressing issues than the elected officials who represent you? Would you ever consider running for office yourself? Explain why or why not.
While serving as Mayor of Toledo in the 1980s, Donna Owens attended a meeting at the White House as part of a large delegation of mayors from around the country. One of the male mayors asked her, “Whose secretary or wife are you?” Owens recalls feeling “very indignant” and responding, “I am a mayor.” Have you ever felt dismissed by others? How did you react? What strategies can you employ when others make false assumptions about you?
Instructor Guide for:
PHOTO CREDITS: The Blade
Updated: 07/06/2023 03:55PM