Community Development Leader Seth Walsh to Take Greg Landsman's Cincinnati City Council Seat Dec. 19

Cincinnati City Council soon will have a new member.

Councilman Reggie Harris has appointed Seth Walsh, the chief executive officer of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, as the successor to Greg Landsman. Landsman will vacate his council seat as he heads to Washington, D.C., to represent the 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Landsman had designated Harris as the council member who would appoint his successor.

According to Walsh's application materials, he led $85 million in economic developments along Hamilton Avenue in College Hill, concentrating on new and preserved housing units with a focus on affordable housing. During Walsh's tenure at College Hill CURC, the nonprofit also launched a tech-driven pilot program for retailers, worked with local leaders on housing assistance and relief during the COVID-19 pandemic and raised funds for outdoor recreation and infrastructure.

Before joining College Hill CURC in 2016, Walsh was the executive director for the Sedamsville Community Development Corporation and the assistant director for the CDC Association of Greater Cincinnati, which is now known as HomeBase. According to Walsh's résumé, he holds a political science degree from Xavier University and has been involved with several boards, including Friends of the Taft Legacy and Cincy Soccer League.

"I know from my firsthand experience what it’s like to be a part of a community that is partnering with the City to execute their vision and I know what it’s like to be a part of a community that is looking for support and guidance from the City to even create a vision. Every neighborhood in our City falls into one of those two buckets," Walsh wrote in the cover letter he had submitted with his application materials on Nov. 27. "I believe these experiences and skills will compliment the experiences and skills already represented on City Council and will help us achieve our potential as a City."

Harris, who chairs Cincinnati City Council's equitable growth and housing committee, praised Walsh's leadership in a Dec. 9 press release.

"Cincinnati, as well as the nation, is facing an unprecedented housing crisis," Harris said. "We are fortunate to have someone like Seth to step into this seat whose work in College Hill has become the model for community-driven affordable housing creation and neighborhood revitalization without displacement."

"Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are one of the most important tools we have to grow the city equitably. Seth has walked the walk, leading one of the most successful CDCs in the city," Harris continued. "He will be an asset to the work this council is prioritizing."

In late November, nearly 50 people had applied for Landsman's position. Harris presented a list of 38 viable applicants during the council’s Nov. 29 public safety and governance committee meeting, soliciting feedback about the qualities Landsman's successor should have. He narrowed the list to 12 earlier this week.

Walsh will be introduced to the public during a press conference on Dec. 13. Landsman previously had said that he would formally resign his Cincinnati City Council position on Jan. 2 but instead will resign on Dec. 19. Walsh will take the city’s oath of office afterward.


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