Evan Nolan is the newest member of Cincinnati City Council, taking the seat formerly held by Reggie Harris, who resigned in September to join the Biden administration.
An attorney for law firm Katz Teller with extensive ties to the Hamilton County Democratic Party, Nolan was one of six finalists for the council seat interviewed by council member Meeka Owens, along with an advisory committee of 11 community leaders.
Announcing her choice outside of City Hall on Oct. 11, Owens said Nolan was “ready on day one […] to push our priorities forward and grow this city.”
Speaking on the steps of City Hall, Nolan said he hopes to continue the work that Reggie Harris began, promising to “share that same passion and fire” for Cincinnati’s “52 beautiful neighborhoods.”
But Owens’ decision to pick Nolan was met with some criticism. On Oct. 15, Cincinnati’s chapter of the NAACP issued a statement saying they were “deeply disappointed” by Owens’ decision to appoint Nolan.
“Her choice sends a harmful message – that the importance of Black representation, particularly Black male representation, can be easily disregarded,” the statement read. “At a time when our nation is grappling with the legacies of institutional and systemic racism and striving for equity and inclusion, this decision is a step backward.”
Former council member Chris Seelbach also questioned the decision, writing on X, “Appointing a cis-gender, straight, white man to fill the term of Cincinnati’s first openly gay man of color is disappointing and a setback for our city.”
CityBeat sat down with Nolan and Owens to discuss Nolan’s history of community service, his plans for Cincinnati and criticism from community leaders.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CityBeat: Nolan, you grew up in Cheviot, on the West Side, went to St. Xavier. Tell me about your time growing up in Cincinnati, how the community changed and why you wanted to come back to Cincinnati after college?
Evan Nolan: When I graduated from high school in 2001, this city was experiencing some very difficult issues as a result of the riots and police-community relations. It was a low point for our city. And while I was gone in college, and later in law school, this city turned a corner and really began this period of growth that we’re experiencing now. That gave me a lot of pride about where I’m from. I’ve always – as my friends from back home will all tell you – it’s always been a dream of mine to come home and to engage in local civic issues. And when I met my wife in law school, she recognized my love for Cincinnati and embraced that and expressed a willingness to move back. It was an incredible experience growing up [in Cincinnati] and I wanted to share that experience with my family.
CB: You’ve mentioned racial equity, and how that is a key point of your policy vision. Could you talk about how those early years shaped your understanding of race and politics in Cincinnati, and how those experiences inform your understanding of these topics today?
Nolan: It was a growing issue. It has been an issue that was brought to the forefront and this city is making strides in the right direction, but there is still work to be done. When I mention racial equity [it is] a backbone of all of our priorities; it’s not a single issue that is addressed once and set aside. It’s something that needs to be taken into consideration with all of the issues that are addressed at City Hall.
CB: You worked as a legal fellow for Senator Sherrod Brown and as a treasurer for Aftab Pureval’s campaign in 2018. Have you always been a Democrat? Did you come from a Democratic family?
Nolan: It started at a young age. My father has been interested and involved in the Democratic Party. When I was a young child, Sherrod Brown came to our house and built a float for the Harvest Home Parade. My father was always very active, and both of my parents have lived their lives in ways that were ultimately in service of others. That was always important to me. I have been a Democrat my whole life, ever since I can remember, at least — dating back to the volunteer efforts I made in high school and every cycle since then.
CB: Talk about your time on Oakley Community Council. What were some of the big issues that came up when you were on council?
Nolan: In my time on the Oakley Community Council, we experienced quite a bit of development and growth. And as part of the Community Council overseeing some of those development issues that were happening to us, it was important for us to get a little more control over that development. We undertook a pretty large effort to implement a master plan for the neighborhood at large. That meant, first and foremost, engagement with the community. Not just talking to the people that show up to every meeting, but reaching out, creating committees, giving people a voice on issues that matter most to them — listening, taking that feedback and compiling it in ways that ultimately produce a guiding document that helped set priorities for the neighborhood. Giving us an opportunity to view development through the lens of the neighborhood’s priorities.
CB: You also worked in the city’s Law Department. What did those projects teach you about what it’s like to work at the municipal level?
Nolan: I left the law firm to come work at the city in large part because of the priorities that were being discussed on the campaign trail by that class of new council members (Owens, Harris, etc.) coming in. Addressing the issues of affordable housing, and the need to modernize the zoning code, to some respect. The amount of development that is taking place, including the convention center district and other projects like that. The opportunity to participate and see the process and understand how the funding comes together, how the different departments interact and collaborate on those issues, taught me a lot about how the city works.
CB: Could you talk about what needs to be improved upon when dealing with gun violence and public safety in Cincinnati? What is your plan for addressing these two issues?
Nolan: Continuing to speak to those issues. Declaring gun violence a crisis, and lifting that and drawing attention to it. Also bringing different groups together. There’s a desire to bring public school administration into the conversation with folks in the city to try and address these issues.
CB: Another topic of increasing importance is affordable housing. How would you address it moving forward as a council member?
Nolan: There needs to be a diversity of housing across Cincinnati. That requires an increase to housing overall, and that happens through processes and incentives the city puts in place. That requires an update to Plan Cincinnati that brings to the forefront the current priorities of City Council, and removing obstacles, whether they be in the zoning code, or the processes that go through the city to help incentivize and promote development of housing, the development of affordable housing, and the development of workforce housing across the city.
CB: Council member Owens, how did you first meet Evan? Why do you think he was the right choice to fill Harris’ seat?
Owens: I recognized [Nolan] as someone willing to show up in unexpected places and be an empathetic leader. I’ve since known Evan to be that same person up to this point. I’ve seen him in the background work to support strong candidates in this community, to do good work in this city. What’s even more important is the acumen and the ability to step into this role and understand the policy implications as legislators. That is first and foremost what I was looking for when I was thinking about who I would appoint to this seat. Evan came to mind first, truly. I reached out to Evan. Evan and I had a conversation, and we talked policy, but I also knew there were other folks out there. I wanted to be able to create a process where I was listening to people that I thought would take this role seriously. Because there are a lot of leaders in this community, I knew I had to make a decision that was effective and efficient. Therefore, Evan Nolan was certainly the right person to be considered for this job, in terms of being ready on day one.
CB: Nolan, you’ve applied to join Cincinnati City Council once before, when Greg Landsman left to join Congress. Why did you decide to apply again? Who did you discuss the idea with? And when did you learn you had been selected?
Nolan: [Owens] reached out, and had a good conversation over tea about where I am in my life: what opportunities there are to contribute, how I might step up, what my goals and priorities are in that work. From that conversation, I only got more and more excited about the opportunity. I certainly had some discussions with my family about what that would mean for us, and what that would mean for me moving forward and continued to get excited about it. I appreciate the process council member Owens put together, and I was happy to go through that process and have those conversations with leaders in our community.
CB: Council member Owens, the Cincinnati NAACP released a statement, saying they were deeply disappointed in your appointment decision. Chris Seelbach also said that he thought a cis, straight man wasn’t the right fit to replace the first openly gay, Black council member. What is your response to these criticisms?
Owens: We’re focused on making sure our newest member of council is onboarded to be able to get to the issues at hand that affect the city. And having a full council is important to be able to do that. Identity politics don’t serve us well. So when I was thinking about what’s most important to me and my colleagues and the city of Cincinnati is someone who is ready on day one and knows what they’re doing, and knows what good policy legislation means and knows how this city functions. That was critical. I know that Evan is going to do a great job for all of Cincinnati, and he’s going to do a great job for those communities that need more attention – he gets that.
CB: Nolan, what is your response to critics who feel you aren’t the right person for the role?
Nolan: I bring whatever qualifications and experience that I have to this moment. And when someone in a position like council member Owens presents an opportunity to step up my commitment to the city, I’m excited to take advantage of that. And I know that means continuing to put in the work. Reaching out to all communities and understanding the priorities of those in every neighborhood, and listening and engaging with those folks, taking that feedback back to City Hall.
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This article appears in Oct 16-29, 2024.