Ohio Alliance For
Community Education
Ohio Alliance for Community Education (ACE), is a 501(c)(3) organization devoted to social, economic, educational, and environmental justice. Designed to authentically engage the community, inform citizens about the issues that affect their lives, and empower them to participate in voting to bring about necessary policy changes.
Our leadership has been working towards voters’ turnout in presidential and gubernatorial elections for decades. It has become abundantly clear that transformational change doesn’t happen six to eight weeks before an even-year election. That’s why Ohio ACE is committed to providing year-round services to build communities and connect them through our education and training to harness and amplify the collective power of Black People, as well as other underrepresented and disenfranchised, citizens in Cleveland (OH) and surrounding communities.
Our vision is to look beyond just elections. It is to put our experience of working in the labor movement, among faith leaders, with community activists and elected officials. We do this to have through civic engagement effort to build collective political power.
Meet Our Board of Directors
Davida Russell is the founder and Executive Director of Ohio ACE - which she established in 2021. After years of seeing a revolving door of Get Out the Vote (GOTV) investments parachute into Cleveland and leave after Elections with no lasting impact, she founded Ohio ACE to create a structure for long-term and transformational community engagement.
She currently serves on Cleveland Heights City Council and is serving as the only Ohioan on President Joe Biden’s transition meeting team. Davida is a Commission Member of the Cuyahoga County Charter Review Commission appointed by Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Executive Board Member of the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland one of two single appointments of Mayor Frank Jackson.
Davida Russell is the State President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), a Vice President of the Ohio AFL-CIO, a State Executive Board Member, and President of the Northeast Ohio District of the Ohio Association of Public-School Employees OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4/AFL-CIO), Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, and Vice President of the Cleveland North Shore Federation of Labor AFL-CIO.
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Davida Russell
Founder / Executive Director
Well known for her dedication to working people, she has been at the forefront of organizing, educating, training, increasing political awareness among workers, campaigning for pro-labor politicians, and operating and managing the largest canvassing operation in the state of Ohio since 2000. Davida has been entered in several editions of Who’s Who as One of The Most Influential Black Women in Cleveland Celebrating African American Achievement. She’s the author of the book “The Birth of a Union: The Legacy of Noridean McDonald” published in 2007.
She is a graduate of the Cleveland State Labor-Management Relations Center Program and a graduate of Leadership Cleveland Class 2004. Davida graduated from the George Meany National Labor College with a double major Bachelors in Labor Studies and in Union Leadership and Administration. Davida is also a Substitute Teacher and bus driver for South Euclid Lyndhurst City School Districts.
Domonique Turner
Executive Vice President
Domonique Turner has worked for Step Forward, formerly known as the Council for Economic Opportunities of Greater Cleveland (CEOGC) for over 16 years, where she works as a Preschool teacher and Mentor/Teacher - mentoring and providing team leader support to staff members while creating a warm and nurturing learning environment, observing staff performance, establishing plans for staff improvement, and cultivating teaching methods of staff members. Domonique has also worked on Miss Davida’s Get out the Vote (GOTV) and Community Engagement program for over twenty years, helping with operations, serving as the lead, and conducting door-to-door community outreach. Domonique was born and raised in Cleveland Heights and currently lives in Lyndhurst with her husband and two children where she helps as a Girl Scout leader. In addition to serving on Ohio ACE’s board, Domonique works part-time as our Deputy Program Director.
Roma Ferrar
Executive Secretary
Roma Farrar is a highly experienced trade unionist, joining us from Washington, DC. She has 23 years of experience with AFSCME International, where she specialized in the administrative end of labor issue lobbying. She was also an active member of CBTU (Coalition of Black Trade Unionists) for over 20 years where she did logistics for conferences. While at AFSCME, Roma has been traveling to Cleveland since 2010 to assist Miss Davida with community engagement, elections, and GOTV (get out the vote) efforts. To continue her advocacy full-time, Roma moved to the Cleveland area to join the Ohio ACE team
Meet our ace Family
