Meet Lakewood's Newest City Councilperson: Sarah Kepple

LAKEWOOD, OH — When Meghan George won her bid for mayor of Lakewood, it left a seat vacant on city council. Applications for George's open seat poured in, and council unanimously decided to appoint Sarah Kepple to the job. She was sworn-in on Tuesday night.

Kepple runs Gigalearn LLC, a company that provides technology education to libraries, schools and other clients. She previously worked in IT for the Cuyahoga County Public Library system. She is also the co-founder of Action Together Lakewood Area, which educates and mobilizes the community on issues like the environment, health care and voter registration. She also volunteers for several non-profits.

Patch spoke with Kepple after her appointment. Here's what the newest member of city council had to say.

• What interested you in joining Lakewood City Council?

Over the last few years I think we've all seen the critical need for principled and persevering people to get involved in our government. As a volunteer lead organizer for Action Together Lakewood Area, I have united previously divided community groups around common purpose. Working with diverse populations as a librarian and small business owner, I've always enjoyed meeting folks where they are, resolving conflict with courtesy and communication, and helping folks attain the resources they need. I felt called to serve on Lakewood City Council because I think my ability to connect with a broad coalition of Lakewood residents will strengthen council's ability to work for and with the constituents of the city we all love.

• What should residents know about you?

I love to engage in creative problem-solving! As a librarian and entrepreneur I'm good at getting to yes, figuring out a path forward that helps everyone achieve their goals. If residents feel stuck or if they have great ideas that would benefit the community, I'd love to hear from them. I'll listen and ask questions, and we'll figure things out together.

• What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Lakewood?

Lakewood is currently in the midst of several large structural projects such as the development of One Lakewood Place, the Intergenerational Community Center and stormwater management facility at the Cove Church property, and the expansive Clean Water Lakewood project. All of these projects present opportunities to build and strengthen our sustainable infrastructure, and it will be crucial for Council to continuously consider the social, environmental and economic impact of each.

• What will your priorities be as a city councilperson?

As an at-large member of council, my job is to serve ALL of Lakewood, so my first priority is to make sure that I'm really hearing from and listening to everyone. I will be scheduling townhall forums throughout Lakewood as well as setting up digital channels for communication. I've been pleased to see our local government make use of technologies that augment transparency, such as providing video and audio recordings of city council meetings on the website, but, as an information professional, I also know that making information available doesn't always make it accessible, so I will be exploring communication and collaboration strategies that can enhance civic discourse and engagement.