City of Lakewood, Ohio
Sarah Kepple has a diverse work experience spanning different industries. Sarah is currently the Owner & Technology Education Coach at Gigalearn, LLC, where they provide technology classes, grant writing, curriculum development, and consulting services. Sarah is also the City Council Vice President for the City of Lakewood, Ohio, where they hold various leadership roles and serves on committees related to health and human services, small businesses, and housing and development. In the past, they have held positions at The Young Adult Library Services Association, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Rocky River High School, and Lakewood Public Library, with roles ranging from information and technology literacy specialist to library assistant and youth paraprofessional.
Sarah Kepple's education history includes a Treu-Mart Youth Development Fellowship in Youth Services Emphasis from Case Western Reserve University in 2008. In the same year, they also obtained a Master of Library Science degree with a Youth Services Emphasis from Drexel University. Prior to that, they earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fine Art- Sculpture from Kent State University between 1997 and 2002.
City of Lakewood, Ohio
History and Geography The City of Lakewood is located on the southern shores of Lake Erie in Northeast Ohio and part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, approximately five miles west of downtown Cleveland. Originally a forested wilderness settled by Native Americans, Lakewood grew with the streetcar infrastructure to become the first suburb west of Cleveland. Originally organized as a hamlet in 1889, Lakewood incorporated as a village in 1903 and as a city in 1911. Lakewood is recognized as a beautiful city of historic homes and a residential community of 5.53 square miles and 50,942 residents, making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, according to the 2020 Federal Census. Lakewood enjoys proximity to major cultural, educational, and medical facilities in Northeast Ohio, with ease of access to many interstate highways and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, making it a desirable location for residents and commercial enterprises. Government Lakewood operates and is governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, and its city charter provides for a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected to a four-year term, serving as the City’s full-time chief executive and administrative officer. Legislative authority is vested in a seven-member part-time council, consisting of four members serving their ward, and three serving at-large. Terms of Council members are staggered between two groups that are elected and serve four-year terms. The City is also served by the Lakewood Municipal Court, whose jurisdiction includes the City of Lakewood, portions of the Cleveland Metroparks, U.S. Interstate 90 and adjacent Lake Erie waters to the Canadian border. Criminal and Traffic jurisdiction includes all misdemeanor classifications, and felony arraignments and preliminary hearing proceedings. Monetary jurisdiction in Civil Proceedings is $15,000 while Small Claims Proceedings is limited to $6,000. The elected presiding judge serves a six-year term