Meet Desiree Tims

Desiree Tims is a lawyer and State Representative serving as the Assistant Minority Whip in the Ohio House of Representatives. Previously, she served as President & CEO of Innovation Ohio and Innovation Ohio Education Fund. Desiree has led the organization’s vision to fight for a more just and equitable society through strategic engagement, building coalitions, and transformational leadership. For more than a decade, Desiree has served as a trusted advisor to national leaders and national organizations, serving as a key expert for emerging issues. She has made appearances on MSNBC (MSNow), Black News Channel, Fox News Channel, and Sirius XM to name a few.

In the Ohio Statehouse she serves on the House Rules Committee, Judiciary Committee, Higher Education and Workforce Committee, Redistricting Committee, and the Financial Institutions Committee. As a key member of leadership, she is responsible for working to help her democratic colleagues have legislative wins and return to office.

No stranger to politics, policy, and hard work. Desiree is a former democratic nominee for Ohio’s 10th Congressional District where she ran a grassroots people-powered campaign that received national recognition. In 2008, Desiree joined the Obama-Biden presidential campaign as a volunteer in southwest Ohio. Later, that experience would land her in The White House during President Barack Obama’s first presidential term. Following her time at The White House, Desiree began working on Capitol Hill for United States senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), and served as President of the Senate Black Legislative Staff Caucus. In summary, Desiree has spent her life working on public policy issues that impact Americans, which have ranged from agriculture to democracy reform.

Desiree earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from Xavier University (Cincinnati), a diploma from The Women’s Campaign School at Yale University, and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a proud member of McKinley United Methodist Church and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.