Meet Desiree

Desiree Tims serves as the President & CEO of Innovation Ohio and Innovation Ohio Education Fund. As CEO, 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 is on the frontlines for emerging issues. She has made appearances on MSNBC, Black News Channel, Fox News, and Sirius XM to name a few.

Desiree is also 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, a diploma from Women’s Campaign School at Yale University, and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown Law.