Ward 13

Councilman Joe Cimperman truly appreciates the trust the people of Cleveland’s 13th Ward have placed in him by electing him to serve as their Cleveland City Council representative.  Since 1997, Councilman Cimperman has represented the St. Clair Superior, Payne Sterling, Midtown, Downtown, Tremont, Ohio City/Near West, Duck Island, and Forest City Park neighborhoods of Cleveland.  

Councilman Cimperman has focused his efforts on the revitalization of the Ward 13 community.  His vision entails an interconnected, diverse and self-supporting community and he believes that culture and the arts must be at the epicenter of that community, serving as an engine for economic development in Cleveland.  His current goals are to create a supportive environment for the arts and culture community with live-work spaces for artists, to maintain and improve the retail environment of Euclid Avenue and to create new greenspaces throughout the Ward. 

Councilman Cimperman has worked diligently to create new block clubs, strengthen existing ones and to foster a sense of community.  He is also a champion of neighborhood issues, sponsoring legislation for a variety of improvements, including sufficient parking for people with disabilities and safety measures along the waterfront.  

Born and raised in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, Councilman Cimperman’s family was active in the Slovenian community.  He graduated from St. Ignatius High School and earned a degree in English from John Carroll University where he was Student Council President.  While at John Carroll, Councilman Cimperman founded Project GOLD, an international award-winning service organization dedicated to helping underprivileged families.

After college, Councilman Cimperman worked with Cleveland’s I Have a Dream Foundation.  As a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the Councilman worked with developmentally challenged adults in Portland, Maine and at the Don Miller AIDS Hospice in Baltimore, Maryland.  After a stint with the Volunteer Corps, he returned to his hometown to work at Cleveland's West Side Catholic Center.

Councilman Cimperman is currently the Chair of the City Planning Committee, Vice Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Community and Economic Development and Legislation Committees.  He also represents Cleveland on the Landmarks Commission, the City Planning Commission, and the Northeastern Ohio Area-wide Coordinating Agency (NOACA).