Priscilla R. Tyson

Priscilla R. Tyson (born April 4, 1955) is a former Columbus Councilwoman and is the longest-serving female councilmember in the Columbus City Council's history. She is the founding director for City Year Columbus.

Personal life Tyson was born on April 4, 1955. Her father had died when she was 6 months old.

Education She attended Garfield Elementary School, which has now been transformed into the King Arts Complex. From 1993 to1997, she was the vice president of community relations at Ohio Health Systems.

In 2017, Tyson won reelection to the Columbus City Council, alongside fellow incumbents Shannon Hardin and Mitchell Brown. That same year Tyson co-sponsored an $1.1 million funding package to help redevelop buildings for the Pointdexter Village Museum.

In 2021, as the city council chair for the Health and Human Services Committee, Tyson encouraged the public to wear masks and get vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After deciding not to run for another term, Tyson retired as city councilwoman on December 31, 2021. She also spearheaded the passage and implementation of the Columbus CROWN Act that aims to bans hair discrimination.

Awards and honors In 1996, Tyson was honored as Women of Achievement by Columbus' YWCA chapter. In 2012, she was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award alongside Reverend Dale Snyder by the Columbus Education Association.

In 2022, the city of Columbus renamed the Cultural Arts Center in Tyson's honor for her contributions to the arts and the center is now called the "Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center."