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Mr. Joseph Gauntner currently serves as Director of Employment & Family Services (EFS) under the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, and has been in this position since 2002. Prior job titles and roles working for the county commissioners include Director of Cuyahoga Health & Nutrition, Director of the Department of Entitlement and Employment Services, and Director of the Child Support Enforcement Agency. He currently has overall executive responsibility for a staff of 900 and an annual budget in excess of $200 million. EFS delivers health care, nutrition, employment and financial benefits in excess of $2 billon per year to more than 240,000 Cuyahoga County residents.
Mr. Gauntner’s community involvement is broad in scope. His current and prior commitments include State of Ohio Anti-Poverty Commission, Leadership Cleveland Class of 2007, City of Cleveland/ Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board, United Way, Harvest for Hunger, Kids Health 2020, Governor’s Appointee to Ohio Managed Care Study Committee, Catholic Charities, Healthcare for the Homeless, Near West Housing, Neighborhood Ministry, Catholic Commission on Community Action, Cuyahoga County Ombudsman Program, Ohio Job and Family Services Directors Association, and others. He holds three Master’s degrees. He is a graduate of the Executive MBA Program at Cleveland State University.
He holds a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Louisville and a Master of Science in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University, with the area of focus being management of public agencies. His Bachelor of Arts in Social Service is from Cleveland State University. He is a graduate of the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Mr. Gauntner is a Licensed Independent Social Worker, State of Ohio.
Joe and his wife, Mary Jo Tadsen, have four children and live on Cleveland’s Near West Side. He is in the 30th year of a three year home renovation project.