Loretta C. Scott, At-Large, President 2014-2021

Loretta C. Scott was elected to the office of Rochester City Council Member-At Large in 2009, 2013 and 2017.  Loretta was selected by her colleagues to serve as Council President in 2014, a post she still holds today. As the President, she names the committees, assigns members and selects the Chair of each committee. As president she serves as an ex-officio member on all committees and presides over Council meetings.

Loretta has extensive experience in the public, not-for profit and private sectors. She served the City of Rochester for 30 years in a number of progressively responsible positions. Loretta become the first African American female to serve as a Department head in the City of Rochester, serving as Commissioner of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Human Services until her retirement in 2005. 

As Commissioner she was responsible for a $21 million budget and the oversight of nearly 400 full and part-time employees. Under Loretta’s leadership, the Department developed the first ever Forestry Master Plan to guide the management of Rochester’s award winning urban forest. She also led the development and implementation of management and master plans for: the City’s aquatic programs and facilities, R-Centers and Mt. Hope Cemetery. 

Loretta has been active in the community for decades and is well known for her saying “It’s About Jobs!” This phrase showcases her belief that ensuring access to living-wage employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged residents will have a significant impact beyond employment for our residents and our neighborhoods.

Loretta has been involved extensively in the community, she is a founding member of cutting edge initiatives such as the African American Leadership Development Program, the Greater Rochester After School Alliance, and the New Futures (academic development) Initiative.  She is past board chair for Action for a Better Community, Inc. and Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, and has served on the Boards of the United Way Services Corporation, the Rochester Black Business Association and Alternatives for Battered Women.  She is an active member of Baber AME Church. 

Loretta led the City Council’s transformational effort to establish the most progressive legislation in the country around police accountability. Partnering with her colleagues and the community, she worked to pass legislation that will establish a transparent and accountable Police Accountability Board in the City of Rochester.

She has been honored and recognized for her efforts to improve the community most recently as the recipient of the 2019 Dr. Freddie Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Brothers of the Gamma Iota Boulé Foundation, and she is the 2019 recipient of the ROC Acts Lifetime Achievement Award.

Loretta holds a B.S. Degree from SUNY Empire State College, she is an entrepreneur having owned and operated a commercial janitorial service company since 1997.

A native of Dothan, Alabama, Loretta has resided in Rochester her entire adult life and calls it her home. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is passionate about her commitment to helping ensure Rochester is a world class mid-size city in which to live, work and raise a family.