State Representative Ted Celeste (D-24th District) is proud to carry on his family's storied tradition of public service by representing Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and parts of Columbus. Rep. Celeste has dedicated more than 35 years of his life to government, education and business development, all with the aim to improve the quality of life in Ohio and beyond.
Celeste and his wife Bobbie taught school on a remote island in the south Pacific's Fiji Islands in 1969 and 1970. Upon his return, Rep. Celeste served as acting chief of the Bureau of Consumer Services in the Ohio Department of Public Welfare, and later he became an assistant to the Director of the Ohio Department of Finance.
Rep. Celeste soon became enveloped in a family tradition that dates back more than 50 years. He campaigned for his father, Frank, who served eight years as Lakewood's mayor and ran for Cleveland Mayor and Ohio Attorney General. Celeste ran the successful Ohio primary effort for President Jimmy Carter and served in the President-elect's transition office in Washington, D.C. He has also led campaigns for his brother, former Ohio State Representative, Lieutenant Governor and Governor Richard F. Celeste.
Outside of the Statehouse, Rep. Celeste is a successful businessman with a deep desire to leave an indelible mark on the future. He is President of Celeste and Associates Real Estate, Inc., a residential real estate company. In the 1980's, he founded Advanced Interactive Video, Inc., an electronic marketing and promotions company with interactive video kiosks in 250 retail locations.
Rep. Celeste also served for nine years on The Ohio State University Board of Trustees. As its chairman from May 1998 to May 1999, Celeste pursued the creation of OSU's Science and Technology Campus, which houses space for biotech and biomedical startup companies and helps to expand the high-growth, technology-based companies connected to OSU. Those efforts have linked the public and private sectors, helping create high-paying jobs for the region.
As a developer and businessman, Rep. Celeste served as President of National Housing Corporation, a Cleveland development firm specializing in housing for senior citizens; New Town Housing, a redeveloper of urban property in the Victorian Village neighborhood of Columbus; and the Columbus Magic Soccer Team, Columbus's first national soccer franchise.
Rep. Celeste has also served on the Community Coordinated Child Care Committee, the Italian Village Society, Godman Guild Settlement House, the Grandview/Marble Cliff Chamber of Commerce, and the business advisory council for Grandview Schools. Celeste has also been active at First Community Church, serving on the Worship and Arts, Mission, and Media Councils, where he helped create the "Faith and American Politics" program to increase our ability to speak with civility about our religious and political beliefs in small discussion groups.
In recognition of his long record of service, Rep. Celeste received the Gandhi, King, Ikeda award from Morehouse College in May 2001 for serving the community and the world through his dedication to peace and unity, his commitment to non-violence, and his persistent efforts to establish justice for all humankind.
Rep. Celeste is the chair of both the Alternative Energy committee and the Higher Education subcommittee of Finance and Appropriations. He also serves on the Consumer Affairs and Economic Protection; Finance and Appropriations; and Judiciary committees.
Rep. Celeste and his wife Bobbie have two daughters, Christiana and Liz. The Celeste family has hosted international social workers and students from Nigeria, Egypt, and Japan through the Columbus Area International Program and Youth for Understanding
