Kahlil Seren

Kahlil Seren (born October 17, 1978) is an American politician, former local-government adviser, and the first directly elected Mayor of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Before becoming mayor, Seren spent ten years as a policy adviser to Cuyahoga County Council and served six years on Cleveland Heights City Council. Seren’s tenure has been marred by a series of workplace-culture controversies, staff resignations, and allegations that his spouse, Natalie McDaniel, exerted improper influence at City Hall and used antisemitic language. In June 2025, amid multiple investigations and after City Council passed a “no-confidence” resolution, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections ruled that Seren had failed to submit the required number of valid petition signatures, disqualifying him from the 2025 mayoral ballot.

Seren took office as Cleveland Heights' first directly elected strong mayor on January 1, 2022. Since taking office, Seren’s administration has been marked by both significant structural changes to city governance and growing controversy related to personnel turnover and allegations involving the role of his wife, Natalie McDaniel, at City Hall. In 2025, a civil rights complaint filed by a former staff member accused McDaniel of antisemitic remarks and contributing to a hostile work environment, raising concerns about informal influence within the administration.

Early life and education

Seren was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio but spent his childhood in East Cleveland, Ohio. He attended several elementary schools, including the Lillian Ratner Montessori Day School ( Lyndhurst, OH), Gilmour Academy ( Gates Mills, OH), Prospect Elementary School (East Cleveland, OH), and FOCAS/SCOPE Elementary (East Cleveland, OH). Seren relocated to Beachwood, Ohio, in 1991, attending Beachwood Middle School and Beachwood High School, where he graduated in 1997.

After high school, Seren studied at Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, MI) before transferring to Cleveland State University (Cleveland, OH), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Political Science. After completing his undergraduate degree, Seren continued at Cleveland State University's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, earning a Master of Science degree in Urban Studies.

Career

Seren began his career in the area of public policy in 2007 as the Communications Coordinator for Policy Matters Ohio, a non-profit policy research institute. After a massive public corruption scandal in Cuyahoga County government and subsequent restructuring of County Government, Seren entered public service in 2011 as a Policy Advisor to the newly established Cuyahoga County Council, the legislative authority of the county government. Seren primarily advised on matters related to economic development, community development, workforce development, and education, serving as a Policy Advisor to County Council until 2022.

Cleveland Heights City Council

Seren entered elective office in February 2015, appointed to an unexpired term on Cleveland Heights City Council, filling a vacancy when former Council member Janine Boyd won a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. Seren ran to keep the seat in November 2015, winning his first four-year term. In November 2019, Seren successfully sought reelection to Cleveland Heights City Council, winning a second term beginning January 2020, at which time the Council selected him to be Vice Mayor and Vice President of Council.

Mayor of Cleveland Heights

Election

On January 25, 2021, Seren announced his candidacy in the City of Cleveland Heights' first mayoral election, which was to be held later that year.

In the September 14, 2021, primary election, Seren placed second out of three candidates, receiving 2,587 votes (37.62%) behind Barbara Danforth, who led with 3,158 votes (45.92%). Seren advanced to the general election along with Danforth.

On November 2, 2021, Seren won the general election for Mayor of Cleveland Heights with 6,899 votes (60.51%) to Danforth’s 4,502 votes (39.49%).

Tenure

2022

Seren took office as Cleveland Heights' first directly elected strong mayor on January 1, 2022.

2024

In June 2024, multiple formal complaints were filed against Cain Park General Manager Ian Hinz, alleging a pattern of verbal abuse, intimidation, and retaliatory behavior toward staff. A city-commissioned investigation conducted by Clemans Nelson & Associates found that Hinz had violated city policies by creating a hostile work environment, including yelling at employees, pounding his fists during meetings, and removing office doors. The final report concluded that Hinz's behavior posed a risk of “morale issues, disruption, and potential liability if unaddressed.” City staff recommended a suspension, anger management training, performance improvement plan, and demotion/reassignment to another role. In March 2025, more than 6 months after the investigation was completed, Mayor Seren approved some of the disciplinary actions but declined to demote/reassign Hinz, keeping him in his existing position despite the report’s findings.

On December 6, 2024, surveillance footage captured an incident at City Hall involving Mayor Seren’s wife, Natalie McDaniel, and a Cleveland Heights police officer stationed outside the mayor’s office. According to police documentation and internal accounts, McDaniel allegedly pounded on a glass partition and shouted profanities at staff in the mayor’s wing, prompting additional officers to respond. The officer was on duty and wearing a body camera in accordance with department policy, but despite multiple public records requests, the city has refused to release the body camera footage. Though not addressed publicly at the time, the event was later referenced in internal complaints and contributed to allegations of a hostile work environment involving McDaniel.

Later that month, City Council passed a temporary three-month budget for the first quarter of 2025—an unprecedented move in Cleveland Heights. Councilmembers cited the absence of a permanent finance director, missing salary and labor cost data, and a lack of key documentation in the administration’s proposed budget. Councilmembers expressed frustration with the administration’s preparedness, and residents voiced concerns about accountability and transparency. The vote, which also authorized hiring an outside accountant to review the city’s finances, marked a high point in growing tensions between the executive and legislative branches.

2025

In March 2025, City Administrator Dan Horrigan resigned after less than three months in office. In emails and interviews, Horrigan cited the conduct of Mayor Seren’s wife, Natalie McDaniel, as contributing to an “untenable, improper, and unethical” work environment. Horrigan’s resignation followed a March 13 incident involving McDaniel and Andrea Heim, the city's Human Resources organizational performance manager. In emails to Human Resources and the mayor, that Heim alleged that McDaniel had repeatedly disrupted the workplace with profane outbursts and created an unsafe environment. She was placed on leave by Seren and resigned soon after.

Shortly after these resignations, Seren gave a public interview defending McDaniel’s presence in City Hall. He described her role as similar to that of a political spouse, calling her Cleveland Heights’ “first lady.” He denied she held any formal duties but acknowledged her presence in meetings and decision-making discussions.

On March 18, 2025, City Council passed a full-year operating budget totaling $59.4 million in revenue and $58.2 million in expenditures. The revised budget included additional funding for capital projects, public safety, and programs not originally proposed by the mayor. Councilmembers commended the oversight process, while the mayor called for improved collaboration.

In April, City Council began formally evaluating workplace climate by interviewing human resources consultants. Council President Tony Cuda and others raised questions about whether McDaniel had an office, directed staff, or accessed public systems using shared credentials. Legislation was introduced to limit keycard access to city buildings to official employees and vetted contractors.

Also in April, media reporting highlighted that at least a dozen senior staff—including three city administrators, multiple finance and recreation directors, and other department heads—had departed during Seren’s first term. Some current and former employees described City Hall’s culture as one of fear and intimidation, with allegations that McDaniel had attended hiring and firing meetings and reprimanded staff directly.

In parallel, controversy continued around a $48,000 contract awarded to political consulting firm Burges & Burges. Councilmembers raised questions about whether the firm had been in fact hired to conduct resident satisfaction surveys, which Seren denied.

On May 19, 2025, Cleveland Heights former employees, current employees, residents and nonresidents called for Mayor Kahlil Seren to resign after his wife, Natalie McDaniel, was accused of making antisemitic remarks and creating a hostile work environment at the Cleveland Heights City Council meeting. At the meeting, Resolution No. 100-2025 was presented and adopted, condemning antisemitism and reaffirming the city’s commitment to tolerance, inclusivity, respect and expressing solidarity with Jewish residents.

On May 23, 2025, during a City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, members expressed concern that Mayor Seren had failed to deliver a promised public statement addressing allegations of antisemitic remarks made by his wife, Natalie McDaniel. In response to council criticism, Seren stated, "This council is not my overseer and I am not your Negro." The remark drew significant backlash from both council members and members of the public, many of whom viewed it as using racist rhetoric (i.e. "playing the race card") to distract and deflect from addressing the underlying allegations and the growing turmoil inside City Hall.

On the day of the meeting, rather than using his private office, Seren took possession of the private meeting room where City Council normally would meet for such a special meeting, leaving them no alternative but to use the public City Council chambers. Seren then used Cleveland Heights resources to publish two "live-stream" videos of him working for aproximately six hours titled "The Mayors Whereabouts Part 1" and The Mayors Whereabouts Part 2"

Later that same day, Cleveland.com reported that the Seren administration had contacted the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office to ask whether a Cleveland Heights police officer could be charged with a felony for recording the December 6, 2024 incident involving McDaniel and an on-duty police officer inside City Hall.

The request to charge the officer, combined with the administration’s decision to withhold the video from both the public and City Council, drew further accusations of abuse of power and efforts to suppress documentation of misconduct. The revelation intensified public scrutiny of Seren’s leadership, which had already faced mounting criticism due to allegations of a hostile work environment and McDaniel’s informal but reportedly directive role within City Hall. The controversy contributed to calls from residents and the editorial board of ''The Plain Dealer'' for Mayor Seren to resign.

References

External links

Mayor's Office , Cleveland Heights, OH

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seren, Kahlil
Mayors of places in Ohio
Living people
21st-century African-American politicians
21st-century mayors of places in Ohio
African-American people in Ohio politics
Cleveland State University alumni
Ohio Democrats
African-American mayors in Ohio
1978 births