10 March 2008: A Dayton native, Mayor Rhine McLin has a long history of active community involvement, which attests to her commitment to public service. She became the first female Mayor of Dayton when she was elected to the City Commission for a term beginning 7 January 2002.

McLin received a B.A. in sociology and secondary education from Parsons College in Iowa and a Master of Education in guidance counseling from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Mayor McLin also has an associate degree in mortuary science from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. She is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer for McLin Funeral Home in Dayton. She served as an instructor at Central State University West, where she taught Criminology, Juvenile Delinquency and Race Relations from 1982 to 1997.

Mayor McLin previously served six years in the Ohio House of Representatives, from 1988 to 1994, and was then elected state senator for the 5th Ohio Senate District, serving Montgomery and Miami Counties. When elected in 1994, she became the first African-American woman to serve in the Ohio Senate. In 1998, McLin was elected by her peers to serve in leadership as Minority Whip. Two years later, she was elected again to serve in the Senate leadership as Minority Leader. Mayor McLin is Dayton's 67th Mayor and the third African-American Mayor in the city's history.

The following lists a number of awards and honors Rhine McLin has received: 1995 Paul Harris Fellowship; 1999 Gabriel Louis Mann Fellowship; 2000 James E. Stamps Alumni Recognition Award; 2000 Myrl H. Shoemaker Award; 2000 Columbus Area Women's Political Caucus "Breaking the Glass Ceiling" Award; 2003 NFBPA (Dayton Chapter) Marks of Excellence Award for Public Service.

McLin is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition and in January 2008 was elected Secretary of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors.