A first generation college graduate, Turner holds an Associate's degree from Cuyahoga Community College and Bachelor's and Master's degrees in history from Cleveland State University. She began her professional career as a legislative aide in the Ohio Senate, after which she returned to her hometown of Cleveland to serve in the administration of then - Mayor Michael R. White and later advocated on behalf of the city's school children at the state and federal level as the Director of Government Affairs for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. As the first woman ever elected to represent Cleveland's Ward 1 in City Council, Turner quickly became a leader in the campaign to make our neighborhoods safer and more family-friendly places to live. Declaring that "excuses are out the door," she led the charge to reclaim the city's future; championing changes in curfew laws and initiatives to combat increasing violence as well as playing a central role in bringing attention to the region's foreclosure crisis.

Senator Turner remains deeply invested in her community. During her time on City Council, she established the Derek W. Owens Memorial Scholarship fund in honor of slain Cleveland Police Officer Derek Owens and has been instrumental in the evolution of the Ohio Closing the Achievement Gap Campaign. Moreover, her efforts have touched the lives of countless young people through her work as a mentor at her alma mater, John F. Kennedy High School.

Turner continues to fight for issues that matter to the people of Cuyahoga County and the State of Ohio. A lifelong advocate of the power of education, she believes that a well educated citizenry is essential to restoring and maintaining Ohio's economic prominence. In the Senate, she has championed innovative solutions to critical challenges; promoting collaboration and regionalism in local governance, working to ensure that our state's workforce is ready to leverage 21st century opportunities and fighting to maintain the economic security of the middle class.

In addition to her service in the Ohio General Assembly, Senator Turner takes great pride in her role as a professor at Cuyahoga Community College, seeing her work as an educator as an opportunity to help people surmount obstacles through hard work and perseverance. She was recently honored with the 2010 Women of Excellence Award by the Corporate Club at Landerhaven and recognized for her work toward expanding educational opportunity with the Distinguished Governmental Service Award from the Ohio Association of Career Colleges and Schools. A powerful force in the region, Turner has been named to "The Power 100 - Northeast Ohio's Most Influential People" by Inside Business magazine in both 2010 and 2011.

Senator Turner currently serves on multiple Senate committees and is the Ranking Minority Member on the Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Great Lakes Science Center, the United Way of Greater Cleveland and the executive board of the Cleveland Police Foundation. She is married to Jeffery Turner, Sr. with whom she has a son, Jeffery Jr., who is a Member of the Ohio National Guard military police and a student at Cleveland State University where he is a cadet in the ROTC.