Her mother, Joan Brown Campbell, served as the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches and her father was a partner at Squire, Sanders and Dempsey.

[citation needed] Campbell attended Shaker Heights High School, and earned her undergraduate degree in American History from the University of Michigan.

In the early 80s, as the executive director of the Friends of Shaker Square, a neighborhood on Cleveland's east side, Campbell managed economic development, organized security patrols and expanded the historic district.

Campbell authored numerous laws that included tax incentives for economic development, financing for Cleveland Browns Stadium, Gateway complex (now Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena), authorizing prosecution of abuse and neglect of elderly and disabled people, creating a statewide review of child deaths, reforming juvenile justice, and establishing child support guidelines and penalties.

She also led the drive to create Cuyahoga County's first Brownfield Loan Fund in conjunction with seven local banks to redevelop abandoned industrial and commercial sites.

Throughout her four years, Campbell worked with other levels of government and the private sector to initiate nearly $3 billion of investments for urban development and redevelopment projects.

During Campbell's mayoralty, a federal corruption investigation continued from the prior city administration, resulting in subsequent convictions of two of the former Mayor's confidantes.

[4] In 2005, Intel named Cleveland as one of the "World’s Digital Communities" in 2005, after Campbell set the stage for using technology as a platform for innovative economic development.

[7] She was previously the Director of the Washington Office of the National Development Council (NDC) and President of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

Campbell was married to urban planner Hunter Morrison, the head of Youngstown State University's Office of Campus Planning and Community Partnerships.