Gov. DeWine's September Meeting Remarks
Our Board of Directors was honored to have Governor Mike DeWine attend our September meeting. In addition to helping us welcome Alisha Nelson as our new executive director, whom the governor appointed in August, he discussed the important role the Foundation will play in Ohio’s ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic.
“We all collectively as people in Ohio, through you, have a unique opportunity to take a significant amount of money – one-time money that we’re never going to get back again – to take some of that money and to really do some things that are, in fact, transformative,” said DeWine.
While making it clear that the Foundation is responsible for determining how funds should ultimately be spent, Gov. DeWine encouraged the Board to rely on experts when considering funding opportunities, carefully consider how long the Foundation should exist to ensure resources to support drug abatement are available in the future, and seek out transformative projects that would not get done but for the creation of the Foundation and the settlement dollars awarded.
“It’s going to be in your hands and your judgement how fast you spend this money, how long you want it to last, and what you do with it,” said DeWine. “But that’s the way it was set up. It was set up so you, as representatives of every part of the state and the people of the state of Ohio, will have the opportunity to do that.”
In his closing remarks, Gov. DeWine thanked the 29-member, all-volunteer Board of Directors for their ongoing work to build the Foundation into as strong a partner as possible in advancing our shared mission of relief, recovery and prevention.
“I am very grateful that you’re willing to take this on. We have great confidence that you all will do a great job and do a lot of good for the people of Ohio,” concluded DeWine. “Our problems in the area of drugs and the very related area of mental health – as you know, they’re very, very tied together – these are significant problems that impact our communities. I wish you well and, again, I thank you for taking this on.”
To watch the OneOhio Recovery Foundation’s September Board meeting and view meeting materials, please visit OneOhioFoundation.com/Meetings.
