Sept. 14, 2022 Recap: Opioid Settlement Fund Board Holds Public Meeting

OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND BOARD HOLDS PUBLIC MEETING IN CONTINUING EFFORTS TO SET UP FOUNDATION

29-Member Board Takes Action to Establish Policies Focused on Transparency, Financial Donation, and Record Retention

COLUMBUS, OH – The OneOhio Recovery Foundation, a newly created private, non-profit corporation charged with distributing funds for local relief, recovery and prevention efforts, as well as creating an endowment to fund future needs, held its fifth public board meeting on September 14.

The 29-member Foundation Board has been meeting monthly since May to begin establishing the new organization—launching a search for an executive director, hiring staff, establishing bank accounts, and developing governance policies.

“It is essential that careful, deliberate attention be paid to every detail of setting up the Foundation and its operations,” said Foundation Board Chair Kathryn Whittington. “Today the board continued its important work to ensure the responsible, transparent management of the opioid settlement funds on behalf of all Ohioans.”

At the September board meeting, the board took action to:

• Adopt the Foundation’s Code of Regulations developed from the founding principles outlined in the OneOhio Memorandum of Understanding, entered into by the State of Ohio and local governments involved in the National Prescription Opiate Multidistrict Litigation.

• Adopt a transparency policy for Foundation staff, board members, committees and the expert panel to ensure openness, access, and transparency in its work. Meetings shall be accessible to the public and certain records shall be made available upon reasonable written request.

• Create a record retention policy to ensure that all documents created by the Foundation are preserved in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.

• Establish a policy for financial gifts that may be bestowed to the Foundation.

• Establish a “whistleblower” policy for future Foundation employees who wish to report a suspected violation of law or improper activity.

• Appoint Don Mason (Region 12) as Investment Committee Chair, Larry Kidd (Governor Appointee) as Finance and Audit Committee Chair, Julie Ehemann (Region 15) as Personnel Committee Chair and Tom Gregoire (Governor Appointee) as Grant Oversight Committee Chair.

The Foundation policies adopted today will soon be available on the Foundation’s website.

Additionally, Chair Whittington informed the board that Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office has voluntarily released $1 million of the funds the state received through the McKinsey & Co. opioid settlement to support the Foundation’s operational startup costs.

“The national distribution of funds is going slower than anyone would like and is an ongoing barrier to the Foundation being able to set up its operations,” said Whittington. “To be clear, before today, the Foundation had received no funds to hire staff or pay for other important business necessities like insurance. Attorney General Yost shares our frustration and has provided the Foundation with $1 million his office received from a separate opioid settlement with the McKinsey & Co. consulting firm. The Board appreciates this assistance and looks forward to our continued partnership with him in getting the Foundation’s important work in motion.”

Members of the public and media may access video of all board meetings and related board documents at OneOhioFoundation.com/Meetings.

The next Foundation board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12 at 12 p.m. ET.