OCCD 2022 Summer Annual Meeting

Considering we’ve just begun summer; it feels more like early August with painfully hot weather and now some thunderstorms.  Mother Nature likes to keep us guessing, so by the end of July it’s entirely possible we’ll be having a cool spell. However, the weather outside won’t matter if you join us at the Crown Plaza Columbus North on July 27 and 28.  Like our meeting in April, this one will be in person with a virtual option for those who can’t join us.  With one and half days, we are going to host 6 sessions; have Tony Core, from Squire Patton Boggs, give us a legislative update; and even have a keynote speaker at lunch!  ODOD and HUD Field Office breakouts will be held virtually on Friday morning, July 29^th. 

Wednesday morning, Pam Blais from Ohio Department of Health will share updates about Healthy Homes and other lead programming.  Later in that session we will hear from Chris Amato speaking about the lead abatement program he leads in Toledo at the Historic South Initiative.

Following that presentation will be our annual board meeting, with nominations from the floor, board elections and an update on the strategic plan. 

Our session mid-morning will be inspirational, as we will hear about New Leaf Marketplace in Nelsonville, a Survivor Advocacy and Outreach Program. Staff from there will share their story of hope and recovery in southeast Ohio. 

Next is lunch. After so many conferences on ZOOM, we are featuring a keynote speaker again!  Bill Faith, the outgoing and outstanding leader of COHHIO, will share some thoughts and inspiration.

Immediately following lunch is our annual awards ceremony, recognizing Community Development Professionals of the year, Department of the Year, and the President’s Award, along with OCCD Foundation Scholarship awards. 

Getting back to specifics, Tony Core of Squire Patton Boggs will share his insights on recent and pending legislation and how it may impact all of us in our organizations. 

After that, sit back and take in philosophies of leadership, with Rollin Seward, Ken Lengieza, and Paul Tecpanecatl. 

At this point, we will pause for a mid-afternoon snack and stretch break. When we return, we’ll be hearing from our partners at County Commissioners Association of Ohio and the Ohio Township Association. These are organizations that support many of the programs we utilize.  And they can and do reach out to legislators to tell them why a particular program is so important to our communities.   

After such a busy day, we will need some R&R and that opportunity comes by attending the reception at 5:15, followed by the dinner banquet program at 6:00.

Thursday morning, Jon McCracken, the new state director for USDA, will share his vision for their programs and some thoughts about partnerships. USDA, especially through its Rural Development division, has programming that is very similar to the programs we run that are CDBG funded. Too many community developers are unaware of this programming and how it can be used in tandem with CDBG. 

After a coffee break, ODOD will facilitate a discussion about the current landscape of housing in the state. They are looking for input to identify gaps in products, services and programs, and are also seeking out best practices.  With the feedback from this and many other sessions across Ohio, ODOD will be creating a report on the state of housing and homelessness in Ohio.   

I am so looking forward to seeing everyone on July 27 and 28.  Details for registration for both in-person and virtual attendance are posted on the OCCD website. 

Terri Fetherolf, OCCD Vice President