Complete Story
07/08/2025
President's Message: A Season of Advocacy
This has been a very busy advocacy season, with much of OAO’s focus being on legislation and keeping an eye on issues that may affect our members.
On April 17th, I met with Ohio State Representative David Thomas. Dave Thomas is a rep in my district, and one I had yet to meet. We discussed the importance of licensure for opticians in Ohio, especially in urban and rural areas where Medicaid providers are not as available.
On May 25th, I attended the NFIB Small Business Day, where I was able to meet with Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel. We discussed the importance of apprenticeships, especially in the field of opticianry, as we no longer have a 2-year college program in Ohio.
At the same event, I heard House Rep. Matt Huffman and President of the Ohio Senate, Sen. Rob McColley, give a legislative update on current small business legislation being considered. This was important because, if you recall, Rep. Huffman was president of the Workforce Committee when our license came under attack, so we want to listen closely to what he says.
