OACB forms regional support networks for county board public relations staffers

New for 2018, OACB is creating six regional networks for public information officers and public/community relations staff members at county boards of DD.  These networks are intended to act in a similar manner to those that already exist for superintendents, business managers, SSA directors, children’s services directors, and other professionals in Ohio’s DD service delivery system. Geographically, these networks will be directly aligned with the regions already established by the superintendent’s association (see map, right).

By creating these networks, OACB seeks to accomplish the following goals:

1. Build professional skills for individual county board PR staff members;
2. Leverage local talents into neighboring counties;
3. Increase collaboration among county boards at a regional level; 
4. Promote greater consistency in messaging across county lines; and
5. Establish best practices within the county board system on topics related to communications and public relations.

OACB anticipates that each group will meet in their region at least twice a year. It is likely that these meet-ups will take place at roughly the halfway point between each of OACB’s flagship professional development events in May (Spring Conference) and December (Annual Convention). If successful, maintaining this schedule will ensure that PR/communications staff have at least four opportunities a year to engage with their colleagues and improve their effectiveness through training, collaboration, and information-sharing (twice regionally, and twice statewide).

All groups will be facilitated (not led or chaired—as all members will have equal standing) by a county board staff member from each region who has volunteered to help coordinate meetings and related logistics. These regional facilitators will only be expected to collect information, facilitate meeting scheduling/site selection, and present ideas/concerns/proposals to OACB and statewide meetings. The six regional volunteer facilitators are:

Region 1: Mollie Tyrell (Wood County)
Region 2: Melissa Nichols (Miami County)
Region 3: Ryan Braun (Hamilton County)
Region 4: Temple Montanez (Fairfield County)
Region 5: Pamela McCort (Belmont-Harrison-Noble Alliance)
Region 6: Lisa Parramore (Stark County)

PR staff members and superintendents in each region should expect to receive a communication with a scheduling request and call for agenda topics via email from their regional facilitator listed above. Members with questions about this effort should contact Adam Herman at aherman@oacbdd.org.