01/09/2024

Thank you for attending the 2023 CCAO / CEAO Winter Conference!

Thank you to all the county commissioners, county executives, county council members, county engineers, and other county elected officials and staff who attended the 2023 CCAO / CEAO Winter Conference last month in Columbus. You can view photos from the event on our Facebook page!

At the annual CCAO Business Meeting, members elected Tuscarawas County Commissioner Chris Abbuhl as 2024 CCAO Board of Directors President and the following members as the rest of the 2024 officers:

• 1st Vice President: David Painter of Clermont County
• 2nd Vice President: Denise Driehaus of Hamilton County
• Secretary: Illene Shapiro of Summit County
• Treasurer: Casey Kozlowski of Ashtabula County

 Additionally, the following members were appointed to two-year terms on the board:

• Tony Anderson of Fayette County
• Jeff Fix of Fairfield County
• Stephen Hambley of Medina County
• Shannon Jones of Warren County
• Gary Merrell of Delaware County
• Chris Ronayne of Cuyahoga County
• Gary Scherer of Pickaway County
• Donnie Willis of Jackson County

During the Business Meeting, those counties that are members of NACo also voted for Ohio's two representatives on the NACo Board of Directors. In a three-way race between Debbie Lieberman (Montgomery County), Painter, and Lisa Sobecki (Lucas County), NACo members selected Lieberman and Painter for the NACo Board.

Across the three-day conference, attendees had the opportunity to sit in on a number of panels to learn about issues affecting counties. Sessions included such topics as:

• Navigating the implementation of legalized adult-use cannabis,
• Understanding community solar,
• The OneOhio Recovery Foundation's plan for 2024 and beyond,
• A cyber security overview from CORSA,
• and more!

Copies of the presentations shared at the event are available for download at our Winter Conference page.

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from Rear Admiral Peter Cressy on the leadership styles of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill, and what lessons county leaders can take from these former world leaders. 

Another exciting panel was the Legislator Panel, which featured Speaker of the House (and former Lawrence County Commissioner) Jason Stephens, House Minority Leader Allison Russo, Senate Majority Whip Theresa Gavarone, and Senator Bill DeMora. Attendees had a chance to hear from these key legislators about how to best advocate for issues important in their counties, what each chamber's plans are for the capital budget and the rest of the legislative term, and more!

Finally, we would like to thank our partners and sponsors who helped make the event possible.