I was born in the Bronx, N.Y. and shortly thereafter moved to Colorado and was raised there. My parents divorced when I was young and moved to different parts of the state so I have lived all over the state of Colorado. I graduated from a small town called Florence at the time I lived with my mom and my stepdad. After graduation I wanted to get away from the prison capital of Colorado and I joined the US Navy. I served for 10 years on two nuclear powered submarines the USS Alaska SSBN-732 and USS Louisiana SSBN-743, as well as a tour on the submarine tender USS McKee AS-41. I was a nuclear trained Machinist Mate, and Engineering Laboratory Technician was my specialty. That meant I was one of the guys maintaining Reactor Plant chemistry, Secondary Plant chemistry, and performing all radiological surveys.

I started with the State of Ohio in May of 2010 with the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction as a Corrections Officer. I used my Union Education Trust funds to finish my degree at Columbia Southern University, (thank you Kyle Niece for your encouragement) and parlayed that into my first job with the Department of Public Safety at the Ohio Emergency Management Agency as the Radiological Analyst Supervisor in September of 2015. Shortly thereafter my boss, the Radiological Branch Chief, announced he was moving back West. I applied for the position, and, as they say, the rest is history. I became the Radiological Branch Chief in August of 2016.

I married Lisa in 2018, on top of Pikes Peak at 14,415 feet by our Pastor. (Fun Fact!) We both have two adult children from previous marriages. She has a son and a daughter, and I have two daughters. My youngest gave us our first two grandchildren. Her youngest gave us our third grandchild at the beginning of the year. All the grandchildren reside across Missouri. They are amazing and so much fun to be around. My oldest relocated to Texas with her husband and Lisa’s oldest still lives close by with his wife in Hilliard.

What was the first job you ever had?

My first job was a newspaper carrier when I was 12.

Do you have a mentor that has helped you with your career?

I can’t really put my finger on any one person who has been a mentor in my career. I have always worked off the idea that everyone you encounter has something of value to offer you and in return you owe them your respect, courtesy, and time to figure out what that is. There are so many contributors to the success of my career to include my current staff, when you work with such intelligent people its bound to rub off on you even just a little!

Do you have a favorite work memory?

Wow, there are so many favorites how do I narrow it down to just one. Empowering my staff. Their ideas, when you listen, can be really amazing. Implementing those ideas then brings them more ownership of our program and the importance of what we do which then leads to more ideas and more ownership and the cycle tends to continue.

What are your hobbies in your free time?

My favorite hobbies, are bike riding on the Rails to Trails, hiking the National Parks, and spending time with family.

Check it out: LawEnforcementJobs.Ohio.Gov

Benefits to Law Enforcement Agencies:

• Free Job Postings – Tailor job postings to meet your specific needs and, with over 5 million registered users on OhioMeansJobs.com, find top talent to help your agency succeed.
• Individualized Agency Pages – Customizable pages that highlight your opportunities through mission statements, pictures, videos and messages from Chiefs and Sheriffs.
• Free Resume Screening – Easily search over 3 million resumes on OhioMeansJobs.com or have a local OhioMeansJobs Center team help perform skill assessments and prescreen candidates.
• Veteran Recruitment/Hiring Veterans – Get one-on-one assistance from someone who specializes in connecting employers with qualified service members and veteran candidates.

Benefits to Law Enforcement Candidates:

• Find Jobs – Discover dozens of up-to-date law enforcement jobs on the website, without sorting through unrelated postings.
• Resume Builder – Upload or create a modern resume that highlights your skills and strengths.
• Interview Tool – Take advantage of the real-world interview skill builders and question library to practice and fine tune your interview skills.

Operation BRIDGE Days

As part of National Deflection Week, all 88 counties on Ohio participated in BRIDGE Days on July 17-18. Local events focused on community outreach and building relationships between law enforcement and the community. Teams also distributed Naloxone kits and offered treatment to those with substance use disorder. Learn more about Operation BRIDGE here.

BMV Outreach Team Participated in BRIDGE Days

The BMV Outreach team traveled to Cincinnati and participated in Day One of the two-day Operation BRIDGE Summer Block Party and Resources Fair hosted by the Hamilton County Quick Response Team! The event is dedicated to breaking down barriers and providing easy access to essential community services. The Outreach team was proud to provide over 40 individuals with reinstatement information that will assist them in securing a valid driver’s license.

Day Two of the Operation BRIDGE Summer Block Party and Resources Fair provided the BMV Outreach team with another opportunity to help individuals easily gain access to essential community services. The weather was beautiful in Southwestern Ohio, and the team was excited to assist almost 50 individuals with reinstatement and amnesty information that will aid in removing financial barriers to securing a valid driver’s license.

BMV Chat with Charlie reached 1 Million Chats

Recently, the BMV's Chat with Charlie feature on their website, helped it's 1,000,000th customer! On July 16, they celebrated with the employees that put the platform together!

OCJS holds Fiscal Grant Management Training

On July 17, OCJS staff held a Fiscal Grant Management Training in Columbus. The training was designed to review the responsibility of award recipients. The awarded funds are to be used only to carry out the goals and objectives identified in the grant. Attendees learned to be good stewards of taxpayer money and that they must account for costs and justify expenditures.

New Leader to Combat Human Trafficking in Ohio

Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson announced the hiring of an anti-human trafficking professional to coordinate the efforts of the Governor's Human Trafficking Task Force.

Kelli Cary returns to Ohio after serving for about two years as CEO of AncoraTN, which combats human trafficking in central Tennessee. Previously in Ohio, Cary served the human trafficking community in jobs at RAHAB Ministries, the Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center, and the Salvation Army.

“Kelli’s experience will enable Ohio’s human trafficking victims to receive support, services, and continue their healing journey,” said Director Wilson, whose agency houses the position within the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS). “Kelli will oversee all the human trafficking programmatic assistance OCJS provides and will coordinate with the 15 state agencies that are part of the statewide task force to ensure a continuum of care for victims.”

Governor Mike DeWine’s administration dedicated $9 million in funding to combat human trafficking in Ohio’s most recent operating budget. This historic investment is also being used toward additional local and statewide projects and to expand the Governor's Human Trafficking Task Force, which prioritizes a holistic approach to responding to human trafficking by identifying gaps in prevention, victim services, and prosecution.

The budget investment also allowed OCJS to hire Kathy Chen, a Special Population Anti-Trafficking Specialist, who works with local human trafficking task forces and law enforcement agencies to disrupt illicit massage businesses. Oftentimes, these organizations are a front to promote and engage in human trafficking.

“Ohio is unique among states in that we have dedicated resources and a position to crack down on illicit massage businesses,” said Cary. “Kathy’s experience and track record of her work in California will help many communities across Ohio – in rural, suburban, and urban areas – who are battling illicit massage activities.”

Since her start in January, Chen has been re-establishing her previous relationships with local task forces and resource providers. The key to prosecuting these crimes is law enforcement, victim services, and culturally specific services working together as a team.

As part of this new human trafficking budget investment, the Governor announced in February a $4.6 million in funding to help victim service agencies meet the needs of human trafficking survivors.

Ohio Driver Training Offers Free Curriculum to Licensed Schools

In an effort to enhance Ohio’s teen driver training, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) is now offering AAA’s nationally recognized driver training curriculum, How to Drive, free of charge to current and prospective driver training schools in Ohio. This new resource will support driver training schools, instructors, and students by providing turn-key, high quality educational content.

“In the past, driver training schools have had to either create their own lesson plans or purchase an Ohio-approved curriculum with Ohio-specific lesson plans,” said Emily Davidson, OTSO’s Executive Director. “Since we know lesson planning takes a considerable amount of time, our office aims to support these small businesses by providing a high-quality, free option for classroom and behind-the-wheel training.”

Recent research shows that Ohio drivers who obtain their driver license at 16 or 17 are less likely to be in injury crashes within their first 12 months of licensure, than those who are first licensed at age 18 or 19 when training is no longer required.1

To help more Ohio teens benefit from driver education, OTSO has identified three priority areas: more accessibility, increased capacity, and stronger education. OTSO has other grants that focus on capacity and accessibility, but this initiative was specifically created to help strengthen education. However, it will also help support the other two priority areas by helping new driver training schools get started quickly to help meet the demand of current and new students.

The AAA How to Drive Novice Driver Training Program is designed specifically to address the causal factors in young driver crashes and relies heavily upon scientifically reliable data to support driver education concepts, and teaching methods and techniques. It is the only officially nationally recognized curriculum that is endorsed by the American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA).

EMA Releases Ohio Total Solar Eclipse Story Map

Ohio’s total solar eclipse proved exciting and left many people who viewed it in awe. There was a lot that of planning and preparations that went on behind the scenes to make this event as safe as it was memorable. We would like to share a story map which was created by the Ohio EMA Geographic Information System (GIS) section, which is housed under the Logistics Branch.

The GIS coordinator compiled documentation and photographs of the almost three-year journey from the planning meetings and tabletop exercises to the participation, beautiful weather, and fantastic end result.

We contribute the overall success of the day to our local, state, and federal partners who joined us in the planning, training, and preparation; but the biggest thanks goes to Ohioans who were gracious hosts to the large amounts of visitors that came to our state.

Click here to view the Ohio Total Solar Eclipse Story Map.

Ohio State Fair Recap

IT responds to Global Microsoft and CrowdStrike Outage

A special thanks to DPS and OSHP offices of Information Technology. After an unprecedented set of challenges following the impact from the global Microsoft and CrowdStrike outage. Their creativity, and willingness to drop everything to respond in a time of crisis were on full display. Thank you to the leadership displayed by DPS CIO Jasmine Ramaradjou, OSHP Systems Administrator Jeremy Hansford and all of the men and women who worked so tirelessly to repair the technology that we all rely on to do our jobs.

Ohio Launches Statewide Bystander Care Initiative, Every Minute Counts

Bystander Intervention is a Crucial Link in the Chain of Survival

The Ohio Department of Public Safety and Ohio Division of Emergency Medical Services have launched a statewide campaign called Every Minute Counts that encourages all Ohioans to learn basic bystander care.

“Sudden cardiac arrest starts a clock, and with each passing minute, the chance of survival ticks down,” said Governor DeWine. “You don’t have to be a medical professional to help. Anyone can perform hands-only CPR, which buys precious time until medics arrive.”

It can often take two minutes before bystanders realize someone is suffering a medical emergency. Each minute that passes without bystander intervention decreases the chances of survival significantly.

The new Every Minute Counts campaign, which can be found here, aims to educate more Ohioans about sudden cardiac arrest and how bystander intervention helps increase survivor rates. The campaign includes social media posts debunking myths about hands-only CPR and encourages local EMS agencies to engage with their communities about the importance of bystander intervention.

“Every Ohioan has the ability to save a life,” said Andy Wilson, Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “If it was your mom, your brother, your child, any person you cared about, suffering a life-threatening medical emergency, wouldn’t you hope a bystander would step in to save them? Hands-only CPR is easy to learn, as are other basic life-saving skills. A 911 dispatcher can even talk you through it.”

“Sudden cardiac arrest is fatal 90% of the time, unless there is bystander intervention,” said Robert Wagoner, Executive Director of the Ohio Division of EMS. “Depending on where you live, it could take anywhere from five minutes to a half hour for first responders to arrive. Bystander care is a crucial first step in the chain of survival.”

“If one link in that chain of survival breaks, the person dies. It’s just that simple,” said Dr. Justin Benoit, Chairman of the Ohio Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (Ohio CARES) and emergency physician with University of Cincinnati Medical Center. “Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anytime. It happens to the sick and the healthy. It happens to people of all ages. Immediate hands-only CPR is key to increasing survival rates.”

Every Minute Counts also features survivor stories, including that of Canen Dickman, a sophomore at Worthington Kilbourne High School who collapsed during a summer soccer practice. His coaches responded immediately, performing CPR and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restore Canen’s pulse before he was transported to the hospital. Canen was a strong advocate for House Bill 47, which was signed by Governor DeWine last week to require AEDs in public and chartered non-public schools throughout the state.

Another survivor story features Kimber Perfect, an Ohioan who was walking in downtown Columbus when she suddenly collapsed. One stranger called 911 while another stranger performed hands-only CPR. Other bystanders guided the ambulance to her location.

“I survived and lived to tell the tale thanks to bystander participation and people jumping in,” said Perfect. “I literally went and thanked everybody except the stranger who did compressions. I still don’t know who he is. My cousin said he was my guardian angel and he had somebody else to go save.”

You can watch survival stories below.

Kimber Perfect

Canen Dickman

Steve Meadows

Director Wilson is challenging all state and local agencies and businesses throughout Ohio to offer CPR training to employees and have AEDs in visible locations that are easy to access.

Ohio Driver’s Licenses and IDs Can Now Be Added to Apple Wallet

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and BMV Registrar Charlie Norman announced on July 31 that Ohioans can now add their Ohio-issued driver’s license or state identification card to Apple Wallet for use in person at select businesses, in select apps, and at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoints, including at John Glenn Columbus International Airport and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Ohio also launched a free age verification app for businesses, enabling them to securely and privately accept customers’ mobile driver's licenses and ID cards in person using an iPhone.

“Ohio has always been a leader in innovation, and now we are the fifth state in the country that gives residents the option to securely add their driver’s license to Apple Wallet,” said Governor DeWine. “This is another example of how Ohio is using technology to better serve its customers and residents.”

"InnovateOhio aims to make Ohio the most innovative, entrepreneurial state in the Midwest while enhancing convenience for residents through technology," said Lt. Governor Husted. "Adding your Ohio driver's license or ID to Apple Wallet is the latest example of modernizing the BMV and simplifying processes for Ohioans. We’ve also launched an app for businesses to read Ohio Mobile IDs, enabling them to utilize this new service."

InnovateOhio and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) collaborated with Apple to give Ohioans the option to add their mobile driver’s licenses and identification cards to Apple Wallet, which provides a secure and private way for residents to add and present their IDs on iPhone and Apple Watch.

“This most recent enhancement for Ohioans is the latest in a series of BMV innovations launched in collaboration with InnovateOhio,” said Ohio BMV Registrar Charlie Norman. “Since 2019, these modernizations and added conveniences have saved Ohioans over 7 million trips to BMV locations and more than 641,000 hours of standing in line.”

“This marks another milestone in TSA’s efforts to continue providing a secure and seamless screening process at Ohio airports,” TSA’s Ohio Federal Security Director Donald Barker said. “Travelers who want to take advantage of this new capability will find that their mobile Ohio driver’s license and state ID is a convenient option when going through the security process. TSA is committed to expanding use of these technologies to enhance airport security."

Ohio School Safety Center Celebrates Fifth Anniversary at Annual Summit

Over 1,300 school staff members, mental health professionals, and first responders joined members of the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) July 31 - Aug. 1 during the annual Ohio School Safety Summit in Columbus.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine created the OSSC in August 2019 to serve as a centralized location for school safety support.

Over the last five years, the OSSC has grown from a staff of six to over 50, with school safety experts in both physical and emotional safety spread out across the state. Since its creation, the OSSC team has trained over 7,000 individuals both online and in person and has hosted four annual school safety summits reaching an even larger audience.

Additionally, the OSSC has awarded $215 million to over 2,700 schools as part of the K-12 School Safety Grant Program and $10 million to nearly 60 higher education institutions to improve physical safety. Thanks to the diversity of backgrounds on the team, OSSC staff tailor supports and services to the specific needs of each school and also develop trainings and research best practices to fill any gaps identified.

OSSC also works with Ohio high school students who are passionate about school safety.

“Our Student Safety Advisory Council members are making a vast difference in their own schools as well as across the state,” said OSSC Executive Director Emily Torok. “I love seeing their individual capstone projects come to life and helping turn them into statewide initiatives.”

The Council is comprised of select high school students who are conducting a roundtable at the Summit to answer pressing questions about safety from a student perspective and will be presenting their capstone projects at exhibit tables. Some of their projects included self-defense trainings, inclusive school safety planning, district-wide safety committee creation, student safety podcast, first aid seminars, safety days, safety based professional development courses, school safety art contest, developing contact lists for students with mental health supports and services, kindness campaigns, and more. To learn more about the Council and their efforts, click here.