OBRT held its 31st Annual Meeting in Cleveland on the campus of Cleveland Clinic. We'd like to thank all of our members who were able to join us, and a special thank you to our members who participated in the panels or presented as part of the informative agenda.
During the meeting, we provided an update on the Ohio Grants Alliance with each of the regional partners sharing the importance of the initiative and details about the successes so far. Senator Sherrod Brown also joined us virtually to share how businesses can partner with the federal government to continue the momentum of the Ohio Grants Alliance.
Governor DeWine attended the meeting to share his priorities for his administration in the coming years, which is particularly focused on strengthening Ohio's education system following the transition of the Department of Education and Workforce.
Donatos Chairwoman and Chief Purpose Office, Jane Grote Abell, also spoke to our members alongside Department of Jobs and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder about a new pilot program they are partnering on to help employees avoid the "benefits cliff," a problem that discourages workers from accepting promotions because it will mean losing access to certain government assistance programs.
Mental health was also a priority for OBRT in 2023. To that end, the meeting featured a panel with OBRT members Molly Kocour Boyle (AT&T), Dr. Steve Markovich (OhioHealth), and Mark Smucker (The J.M. Smucker Company) who shared their thoughts with moderator Lori Criss on the impact of mental health on their companies, and what they are doing to provide employees with greater access and helpful programs.
Lastly, we were pleased to be hosted by the Cleveland Foundation for our member and spouse dinner the evening prior to our business meeting. They graciously opened the doors of their brand-new facility and Lillian Kuri, the President and CEO, provided an overview of the foundation's work. The evening also featured remarks from Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, as well as an in-depth interview of our special guest, Alan Shaw, President and CEO of Norfolk Southern.
Thank you again to all who attended or participated in another successful OBRT Annual Meeting!