OABH 2026 Members,

Thank you for your support of the Ohio Association of Boards of Health in 2026 by having your health department become a member. Your membership gave your board members the ability to vote on OABH’s governance at its annual membership meeting on September 19, 2026. Because our annual membership meeting was canceled due to low registration, a Voting Packet and ballot were sent by mail.

This year the voting ballot includes approval of the Fall 2025 Business Meeting Minutes, approval of the OABH officers (president, president-elect, and treasurer), and approval of the OABH By-Laws Final 8-2026 (edits made since 2023’s version). Below you will find a short bio of the 2026 OABH officers to assist in your vote.

The completed ballot should reflect the majority vote of your board members and must be signed by a Health Commissioner or Board President/Chair. Please return the ballot in the provided self-addressed envelope by December 1, 2026.

Thank you for your continued support of the Ohio Association of Boards of Health. We look forward to providing your board members with additional educational opportunities soon. Contact me at executivedirector@oabh.org if you have any questions.

Regards,

Lori Metivier, Executive Director, OABH

2026 OABH Officer Bios

President – Kathy Smith MSN, RN, CENP

Kathy is the Chief Operating Officer for Community Health & Wellness Partners in Logan County and serves as vice president of the Logan County Health District’s board of health.

President Elect – Alvin J. Brown VMD

Dr. Brown is a retired veterinarian and with over 20 years of dedicated service on the Lake County General Health District’s Board of Health, serving the last three years as president.

Treasurer – Joanna Pittinger

Joanna is a Tipp City council member and dedicated EMS leader. She is also the current president of the Miami County board of health and OABH’s Treasurer for the past 4 years.

Meeting has been CANCELED – we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. Any payments made will be refunded.

Registration is now open for the OABH 2026 Fall Membership Meeting.  Use the form below to register.

View meeting flyer and agenda: Fall 2026 Flyer

Attend in person or virtually on September 19, 2026; a one-day event featuring speakers with information relevant to issues for today’s boards of health. Opening speaker, Wendy Hyde, will present on how BOH members can close Tobacco 21 enforcement gaps with technology and smart policy. Our second speaker, Health Commissioner Adam Litke, will present on his experience in creating a groundbreaking cross-jurisdictional agreement with two county public health departments (Lake and Geauga). Delaware County’s Health Commissioner, Garrett Guillozet, will close the conference providing updates from the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners relevant to Ohio local boards of health.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from these outstanding public health leaders and receive 3.0 continuing education credits. Contact Lori Metivier at executivedirector@oabh.org if you have any questions.

SAVE THE DATE!

EVENT: Ohio Association of Boards of Health 2026 Fall Membership Meeting

DATE/TIME: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m

LOCATION: Delaware Public Health District, 470 S Sandusky St., Delaware, OH 43015

COST: Members: $20 (in-person w/ lunch); $5 virtual / Non-Members: $30 (in-person w/ lunch); $10 virtual

We are excited to have the following speakers presenting relevant issues for Ohio’s local boards of health:

• Wendy Hyde, M.Ed., Tobacco21
• Adam Litke, M.P.H., Health Commissioner, Lake and Geauga Counties
• Garret Guillozet, M.P.A., AOHC Board Member and Health Commissioner, Delaware Public Health

A total of 3 CEUs will be available for attendees. Meeting registration and additional details will be available soon!

If overnight accommodation is needed, a few hotel options include Baymont by Wyndham Delaware, Quality Inn and Suites (more options are near Polaris which is about 15-20 minutes South of Delaware). You can also view a list of hotels available around Delaware at: Hotels.com

Contact Lori Metivier at executivedirector@oabh.org or 937-609-5540 for questions.

Dear Ohio Health Commissioners and Board Presidents,

It’s not too late for your entire Board to become a 2026 member of the Ohio Association of Boards of Health. The yearly membership fee is $150 and provides you and your board members with access to educational resources available on our website.

If you’re not interested this year, will you please inform your Board members they can become an Associate Member for $25 a year?  As an integral part of your health department, the more your Board members know, the better they can advocate in your communities for the important work we all do every day.

New resources became available in 2026! These include links to the presentation recordings from our Fall Membership Meeting held in September 2025 and access to the twelve videos developed in partnership with Kent State University, after a needs assessment was completed by 119 Ohio local public health leaders.

To complete the application, visit our website at www.oabh.org and click on the Start Your Application link in the upper right-hand corner and select ‘Health Department’ or ‘Associate Member’ to complete the application. Once an application is received, an email will be sent on how to make the payment.

We hope you encourage your Board to join us!  Public Health is at the forefront of many vital discussions both locally and nationally and the bigger voice we have, the better the results will be for all Ohioans.

Sincerely,

Lori Metivier, Executive Director, OABH

Kathy Smith (Logan County Health District), President, OABH

Registration is now open for the OABH 2025 Fall Membership Meeting.  Use the form below to register.

View meeting flyer and agenda: Fall 2025 Flyer

Opening speaker, Clint Koenig, will present a new board member orientation. This presentation will be great for new BOH members as well as a refresher for BOH members who have been serving for several years. The afternoon speaker, Melissa Howell, will present on current public health events.  Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from these outstanding public health leaders and receive 2.0 continuing education credits.

2025 Fall Meeting Registration Form

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Name of Health Department *

Attending as: (Select only one) *

• Board of Health Member
• Health Commissioner
• Speaker
• OABH Board Member
• Other

Other - What is your role in public health?

Registration type *

• In Person ($5, no lunch; $15 with lunch)
• Virtual ($5)

Lunch options *

• Yes, I would like a regular box lunch
• Yes, I would like a vegetarian box lunch
• No, I will not need a lunch

Choose One Sandwich *

• Brie Figgin Hoppy (Turkey, Brie, Fig Jam, lettuce, tomato, & onion, on Sourdough bread)
• Chicken Salad, Chicken salad w/ pepper jack, lettuce, & tomato on Sourdough bread)
• Going Clubbing (Roast turkey, hickory ham, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, & garlic mayo on Sourdough bread)
• Ham A Lot (Hickory ham, Swiss, lettuce, tomato, & onion w/ mayo on multigrain bread)
• Pastrami (Pastrami & Swiss on Rye served w/ lettuce, tomato, onion, & spicy mustard)
• Southern Peach (Hickory ham, Gouda, lettuce, tomato, onion, & hot peach jam on Sourdough bread)
• Gouda's Toasted Cheese (Double portions of both cheddar and Gouda, melted onto Sourdough bread)
• Rutherford (Pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw & special sauce on seeded Rye; served melted)
• Turkey Rueben (Roast turkey, coleslaw, Swiss, & special sauce on seeded Rye; served melted)
• Mediterranean Salad (Mixed greens, Hummus, cucumber, onion, pepper rings, and carrots with Roasted Garlic Parm dressing)

Choose one: *

• Hearty Hummus (Wrap stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and lots of fresh veggies)
• Vegan Hero (Avocado, cucumber, spinach, tomato, onion, carrot and Apple Cider Maple Balsamic sauce on a Ciabatini roll)
• Gouda's Toasted Cheese (Double portions of both cheddar & Gouda, melted onto Sourdough bread)
• Mediterranean Salad (Mixed greens, Hummus, cucumber, onion, pepper rings, and carrots with Roasted Garlic Parm dressing)

Do you have any meal restrictions (e.g., food allergies, preferences [i.e., no onion], gluten free, etc.)? *

How will registration payment be made? *

• Personal Check (Invoice will be emailed)
• Health Department Check (Invoice will be emailed)
• Debit/Credit Card (Payment made using Square® QR Code on invoice)
• Call me directly for credit card payment
• Other

Provide Telephone Number *

List Other type of payment (i.e., cash at door) *

Comments or Questions

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Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table at the 2025 Ohio Public Health Conference!

Kent State MPH students presented their education needs assessment of Ohio local boards of health at the 2025 Ohio Public Health Conference. We are excited about this collaboration between the OABH, American Public University, Kent State University, and The Ohio State University where students are creating updated educational training modules for Ohio local board of health members as part of their MPH practicum.

Be sure to visit our table at the Ohio Public Health Combined Conference on April 29 to meet our new Executive Director, Lori Metivier. The OABH is excited to learn how we can assist your board of health members now and in the future.

We are pleased to extend a special offer exclusively to Ohio Health Departments and their Board of Health (BOH) team. As part of our commitment to strengthening public health across our state, the Ohio Association of Boards of Health (OABH) is pleased to offer a FREE OABH membership for the year 2025.

As we continue to reorganize and enhance our operations, our primary goal remains steadfast: to support all BOH members throughout Ohio. We believe that a robust, knowledgeable board is crucial in ensuring the delivery of effective public health services. The OABH is ready to support you and the work of your health department.

Now, more than ever, Ohio local BOH teams’ expertise and leadership are vital to navigating the challenges our communities face. By joining our association, local BOH members will gain access to a wide range of resources, professional development opportunities, and a network of dedicated professionals committed to public health excellence. We are excited to partner with local BOHs to advance the health and well-being of our communities.

To take advantage of this offer, please click on Start Your Application in the upper right-hand corner to answer a few questions which will provide us with the contact for your health department, as well as the contact information for the BOH president/chair. Any membership dues paid for 2025 will be extended through 2026.

To access the Resources page on the OABH website, use the following:
Username: OABHuser
Password: 2025!Member!

Please share the above information with all Ohio local BOH members. We are also working on creating a BOH orientation presentation as well as working with Kent State University’s MPH program to provide specific training modules that can be used to provide the required continuing education credits that every BOH member must complete each year. These will be modules can be included as part of regular BOH meeting agendas or BOH members can access the modules themselves with a link on the OABH website.

Any Ohio BOH members interested in volunteering to serve as an OABH board member can contact Lori Metivier at executivedirector@oabh.org. More information on OABH leadership can be located at https://www.oabh.org/membership/#leadership.

We look forward to welcoming Ohio local BOHs as a valued member of the OABH and to working together to create a healthier Ohio.