OneOhio Recovery Foundation Board finalizes key policies, procedures for statewide distribution of opioid settlement funds

Board members of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, a private, nonprofit corporation charged with distributing more than $450 million for opioid-abuse relief, recovery and prevention efforts, held their monthly public meeting on May 10 at offices of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce in Columbus.
 
The 29-member board, established in May 2022, has spent its first year establishing fundamental policies to guide the Foundation’s mandate to allocate funds that Ohio is receiving from opioid settlements. With action taken at this most recent monthly board meeting, the essential policies are now in place.
 
“With the first share of settlement funds now coming to Ohio, the value of our board’s year-long groundwork is coming into focus,” said Board Chair Larry Kidd. “We now have in place strong, transparent policies for allocating these funds to statewide and local efforts, ensuring they’ll make a real difference in community-level action against the ravages of addiction.”
 
At their May meeting, board members:
 
• Received a welcome and update from Board Chair Kidd.
 
• Extended the interim executive director contract for an additional six months.
 
• Discussed and approved the purchase of AkoyaGO grant software, as recommended by staff and a committee of members selected to review project proposals.
 
• Heard a report from Interim Executive Director Kathryn Whittington on progress made and actions underway with the Foundation’s organizational and operational checklist. She also provided members with an updated timeline for future Foundation action.
 
• Received an update from the Interim Executive Director on the Expert Panel application review process.
 
• Received the Foundation’s current financial report from Interim Chief Financial Officer Jim Quinn.
 
• Discussed and approved the Foundation’s Fiscal Policy, as initially presented at the April meeting.
 
• Discussed the Foundation’s Investment Policy previously approved at the April meeting. (No changes made to policy.)
 
The board’s next public meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at offices of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, 34 S. 3rd Street, Columbus.
Members of the public and media may access video of all board meetings and related board documents at OneOhioFoundation.com/Meetings.
 
About the OneOhio Recovery Foundation
 
The OneOhio Recovery Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created under the leadership of Governor Mike DeWine and Attorney General Dave Yost, and other state and local leaders, with the mission advancing Ohio’s addiction prevention, treatment and recovery efforts now and into the future.
 
The Foundation is governed by a 29-member board from across Ohio and is funded by 55 percent of settlement funds that Ohio is receiving from the pharmaceutical industry as a consequence of its role in the national opioid epidemic. Funds support local efforts to prevent and combat addiction and are also invested to support those efforts for the long term. Visit OneOhioFoundation.com for more information.