Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Week in Review

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Monday that he is nominating Jim Tressel to serve as his lieutenant governor. 

Tressel would replace Jon Husted, who served as lieutenant governor until Governor DeWine appointed him to the U.S. Senate last month. 

"Jim has spent a great deal of time working with and leading young people, and he will be involved directly with education and workforce development during the remaining two years of my administration," said Governor DeWine. "Jim Tressel knows Ohio, he shares Ohio's values, and is a born leader."

"This is really a humbling moment," said Tressel. "I believe in our governor and what he believes in. I promised for the next 699 days to have a singleness of purpose and singleness of focus, which is to serve the needs that the governor outlines." 

Governor DeWine attended the investiture ceremony for Marianne Hemmeter, judge for the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, General Division. 

With 27 years of legal experience, Hemmeter served as a judge on the Delaware Municipal Court since 2015. Previously, she held the role of Deputy Director of the Economic Crimes Unit at the Ohio Attorney General's Office and was appointed interim Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney in 2003. 

Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz announced funding for eight new wetland projects, bringing the grand total of H2Ohio wetlands in Ohio to 203.  

“We’re excited to celebrate this important milestone of more than 200 H2Ohio wetland projects,” said Governor DeWine. “Science and data tell us that improving Ohio’s water quality will take time, but over the long run, we know that every H2Ohio wetland will contribute to preventing algal blooms and keeping Ohio’s waterways clean.”

Governor DeWine announced that 10 Ohio law enforcement agencies are now the first in the state to complete the new Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

Governor DeWine created the program last year to recognize law enforcement agencies that voluntarily meet or exceed nearly three dozen state standards that address various core responsibilities such as professional conduct, bias-free policing, crisis intervention, and community engagement. 

The newly accredited agencies include the Dayton Police Department, Dublin Police Department, Fairborn Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, University of Toledo Police Department, and Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office.

"The law enforcement agencies achieving accreditation today have reached the state's highest standards in professional excellence, integrity, and accountability," said Governor DeWine. "Accreditation is important because it sends a message to the public that they're being served by an agency that's among the best of the best."

Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced five sites that will be prepared for future economic development with support from the All Ohio Future Fund (AOFF). 

A total of $92 million in AOFF funding will be used to advance infrastructure at locations in Gallia, Guernsey, Muskingum, and Pickaway counties. Governor DeWine created the All Ohio Future Fund with support from the Ohio General Assembly to help attract future economic development projects by preparing large properties with necessary infrastructure. 

"When major corporations are looking to move or expand, they need shovel-ready property," said Governor DeWine. "We're proactively preparing these sites with the necessary infrastructure to make Ohio more competitive with other states and more likely to win projects that bring hundreds to thousands of new jobs."