One of the things that has always impressed me during my years working in the human services field is the number of people who have a sincere desire to help others. We hear so much bad news every day, yet thousands of people are giving their all to make lives better.
Somewhere in the middle of the continuum of providing hands-on services or working behind the scenes are public officials.
Somewhere in the middle of the continuum of providing hands-on services or working behind the scenes are public officials. They’re usually not known as the ones—feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, walking people through myriads of forms and applications to get the help they need. And they’re not usually so far behind the scenes that we don’t know they exist. Just the same, they’re working hard to make life better.
A few years ago, Community Solutions was pleased to establish the Award for Public Service in Honor of John A. Begala to honor those who have shown a great commitment to public service, especially as it relates to improving health and human services in Ohio. This year, the award goes to State Senator Dave Burke.
Senator Burke (R) represents Ohio’s 26th Senate District, which includes all of Union, Crawford, Marion, Morrow, Sandusky, Seneca and Wyandot counties. He currently serves as the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee chair and as chair of the Senate Health, Human Services, and Medicaid Committee. He also serves as a member of the Agriculture Committee, Finance Committee, Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Financial Institutions Committee and Rules and Reference Committee.
Those who know him attest that Senator Burke has shown great determination and commitment to delving into policy discussions, working across the aisle and exploring all angles of whatever issue is at hand. He has served two terms as the chair of the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee—which he played a lead role in establishing—digging deep into pressing issues affecting more than 2 million Ohioans who rely on Medicaid coverage.
John Corlett, our president and executive director, noted that he played an integral role in shutting down pill mills in Ohio, which was an early, vital step in addressing the opioid crisis. That was especially appropriate as he is a pharmacist by trade. Furthering these efforts, he and former Senator Capri Cafaro (D) implemented changes in Senate Bill 301 (129th General Assembly) that improved the regulation of pain management clinics.
Senator Burke and former Senator Capri Cafaro (D) implemented changes in Senate Bill 301 (129th General Assembly) that improved the regulation of pain management clinics.
Our Award for Public Service also honors John Begala, Community Solutions’ former executive director and a three-term member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He is known for saying, believing and living the philosophy that, “stripped of all trappings, health and social services are fundamentally acts of love, and there are few better ways to make a living.”
The award will be presented to Senator Burke during the opening session of Community Solutions’ 2018 Celebration of Human Services on Friday, October 26, at the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center—Downtown. You can find information about the Celebration, including four free sessions on nonpartisan human service-related issues that likely will be impacted by the general election in November, and our very special luncheon program. We hope you will join us.