OCDA September 2025 Newsletter

"A Network for Your Next Step"

A Message from OCDA President, Website Chair, & Social Media Co-Chair, Kaleigh Mahon

Dear OCDA Members,

I cannot believe that the Summer season is coming to a close already! For me, this has felt like the fastest Summer to date, but I am beyond excited for all that Autumn brings both within and outside of my work. For many of us, Autumn brings an influx of new students and clients. This means that we have the opportunity to forge new connections, hear stories of others’ lives, and get back to doing the career-related work that we value so deeply. While it can be easy to jump right back into the chaos of the back-to-school season, I just want to remind everyone to take some time to engage in activities that bring you joy. Our work is meaningful and impactful, and that is all the more reason to recharge through hobbies, self-care, engaging with community, and more so that we can bring our best self to this work each day.

For the OCDA Board, we are so excited to provide another year of professional development, networking, and opportunities for members! The Summer to Autumn transition means quite a few exciting updates. First, we have new Board members to introduce including Angie McGinnis, Michelle Norris, Sarah Grace McCollough, Newton Kimberly, Ryana Munford, and Felicia Wethington. We are so lucky to have them all join us and to share their expertise and ideas! It also means the kickoff of our annual Professional Development Webinar Series. If you did not make it to our first event on September 15th, there is no need to worry as we have many more exciting presentations to come! Lastly, we are paving the way to November, which is National Career Development Month! Each November, we have a number of exciting casual/networking events as well as professional development opportunities. More information on those events will be coming soon!

That being said, with the change of the season and the chaos of back to school, career fairs, new clients, I hope things “fall” into place for you all very soon.

Kaleigh Mahon, LPCC, CDCA

OCDA President

Upcoming Events

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS

Thank you for being one of our members! As a member, you receive many benefits, including access to Professional Growth and Networking Opportunities:

Continuing education credits (CEUs)

Discounts on trainings (Free-$5)

Meet other professionals through attending events

An Update from OCDA Treasurer & Past President, Richard Fajardo

Dear Members,

A handful of members were temporarily impacted when we updated our membership classifications on our website/membership system. When members were renewing their membership as part of the newly merged "Professional" tier, their expiration/renewal dates were getting reset and moved earlier inadvertently. This has been fixed. Other past issues like time lost switching from "Student" to "Professional" status have also been fixed. Special shoutout to Dr. Millicent Simmelink for spotting the issue.

Please let us know if you have any questions or notice any discrepancies in your expiration/renewal date.

Thanks so much!

Best regards,

Richard Fajardo
2025-2026 OCDA Past President & Treasurer

Government Relations Updates: Pulse on Ohio

Welcome (and What’s Ahead for OCDA’s Advocacy)

It’s been a pleasure serving as your Chair of Government Relations over the past two years, and I’m excited to announce that this year, Newton Kimberly will be joining me as Co-Chair of the committee. Throughout the year, you’ll be hearing from both of us as we share updates on legislation, advocacy efforts, and useful tools to support your work.

What sets OCDA apart is our commitment not only to professional development but also to making sure our collective voice is heard. That means staying informed on legislation, engaging with policymakers, and ensuring our work makes a meaningful impact across the state.

The Government Relations Committee (GRC) plays a key role in this mission by advising the Board, tracking policy developments, coordinating grassroots advocacy, and collaborating with national efforts through our partnership with NCDA.

Getting Involved

Our advocacy is enhanced through your engagement. You don’t have to be an advocacy expert to make a difference. The GRC is always looking for new voices. You can involved by:

Attend 3rd Annual Legislative Advocacy Day

Join the OCDA Government Relations Committee and Board for the 3rd annual members-only legislative, advocacy, and networking day at the Ohio Statehouse. The program will include opportunities to hear from Ohio’s leaders and engage in meaningful dialogue about the state of career development in Ohio.

When: Tuesday, October 21st from 1pm-5pm

Registration: Please register for the event HERE

Share concerns or relevant legislation you’d like us to watch

Get involved with OCDA by joining a committee, including the GRC

Read this “Pulse on Ohio” column in each OCDA newsletter to stay informed

Advocacy isn’t a spectator sport. How can you get in the game?

Onward,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly

Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee

Ohio Career Development Association - Advocacy

Featured Career Resource:
Career Everywhere Community: Connect with Fellow Career Professionals!

The Career Everywhere Community from U-Connect offers a FREE platform for career services professionals to network and share best practices!

Community features include:

Open to ALL career services professionals - not just U-connect customers

Social networking platform designed specifically for career advisors

Weekly best practices, tactics, and strategies sharing

Focus on scaling career services impact across campus and beyond

Career Everywhere job board with 100+ open career services positions

Community discussions on embedding career resources into classrooms

Professional development opportunities and industry connections

Why it's valuable for career professionals:

The Career Everywhere movement enables modern career services professionals to scale the impact of their work by connecting with peers who share innovative strategies and solutions!

Completely FREE to join - perfect for staying current with industry trends and networking!

CHECK IT OUT HERE

Thank you to our sponsors!

YouScience

OCDA's 2025 Conference Gold Level Sponsor

Empower Ohio's future with data-driven career discovery

YouScience helps fulfill OCDA's mission by aligning student talents with meaningful, in-demand career pathways. Together, we empower lifelong career development through data-driven guidance and purpose-driven decisions.

Contact ohiocda@gmail.com if you or your organization would like to help sponsor the 2026 conference!

Visit YouScience

If you have any ideas for membership email content, please email Co-Chairs Ryana Munford at 
munford.2@osu.edu & Taylor Lincicome at tslocum924@gmail.com