Dear OCDA Members,

Happy April! These months just seem to be flying by, and it’s already almost Summer! That being said, I would venture to guess that many of us have set goals for ourselves for the year 2026, but it can be a bit stressful to think that we are already a quarter of the way through the year. This message, however, is not to create worries or stress but rather to offer a reframe and some helpful considerations as we move into the second quarter of the year and the Summer months.

As a counselor, I love a good reframe. Much of my work is sharing how our brain can play tricks on us (even when it comes to our goals and careers). Take a moment to consider that you still have about 7.5 months left of this year, and that is still a lot of time to work towards your goals! Think of how far you have already gotten on working towards your goals, and if you haven’t started yet, have no fear, I have a reframe for you. You’re saving the best goal for last!

Now that you have identified your thoughts and feelings, it’s time to consider how we move forward intentionally. By setting a goal and recognizing your thoughts and feelings associated, you have already planted the seeds and thought about what you need to make them grow, now it’s time to water and add some sun! This could be through setting small objectives for yourself to achieve along the way to reaching your larger goal (e.g. reading one chapter of a textbook, completing one module of an online training), connecting with peers/colleagues to share information or hold each other accountable, or, one of my personal favorites, co-working! No matter your method of taking actionable steps towards your goals, I want you to know that I believe in you!

Finally, as I bring this message to close, I would like to take a moment to remind everyone of how the OCDA Conference can be a great way to make strides towards reaching professional goals of networking, learning, and sharing best practices. Every year, we tailor the conference to focus on topics that would be of use to our constituents, and I encourage you to take some time to check out this year’s agenda. If you can’t make it to the conference, there are still a few more professional development opportunities available to you before summer including a webinar on Cultivating Healthy Workplaces with a special focus on employee well-being and team engagement, and a collaborative event with the Michigan Career Development Association (MichCDA) featuring OCDA and NCDA’s very own Sarah JanTausch! This joint event will focus on using mindfulness to reduce stress, and what better time to begin practicing mindfulness to reduce stress than the Summer months? As I like to tell my clients, practice your skills in low stakes/less stressful situations so that you are ready if things become more challenging.

I’ll leave off with a few final helpful hints: stay focused, check in with yourself and others, and know that you are capable!

With immense gratitude,

Kaleigh Mahon, OCDA President

Planting Seeds, Growing in Action 

2026 OCDA Conference: Registration Is Open! 

Join Ohio Career Development Association this May for the 2026 Spring Conference, Reimagining Career Readiness: Building Pathways to Impact, in Lima, Ohio.

Dates: May 28–29, 2026

Location: Lima, Ohio

Earn CEUs While You Attend

Attending the full conference offers strong professional development value:

• Up to 6 NCDA CEUs available
• • Each breakout session, keynote, and workforce panel = 1 CEU
• 3 Ohio CSWMFT CEUs currently approved
• • (Possibly 4 pending keynote approval) 

This is a great opportunity to earn credits while engaging in meaningful, practice-focused learning.

Explore the Agenda

This year’s agenda brings together a wide range of sessions designed to support career professionals across K–12, higher education, workforce development, and private practice. Topics align with conference pillars and offer practical strategies you can take back to your work immediately.

View the full agenda: https://ocdaonline.org/agenda 

Plan Your Stay

Make the most of your conference experience by securing your lodging early.

OCDA has arranged a hotel room block with convenient access to the conference venue, making it easy to stay connected and engaged throughout the event.

View lodging details & booking info: https://ocdaonline.org/location&lodging

Register Today!

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

Join colleagues from Michigan Career Development Association and Ohio Career Development Association for a virtual session focused on practical strategies to reduce stress through mindfulness.

NCDA ISSC Mini Conference: Call for Proposals 

The National Career Development Association International Student Services Committee (ISSC) is now accepting proposals for its 2026 Virtual Mini-Conference, focused on supporting the career development of international students.

This year’s theme, “Building Together: Centering Advocacy, Community, and Adaptability,” highlights the importance of collaboration and innovation in navigating the evolving landscape of career services for international students.

Conference Date: Friday, August 7, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST

Format: Virtual

Call for Proposals

Career professionals are invited to submit proposals to present at the conference.

• Proposal Deadline: May 1, 2026
• Presenter Notifications: May 28, 2026
• Acceptance Deadline: June 4, 2026

Proposals are welcome from NCDA members as well as non-members who work closely with international students.

Interested in Attending?

If you’re not presenting, consider saving the date! Registration details will be shared on the NCDA events page in the coming weeks.

Submit a Proposal

Government Relations:

Part 2 of 3: Your Ohio Legislative Advocacy Cheat Sheet

How to make an impact with tips from the OCDA Government Relations Committee:

Note: Become an advocacy champion! This is part 2 of a 3-part series on effective advocacy, how to engage on behalf of our clients, and the best channels for communication! Part three will be published in the Pulse on Ohio newsletter next month!

We are here to help guide you through the process based on our advocacy work and experience during our annual legislative advocacy day each fall. The Ohio legislature works for you and learning to navigate it just takes a few steps.

Find Your Representative and Senator:

Every Ohioan has one State Representative and one State Senator. To find yours, enter your zip code in ohiohouse.gov orohiosenate.gov to locate yours.

1. Review your representative and senator’s pages to learn about what they are working on to understand their work before engaging. This will help you to know if they are working on something related to your workplace or industry.
2. Save their office contact information in your phone. You’re their constituent, and they’re there to listen and represent you.

Keep Tabs on the Action

The legislature.ohio.gov site is the best place to find accurate update information on a bill. You can search for keywords like "internship" or "workforce" to see which bills are actually moving.

1. Keep an eye on the Workforce Development Committee (Senate) and the Workforce and Higher Education Committee (House). You can even watch their meetings live on The Ohio Channel if you’re feeling extra studious. There may be other committees, too, that relate to your interests.
2. Set up email alerts in your legislature.ohio.gov account for specific bills of interest.

Use the "Three-Sentence Rule"

When you call or email, keep it human and keep it brief. Legislative aides are busy, and if you make their lives easy, your message is way more likely to reach the boss.

1. Who you are: "I’m a career advocate in [Your City] and a constituent."
2. The Issue: "I’m calling about [Bill Number/Topic] because it’s directly affecting my clients' ability to find jobs."
3. The Ask: "I’d love for the Representative to support this measure to help our local hiring."
4. Reach out to the OCDA GRC if you need a template or advice on reaching out!

Give Your Two Cents Today

State agencies (like ODJFS) are constantly putting out "State Plans" for public feedback. Right now, the 2026-2027 Combined State Plan is a huge deal because it decides how federal workforce funds (WIOA) get spent in Ohio. Sharing your thoughts here is a simple, formal way to steer the ship.

Onward,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly | Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee

OCDA Advocacy webpage

The free MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential) assessment helps students and clients discover careers that align with their natural motivations, strengths, and interest.

Students and clients can create a free account to take the assessment and receive an initial results report, including a list of top career matches. Once complete, results are available immediately and your profile is matched against over 1,000 possible careers in their database, giving you a concrete starting point for exploring new directions.

For those who want to dig deeper, paid upgrade options are available for more detailed reporting, but the free version alone offers meaningful insight for anyone feeling stuck or ready for a change.

Access MAPP Assessment

OCDA's 2025 Conference Gold Level Sponsor

YouScience

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!

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