Author: Meghan Thoreau

Pickaway Businesswomen Roundtable

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Are you interested in learning more about careers in business? Take advantage of this free virtual networking opportunity with Pickaway County businesswomen leaders and explore local career pathways with a live Q&A session. Build connections for your future! Register now for the live panel discussion with local businesswomen leaders working in Pickaway County, Sept. 22, 2020, @ 10 AM. #NationalBusinessWomensDay

Program image created by Meghan Thoreau in Adobe Spark.

Registration required: go.osu.edu/businesswomen. After you register, a unique Zoom Webinar link will be emailed to you, please do not share this meeting link as it will affect your ability to participate in this virtual event.

Our Businesswomen Panelists Include

 

STACEY SARK is Co-owner and VP of Operations of Mid-Ohio Water Management, LLC, a family-owned excavation and drainage company that she manages with her husband Ryan. As vice president of operations, she works in the field as well as manages the office and finances. Prior to that, Stacey worked at P3 (Pickaway Progress Partnership), our county’s economic development agency for over 7 years and continues to work with them as a consultant maintaining their financials. Stacey earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business from Wilmington College. She serves on the Pickaway County Planning Commission, is the chair for Pickaway County Community Foundation’s PCN Agriculture Committee, serves on the advisory board of Pickaway WORKS, and is a member of the Teays Valley Golden Sound band boosters. She also works with her daughter Delaney, raising and selling 4-H show steers. Stacey is a long-time resident of Pickaway County and a Westfall High School graduate. She and her husband Ryan have three children and live on their farm in Scioto Township. For more information contact Stacey, staceysark1@gmail.com.

BETHANY REID is the Vice President of Administration & Marketing for Health Care Logistics, Inc. Health Care Logistics (HCL) is a 40+ year family owned and operated business with world headquarters tucked under the famous Pumpkin Tower in Circleville. HCL specializes in distributing over 8,000 unique and hard to find medical supply items as well as limitless innovation solutions and manufacturing processes centered around the healthcare industry. Bethany is very involved in Pickaway County and serves on a multitude of committees and boards such as Trinity Lutheran Preschool, P3, and the Pickaway Ag & Event Center Leadership Team. She is also an extremely passionate 4H advisor for an 83 member 4-H club, and the Washington Hill Climbers. Bethany is a 1994 graduate of Logan Elm High School and a 1998 graduate of Capital University. She currently holds an inactive CPA license in addition to her bachelor’s degree in accounting.  Bethany is married to her high school sweetheart, Brian Reid, and have four beautiful children: Brittany, BJ, Blayton, and Bailey. She and her family reside on a small 5-acre farm southeast of Circleville, with a variety of animals and enjoy camping, shooting sports, traveling, and renovating their 159-year-old farmhouse. For more information contact Bethany, breid@gohcl.com.

HEIDI WHITE has been employed by Kingston National Bank since 1998 in a variety of positions and currently serving as Vice President and Branch and Sales Manager of the newest branch in Circleville. Heidi grew up in Ross County and has been a resident of the Logan Elm School district since 2001. Heidi is a graduate of Zane Trace High School and has a Bachelor of Science in Human & Consumer Sciences from Ohio University. In the community, Heidi is a member of the Circleville Noon Rotary, a 2018 Pickaway Fellow, serves on the Pickaway County YMCA Advisory Board and the PCN Leadership for Tomorrow committee. She is also serving her first term as a member of the Logan Elm Board of Education. For more information contact Heidi, h.white@kingstonnationalbank.com.

JESSICA MULLINS is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of The Savings Bank in Circleville. She oversees the deposit operations of all branches, facilitates vendor relations, and manages operational reporting, conversions, and risk management.  Jessica is a graduate of The Ohio State University achieving a B.S. degree in Business Administration with majors in Finance and Marketing. She has worked for The Savings Bank for 17 years and previously worked for Bank One (Chase) as a financial analyst. Jessica also serves the community by residing on various boards and being involved in community events. She currently serves on the Pickaway County Community Foundation Board, the Brooks Yates Housing Opportunities Board, Circleville Noon Rotary, and is a 4-H advisor for the Westfall Livestock 4-H Club. She is a graduate of the Pickaway Fellows program. She has previously served as board president for the Pickaway County Board of Developmental Disabilities, a board member for the Pickaway County Chamber, board member of Wayne Township Zoning Board, and others. Jessica resides in Circleville with her two children who attend Circleville High School and Middle School. For more information contact Jessica, jessica.mullins@thesavingsbank.net.

KATIE LOGAN HEDGES is the Director of Operations for a family-owned business, FORJAK Industrial, a commercial media blasting and coating facility. She graduated from Otterbein University in 2008 with a degree in Public Relations. Katie is responsible for all operations relating to 75 employees and over $14M in yearly revenue. She also consults for a conglomerate of not-for-profit public charter schools where she has worked since 2008. Currently, Katie served in many leadership roles, e.g. chairwomen of the Pickaway Metropolitan Housing Authority, chair of the Leadership for Tomorrow fund for the Pickaway County Fellows, secretary of the Pickaway County Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau, Circleville City Councilperson, Board Member of Circleville City School Foundation, member of Pickaway County 100+ Women Who Care, member of the Pickaway County Homeless Coalition, lector at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, and member of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Pickaway County Community Foundation. In her free time, Katie enjoys traveling abroad, reading, and writing a book. Leadership and a deep-rooted sense of community have been instilled in Katie since she was a young girl. She believes it’s the responsibility of every citizen to play a role in the community in which they live – whether that’s giving of their time, treasure, or talents. For more information contact Katie, khedges@forjakindustrial.com.

JOY EWING is the Director of Pickaway County Job and Family Services.  She is a graduate of Allen East High School, near Lima, Ohio. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work from Wilmington College and her Master’s in Public Administration from Walden University. Joy has worked at Pickaway County Job and Family Services for 25 years. She has been in several departments and positions during her time at the Agency. Joy started in Customer Service, then moved to various Caseworker positions. She joined the management team as an Administrator in 2006. In 2011, Joy was appointed as the Director of the Agency. Joy has served on several Boards and Community organizations.  Currently, she is a member of Circleville Noon Rotary. Joy is a Board member for Pickaway County Community Foundation, Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce, and Pickaway County Family Children First Council. For more information contact Joy, joy.ewing@jfs.ohio.gov.

Program sponsors are Pickaway WORKS and OSU Extension, Pickaway County. Registration required: go.osu.edu/businesswomen.

American Business Women’s Day is an American holiday, nationally recognized on September 22. The day of celebration marks the 1949 founding date of the American Business Women’s Association, the mission of which is, “to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership; education, networking support and national recognition.”[1]

This holiday was recognized in 1983 and 1986 by Congressional resolution and a proclamation issued by President Ronald Reagan.[2] It commemorates the important legacy and contributions of the more than 68 million American working women and 7.7 million women business owners.[3] Moreover, it provides an opportunity for ABWA chapters and individual businesswomen to celebrate their accomplishments within the American and global marketplace.

Photo source: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/american-business-womens-day-september-22/

  1.  “Archived copy”. Archived from the original on 2009-03-22. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  2. ^ http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/092286d.htm
  3. ^ “Archived copy”. Archived from the original on 2011-04-26. Retrieved 2011-04-12.

 

Pickaway County’s 2020 COSI SciFest Events: Recaps & Recordings

The City of Circleville and OSU Extension, Pickaway County joined forces this spring to participate in the 2020 COSI SciFest, held virtually, to teach and engage communities in science through the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to offer two unique programs appealing to both youth and adults. The first program, Meet a Polymer Scientist & Engineer Library Youth Program, has Peggy Scott, a polymer scientist, and Christy Yu, a quality engineer, from DuPont sharing their personal experiences and passion for STEM careers to youth and their families. This program teaches about polymer chemistry and exploring science careers. “Click here” to stream recording.

Program 1: Meet A Scientist, Polymer Science Library Youth Program, Webinar recorded by COSI and uploaded to YouTube https://youtu.be/UIYlldO-AnE.

The second program Science Bar Talk teaches the ins and outs of beer from field to glass! The program starts with barley farmer Scott Metzger and OSU Extension Educator Mike Estadt sharing insights and the history of barley in Ohio. To Whitney Thompson of Origin Malt on the science and process of taking barley and turning it into malt. Nick Zachrich of Zachrich Hop Yard Farm shares the science of hop growing and the role of hops here in Ohio. And Jason McKibben, Brewmaster of North High Brewing, concludes with the science behind brewing beer. “Click here” to stream recording.

Program 2: Science Bar Talk, Webinar recorded by COSI and uploaded to YouTube, https://youtu.be/Vz-WcAzedUo. 

Partnerships Matter. Science Matters.

These programs could not be made possible without partnerships. Our local businesses, industries, farmers, educators, and sponsors came together to share their passion and knowledge in their areas of expertise. Many weeks of planning and re-organizing went into switching gears from our face-to-face programs to virtual events in our efforts to adhere to social distancing. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to making science come alive (virtually!)

COSI Science Festival’s Virtual Science Bar Talk

FREE VIRTUAL EVENT, May 7, 2020 – grab an Ohio craft beer and join us for a virtual happy hour paired with a science talk about the ins and outs of beer, from field to glass! We will start in the field focusing on barley and hops grown right here in Ohio and then learn from the talented team at North High Brewing about the brewing process. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: go.osu.edu/sciencebartalk. #COSISciFest (Post-Science Bar Talk, Webinar recorded by COSI and uploaded to YouTube, https://youtu.be/Vz-WcAzedUo.)

We will kick it off with some trivia and prizes at 4:45 p.m. followed at 5:00 p.m. by live chats with industry experts. Starting with barley farmer Scott Metzger and OSU Extension Educator Mike Estadt sharing insights and the history of barley in Ohio. Followed by Whitney Thompson of Origin Malt on the science and process of taking barley and turning it into malt.
And of course, you can’t make beer without hops! Nick Zachrich of Zachrich Hop Yard Farm will share on the science of hop growing and the role of hops here in Ohio. Tie it all together with Jason McKibben, Brewmaster of North High Brewing. Jason will share the science behind brewing beer and share a virtual tour of the brewery!
Independent craft breweries have been severely impacted by COVID-19, as evidenced by a sharp drop in craft category sales, massive furloughs or layoffs, and the high likelihood of a large number of brewery closures while under social distancing mandates. PLEASE DONATE: we’re supporting two charitable campaigns: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/believe-in-beer-relief-fund and https://www.restaurantstrong.org/donations/ohio/
EVENT SPONSORS: COSI, OSU Extension, Metzger Family Farms, Inc., Origin Malt, Ohio Craft Brewers Association, Ohio Farm Bureau, Watt Street Tavern, North High Brewing Co., and Zachrich Hop Yard Farm.

Again, this free event is made possible by your local community’s educators and businesses, pre-registration required: go.osu.edu/sciencebartalk.

(Post-Science Bar Talk, Webinar recorded by COSI and uploaded to YouTube, https://youtu.be/Vz-WcAzedUo.)

COSI Science Festival’s Meet A Scientist Library Youth Program

This free virtual library youth program made possible through a community collaboration between COSI, DuPont (Circleville), Pickaway County Library, and OSU Extension. Pre-register now!

COSI Science Festival’s Meet A Scientist Youth Program, Saturday, May 9, 2020, 11:00 AM – Peggy Scott, a Dupont polymer scientist, and Christy Yu, a Dupont quality engineer, share their personal experiences and passion for STEM careers to youth and their families. Learn about polymer chemistry, science careers, and engage in a virtual polymer-scavenger hunt from the comfort of your home. Pre-registration is required for this free educational event, go to, go.osu.edu/polymeryouthprogram. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information and passcode to join the meeting. We’ll also send a reminder email prior to the event. #COSISciFest

For more information please email, thoreau.1@osu.edu.

Pickaway County Extension Office is NOW Telecommuting!

Image result for telecommuting

UPDATE – Governor DeWine recently issued a state of emergency and implemented a variety of strategies to reduce the spread of the disease. In order to do our part in reducing risk to our employees or clientele, we have implemented a teleworking plan. OSU Extension offices will be closed to the public until further notice. While our offices will be physically closed, we are committed to continuing to conduct our work as fully as possible.

In recent years, we’ve invested in the technology needed to facilitate effective teleworking. We will utilize all our teleworking capabilities to continue serving our clientele and communities. You should continue to feel free to call, email, etc. with any OSU Extension staff member as you normally would. OSU Extension is deeply committed to the health and well-being of its staff and doing our part to help slow the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). If you have questions, please feel free to contact our office at 740-474-7534 or email me at thoreau.1@osu.edu.

Image source: https://www.industrialpersonnel.co.uk/handle-skype-interview/

Coronavirus is NO JOKE! Limit person-to-person transmission of the virus.

While we know many are taking this seriously, many people are still slow to react.

Please share the below message with your friends, family, colleagues or anyone else who thinks this is not a big deal.

We all know by now the risks to the older populations and persons with compromised immune systems (and many of us have family, friends, and colleagues in these categories); however, what is not getting enough attention is the coming shock to our health system (Links to an external site.).

The best evidence is that the number of cases is doubling every 5-8 days and that 10% of cases require hospitalization, often for weeks at a time. In China 15% of confirmed cases required hospitalization. Italy has higher populations of older people and has roughly 50% of confirmed cases. Simple math shows what lies ahead unless significant steps are taken to reduce transmission.

Assuming on the conservative side, the virus doubles every 7 days, and 100 people in the Columbus area have the virus today, March 11th but are not yet symptomatic (hopefully this is not the case, but we just don’t know for certain).

  • 200 people will have the virus by March 18th
  • 400 people will have the virus by March 25th
  • 800 people will have the virus by April 1st
  • 1,600 people will have the virus by April 8th
  • 3,200 people will have the virus by April 15th
  • 6,400 people will have the virus by April 22nd
  • 12,800 people will have the virus by April 29th
  • 25,600 people will have the virus by May 6th with 2,500 hospitalized
  • 51,200 people will have the virus by May 13th with 5,100 hospitalized
  • 102,400 people will have the virus by May 20th, with 10,240 hospitalized
  • 204,800 people will have the virus by May 27th, with 20,480 hospitalized

And so on. This is in Columbus alone. We cannot manage 10,000 people hospitalized in the Columbus area for weeks on end.

This is not alarmism or a worst-case scenario. This is reality. Even if you assume 5% of cases require hospitalization or that only 10 people in Columbus currently have the virus, you still arrive at numbers that will overwhelm the healthcare system by the end of May.

Unless we ……  Slow…. The…. Virus…. Down….

In Italy, they are currently turning people away from Intensive Care and rationing ventilators based on the likelihood to survive. (Links to an external site.) In China, they have had to build entire hospitals from scratch to house the scores of sick. (Links to an external site.) Health care workers catch the virus and cannot work leading to shortages of doctors and staff (Links to an external site.).

There is an attorney in New York that single-handedly infected over 50 people (Links to an external site.). In Boston, over 70 people were infected by attending a single conference (Links to an external site.).

Please take care to avoid large gatherings and interacting in tight quarters. Please avoid parties and big gatherings. It sucks. It’s no fun. But our actions now will determine how things play out by the end of May.

Useful Interactive ArchGIS Resource: Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

Circleville’s STEAM Night: Drone Racing Event

Circleville High School Gym, 380 Clark Drive, Circleville, OH 43113 – Thursday, March 26, 2020 5:00-7:00 PM

Interested in starting your own Drone Racing Club? Join us at Circleville High School for STEAM Night to see our Drone racing Team in action and to ask any questions on how you can start a team at your school! Watch students pilot and compete. Big thanks to Buckeye FPV Racing for supporting the event with timing and obstacle equipment. All ages welcome!

Meet Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, who can help jump start your drone program, thoreau.1@osu.edu, more information at, u.osu.edu/scholasticdroneracing/.

For more information about STEAM Night or the Drone Racing Event, please contact CHS Drone Advisors Trent Robert, trent.roberts@cvcsd.com or Danielle Stultz, danielle.stultz@cvcsd.com.

Elementary STEM Club Program received two JCEP/ESP Creative Works Awards!

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Teays Valley’s Elementary STEM Club Program receives two Joint Council of Extension Professions/Epsilon Sigma Phi (JCEP/ESP) Creative Works Awards! Meghan Thoreau and Judy Walley received a 2nd Place Creative Works Awards for Follow-up Program News Story, STEM Students Get Introduced to Aerospace Careers; a related blog post, Club Highlights from 2018-2019.

Figure 1: students engaging in chemistry, coding, and electronics. Photos by Meghan Thoreau.

Elementary STEM Club is actively programming through its third year of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programming, engaging approximately a hundred 4th and 5th graders in after school hands-on STEM challenges and career exploration throughout the academic school year. Judy Walley, Teays Valley High School Chemistry Teacher, and Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, co-teach the program, which also involves over two dozen high school mentor students.

Figure 2: Left photo is Emma Rico, student mentor, passing out honey samples from local honey producers and in the right photo is Allison Cheek, student mentor, assisting with a chemical and physical reaction lab. Photos by Meghan Thoreau.

The student mentors assist with club activities while themselves gaining both soft and technical skills, leadership, community service, and college/career exploration opportunities. This past year our student mentors not only assist with the program club sessions but have contributed to the program’s blog site as STEM bloggers! Emma Rico and Allison Cheek, recent Teays Valley High School Students (now graduates), Meghan Thoreau, and Judy Walley received a 3rd Place Creative Works Award for this Program Blog.

Quick links to students’ posts: Buzzing Around STEM Club, by Emma Rico and How STEM Club has Impacted Me: a high school student mentor highlight by Allison Cheek.

The Elementary STEM Club Program is a community’s success! Thank you all for participating and contributing to this important STEM program!

 

 

 

     

 

Tech Recipe: Starting A Scholastic Drone Racing Team (fact sheet)

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Schools interested in starting a drone racing team may have some basic questions, such as, “Is drone racing legal?”, “When did drone racing start?”, “How does drone racing work?” This fact sheet is written in a recipe format to provide simple how-to guidance for prospective schools and teachers who want to learn more about what it takes to start a drone racing team, such as materials and people needed, the skill-building benefits scholastic teams offer, equipment cost estimates, online resources, and instruction on how to develop a practice schedule and racing events. Fact sheet available at: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/cdfs-1576

WHY DRONES?

Scholastic drone teams propel lifelong learners. Student teams encourage and build enjoyment, teamwork, curiosity, critical thinking, courage, and creativity.

Video of 2019 Circleville City Schools District drone racing team, Maker X video highlight, an event held in Columbus, OH, by Meghan Thoreau, retrieved from: youtu.be/ITxWx-4jQXU.

Career Exploration: air travel industry

Airports are major employment centers for the cities they serve and depend upon a wide range of individuals with different skill sets. Consider careers available in the air travel industry. Medium to large aviation hubs offer plenty of job opportunities to choose from. Take time and consider jobs and career paths that appeal to your personal and professional interests.

JOHN GLENN INTERNATIONAL
The John Glenn International Airport, located 6-miles east of downtown Columbus, is the largest passenger airport in central Ohio. Over 8-million passengers traveled through the airport in 2018. John Glen International is the second busiest airport in Ohio after Cleveland Hopkins International. Several new flights launched in early 2019, which included nonstop flights to Seattle. More direct flights to popular destinations can booster local demand for air travel and advance its workforce.

Last month 40 Teays Valley high school students had an opportunity to tour John Glenn International Airport and learn about airport careers and the travel industry. The students were able to get behind the scenes and talk with airport professionals on topics of HOW DO I GET A JOB AT AN AIRPORT? WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED TO WORK AT AN AIRPORT? MOST POPULAR TYPES OF AIRPORT JOBS? AIRPORTS SALARIES, WAGES, AND PAY? Learn more, Career Exploration: air travel industry fact sheet.