The Ohio Prosperity Project ABOUT

About the Ohio Prosperity Project

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The Ohio Prosperity Project is built on this belief: When Ohio workers are informed and active in government and elections, our families, our communities and our state benefit.

The Ohio Prosperity Project, a registered 501(c)(4) not-for-profit, nonpartisan group, was founded in 2001 by a number of Ohio’s major employers and business trade associations to help educate our state’s employers and workers about issues that impact job security, economic competitiveness, wages and benefits – and ultimately our future prosperity.

The Ohio Prosperity Project provides employers and their employees materials that explain, in simple language and a nonpartisan way, the importance of state and federal elections. Materials prepared by the Ohio Prosperity Project give employers and employees objective information on candidates, statewide ballot issues, and on public policies that affect job security and the economy – information to consider when they and their family members go to the polls to vote.

Ohio Prosperity Project Board

CHAIRMAN
Robert J. Lapp
Vice President, Government Affairs
The Timken Company

TREASURER
Richard A. Stoff
President
Ohio Business Roundtable

Ryan Augsburger
Managing Director of Public Policy Services
Ohio Manufacturers’ Association

Chris Ferruso
Legisaltive Director
NFIB/Ohio

Joseph Savarise
Senior Vice President
BIPAC - Business Industry Political Action Committee

Adam Sharp
Vice President
Ohio Farm Bureau

Chad Wilson
Director, Public Affairs
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

Process for developing key prosperity issues and votes

The Ohio Prosperity Project’s list of top prosperity issues represents a consensus agenda of Ohio’s employers and business organizations, and is used to engage employees and associates in a dialogue with elected officials regarding policies affecting economic growth, the ability of employers to compete, and job security. These key prosperity issues also serve as the basis for selection of votes used in the development of voting records.

The Consensus Policy Priorities agreed upon by a number of Ohio’s major business organizations form the core of the list of prosperity issues. An Ohio Prosperity Project issues working group and the full Board of Directors continually consider additional issues for inclusion in the prosperity agenda. Any Ohio Prosperity Project participant may submit items for consideration. Only issues which receive consensus approval of the organization’s board/steering committee are included.

Votes included in lawmakers’ voting records are measured with the same criteria as the key prosperity issues. The most important question asked for each vote is, ''Will this measure strengthen or hinder Ohio’s ability to compete with other states for investment and jobs?'' The working group, members of the Board of Directors, or individual Ohio Prosperity Project participants can propose votes for inclusion in the voting record. Only those votes which receive consensus approval of the OP2 board/steering committee are included in the voting records.