Home >> Press Room FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ohio Complete Count Committee Discusses Education, Awareness COLUMBUS – Ohio Treasurer of State Kevin L. Boyce and Lisa Patt-McDaniel, Interim Director of the Ohio Department of Development, today hosted the first meeting of the Ohio Complete Count Committee. The meeting, located at the State Fire Marshal’s Office in Reynoldsburg, involved the first steps in developing a cohesive state outreach campaign for the 2010 Census. Governor Ted Strickland established the Ohio Complete Count Committee on April 9 to raise public awareness of the 2010 Census and ensure that every Ohioan is counted. As chair of the Ohio Complete Count Committee, Treasurer Boyce, along with the U.S. Census Bureau, introduced members to the 2010 Census and their responsibilities to design and implement a census awareness campaign targeted to Ohio. Vice Chair Patt-McDaniel provided information on the Committee structure. “It was an honor to convene the first Complete Count Committee meeting and begin the process of ensuring that the 2010 Census provides the most accurate count possible,” Treasurer Boyce said. “The Census is quite literally a roadmap to representative democracy, and I am dedicated to making sure every Ohioan is counted.” Members of the Ohio Complete Count Committee today discussed how to fulfill the responsibilities charged by the Governor. The committee will work to ensure a complete count of Ohioans through education and promotion, raise awareness of the vital role the 2010 Census data plays in the distribution of federal resources, and develop strategies to reach underserved and hard-to-count areas. The Ohio Complete Count Committee will be responsible for striving to increase response rates for the 2010 Census. Data collected from the 2010 Census is critical in determining Ohio’s portion of more than $300 billion in federal funds each year and in determining representation in the U.S. House of Representatives during the next decade. An accurate count of Ohio residents directly impacts the amount of funding for infrastructure development, public transportation, school districts, and community services. “The Ohio Complete Count Committee is an advocate for the people of Ohio,” Patt-McDaniel said. “By encouraging statewide participation in the 2010 Census, we are helping Ohioans play an important role in making sure our communities receive the federal resources they need.” Patt-McDaniel explained the importance of subcommittees in that they may be expanded to include resources and individuals outside of the Committee. An important step in implementing the Census awareness campaign is participation by the members on one of four subcommittees. The subcommittees will focus on assisting government, non-government organizations/faith-based groups, and educational institutions, and creating strategies to reach hard-to-count populations. Regularly scheduled Committee meetings will be held quarterly through December 2010 and the Committee will prepare a final report of activities. Members of the Ohio Complete Count Committee represent Ohio’s diverse communities and include people from local government, schools, community organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals with expertise in communications and grass-roots initiatives. A full list of members is below. More information regarding the 2010 Census, including history and contact information, is available at www.census.ohio.gov. The Web site is also designed to encourage networking and information sharing among Complete Count Committees throughout Ohio by allowing them to register as part of the Ohio Census Network. Volunteers are also encouraged to register separately through an online form located on the same page. - ### - Media contacts: Kelly Schlissberg at 614.466.4133
May 28, 2009
Strategies at First Meeting for 2010 Census
or the Communications and Marketing Office at 614.466.2609
or Niel Jurist, Media Relations Manager, Ohio Treasurer of State at 614.466.5341