Proponent Testimony — David Zak, Crawford Partnership for Education and Economic Development, on Senate Bill 1

Summary

David Zak, President & CEO of the Crawford Partnership for Education and Economic Development, gave proponent testimony in favor of Senate Bill 1 to the House Economic Workforce Development Committee, dated May 2, 2023. The testimony calls Senate Bill 1 a bold and innovative structural move and lists top five reasons: Transformation, Clarification, Innovation, Alignment and Coordination. It says renaming the Ohio Department of Education to the Department of Education and Workforce clarifies the goal of education. It also says the Director and deputies must receive Senate approval, with a hearing in the Senate Education Committee.

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117 East Mansfield Street
Bucyrus, OH 44820
419.563.1809

Senate Bill 1 - Proponent Testimony
House Education & Workforce Development Committee
David R. Zak, President & CEO
Crawford Partnership for Education & Economic Development
May 2, 2023

Chair Swearingen, Vice Chair Santucci, Ranking Member Ingram, and Members of the House Economic
Workforce Development Committee, thank you for allowing me to provide testimony in favor of Senate
Bill 1.

My name is David Zak, and I serve as the President & CEO of the Crawford Partnership for Education and
Economic Development, a 501c3 public-private partnership that works as the economic, community,
and workforce development agent for Crawford County, Ohio. I have over 27 years of experience in
economic and workforce development, having previously worked at the Ohio Department of
Development and served several local communities. I’ve also held positions in the Ohio Economic
Development Association, including serving as the Northwest Ohio Director and Vice President, and
currently serve as an instructor for the Ohio Economic Development Institute.

About Crawford County
Crawford County is a rural micropolitan county in north central Ohio, with a population of 42,000. The
county is located an hour north of Columbus, and 20 minutes from Marion and Mansfield. Despite its
smaller size and rural location, Crawford County has 1400 companies that contribute $2.5 billion to the
state's economy annually. The county is known for its German heritage and hosts annual festivals such
as the state's bratwurst festival and our own version of Oktoberfest. Manufacturing and healthcare are
our two most important industries, with one in four workers employed in each sector. We also rank #4
among counties in Ohio for agriculture, with over 700 farms generating $250 million in annual cash
receipts. The county has active downtowns, two hospitals, and a branch campus of North Central State
Community College.

Economic Development Success
As you may know, we are seeing some historic results in economic development across the state of
Ohio. Over the last two years, many companies, including Intel, Honda, LG, and Ford, have announced
projects that will generate $38 billion in new investment and transform the state with 56,000 new jobs
and $3.5 billion in associated new payroll. In Crawford County, we’ve been a part of that story. In March,
we learned that we ranked in the top 4% for non-metro counties in the United States for economic
development, with five major projects.

The Talent Crisis
This has created a huge demand for talent, which is, and has been, the number one economic
development challenge. We hear it day in, day out from business leaders, and the public- and private-
sector members of our board continue to make it on of our organization’s top priorities. There are more
than 3,100 available jobs within 20 miles of the county seat and 174,000 open positions statewide.
Unemployment remains at a historic low level, and there are not enough people to meet the demand
despite rising wages.

Local Workforce Development Efforts

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In Crawford County, we haven’t been sitting on our hands but have been actively working to try to meet
the challenge head on. In 2011, we renamed the organization to the Crawford Partnership for Education
and Economic Development to communicate our focus on workforce development. We worked with
North Central State Community College to establish a new branch campus to address low education
attainment. In 2017, we launched an award-winning online career platform called
CommunityOpportunity.com to promote local career opportunities to students, and in 2020, we hired
our first full-time staff member focused exclusively on workforce development. Despite these efforts,
our workforce development problem continues to grow.

The Need for Change
We believe that although local, regional, and state efforts have produced results, much more needs to
be done to address the workforce development challenge in Crawford County and in Ohio. Failure to act
and innovate soon could cause Ohio to lose its leadership position and fall behind other states, with the
economy slowing down as companies struggle to find the talent they need. We see Senate Bill 1 as a
bold and innovative structural move that will help position Ohio to continue growing and strengthening
its economy. Here are the top five reasons why we support it:
• Transformation: The current system isn't sufficient for Ohio's economic growth, and a
transformative effort is needed to improve workforce development and competitiveness.
• Clarification: Renaming the Ohio Department of Education to the Department of Education and
Workforce clarifies the goal of education to prepare students for a career and grow Ohio's
workforce.
• Innovation: Creating a Division of Career & Technical Education within the agency will drive
innovation and allow for easier implementation of educational programming while emphasizing
primary and secondary education.
• Alignment: Placing both division directors on the Governor's Executive Workforce Board will
help them stay aligned with business and industry needs.
• Coordination: Making ODEW a cabinet-level agency will create better coordination and
accountability between the department, administration, and legislature.

Furthermore, since its introduction, Senate Bill 1 has undergone corrective and technical changes that
have improved it, including the creation of a public input requirement for stakeholder comments on
proposed rules and regulations, with all information posted online. In addition, the Director and
deputies must also receive Senate approval, with a hearing in the Senate Education Committee, and the
two deputies are required to have professional, managerial, and educational experience to ensure their
qualifications.

Conclusion
In conclusion, let me say this. According to the 2011 Pathways to Prosperity Report by the Harvard
Graduate School of Education, the American system for preparing young people for the workforce is
broken, and failure to address this challenge will erode society. A skills gap exists between students and
the economy, with many jobs requiring post-secondary credentials. The Harvard report highlights the
need to create opportunities, a talent pipeline, and clear goals and support for every young person.
Senate Bill 1 sets the stage for progress by clarifying the purpose of education, driving innovation, and
aligning with stakeholders for better coordination, ultimately benefiting students, companies, and
communities.

Thank you, Chair Swearingen and committee members. I will be happy to answer any questions from the
committee at this time.

2
David R. Zak
President & CEO

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