Last month, Council Member Shayla Favor was named the executive director of Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT).

“Shayla has the skills, relationships and commitment to carry our mission and vision forward,” said Elizabeth Seely, MHA, FACHE, chief administrative officer, Hospital Division for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and chair of the PACT Board. “We are excited to have her lead us as we continue to create meaningful change in our community.”

Click here to learn more.

Homeport’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development Leah F. Evans has been selected to be the organization’s next president and CEO effective January 1. Homeport’s Board approved Evans on December 9 following a national search. “Our Board of Directors is thrilled to introduce a leader of Leah’s caliber as our next president and CEO as she has such great knowledge, passion and experience in fulfilling Homeport’s mission,” said Homeport Board Chair Mark Pringle. “Leah possesses the qualifications and expertise to guide Homeport to continue to create a lasting impact on the Columbus area.” Click here to read more.

Mayor Ginther and community leaders from the Recovery and Resiliency Advisory Committee released recommendations from a year-long effort to build a roadmap for an equitable community recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The final report outlines 37 opportunities for the city, the public sector, nonprofits and private sector partners to address inequities in health, jobs, housing and digital connectivity to promote systemic community change.

The plan also outlines critical investments in child care, a key component of the recovery process. Click here to learn more.

And a special thank you to our three commissioners who dedicated their time and energy to assess our community’s needs and formulate these recommendations: Gina Ginn, Denise Robinson and Heather Whaling.

Action for Children released a new report from the September 2021 Central Ohio Child Care Provider Survey showing how the pressure of operating in today's challenging child care landscape is taking a toll on providers.

• Without additional support, nearly one in five child care providers in Central Ohio is not confident that they will still be open in three months.
• Staffing challenges loom as a major barrier to enrollment, with 50% of center-based providers experiencing staff shortages, and even greater cause for concern in certain hotspots.

Click here to read the report.

The City of Columbus remains committed to ensuring equitable access to child care amidst the COVID-19 crisis and a post-pandemic world. In September 2021, Mayor Ginther announced $3.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support working families and address critical labor shortages in the child care industry. Initiatives receiving funds include signing bonuses and a competitive marketing campaign to help attract new teachers and affordability scholarships targeting working-class families and female trade workers and small-business owners.

Click here to learn more.

The ongoing child care crisis has also kept many parents – particularly mothers with young children – out of the workforce, hampering Ohio’s business and economic recovery. A new poll of Ohio voters and parents with children under the age of 5 finds that access to quality, affordable child care is key to getting Ohioans back to work. According to the survey, nearly 60% of non-working or part-time working moms with children under the age of five in Ohio said they would go back to work or work more hours if they had access to quality child care for their children at a reasonable cost.

Click here to review the survey findings.

James D. Thomas is currently serving the first year of his second term on the Columbus Women’s Commission, a commitment he takes on with dedication and excitement. Jim is an active member of the Commission’s Gender Equity in the Workforce Committee. Currently, the Committee is working on issues such as retaining women in the workforce and advancing pay equity. The pandemic has had an impact on the Commission’s programming, but working virtually, the Commission has been able to sustain important programming efforts, including hearing directly from program participants.

“The direct feedback by participants about the programs tells us that they have a positive impact,” according to Jim.

The Commission’s commitment to this work is Jim’s favorite part of serving on the Commission. Jim notes, “the members of the Commission are genuinely interested in making the world a better place and are very committed to the mission – which is impressive.” Jim is proud of the Commission for doing this work and of its members for being motivated by the right reasons.

Jim’s passion for working toward gender equity and women’s leadership grows out of his mentorship at key points in his legal career by three different female lawyers. Jim notes that his journey on gender-related topics is ongoing as he continues to learn more each day, with his personal goal of moving discussion into action. (See his June 21, 2020 article entitled, “Gender Equity – What Men Can Do to Move the Needle – Two Action Items.”

Outside of work, Jim enjoys spending time with his wife Michelle and reading books on history and leadership.