Commerce Connects 1.29.24

Carl Weaver Named Employee of the Quarter!

Carl Weaver (bottom left), Financial Institutions Examiner in DFI, has been named Employee of the Quarter! Last week, Director Maxfield, Assistant Director & Chief of Staff Charity Robl, DFI Superintendent Kevin Allard, and other colleagues of Carl’s hopped on what he thought was a “Liquidity Call” on Teams to surprise him with the news. Carl is a field staff employee based out of Toledo, so the certificate presentation was held virtually. Katie Smith, Financial Institutions Administrator, commended Carl for exceeding his normal duties and making a significant IMPACT on those he works with saying he routinely goes above and beyond to make an IMPACT.

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Marshal Reardon Joins Federal Officials to Raise Awareness of Winter Fire Risks

Last week, Ohio Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon joined U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merell, FEMA Region 5 Administrator Tom Sivak, and leaders from the Columbus Division of Fire and the City of Columbus to call for Ohioans to take precautions to prevent future fire-related injuries and deaths.

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New Downloads Available: Letterhead

Thanks to all of you who have visited the intranet to download the new agency and divisional letterhead. The Department of Development designed these templates for us and all other state agencies. We received numerous requests for changes to the margins and length of these templates, and have made all necessary updates to make your work seamless. Visit our Branding and Templates section on the intranet to download the most up-to-date version. If for some reason you are still experiencing issues with the template, please reach out to the Communications team.

February 1 is Change Your Password Day

February 1 is Change Your Password Day and is a great time to bolster your personal and work passwords. Cybersecurity has never been more important and one of the most effective ways to protect your personal information is by regularly changing your password. Click here to read more and to see some tips from the Division of Financial Institutions

Registration of Outside Employment Reminder

Reminder: If you are employed by any entity in addition to the Department of Commerce, please be sure to submit your “Registration of Outside Employment” for 2024—all forms are due to your Division Legal Counsel by Tuesday, Jan. 30.

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Commerce Celebrates Key Accomplishments in 2023

As we near the end of January, we want to spotlight some of the important achievements that were accomplished in 2023 as a result of collaboration between Commerce's Division of Administration and the agency's various divisions and programs.

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Interest in Recovery Within Reach Expanding Beyond Ohio

Recovery Within Reach is getting interest from financial advisors outside of Ohio who would like to use the program for their businesses! Securities Commissioner Andrea Seidt and Communications Director Mikaela Hunt recently spoke with Michael Lewis and his wife Sharon with Tutor Financial Advisors in North Carolina who are looking to help expand awareness about the program nationwide.

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Black History Month and February Diversity Calendar

February is recognized as Black History Month, a time to celebrate and acknowledge the significant contributions and history of African American individuals and communities. In addition to Black History Month, there are other significant dates and events throughout February honoring different cultures, backgrounds, and traditions.

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Hawk Presents at Ohio Realtors Winter Conference

Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing Superintendent Daphne Hawk gave a presentation last week at the Ohio Realtors Winter Convention at Hilton Easton.

Hawk gave a presentation to about 45 association executives and staff on the difference between the Ohio Canons of Ethics and the National Association of Realtor Code of Ethics. She also gave an update on enforcement cases and industry trends.

Video Service Authorization Proactive ahead of Super Bowl

While many have cut the cord of cable TV, Ohioans are still filing complaints asking for help from our Video Service Authorization Program (VSA). Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, VSA Administrator Linda Pausch talks about VSA's role in helping Ohioans if they are frustrated with their cable provider and everything they need to know to file a complaint. Listen to the Have a Cable Problem? episode of Protecting What Matters here or on your favorite podcast platform.

Wear Red

Come together to wear red on Friday, Feb. 2, in support of Heart Health Month and to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease.

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Training Wheels

Here are this week's training resources! This week, we're focusing on training for Microsoft Office and other applications.

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February Birthdays!

Instead of just highlighting Commerce birthdays once per month, we are going to now be highlighting the "birthdays of the week" each week in Commerce Connects!

Click here to see Commerce birthdays for the first week of February!

Joke of the Week

What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator!

Have a joke? Send it to us here!

Miss an issue? View previous editions here!

Ohio Department of Commerce

77 S. High Street, 23^rd Floor

Columbus, Ohio 43215