Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Monday that Alisha Nelson will become the first executive director of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation.
The OneOhio Recovery Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation charged with distributing nearly $1 billion to support addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
Nelson (pictured above) has vast experience working to fight addiction and, specifically, to end the opioid epidemic in Ohio. When DeWine was Ohio’s attorney general, she oversaw the office’s anti-drug initiatives. She later became RecoveryOhio‘s first director, coordinating initiatives across state government to safeguard long-term recovery from drug abuse and mental health problems.
According to DeWine, Nelson is the right person for the job because she shares his vision to help Ohioans struggling with substance use disorder.
“After careful consideration, I selected Alisha to fill this role because I know that she shares my vision of intentionally using these settlement funds to help Ohioans struggling with substance use disorder for years to come. Alisha has turned her passion and life experiences into a career promoting and developing policies that support long-term recovery and the advancement of the behavioral health field,” DeWine said.
Nelson most recently supported Medicaid payment reforms for behavioral health in the private sector.
The foundation’s Board of Directors presented three candidates to Wine for consideration at its meeting in July. With assistance from executive search firm Kittleman & Associates, the board undertook the thorough nationwide search that led to DeWine’s appointment of Nelson.
According to OneOhio Foundation Board Chair Larry Kidd, Nelson is the person who will advance the foundation to the next level.
“We believe Alisha Nelson is the person who can take the Foundation to the next level as we prepare for the crux of our mission working with the 19 regions and Ohio’s prevention, treatment, and recovery community to distribute settlement funds and save lives,” Kidd said.
The foundation said it expects Nelson to begin her new role at the Foundation on September 18.
The governor’s office, in collaboration with the office of the Ohio attorney general and representatives of the state’s local communities, developed the OneOhio plan to negotiate settlements with opioid drug producers and distributors. OneOhio guarantees a settlement while also outlining how the money can be spent, considering that the crisis has severely affected every area of the state. The OneOhio Recovery Foundation will receive 55 percent of every dollar from the total Ohio settlement to combat addiction and advance mental well-being.
Nelson graduated with a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and received her Master’s in Business Administration from Ohio Dominican University.
The Ohio Star reached out to Nelson for comment but did not receive a reply before press time.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Alisha Nelson” by Ohio State University.
