Highlight inspiring and rewarding public service careers with TMACOG members

Help us inspire the public-sector workforce of the next generation during Pathways to Public Service, a new event set for 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday, October 9.

 

We’re partnering with Owens Community College to showcase the wide range of positions available with local communities and public organizations, from groundskeeping to engineering and everything in between. This is not a hiring fair, but an opportunity for students and adults to explore the many benefits of careers in the public sector.

 

We’ve developed this program based on suggestions from TMACOG caucus sessions, where members and partners expressed a desire to raise awareness about the diverse careers and positions available in government service.

 

During the Career Exploration Expo, attendees will visit with public employers from across the region to learn about the types of positions they offer and the skills and education that can equip them to pursue their goals.

 

Breakout sessions with feature panels of public employees sharing their personal journeys, insights into their roles, and practical advice for those considering similar paths.

 

Advance registration is requested but not required. More information is available at https://tmacog.org/events/pathways

 

Spread the word!

We encourage you to share this opportunity with students, colleagues, community partners, and anyone who may be exploring career options or considering a future in public service. Whether through your organization's newsletter, social media, or word of mouth, your support in promoting this event will help us reach a wider audience and inspire the next generation of public sector leaders.

 

Share your input on regional walking and biking improvements

Now through the end of October, we’re looking for your feedback on how to improve walking and biking infrastructure throughout the region!

 

TMACOG is actively seeking public input through October to inform a new regional active transportation plan that helps create safer, more accessible, and sustainable transportation options.

 

People who live or work in the region can provide feedback by attending public meetings and completing a survey available online and at participating public libraries. Input from people who use the active transportation network will help TMACOG identify gaps and convene partners to collaborate to improve and expand infrastructure for walking, biking, transit, and other non-motorized travel.

 

By focusing on projects like sidewalks, multiuse paths, bike lanes, and safer crosswalks, the plan will make it easier for people to choose alternatives to driving for short trips, helping reduce traffic congestion and pollution while promoting healthy lifestyles.

 

To complete the five-minute survey, go to https://bit.ly/TMACOG-ATP

 

For more information about the planning process, contact Sean Sammon: sammon@tmacog.org or 419-820-4517.

Spotlight shines on success of the Water Workforce Coalition

Kari Gerwin, TMACOG’s director of water quality planning, shared the recipe for regional success in developing a water and wastewater workforce with a statewide audience at Ohio’s One Water Technical Conference & Expo.

 

Hosted in Cleveland last month by the Ohio Water Environment Association and the Ohio Section of the American Water Works Association, the conference brought together 1,600 water industry professionals, including operators, engineers, and regulators.

 

Gerwin joined Chuck Campbell from the City of Toledo to present “Empowering the Future: Building a Water Workforce Using Social Entrepreneurship and Direct Training.” The pair summarized how key partnerships and shared resources led to a regional approach to addressing workforce challenges in the water and wastewater sectors.

 

Through collaboration between TMACOG, Owens Community College, the City of Toledo, and utilities across the region, 64 students completed a full-time, 16-week training program designed to prepare them for careers in the water industry. As of September, at least 24 graduates had begun new careers as water and wastewater operators.

 

Attendees also heard directly from program graduates during video testimonials produced by TMACOG’s Communications Department. Madison Preteroti and Kristen Haase shared personal stories that offered a glimpse at the impact of the program and the opportunities it creates.

 

Click the images at the top of this story to view the videos or check them out on TMACOG’s YouTube channel.

 

Kingsley Kanjin, TMACOG water quality planner, also attended the conference, which covered topics including nutrient reduction strategies, biosolids and land application, utility finance and asset management, cybersecurity, workforce development, managing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and updates on regulations and funding.

Add local input to Ohio’s statewide transportation plan 

Share a local perspective as Ohio develops a new statewide transportation plan by attending a public session on Monday, October 6 at the Main Library in Downtown Toledo (325 Michigan St.).

 

Join TMACOG and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) during a stakeholder workshop from 1-3 p.m. and a public open house from 4-5:30 p.m., where community members, transportation stakeholders, and local leaders can give feedback on improving the safety condition, efficiency, and mobility of the statewide transportation system.

 

Participating in this session offers an opportunity to add local input on the direction of Ohio’s transportation future.

 

Click here for additional information, including a survey link for anyone who cannot attend, or go to www.transportation.ohio.gov/accessohio

 

Access Ohio 2050 is ODOT’s long-range, multimodal transportation plan. Comments will inform and guide policies and investments in transportation over the next 25 years.

 

The plan is being designed to meet the future needs of travelers, respond to emerging technologies, and support the state’s economic, social, and environmental goals. Key components of the plan include:

• Development of population and economic scenarios
• Definition of inter- and intra-regional transportation systems
• Expanded performance measures and management systems
• Prioritization criteria and a comprehensive project roadmap

2025 Transportation Improvement Program Obligated Funding Summary

Under federal law, TMACOG is responsible for producing an annual listing of federal funds that are obligated in the previous fiscal year for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

 

In fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025), federal money obligated for transportation projects in Lucas and Wood counties included approximately $103 million for 146 projects.

 

Federally obligated means that federal funds were approved to be used for certain projects. This does not mean that the project was under construction during the prior fiscal year. These funds may include debt payment to build infrastructure that has already been completed, or phases of a future project such as preliminary engineering or right-of-way acquisition.

 

These projects include roadway, bridge, transit, pedestrian, bikeway, and rail crossing improvements. This listing only includes federally funded projects and does not include road projects funded separately by the state, cities, and villages.

 

Are you curious to see funding broken down by county or project type? Click here or go to https://tmacog.org/transportation to read the full report.

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