Donna S. Collins

The board meeting included the approval of minutes from the July 30, 2025 meeting. Key discussion points in the Director's Report covered staff changes, including new roles for Jarred Small and Dia Foley, and ongoing activities related to America 250 -Ohio, such as the Murals Across Ohio program. Updates also included the completion of Ms. Collins' term as NASAA chair and the initiation of an internal workgroup to explore artificial intelligence (AI) usage, with specific discussion about current limitations on AI use in Individual Excellence Award applications. The board approved the Quarterly Expenditure Report for FY 2025, Fourth Quarter, and ratified the Ratification Report. Panelist recommendations for the Individual Excellence Awards were approved, with discussion on the virtual review process and panelist compensation. Grant recommendations for the Artist Opportunities program were also approved, following a discussion regarding equipment expense limits and previous award recipient ineligibility. The board reviewed findings from the annual constituent satisfaction survey. New business involved a memo on traditional arts, resulting in a consensus to require disclosure of familial relationships in Traditional Arts Apprenticeship applications. Revisions to the draft virtual meeting policy were discussed, which clarified applicability, allowed for hybrid meetings in rare instances, and addressed proxy voting. Finally, the Executive Committee reported on its recommendation to increase the Executive Director's salary to $182,000, which the board subsequently approved, citing excellent performance and increased workload.

The agenda for the Council Meeting includes several items requiring a vote. Key discussion points involve the approval of minutes from previous meetings (Executive Committee and Board Meeting of October 22, 2025), reports from the Chair and Director with an election of the Executive Committee, and review of financial materials including the OAC Quarterly Expenditure Report for FY 2026/1st Quarter and a Ratification Report. A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to voting on panellist recommendations for various grant programs such as Artist Opportunities, Artists with Disabilities Access Program, ArtsNEXT, ArtsRISE, ArtSTART, TeachArtsOhio, and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships. Grant recommendations for FY 2026 Individual Excellence Awards will also be addressed. New business items include discussions on a Virtual Meeting Policy and staff updates regarding the Ohio Poet Laureate, Arts Impact Ohio, and Percent for Art initiatives.

The meeting included discussions on CARES Act funding distribution, the introduction of ArtsChat Ohio, updates to the Ohio Arts Education Data Dashboard, and recent Percent for Art projects. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan was reviewed, and the staff's completion of a course through the Cultural Equity Learning Community was noted. The board reviewed and approved the quarterly expenditure report for the first quarter of FY 2021, the ratification report, and the CARES Act ratification report. The board also discussed the OAC's application to the National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) Partnership Agreement grant program and reviewed panelist recommendations for on-year grant programs. Furthermore, the board reviewed and accepted the FY 2021 Individual Excellence Awards grant recommendations. Updates were provided on the Governor's Awards for the Arts and the plan for state employees' return to the office.

The meeting agenda includes a Finance Committee report covering regular business, the quarterly expenditure report, and grant ratifications. The Council will discuss the Chair's report on Executive and Poet Laureate Committees, and the Director's Report on advancing the OAC Mission. Grant ratifications for individuals and organizations for FY 2020 will be reviewed, along with panelist recommendations for various programs. Old and new business will cover updates on the Arts Impact Ohio Conference, a constituent satisfaction survey memo, the FY 2021 Grants Calendar, ethics training information, and a reminder of the 2020 meeting dates.

The meeting included a tribute to William ("Bill") P. Blair, followed by the election of Robb Hankins as OAC Board Secretary and the election of the OAC Executive Committee members. The Director's report highlighted agency partnerships with other state government and nonprofit entities. The board also reviewed the quarterly expenditure report for FY 2023, the ratification report, and panelist recommendations. Grant recommendations for the FY 2023 Individual Excellence Awards were presented and accepted. There was also a discussion regarding the Governor's Awards for the Arts and Arts Impact Ohio.