Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is setting up for a new wave of leadership in state departments with his latest nominations, choosing Lyndsay Nash to head the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) and Tia Marcel Moretti to take the reins at the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). According to the announcement from the Governor's office, these selections come backed with extensive experience and a track record of service and leadership.
Nash, the pick for DODD, isn't new to the department, having already pitched in as interim director, among other roles since 2017, her resume includes handling compliance, legal counsel, and more recently as an assistant director, and before her tenure at DODD, Nash fought in the legal trenches as in-house counsel for the Ohio Dental Board and handling legal cases for several state agencies while at the Attorney General's office, she's been walking the path of public service since her days fresh out of Michigan State University law school in 2007.
Moretti, tagged for DBH, carries forward a 25-year history in mental health and addiction services, having served not only as interim director for the department but also as deputy director of RecoveryOhio in Governor DeWine's office. Her resume boasts accomplishments like founding the Ohio Institute for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Excellence and crafting behavioral health solutions as an executive at CareSource.
Leading DBH, Moretti aims to architect a statewide behavioral health system that's all about quality and comprehensive support ensuring Ohioans can embark on the road to recovery and beyond, keep going, and importantly, maintain their wellness, Governor DeWine expressed confidence in his nominees, affirming that they will "lead their agencies with dedication and continue delivering results for Ohioans", according to Governor DeWine's official news release.
Before they can step into their roles, both Nash and Moretti’s appointments will need to go through the formalities of confirmation by the Ohio Senate – a bureaucratic checkpoint on their path to becoming directors in their respective fields of developmental disabilities and behavioral health across the state.
