THE OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

The communications department championed public health and environmental protection in ohio by celebrating and amplifying many regulatory victories. They achieved success by reaching 871 million people and publishing a vast collection of articles, blog posts, and press releases, ensuring that key messages were circulated to a wide audience. They nurtured an email community with a robust 34,780 subscribers and stewarded a social media following of 36,775, effectively engaging and informing constituents across the state.

We hosted a variety of events statewide from a fall gathering on big darby creek and a toledo water crisis community event to a climate safe neighborhoods training at the cincinnati zoo. We engaged young environmentalists through the community ecology apprenticeship program in southeast ohio, connected constituents at our inaugural state of the environment event and earth day panel in cleveland, and amplified our mission in central ohio with emerging leaders events like career panels, river cleanups, and mental health discussions. Additionally, our law center hosted multiple educational events, bringing together legal experts and community advocates to address environmental policy challenges. These initiatives showcased our waterways' importance, mobilized thousands of public comments, and shared inspiring stories of community resilience.

We advanced justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion by actively championing the removal of lead from ohio's drinking water, a critical step to protect the health of vulnerable communities, particularly children. We mobilized thousands of public comments and hosted inclusive events, such as our community gathering commemorating the toledo water crisis, where residents shared personal stories and reinforced their collective voice in demanding environmental accountability. We also worked across all levels of government to secure regulatory improvements, such as the updated lead and copper rule and state legislation emphasizing water affordability and workforce development, ensuring that our advocacy efforts addressed both the immediate public health risks and the broader systemic inequities affecting our communities.

The oec continues to invest in tomorrow's environmental movement through our emerging leaders program in central ohio. The program empowers hundreds of local young professionals to take action and become the next generation of environmental champions through education, advocacy, and networking. Full details of our programmatic work can be found in our annual report: https://theoec.org/news-and-information/2024-annual-report.