Columbus disability advisory commission elects Nicole Carter chair and Janae Miller vice chair

The Columbus Advisory Commission on Disability elected new leadership at a public meeting, selecting Nicole Carter as chair and Janae Miller as vice chair in voice votes on nominations from fellow commissioners. The panel also elected Umha (listed as “Unha” in the meeting) as secretary and Tessa Wilson as historian.

The new officers took office after nominations from commissioners and brief acceptance remarks. Tricia Kovacs nominated Carter for chair, and Janae Miller seconded the nomination; Carter said, “I accept.” Tessa Wilson nominated Miller for vice chair; Miller accepted. The commission then moved through secretary and historian nominations and votes in the same meeting.

The results give the commission a full slate of four officers after months of acting leadership. The outgoing leadership — Jordan Ballinger (acting/outgoing chair) and Nathan Rodengo (outgoing secretary) — and city staff outlined a transition plan. City staff and outgoing leaders committed to meet with newly elected officers to hand off records and procedures, and staff said they will support the new leadership going forward.

Commissioners and city legal staff used the election to reiterate governance matters. Josh Carty, assistant city attorney, reminded commissioners that substantive policy discussions should occur in public meetings rather than via group email, citing compliance with Ohio’s open meetings requirements. He also recommended the commission draft bylaws to formalize procedures such as public comment periods and officer terms.

Staff explained practical next steps for the incoming officers. Human resources and city staff described the reappointment process for commission members whose terms expire: HR forwards requests to the mayor’s office and then to City Council for confirmation. Josh Carty said officers are elected to two-year terms, though some commissioner seats have one- or multi-year staggered terms; commissioners should check term lengths and plan reappointments in advance.

Commissioners also raised succession and records preservation: the historian role will help digitize and organize archives, support succession planning and ensure materials are available to future leadership. Jordan Ballinger described the historian’s role as “ensur[ing] that as new leadership comes in, that they feel supported in taking on those leadership roles.” City staff said they are already digitizing records and maintaining a Google Drive and city website where materials can be posted.

The commission set its next regular meeting for Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. and discussed a plan for leadership to meet with outgoing officers and staff before the next meeting to ensure a smooth transition.