Helping Ohioans with disabilites find opportunities

Commissioners

A seven-member commission oversees the Ohio Rehabilitation Commission. Members are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Ohio Senate. No more than four commissioners may be of the same political party. Three must be representatives of the rehabilitation profession, including at least one member from the field of services to Ohioans who are blind. At least four commissioners must have a disability, and two or three of them must have received vocational rehabilitation services from a state agency or the Veteran's Administration. Members serve staggered seven-year terms.

The biographies of current commissioners are provided below, along with a schedule of meetings. All commission meetings will be held at RSC headquarters, 150 East Campus View Blvd., Columbus, unless otherwise noted.

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Commissioner Biographies

Jacqueline Romer-Sensky, Chair, Westerville

Commissioner Jacqueline Romer-Sensky of Westerville brings more than 24 years of executive leadership, policymaking and management experience to RSC. As president of a private consulting firm, she focuses on advancing organizational leadership, strategic initiatives and collaborative enterprises. Romer-Sensky previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, deputy chief of staff for Ohio Governor George Voinovich, president of the State Controlling Board in the Ohio Office of Budget and Management and director of communications for the Ohio House of Representatives Republican Caucus. Romer-Sensky earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the Graduate Institute of Connecticut. She also completed Harvard University's Senior Executive in State and Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Currently, Romer-Sensky is on the Board of Columbus Early Learning Centers and is a member of the School Readiness Solutions Group. She was reappointed to a seven-year term concluding in September 2013.
Jack Licate, Ph.D., Vice-Chair, Shaker Heights

Jack Licate of Shaker Heights brings executive experience as an institutional developer and community activist to the commission. Dr. Licate served the Cleveland Clinic Foundation as director and vice chairman of its Division of Institutional Relations and Development from 1994-2004 before starting a consulting and fundraising business for non-profit organizations. Licate has been a senior executive at the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, executive director of the Great Lakes Economic Policies Council and for the Build Up Greater Cleveland campaign, an urban planner for the Cleveland City Planning Commission and a geography teacher and researcher at St. Louis University, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan. He serves as a board member for the MetroHealth System Foundation, and has past board service at the Cleveland Sight Center and El Barrio. He has been president of the Hispanic Cultural Center of Cleveland and co-founder of the Hispanic Community Services Coalition. Licate earned a Bachelor’s degree in geography from St. Louis University, and Master’s and Doctorate degrees at the University of Chicago. His seven-year term at RSC concludes in December 2015.
David V. Daugherty, Mansfield

Appointed in 2005, David Daugherty of Mansfield has been active in the vocational rehabilitation community as board chairman of the American Rehabilitation Association and National Industries for the Severely Handicapped. He is the former president and chief executive officer of Rehabilitation Service of North Central Ohio, and past president of the Richland County Regional Planning Commission. Daugherty has been an active Rotary Club member since 1975, and has served as a district governor. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in speech therapy at Clarion University. His term concludes in 2012.
Michelle Dillingham, Cincinnati

Michelle Dillingham, of Cincinnati, completed the term vacated by Bruce Growick and was reappointed in September 2010 to a seven year term. She earned her Master’s Degree in Administrative Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. She has worked in the field serving individuals with disabilities for over 20 years-from direct case support, to workforce development program management, to coalition-building for advocacy. She is a founding member of several local policy initiatives, and was the recipient of the 2010 Ohio Citizen Action “Emerging Leader” Award. She works as a Research Manager for the Ohio Valley and Southern States Laborers’ and Employers Cooperation and Education Trust.
Cynthia Reese, Delaware

Commissioner Cynthia Rees of Delaware was appointed to the Rehabilitation Services Commission by Governor John Kasich on June 6, 2011. Commissioner Rees is the state director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Ohio, an organization comprised of nearly 350 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and violent crime survivors. The Ohio program is part of a national effort comprised of more than 5,000 law enforcement officials and violent crime victims. Commissioner Rees has been devoted to the mission of protecting kids from crime and keeping youth from following a path that leads to crime since 2004. She has experience as a Communications Assistant for the Ohio Attorney General; as well as public relations, government relations and media production expertise. Commissioner Rees brings deep personal experience with the challenge that a disability poses.
S. Blake Haxton, Upper Arlington

S. Blake Haxton joined the Commission in February 2013 while finishing his senior year at The Ohio State University. In May of 2013, Haxton earned his undergraduate degree in Finance from Ohio State's Fisher College of Business and is enrolled at Ohio State's Moritz College of Law in the J.D. class of 2016. He was born in Columbus in 1990 and has spent most of his life in the central Ohio area. A 2009 graduate of Upper Arlington High School, Haxton is a double amputee who spends time as a peer advocate working with various amputee support groups in Columbus as well as coaching the Upper Arlington High School rowing team. His term at RSC concludes in September 2016.