Key Achievements

2021 / Unemployment Compensation Debt Payoff

OBRT joined with Ohio’s five other major business associations to successfully advocate for the state using federal COVID-19 stimulus money to payoff the $1.5 billion in unemployment compensation debt, saving Ohio business from footing the bill when collection of the debt was set to begin.

2021 / Public Private Partnership to Combat Unemployment Fraud

At the request of Governor DeWine, the Ohio Business Roundtable assisted to establish a public-private partnership to address the rampant unemployment fraud in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 / Stop the Spread Coalition

Led by the Ohio Business Roundtable, the Coalition is a collaboration of over 180 businesses, non-profit organizations and education institutions. Its goal is to mobilize a grassroots effort by ordinary Ohioans to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and curb the spread of the virus.

2019 / Workforce Partnership Initiative

In partnership with AEP, JPMorgan Chase, and the national Business Roundtable, OBRT helped launch the Office of Talent Strategy at Columbus State Community College.

2018 / New OBRT Leadership

The OBRT Board selected former Congressman Pat Tiberi to serve as President and CEO of the organization.

2016 / Energy Agenda

OBRT developed and released a six-point, research-driven comprehensive energy agenda to: (1) maximize Ohio’s natural gas advantage, (2) meet the evolving needs of the power market, (3) build the required support infrastructure, (4) improve the ease of doing business, (5) ensure adoption of renewals and advanced energy technologies is market-based, and (6) drive economic impact from energy competitiveness.

2015 / BRIGHT New Leaders for Ohio Schools

With funding support from the State of Ohio, and an exceptionally strong partnership with The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, OBRT launched an unprecedented principal leadership program – BRIGHT New Leaders for Ohio Schools.

2015 / Energy Competitiveness Initiative

With support from McKinsey, OBRT launched a comprehensive energy competitiveness initiative, examining the supply of natural resources and the methods used to generate and distribute electricity and gas to consumers.

2014 / “Failure is Not an Option”

OBRT released “Failure is Not an Option,” its groundbreaking study of high-performing, high-poverty schools, as evidence that the quality of principal leadership is the most important factor in student academic achievement.

2013 / Oil & Natural Gas Analysis

OBRT-commissioned analysis of proposed oil and gas severance tax provisions informed high-stakes dialogue about shale gas development in Ohio.

2012 / Improving Ohio’s Workforce

With analytical and systems design support from Accenture and in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, OBRT created a sustainable, regionally focused workforce forecast and information exchange.

2011 / Budget Solutions

With analytical support from McKinsey, an OBRT task force provided benchmarking and analysis to provide ideas for closing Ohio’s $8 billion budget deficit.

2011 / JobsOhio

JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Gov. Kasich to lead Ohio’s business development efforts – initially incubated and housed at the BRT, with ongoing advocacy and back-office support.

2010 / Third Frontier Renewal

OBRT leads ballot issue and Ohio voter approval – by a margin of 62-38 – of the $700 million renewal of Ohio Third Frontier bonds.

2009 / Patient Safety

Launch of the Ohio Solutions for Patient Safety initiative to reduce healthcare-associated infections and medication errors, with leadership and funding support from Cardinal Health.

2008 / Sick Days Ballot Issue

OBRT helped successfully negotiate the removal of the proposed harmful sick-leave ballot initiative.

2007 / STEM Learning Network

With $15 million in funding support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and in collaboration with Battelle, creation of the Ohio STEM Learning Network and six regional STEM academies to educate, cultivate and train Ohio’s next generation of innovators.

2006 / Ohio Business Development Coalition

Launch of the Ohio Business Development Coalition to brand, market, promote and sell Ohio as the location for business investment and expansion – a precursor to JobsOhio.

2006 / Ohio’s Talent Challenge

OBRT published “The Talent Challenge: What Ohio Must Do to Thrive, Not Merely Survive, in a Flat World.”

2005 / Third Frontier

OBRT helped lead ballot issue and voter approval of the initial $1.1 billion bond funding for Third Frontier to spur technology-based economic development.

2005 / Tax Reform

Major overhaul and modernization of Ohio’s anti-competitive tax system to broaden the base, lower the rates and significantly enhance capital investment, exports and job growth.

2004 / Business Alliance for Higher Education & the Economy (BAHEE)

OBRT created BAHEE at the request of Governor Taft as the business voice in driving higher education improvement.

2002 / Technology-Based Economic Development

OBRT published “World-Class Ohio: A Prospectus for Achieving Success in the Third Frontier” as recommendations to State leadership for strategic direction and investment priorities for technology-based economic development in Ohio.

2001 / Battelle for Kids

With a $10 million gift from Battelle Memorial Institute, OBRT created Battelle for Kids as an independent voice for “rigor” and to promote high standards, “value added” assessment and capacity-building to improve student achievement.

2000 / Ohio Growth Project

With analytical support from McKinsey, BRT launched the Ohio Growth Project to identify the public- and private-sector actions – and clusters to invest in – to increase Ohio’s economic growth.

1998 / BRT Ohio Skill Gap Initiative

OBRT worked in conjunction with the ACT national college admission organization to identify foundation skills entry-level employees need to succeed, setting the stage for standards-based education reforms.

1997 / Tort Reform

Worked with lawmakers on passing landmark civil justice and tort reforms, including caps on noneconomic and punitive damage awards and elimination of joint and several liability.

1997 / Accountability in Education

Landmark education accountability initiatives, including design of Ohio’s first-ever annual school district report cards.

1996 / Promoting Ohio’s Aerospace Industry

OBRT led an initiative to promote and preserve federal funding support for Ohio’s aerospace industry.

1995 / Business-Education Partnerships

OBRT launched initiative to promote, support and lift up best-in-class business-education partnerships to improve student academic achievement and school operations and cost-effectiveness.

1994 / Ohio’s BEST

Launch of Ohio’s BEST – the broadest and deepest coalition of its kind – to drive statewide education improvement.

1993 / Workers’ Compensation Reform

The OBRT helped forge a coalition of statewide business organizations that worked closely with Governor Voinovich and a bipartisan group of legislative leaders to enact House Bill 107, Ohio's most comprehensive workers' compensation legislation in decades.