Advocacy Brown Bag Series: Contacting & Developing Relationships with Legislators

Dr. Erik Roush has been with Columbus City Schools since July 2013, and he has served as lead in Policy and Government Affairs since January 2015.  In this capacity, he is responsible for advocating on behalf of the district before local, state, and federal authorities. Dr. Roush is also responsible for the district's internal policies and administrative guidelines. 

Dr. Roush currently holds a School Business Manager's license. Dr. Roush holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Leadership from the Ohio State University.

Cajon Keeton is the Treasurer for the Benton-Carroll-Salem School District in Northwest Ohio. Prior to becoming a Treasurer, Cajon spent 5 years in the classroom as a business and technology teacher. He has a passion for school finance, as well as teaching and learning. 

Mr. Keeton holds a B.A. in Education (Bowling Green State University) and a M.A. in Educational Administration (Tiffin University).

Dr. Kevin Miller was a public educator for 36 years. He was an English teacher and principal at Wayne Trace Jr./Sr. High School before becoming Superintendent of Hicksville Village Schools in Defiance County. While at Hicksville, Dr. Miller worked with the community on the design and construction of a new Pre-K through 12 school building. During his tenure there, Hicksville Schools were rated “Excellent with Distinction” by the Ohio Department of Education and received national recognition from the Southern Regional Education board as a “High Schools That Work” Pacesetter School.   

Dr. Miller served as superintendent of Ottawa Hills Schools from 2010 to 2019. Ottawa Hills Schools are considered among the very best in Ohio and the nation. In 2015, Ottawa Hills became the first district in Ohio to earn all A’s on its district and building Local Report Cards issued by the Ohio Department of Education. The district repeated that feat in 2016, ’17, ’18, and ‘19—the only school district in Ohio to do so. Ottawa Hills has received statewide and national recognition by Forbes, US News and World Report, Newsweek, the Washington Post, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

On August 1, 2019, Dr. Miller became the Director of Governmental Relations for the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA). In that position, he lobbies on behalf of public school districts across Ohio and serves as a liaison between the Statehouse and Ohio’s superintendents.   

Dr. Miller lives in New Albany with his wife, Carla, and their four sons: Yale, Collin, Breckin, and Sterling.     

Thomas L. Hosler has been a school superintendent for over 20 years, serving as Superintendent of Perrysburg School District for 13 years. Since his start at Perrysburg Schools, he has led the growing district through the passage of four operating levies, two permanent improvement levies, and a bond issue to construct an intermediate school, which opened in Fall 2017.

In 2016, Mr. Hosler helped found the Coalition of Advocates for Pre-K through 16 Education of Northwest Ohio (CAPE-NWO) with a mission to provide a collective voice focused on positive direction, promoting quality education for all students in Northwest Ohio. He serves as a member of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators Executive Committee and is also the Chair for the Alliance for High Quality Education, representing more than 60 high-performing districts in Ohio.

In 2018, Mr. Hosler was awarded the Ohio Superintendent Outstanding Performance Award by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, securing with it a $10,000 grant for the Perrysburg School District. He was also awarded the Exemplary Leadership Award by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators in 2016 and in 2020.

Prior to his appointment in Perrysburg, he served as the superintendent of Huron Schools in New Boston, Michigan for over seven years. Prior to working as a school superintendent, Mr. Hosler served as a high school principal at Addison High School in Michigan, and Associate Principal at St. John’s Jesuit High School

He earned his Bachelor of Education and Master of Education/Educational Administration from The University of Toledo, and his Education Specialist Degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. He is a former marathon runner and now avid cyclist. Mr. Hosler and his wife, Robin, have been married for over 28 years and they have four children.

Katie Johnson is the Executive Director of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials. Katie is the seventh Executive Director and the first woman to lead the organization since its inception in 1936.

Katie was the Deputy Executive Director for OASBO prior to being named Executive Director. In that role, she served as legislative lead and in-house legal counsel for the association, keeping staff and members abreast of legal and regulatory compliance issues in school business. In addition, she has served as the chief learning officer, developing curriculum to support OASBO’s strategic plan and the Ohio school business profession.

Katie also serves on boards and committees focused on public finance, including serving as a member on the Finance and Appropriations Committee for Columbus City School District, as Treasurer of the Confluence Community Authority, and as past President of the Ohio Chapter of Women in Public Finance.

Katie holds a bachelor's degree in Business Finance from the University of Colorado, a master’s degree in Education from The Ohio State University, and a law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.