COLUMBUS — Each summer, The Ohio State University’s John Glenn School of Public Affairs hosts a week-long Public Leadership Academy for elected officials. Attendees include mayors, councilmembers, township trustees, county commissioners and members of Ohio’s General Assembly.

The Public Leadership Academy is an intensive, one-week, residential program for Ohio’s rising state and local elected officials who want to build trust across party lines and return to political life with a better understanding of their colleagues and a renewed commitment to public service. This year’s academy, which ended Friday, July 14, included five Ohio mayors recommended for the program by former Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst.

Barhorst, who first recommended mayors for the conference when he served as president of the Mayors Association of Ohio three years ago, has continued to recommend mayors on behalf of the Ohio Municipal League (OML).

Barhorst visited every county seat mayor the year he served as president. More recently, he travels the state meeting with local municipal officials on behalf of the OML as a paid field representative.

“Recommending the mayors who attend the academy is a natural extension of my work,” Barhorst stated recently. “I probably meet more mayors across the state than anyone else, and during the meetings in which I participate I always keep the program in the back of my mind, scouting for talent not only for the academy, but for other opportunities as well.”

The guidelines include an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, and an attempt is made to include both male and female nominees. This year the mayors attending included Ashland Mayor Matthew Miller, Glouster Mayor Samantha Sikorski, Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith, Plymouth Mayor Cassaundra Fryman, and St. Clairsville Mayor Katherine Thalman

“Logically I would nominate four mayors,” Barhorst explained. “However, this year I found a member of the Libertarian Party (Plymouth Mayor Cassaundra Fryman) and two years ago I found a mayor elected as an Independent (Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield), so I was allowed an extra spot.”

This year, the school had a husband-wife team for the first time. Ohio’s House Speaker Jason Stephens nominated District 67 Representative Melanie Miller.

“She related that she called her husband and excitedly told him the news.” Barhorst said. “Two hours later, her husband, Ashland Mayor Matt Miller, called her back to tell her he had been nominated as well. I checked with the Glenn School’s Director of Professional Development Greg Moody, and he confirmed that to the best of his knowledge, it had never happened before.”

“The program is well-received,” Barhorst said. “Every year, mayors who have previously attended the program return for the reception half-way through the week. In addition to the attendees telling me the program is a ‘good use of their time’ and that they ‘get a lot out of it’, I can’t think of a better outward sign than a mayor traveling three or more hours a couple of years later to return and again thank their teachers for what they learned during the week.”

“Ohio has a lot of good public servants,” Barhorst said. “The program at Ohio State helps to make a few of them even better. I’m just glad to play a small role in helping identify talent for the program.”