"A vision that several fellow Juvenile Detention Directors and I shared in the early 1990's was one of uniting all Ohio Detention Administrators to formulate a group that could actively share ideas, issues, training, and support. At an initial planning meeting in Ashtabula in 1993 that included Dan Sheldon (Ashtabula);  John Rath (Lake); Tom Trittschuh (Richland); Rose Ann Davis (Franklin); Dan Kieffer (Muskingum); Greg Simmons (Miami); and Pete Holzemer (Lucas) we began our first steps to create an organization.
Through the efforts of these individuals, we held our first organizational meeting by gathering as many as possible of Ohio Juvenile Detention Administrators at the newly constructed Franklin County Detention Facility in 1993. Our organization has been very instrumental in the foundation and advocacy of high standards in Ohio for the past ten (10) years (29 now). Over ten years (29 now) have passed since we first elected officers, established goals and directions, and began our early stages of growth as an organization.
As the OJDDA, we have held many conferences, meetings, and training opportunities and most importantly as a group shared so many ideas with fellow colleagues, Ohio Department of Youth Services staff, court personnel, legislators, and have positively impacted the improvement of detention services throughout Ohio. We have as an organization provided a forum for all detention administrators to meet each other, share ideas, knowledge, training, and just plain friendship. Through the energies of fellow OJDDA Presidents: Steve Norris, Tom Trittschuh, Bob Dugan, Garland Brown, Beth Oprisch, and Tony Miller, we have accomplished a great deal and contiue to provide a unified body to address detention issues with other state, local, and federal agencies (ODYS, OJDDP, NJDAO, OJDSA, ETC). 
 
I challenge each Detention Administrator to attend and actively participate in this worthwhile association. In keeping with our initial purpose to share similar ideas; we can each learn or impove our own centers by what we gain from other centers through having ideas of physical structure, programming or philosophy. The OJDDA goal is to create an active group of detention administrators that will to provide the best possible detention services for the youth and communities we serve." 
 
-Past President/Original Founding Member of OJDDA-

Tom Trittschuh