Governor DeWine Nominates Nash DODD Director

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced that he is nominating Lyndsay Nash as director of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and Tia Marcel Moretti as director of the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health.

"Lyndsay and Tia are proven leaders that bring a wealth of knowledge to their respective agencies," said Governor DeWine. "I have no doubt that they will lead their agencies with dedication and continue delivering results for Ohioans."

Nash has devoted her career to public service, most recently serving as interim director of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD). During her time with DODD, she has served as in-house counsel, director of compliance, and assistant director. After graduating from law school, she began her career at the Attorney General's office representing several state agencies, boards and commissions. From there she served as in-house counsel for the Ohio Dental Board before joining DODD in 2017. She brings extensive experience in human-services leadership, legal, and inter-agency collaboration.

Nash received her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 2004, and her juris doctorate from Michigan State University in 2007.

Moretti brings a strong background in community-based mental health and addiction services, with 25 years of experience. Most recently Moretti served as interim director of the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and previously served in Governor DeWine's office as deputy director of RecoveryOhio.

In addition to public service, Moretti has also served as a licensed social worker and Ohio certified prevention consultant, founder and CEO of the Ohio Institute for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Excellence, and associate vice president of behavioral health integration at CareSource.

As director of DBH, Moretti will provide leadership for a high-quality, statewide behavioral health system that provides Ohioans the support they need to get well, be well, and stay well.

Moretti received her bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University in 2006.

The nominations of Nash and Moretti require confirmation by the Ohio Senate.

A Message from DODD Director Lyndsay Nash:

Earlier today, Governor Mike DeWine announced that he has nominated me to serve as the Director of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

I am deeply grateful to Governor DeWine for the trust and confidence reflected in my nomination. It is an honor to continue this work on behalf of Ohioans with developmental disabilities and their families.

I remain firmly committed to advancing a system that centers the voices, choices, and dignity of people with disabilities, and to supporting the dedicated staff whose expertise and passion make this work possible each day. Together, we will continue to strengthen services, expand opportunities for inclusion, and promote outcomes that allow people to live full and meaningful lives in their communities.

I look forward to continuing our shared work for the remainder of the Governor's term and am committed to building on the progress we have made while meeting the challenges ahead with transparency, collaboration, and purpose.

DODD Leadership Announcements

Director Nash announced two leadership updates that will allow DODD to better align internal operations and continue to support Ohioans with developmental disabilities and our system partners around the state.

Clay Weidner has been named Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he will oversee the fiscal, data, and information technology divisions. Clay has worked at DODD since 2005, serving most recently as Chief Fiscal Officer. He has more than 20 years of experience with state budgets, Medicaid, funding stability, system planning, and data-informed decisions.

Beth Bennett has been named Chief Financial Officer. In this role, she will lead the fiscal division. Beth previously served as Assistant Chief Financial Officer for DODD. She has more than 10 years of experience in public and nonprofit finance and her work has included agency budgets, county board finance, Medicaid planning, and accounting. Beth has held leadership roles at DODD, the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, the Columbus Division of Income Tax, and the United Way of Central Ohio. She began her career at the Office of Budget and Management.