Strickland taps Fisher for first cabinet post

Gov.-elect Ted Strickland nominated his first cabinet member today.

Lt. Gov.-elect Lee Fisher will become the new administration’s director of the state Department of Development, upon confirmation by the Ohio Senate.

Fisher's annual salary has yet to be determined, but could be up to $150,000 if he serves in the dual role.

Gov. Bob Taft also asked his lieutenant governor, Bruce Johnson, to serve as the director of development. Prior to that, former Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor also served as director of the Department of Public Safety

At a news conference today, Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman, who heads Strickland’s transition team, called Fisher’s appointment “the first big step toward turning our state around.”

Fisher said economic growth, success and prosperity is the number one issue facing Ohio. He also said that the department will focus in on the “unbreakable link between educational attainment and economic prosperity.”

“We are going to focus on education early,” Strickland said at the news conference.

The development department’s relationship with Ohio’s Board of Education and department of education was left unclear except that Strickland said he was going to be very engaged in working with the state school board.

Other issues discussed today include:

*Fisher said that there are changes that he and Strickland would like to make in Ohio’s Third Frontier Program although they both support the program’s concept.

*Strickland said that, in preparation for the budget he must present to the legislature at the beginning of the year, he will probably make one more cabinet nomination before accepting other recommendations from his transition team.

*Neither Strickland nor Coleman would reveal who is on the transition team but, Strickland said, an announcement of the team would be made soon.

*With the Ohio General Assembly debating mental health insurance parity, Strickland was asked his position. Strickland said he has always supported the concept of insurers providing as much mental health-care coverage as they do for other forms of health care and that, within the past 24 hours, he has contacted Democratic and Republican leaders in both the Ohio House and Senate to make his position known.