Former state leader had local ties

FINDLAY — Ohioans and Hancock County residents are mourning the death last Friday of the first and only female to be Ohio House speaker, Jo Ann Davidson, a 1945 Findlay High School graduate. Davidson was 97. She was speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1995 through 2000. Only Ohio's then-newly enacted term limits law forced Davidson, R-Reynoldsburg, to end her 20-year run in the Ohio House. She was a mentor to many, including Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn and former Mayor Lydia Mihalik, now director of the Ohio Department of Development. Mihalik and Davidson became close friends. In fact, Mihalik's third child, Delaney Jo Ann, is named for the former House speaker. "I will forever be grateful for her mentorship, friendship and love," Mihalik said. "Speaker Davidson was arguably one of the most effective lawmakers and leaders to ever serve in Ohio history. It was her consensus-building style and grit. Her grit and determination benefited many," Mihalik said. "She was a very good listener and appreciated when there were maybe others in the room who had differing viewpoints." "Ultimately she wanted to get to a point where everyone believed in what they were trying to accomplish, particularly in the Statehouse," Mihalik said. "She quite frankly was the type of leader that we all aspire to be in seeking positions of public trust." Mihalik and Muryn first came to know Davidson through the The Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, which Davidson started after her time in the Ohio House. Mihalik was in the institute in 2009-2010, and was elected Findlay mayor in 2011. "From the get-go we had a special connection because we both were from Findlay," Mihalik said. Muryn graduated from Davidson's leadership institute a few years after Mihalik. "She really cared about people on a personal level," Muryn said. "She had all of these ladies at the leadership institute and I feel like she was really intentional about getting to know each of them and passionate about our lives and our personal lives and families." "One of the things I appreciated about her was that she was witty," Muryn said. "She dealt with a lot of tough situations and tough people, but she also had a really kind of, I would say, unexpected sense of humor where she would say things that you didn't really expect, but they would just strike you as really funny." Davidson said her interest in public service and politics was rooted in her first job experiences at the Findlay Chamber of Commerce in the 1940s. After graduating from Findlay High School, the daughter of Ralph and Bernice Benington became the assistant executive secretary of the Findlay chamber. The job taught her about community improvement, and how it was possible to achieve without legislative help, she once told the Courier. From the Findlay chamber job, she moved on to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce in Columbus, where at one time she served as vice president for special programs. Davidson's political career began in 1967, when she first served on Reynoldsburg City Council. In 1980, she was elected to the Ohio House, representing the 24th District in the eastern portion of Franklin County. Davidson became minority leader in 1993, and was elected speaker when the Republicans gained the majority in the House in 1995. "Speaker Davidson embodied every character trait that I think today's politicians should have. First and foremost, she was a servant leader," said Cheryl Buckland, of Findlay, who has been active in the Hancock County Republican Party. "She worked both sides of the aisle," Buckland said. "She was very respectful, truly a woman of integrity." Buckland was a graduate of Davidson's leadership institute. Additional local graduates of the institute include County Juvenile/Probate Judge Kristen Johnson, County Auditor Charity Rauschenberg, Findlay Municipal Court Judge Stephanie Bishop; and Jody Beall O'Brien, deputy director of the Hancock County Elections Board. Davidson "sat through pretty much all of the (institute) sessions," Muryn recalled. "Most of the time she sat through the entire session and would give some of her personal experiences." "She curated the leadership content and it was all based off things that she felt were going to be valuable and were experiences that she thought we needed to have to be able to be successful," Muryn said. "A great deal of her life work was in encouraging and empowering women to serve in different positions," Mihalik said. "She empowered many that she came in contact with. Not just women, but also men." "Her advice and counsel was sought after by many statewide candidates including several successful governors," the former Findlay mayor said. "The beauty of Jo Ann Davidson was that she was an all-around, incredible person," Mihalik said. "She never took for granted a day and worked really hard to accomplish a lot of things and I would say not only in her professional life but with her family as well." "The beauty of Jo Ann was that she led by example and she is a very kind woman," Mihalik said. "There is not a whole lot that I can say that truly gives enough tribute to that."