2008 - 2009 EOCA Leadership:
President: Meghan Brown mjfortner05@hotmail.com
President-Elect: Julie Lenyk juliemiranda311@yahoo.com
Past-President: Jessica Eaton ksu023@aol.com
Treasurer: Vicki Norris vickienrrs@yahoo.com
Correspondence Secretary: Bethany Garr beelikethebug@yahoo.com
Membership Chair: Robert Dubec bdubec@zoominternet.net
EOCA History:
EOCA was unanimously chartered in June of 1982 at the Executive Board meeting by OCA President Bill Nemec.
EOCA has frequently partnered with
Other EOCA activities have included hosting an annual fall dinner social, networking luncheon programs for area counselors, and a mentoring program for beginning counselors.
EOCA established the “Dee Elias Service Award” in honor of a Dee Elias who was the executive director of Help Hotline, past-president of EOCA, YSU counseling program alumni, and a member of CSI. Dr. Jan Gill-Wigal (
In 1992, EOCA was presented a special OCA Award at the All Ohio Counselors Conference for outstanding legislative efforts. EOCA was recognized for having membership that frequently wrote legislators and an EOCA Political Action Committee which hosted a meeting with representatives June Lucas, Ronald Gerberry, and Robert Hagan to advocate for counseling issues.
EOCA leadership was an integral part in helping establishing the North Central Ohio Counseling Association (NCOCA) in 1993. EOCA provided $500 of seed money and expertise to help NCOCA grow into a chapter which was positioned to meet the needs of professional counselors in the Cleveland/Akron area.
In 1997, EOCA developed a Directory of Professional Counselors as a marketing tool and educational reference about the counseling profession.
EOCA “Dee Elias Award for Meritorious Service”:
2000 Denise Walters-Dobson
1997 Janet Thorton
1991 Dr. Jan Gill-Wigal
EOCA Past-Presidents:
2008-2009 Meghan Fortner
2007-2008 Jessica Eaton
2006-2007 Rachel Hoffman
2005-2006 Jennifer Jones
2004-2005 Scott Baker
2003-2004 Marjorie Erwine
2002-2003 Carrie Crawford
2001-2002 Duane Nosal
2000-2001 Steve Ilko
1999-2000 Toni Beard
1998-1999 Tom Kupec
1997-1998 Judy Roth
1996-1997 Barbara Denny
1995-1996 Gail Blackshear
1994-1995 Rose Quinones
1993-1994 Lindy Kirk
1992-1993 Bob Dunn
1991-1992 Janet Thornton
1990-1991 Jain Savage
1989-1990 Marjorie Burin
1988-1989 Dolores Elias
1987-1988 Denise Walters-Dobson
1986-1987 Marie Pavlicko
1983-1985 Anne Williams
1982-1983 Lynn Burkey
EOCA was developed by Dr. Larry DiRusso at Youngstown State University in cooperation with school and community agency personnel. The Eastern Ohio Counselors Association begin it's annual spring workshops in 1976.
Prior to EOCA's charter with Ohio Counseling Association in 1982, another association existed in northeast Ohio which focused primarly on the needs of guidance counselors. This group, the North East Ohio Guidance Association (NEOGA) had a representative on the Ohio Personnel and Guidance Association (OPGA), now Ohio Counseling Association (OCA) board. The representatives of the NEOGA included the following:
1983-84 Mitchell Bienia
1982-83 Seymour Greenstein
1975-76 Morris Wise
1974-75 Naomi Snyder
1973-74 Chuck Kullick
1968-70 Charles W. Edstrand
1966-67 John Tsolainos
1965-66 Lillian Sawka
1964-65 Herbert Angor
