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 Youngstown State University, Kent State University, and Chi Sigma Iota chapters to hold continuing education workshop. Speakers have included Susan Sears, Robert Wubbolding, William Hegerty, Robert Ackerman, Mary Smith Arnold, Don Bubenzer, David Santoro, and Janet Thornton. 

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 (Youngstown State University) was the first recipient of this award in 1991. 

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

1979-1981  Chris Faiver

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