About Us
Over the last year, the Ohio Department of Development worked with Governor Kasich and the Ohio General Assembly to establish and implement Ohio's new economic development strategy. A cornerstone of this strategy was the creation of JobsOhio, and a reorganization of the Ohio Department of Development. As part of this reorganization, the Department of Development was renamed Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA), focusing on supporting the businesses, individuals, and communities in Ohio.
While JobsOhio now leads the way attracting and retaining jobs, Ohio Development Services Agency has assumed the role of supporting and overseeing this effort. Development will continue to offer programs that help Ohio's most vulnerable citizens and to support community development activities. Our Agency also will continue to be committed to continuous improvement as we work to streamline our programs and provide exceptional customer service.
The ODSA legislation, signed by Governor Kasich, formally changed the name of the Ohio Department of Development to the Ohio Development Services Agency (effective Sept. 28, 2012) to better reflect the Agency's new mission. It also finalized the transition of economic development efforts to JobsOhio and streamlined the state incentive approval process. Finally, the legislation provided a new funding model and advisory board for TourismOhio and improved access to capital for small- and minority-owned businesses.
