New OOGEEP Director Shares Program Updates KRISTI R. GARABRANDT | The Daily Jeffersonian USA TODAY NETWORK John Schlichter, new executive director of the OO“It really shaped my life being part of a small comGEEP (Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program), munity and being part of the agricultural community, recently shared his background too,” Schlichter said. “So, going on and OOGEEP updates during a to be a state rep and working with Coffee and Commerce Zoom meetnatural resources I ended up on the ing hosted by the Cambridge Area finance community. I had a lot of opChamber of Commerce. portunity there to try to make a difSchlichter first shared that his ofference. I lead the charge in bringing fice is the OOGEEP office whose Ohio in compliance with No Child mission is to educate Ohioans on Left Behind.” the natural gas and oil industry Schlichter said that was one of the is located in Granville. He also notfirst things handed to him when he ed that eastern Ohio is really fortugot to the legislature and he is very nate to have a lot of planning and proud of that accomplishment. education going on. After leaving the legislature, he Schlichter is originally a farmwent back into agriculture working er from Fayette County. He rented with a non-GMO soybean company and operated a farm in the county working with exports. just north of Washington CourtIn 2012, he went to the Department house until 2006 when it was shut of Agriculture as deputy director. John Schlichter down after the passing of the propIn July, he was named executive dierty owner. He farmed for over 30 rector at OOGEEP. Executive Director Ohio Oil and Gas years. “I really enjoy being here as part Energy Education Program In addition to farming, Schlichter of this group. We have a great held an interest in politics. He began his political ca- staff,” Schlichter said. “I really just enjoy the folks. They reer as a treasurer on the school board after realiz- are great people and they really care for the industry ing he needed to be more involved in the community. and that is what I have that has really been important He served on the school board for four years then went to this.” on to serve on a joint tri-county board of education beSchlichter noted that OOGEEP is a nonprofit statefore running for Fayette County commissioner, a term wide education program and public outreach program. he held for four years. “That is what our main focus is,” Schlichter said. “We “I love being a county commissioner. You are at that do a lot of teacher trainings. We do a lot of firefightlevel where you know everybody,” Schlichter said. “You er trainings. We hand out the oil and gas flyers. We know everything that goes on in the county as far as do geology workshops. We do STEM workshops with development. We did a lot of work with the chamber teachers. So we are all about education and all about of commerce and I grew to appreciate the work that trying to show the communities and the State of Ohio they do.” not just Eastern Ohio, we try to show the whole state In 2002, he campaigned for the state representative as to what the oil and gas industry means to their daily seat for the 85th House District which encompassed lives.” all of Fayette County and parts of Ross and Pickaway Schlichter said he believes that with the U.S. being counties. the number one oil producer and number one gas proHe held that position for six years. He ran again in ducer that education is important. He also noted that 2008 and lost. Ohio is currently fifth in production in the U.S. Schlichter said that during his time in politics he did “The oil and gas industry employs over 200,000 peoa lot of agriculture work and used his background in ple in Ohio so it’s something that is extremely imporeducation to do some education work. tant that we spread that message and get that word Schlichter and his wife have three grown children out,” Schlichter said. If you look at some of the teacher and a grandson. workshops that we have done since we started in 1998, Update continued on page 9
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OhioGas&Oil
OCTOBER 2020
