OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / JuLY 16, 2026

We're excited to announce the recipients of this year's OCSEA Les Best Scholarship awards. The scholarship winners include four dependents of OCSEA dues-paying members, two OCSEA members, and two spouses, for a grand total of $12,000 in scholarships. This educational benefit can be used toward helping these union families pursue a college or vocational school education. Additionally, the two OCSEA members were each awarded a $250 book scholarship.

 

The Winners Are...

Dependents' College Scholarship:

• Erika Boggs | Parent: Ricky Boggs, Civil Rights Commission, Summit Chapter 7700
• Nathaniel Smith | Parent: Daniel Smith, Dept. of Youth Services, Circleville DYS Chapter 6555
• Renee Williams | Parent: Joshua Williams, Ohio Dept. of transportation, Monroe Chapter 5600
• Sara Hintz | Parent: Pamela Hintz, Ohio Dept. of Health, Health Chapter 2560

Members' College Scholarship:

• Sharon Crawford-Ward: Bureau of Workers' Compensation, BWC Chapter 2535
• Brittany Worlds: Bureau of Workers' Compensation, BWC Chapter 2535

 

Spouses' College Scholarship:

• Charles Epke | Spouse: Adeline Simo, Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corrections, Marysville Reformatory for Women Chapter 8010
• Zahara Fullah - Spouse: Alfred Gullah, Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corrections, Madison Correctional Chapter 4910  

The scholarship program opens each year on January 1, with a deadline of April 30. It is open to active, dues-paying members as well as their dependents and spouses. Learn more about the OCSEA Les Best Scholarship at OCSEA.org/lesbest.

 

Want to promote the scholarship or other union benefits programs at a chapter event or union fair? Contact the OCSEA Communications Department at communications@ocsea.org.

OCSEA is paying homage to OCSEA Secretary-Treasurer Kathleen "Kathy" Gersper who recently retired from the State of Ohio and stepped down as the union's chief financial officer after 27 years of service. Gersper, who served as the union's Secretary Treasurer since 1999, has dedicated decades to maintaining the organization's financial solvency, being a union leader with an unwavering commitment to working people and the labor movement, and serving communities all around Ohio.

 

Sister Gersper, a union activist with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, was a steward and leader for OCSEA Dept. of Administrative Services (DAS) Chapter 2570 and has served on many past OCSEA State Bargaining Teams. She sat on the Ohio AFL-CIO Executive Board and the Central Ohio Union Label Council as Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer. Gersper was also the Chair of the OCSEA Finance Committee and was a leader on the Women's Action (WAC) Committee. She is a 2017 graduate of the Harvard University Trade Union Program.

 

Known by many throughout Ohio for her "Kathy's Creature Comforts" initiative, she annually––for nearly 20 years––collected hundreds of Teddy bears and stuffed animals for children at domestic violence shelters statewide. "One of my greatest achievements is knowing that thousands of donations over the years by OCSEA subordinate bodies and members has given even the youngest victims of domestic violence something to hold onto when all around them has been disrupted," said Gersper.

 

We wish Kathy all the best on her retirement!

Melissa Yank, a member of the OCSEA Board of Directors and an activist with BWC Chapter 2535, has been appointed by the board to fill the OCSEA Secretary-Treasurer seat vacancy left by Kathy Gersper.

 

A longtime union leader, Yank has served as an OCSEA Board of Directors member in District 6 and as President of BWC Chapter 2535. In her capacity on the state board, she has sat on the OCSEA Finance Committee as well as the Judicial and Internal Affairs Committee (JIAC), OCSEA IT Subcommittee and OCSEA Future of Work Committee.

 

Yank has also represented her local chapter and agency as a steward, AFL-CIO delegate and BWC Assembly Vice President and Executive Board member. She is an OCSEA District 6 delegate and a Trustee for the Union Benefits Trust (UBT) and the Union Education Trust (UET).

 

"I'm excited to take on this new role in the union and look forward to continuing the legacy of Kathy Gersper to maintain the integrity and financial solvency of the organization for our members across Ohio," said Yank.

The union has been notified by the Dept. of Administrative Services (DAS) that the Leave Accrual issue identified last week has been fixed in Kronos and OAKS. Leave balances for sick and vacation are now accurate and are available for use. Please note, the payroll stubs from June 27 and July 10 will not reflect the correction as those are static documents made at the time of payroll distribution. However, all balances in Kronos and OAKS are up-to-date and accurate, says DAS. The pay stub for the July 24 pay period will reflect the correct balances.

 

There is an article with more information on this issue in the MyOhio portal upon login. Agencies should also be contacting employees about the update. Any continuting issues should be directed to your agency's Human Resources/Payroll Department. Please contact your steward or Staff Representative if you encounter an issue that cannot be resolved through HR/Payroll.

AFSCME members will continue to be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program after a federal judge blocked the administration’s effort to unfairly disqualify certain government and nonprofit employers from the popular program. Read more.

CC: OCSEA Board and Staff

Disclaimer: If you are receiving this email at a State of Ohio work email address, please note that your State email is on file with the union per your request. We highly recommend that you update your personal email address with OCSEA as soon as possible. Update your personal email HERE or log on to your MyOCSEA account to view your profile. Haven't created your MyOCSEA account yet? Create one HERE.

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