There’s something special happening in Ohio for members of the military community. The state has been named the number one state for business by the television network CNBC, a rise from 15th place in 2022.
But there’s also another number one effort underway to make Ohio the country’s most military-friendly state. JP Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio, is playing a key role in helping to transform Ohio’s economy, attract major investments and create jobs with a military-first mindset.
“People in Ohio value military service,” Nauseef said in an interview with Military.com. “One of the other things that we value here is strong communities, and when military members are deployed, good community members take care of those families who stay behind.”
JobsOhio is the state’s private economic development arm, which works with business leaders, community organizations and other partners to drive investment and growth. Nauseef believes the military community, especially veterans, is a driving force.
Veterans are highly sought after employees, probably the number one in the job market. They’re well-trained, they’re disciplined. They’re good citizens. The state has built an economic development strategy around them with the goal of making Ohio the most military and veteran family state in the country.
Ohio’s Military Numbers Drive State Programs
Ohio is home to approximately 46,000 active-duty, National Guard, and reserve military members, according to data from Military OneSource. Additionally, more than 680,000 veterans live in the state.
The Ohio legislature is tapping into those numbers by approving policies and programs to make it easier for veterans and military members to work, easier to train their spouses for the workforce, to transfer professional licenses from out of state, and for military dependents to easily enroll in schools.
“That support is the key. We’ve been recruiting veterans into our job placement programs. We have a team at Jobs Ohio that goes to military bases and to job fairs to communicate open jobs to military members and veterans,” Nauseef said. “These programs support veterans and military families, and are just a natural way for Ohioans to give.”
The effort is personal for Nauseef, a former Air Force officer turned entrepreneur who now leads economic and employment efforts across Ohio. He’s also a husband and father of four who understands the value of raising a family in a supportive community.
“As a military person, especially someone from a military family, you move around to different states and different communities,” he said. “The military becomes your family, your community and your way of life. It’s a bit of a nomadic existence. So anything I can do, or the state can do to make it easier, we’re here to help.”
State Initiatives Focus on Jobs, Military Families
Nauseef’s initiatives through JobsOhio include fighting to protect Wright-Patterson Air Force Base from closure, saving thousands of jobs. He also co-founded the program Hometown Heroes, which provides military members and their families with sponsor-funded access to sporting events, the arts and concerts. Since its inception, service members have received thousands of tickets for NCAA college basketball games.
“When I was a military dependent, we moved to Dayton in the late 70s, right before I went to middle school. The community welcomed military kids and military families here,” Nauseef said. “That always stuck with me, even as I moved away, and then I came back.”
Nauseef’s father was stationed at Wright-Patterson as an Air Force officer, and Nauseef eventually followed that same path. His military assignments in Ohio and California were figuring out how to use the new technology and working on new navigation systems for satellites.
Ohio’s aviation history is a source of pride for Nauseef, who said it’s been good for jobs too.
“Think about what’s happened here in Ohio. The Wright Brothers were here and built the first powered flights. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Research Lab are here,” he said. “Also, the space industry, with guys like Neil Armstrong and John Glenn. There’s a big NASA Glenn Research Center up near Cleveland. So the state and the people in the state really value military service and innovation. It’s in our DNA.”
Nauseef’s mission now is to fulfill the promise of making Ohio the most military-friendly state with more programs, more jobs and more opportunities for service members and veterans.
“We’re leaning into this, not only because it’s the right thing to do and not only because it’s part of our heritage here in Ohio,” Nauseef said. “But because it’s good for business.”
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