WAC Conference at a glance

OCSEA's annual Women's Action Committee (WAC) Conference will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2025, with pre-conference events, contract training and early check-in on Friday, May 2. The conference is at the Hilton Garden Inn, 6165 Levis Commons Blvd., Perrysburg, Ohio, 43551.

Evening-before conference registration and events will take place on Friday evening, May 2 starting at 4:30 p.m. through 9 p.m. at the hotel. This includes New Contract Training from 5:00-7:00 p.m., early check in from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and a reception from 7:00-9:00 p.m. If you are a conference registrant who has not yet taken a new contract training, you will be contacted by OCSEA's Member Resource Center to see if you wish to attend the New Contract Training on Friday afternoon.

The full WAC conference will begin Saturday morning at the hotel with continental breakfast. Additionally, the event will include guest speakers and lunch. View the official WAC Conference Call Letter here. The WAC Conference Call was mailed to all chapter, district council and assembly presidents in early March 2025.

The conference theme is “Hope & Happiness Go Hand-in-Hand." OCSEA WAC chairperson Annie Pleasant-Combs invites all OCSEA members to attend the upcoming event. "The Women's Conference is an opportunity for all members to build positive hope for change that will bring joy and goodwill in these trying times," said Annie. "There is so much that we can do together in the labor movement and through the good work we do to foster a sense of hope and resilience for a better tomorrow." 

Registration

The registration form and payment deadline was Monday, April 28 at 4:00 PM. The conference registration deadline has passed.

The WAC Conference registration fee is $75 per OCSEA member. The reception on Friday as well as continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday are included in the cost of registration. Payment must accompany the completed and returned registration form due on Monday, April 28 at 4:00 PM. Form and payment MUST be received no later than this time.

RETURN registration forms and payment to:
ATTN: WAC Conference 2025, Kiere Miller
OCSEA, 390 Worthington Rd. Suite A,
Westerville, OH 43082

New Contract Training

For those who have not yet received new contract training, OCSEA's Member Resource Center (MRC) will contact conference registrants prior to the conference regarding signing up for the New Contract Training. That training is being held Friday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the hotel.

Special Requests and Accommodations

Extra Meals

If you need to purchase extra meals for the conference, indicate on the registration form. Payment must be included at the time of registration. The cost of extra meals, including kid meals, is printed on the registration form. Extra meals bust be purchased by the April 28 deadline and should be included with your payment. Extra meals purchases WILL NOT be permitted at the conference.

Hotel

The WAC Conference will take place at Hilton Garden Inn, 6165 Levis Commons Blvd. Perrysburg, Ohio 43551.

Room reservations are to be made directly through the Hilton Garden Inn. Each chapter/subordinate body is responsible to pay for room and tax. Online reservations for the conference can be made at THIS SPECIAL CONFERENCE LINK. The group rate code is 91B. 

For phone reservations, please call 419-873-0700 and mention the "OCSEA/WAC Conference." 

The cutoff date for room reservations was April 7, 2025. Rooms will not be guaranteed after the cut-off date. Room cancellations must be made one week in advance for a full refund (no exceptions). For groups wanting to pay with a check, the hotel will need to receive the check at least 7 days prior to guests’ arrival. The checks must be a chapter check as personal checks WILL NOT be accepted.

Room pricing is as follows: Standard King is $139.00 plus tax; Standard
Double/Queen is $149.00 plus tax.

Agenda

Get the full agenda here.

Contact

Have questions about the upcoming WAC Conference? Contact the following:

• Registration: Contact Kiere Miller at kmiller@ocsea.org
• General Conference questions: Contact Gina Ison at gison@ocsea.org
  

Speakers

Erika White
Ohio State Representative - OH District 41 

Representative Erika White serves the people of Ohio House District 41. She is a committed worker and advocate for the working class and middle class as well as being a devoted mother who understands the necessity of a government that prioritizes the voices and addresses the needs of all its citizens.

She has an extensive background as a labor leader, having served as both the Vice President & President of her local chapter, CWA 4319 while working for AT&T. During this time, she also served as a member of the CWA National Executive Board Member where she advocated for workers both locally and nationally. As Vice President of the Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO, Erika works tirelessly to promote workers' rights, championing fair wages and safe working conditions. She was also elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2024.

Erika is passionate about improving public health and advancing worker equity. She serves as the Chair of the Healthy Lucas County Health Improvement Plan, on the Lucas County Mental Health & Recovery Services Executive Board, and as the Health Chair for the Toledo NAACP. She is passionately dedicated to building an Ohio where every individual, regardless of their background, socioeconomic status, or personal challenges, has access to the American Dream, just as she was fortunate enough to experience.

Dr. Tina Williams
Director, Community Engagement, Area Office on Aging NW Ohio

Dr. Tina Williams is a distinguished speaker and dynamic educator whose professional and academic endeavors reflect a deep commitment to community well-being, particularly in addressing the intersection of trauma, mental health, and aging. With a robust background in organizational leadership spanning the nonprofit and public sectors, she currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement at the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, Inc.

In her current role, Dr. Williams facilitates evidence-based programming for older adults, with a focus on physical and mental health. She delivers workshops on fall prevention, chronic disease self-management (including diabetes education), and mental health interventions targeting social isolation, loneliness, and depression—issues that disproportionately impact older adults and are often exacerbated by unresolved trauma and systemic disparities.

Prior to her leadership in the aging services field, Dr. Williams held roles in public education as both a teacher and administrator, where she developed a keen awareness of the socio-emotional and developmental needs of underserved populations.  

Sonia Flunder-McNair
Founder & Executive Director, Urban Wholistics

Sonia Flunder-McNair is the CEO and founder of SONIA Organics Products, LLC which is the parent company of SOrganics®️ a naturopathic company that specializes in health, hygiene and beauty products that are designed to help you live, feel and be well.

Armed with a purpose, Sonia has turned her efforts toward rebuilding her Toledo community. She coordinated with The Lucas County Land Bank, Bench Farms and the Junction Neighborhood Community to construct Tatum Park, a wholistic green space located right next to the historic Art Tatum House near downtown Toledo. Since its establishment SONIA Organics has expanded the space into a center city urban farm with USDA registration within Lucas County.

Sonia has also established connections with many organizations to spread natural health education and resources including providing internships to Cosmetic Science students at the University of Toledo. Sonia currently works on projects involving; City of Toledo, TolHouse, Toledo Prep Academy, Salem, Olivet Lutheran of Sylvania, Chef’s Garden, The Boys and Girls Club of America and, Bench Farms. Sonia currently serves appointed positions on the Youth Threat Task Force and the Toledo Lucas County Health Department board of directors.

Rev. Barbara T. Jackson
Officiant and Motivational Speaker