Husted makes the most of time away from home
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted chats with WKLM on-air personality Melissa Patrick during his recent visit to the Job Fair at Harvest Ridge.
One of the curses of traveling around the state as a politician and connecting with the public is having to spend time away from loved ones.
In the midst of meeting and greeting the public all over Ohio, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is dealing with that very situation.
While he said his family is priority No. 1, he said he feels blessed his family totally understands the nuances of politics and everything that goes into the job, especially during reelection time.
On April 30 Husted made a trip to visit people throughout Holmes and Wayne counties, and following his stop to dine and greet at Farmstead Restaurant in Berlin, he traveled to Harvest Ridge in Millersburg, where dozens of local companies and many patrons were participating in the Holmes County Job Expo.
While his current job title demands commitment of both time and effort, Husted said he considers his most important role being a loving husband to his wife Tina and father to his children Alex, Katie and Kylie.
“The most difficult thing is that sometimes it keeps me away from spending as much time with my family as I would like to,” Husted said. “But that’s alright because we are a family who understands the value of serving others, and they know sometimes Dad is going to be away from home in places like Holmes County.”
While missing his family, Husted said there are many wonderful aspects of traveling and visiting every inch of Ohio.
One joy for both Husted and his staff is traveling throughout the confines of Ohio and witnessing the beauty of the state including the rolling hills of Amish Country.
He said it is always a pleasure to meet people from all walks of life on these visits; hear their stories, hopes and dreams; and listen to their concerns.
“I try to take those lessons of talking to real people back to my work at the statehouse and knock down barriers that get in the way of them finding success,” Husted said. “I love to meet young people and spread the gospel of the hope of the future of the state of Ohio because I do think Ohio is the heart of it all. We make the things people need to thrive, from the things we eat, to cars we drive, to trucks that deliver, to the airplanes that fly.”
In speaking about the current state of affairs concerning the job market in Ohio, Husted said there are plenty of jobs available for those willing to work.
“There’s four jobs for every one person on unemployment,” Husted said. “Most of those jobs pay over $50,000 per year. It’s a hot job market, and right now is the best time in my lifetime to look for a job.
“However, employers would give you the reverse of that. It’s the toughest time they’ve ever had hiring people, which means they are willing to be more flexible, to give opportunities to people, and they are being more generous with benefits and childcare. Employers are adjusting to being the type of place where people want to work.”
Husted was elected to serve as lieutenant governor of the State of Ohio on Nov. 6, 2018. Prior to that, he served as Ohio secretary of state, speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and a member of the Ohio Senate.