Leadership Spotlight

Senator Jay Hottinger
Republican

Office
Ohio Senate, 31st District

Legislative Committees
Chair, Commerce and Labor Subcommittee; Vice Chair, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment; Finance and Financial Institutions; Vice Chair, Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review; Insurance, Commerce and Labor; Judiciary Committee on Civil Justice; Rules

Personal
Married; three daughters

Education
BS in Public Administration and Political Science,
Capital University

Recent Honors
Friends of Ohio Community Colleges;
Watchdog of the Treasury; Guardian of Small Business

Arts Support
Licking County Art Association, Licking County Players

Favorite Cultural Pastime
Reading biographies and other nonfiction;
attending performances at Weathervane Playhouse

Last Good Book Read
Al Capone Biography by Rick Hornung

According to a report by the National Governors Association (NGA), arts education is a cost-effective way to help build the workforce of tomorrow. The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation provides examples of how arts-based education can build skills, increase academic success and lower the incidence of juvenile crime. It sites examples from states that are already using the arts in education and after-school programs, and offers policy recommendations for innovative ways to build student success rates and increase employee productivity.

Prepared by the NGA's Center for Best Practices, which provides governors with ideas and examples of excellence in state government, the report addresses one of the key issues for states: the importance of human capital to economic vitality. According to the report, today's challenging workplace demands academic credentials as well as less tangible assets, including flexibility, highly developed interpersonal skills and problem-solving ability.

"A creative approach to learning improves performance in the classroom and builds the self-esteem of our children," said Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, chair of NGA's Economic Development and Commerce Committee. "If you look into the faces of children who are involved in a creative activity, you will see their enthusiasm for learning and their pride in being part of a creative experience."

The report includes examples of how states benefit from enhanced workforce readiness as a result of having provided arts instruction to students. Research cited in the report also shows how the arts contribute to increased self-esteem and the acquisition of job skills in at-risk populations. The report is the second in a series that demonstrates the value of the arts as a policy tool in economic development. The report is available online at www.nga.org.