tom roberts, board treasurer

Tom Roberts served as a member of the Ohio General Assembly where he actively represented the interests of residents in the Dayton, Ohio area for more than 22 years. His career began as a Representative in the Ohio House of Representatives for 14 years beginning in 1986 and then as an Ohio State Senator representing Ohio’s 5th District from the time of his appointment in 2002 until 2009. Some of Senator Roberts’ legislative accomplishments during his time in the General Assembly include:

• Co-sponsor of SB 185 which protects consumers from predatory lending practices, co-sponsorship of Ohio’s nationally recognized Brownfields legislation that addresses the clean-up of industrial sites;

• Co-sponsorship of HB 339 which was the enabling legislation for the Ohio Housing Trust Fund; authorship of Ohio’s secession of operations law, which prevents the abandonment of property where chemicals are used, sorted or treated, affecting Dayton Tire and Rubber; and securing funding for the Trotwood Connector.

Mr. Roberts is the Advisor to the Sinclair Ohio Fellows a Student Leadership Association based on Robert Greenleaf’s principles of servant leadership at Sinclair Community College and a devoted advocate for higher education. For this reason, Senator Roberts took a special interest in education-related issues and was a strong proponent of legislation aimed at preserving Central State University as an independent four-year institution.

Mr. Roberts’ keen interest in education and education-related issues led him to serve on several boards and committees including: Youth Summit Planning Committee for the Season for Non-Violence hosted by Sinclair Community College. The Ohio School Facility Commission, the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, the Ohio Partnership for Continued Learning and the Ohio Dropout Prevention Summit. Senator Roberts also served on the University Of Dayton Board Of Trustees from 1991 to 2000.

In 2009, Governor Ted Strickland appointed Tom Roberts to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to serve as a Commissioner. Commissioner Roberts accepted this appointment thereby choosing to resign his seat in the Ohio Senate early in order to focus his attention on civil rights issues in the State of Ohio. He recently completed 6 years as a Commissioner.

Roberts also currently serves as an advisor for the Sinclair Ohio Fellows Student Leadership Development program based on Robert Greenleaf principle of Servant Leadership. Tom Roberts is very knowledgeable of the philosophy and the set of practice of servant leadership. In March of 2016, Roberts will complete the Greenleaf Academy Certificate Program.

Mr. Roberts is the Ohio Conference of the NAACP, Political Action Chairman and the Dayton Unit, Political Action Chairman.

Tom Roberts was born in Montgomery County, where he has resided ever since. He graduated from Chained High School in 1970 and continued his education at Sinclair Community College and later graduated from the University of Dayton where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Tom Roberts currently resides in Montgomery County Ohio with his wife Nicola and is a proud father of four children: Edward, Erienne (pronounced Ary-Ann), Jadal, and Apollo. Tom Roberts is a member of Saint Benedict the Moor Church.