Lucas County commissioners unanimously approved the Board of Lucas County Commissioners 2025 through 2030 strategic plan at their June 24 meeting, launching a five‑year framework the board says will guide operations, advocacy and performance tracking.

The plan was presented to the board by Emily Douglas McNabb, cofounder of Experience Management Institute, which the county contracted to facilitate the process. Commissioner Cabecki introduced the presentation and moved for adoption; Commissioners Gerken and Lopez voted yes when the clerk called the roll.

The plan sets six operational goals — enhancing service delivery and accessibility; modernizing and optimizing county operations and processes; engaging communications through collaboration; establishing Lucas County as a premier employer; responsibly managing and maintaining county finances; and strengthening board governance and procedural efficiency — and six advocacy areas, including education and workforce development, community safety and resilience, affordable housing and sustainable land use.

"This is a strategic plan helped, shaped by our community, for our community," Emily Douglas McNabb told the commissioners during the presentation. She described a multi‑step process that included department meetings, 16 stakeholder focus groups, 52 interviews and 755 data points from staff and community surveys. Commissioners and staff also reviewed other counties' plans as part of drafting measurable objectives and identifying metrics.

Commissioner Cabecki said the board passed a resolution authorizing the plan process and praised the county team and partner organizations for two years of work to produce the document. Commissioner Gerken described the approval as a "launch" of work that will require further metric setting and community engagement. Commissioner Lopez emphasized that enhancing customer service and accessibility is the plan's top priority.

The presentation describes the distinction between operational goals — duties the county manages and that are tied to Ohio Revised Code requirements — and advocacy areas that the board will promote through funding or policy support though these may fall outside the county's direct control. McNabb said departments have begun identifying metrics; the next steps listed in the plan include finalizing metrics for each department, defining process improvement steps and communicating progress to the public.

The county also introduced a new logo tied to the plan, and printed copies of the strategic plan were made available at the meeting. The commissioners directed staff to post the full plan online; Commissioner Cabecki told residents the document is available at co.lucas.oh.us.

The vote to adopt the plan was recorded as yes by Commissioners Cabecki, Gerken and Lopez. The board did not attach additional conditions to the adoption during the meeting.

The plan presentation and adoption took place as part of the regular Board of Commissioners meeting agenda and followed public remarks and the Pledge of Allegiance.