November 2009

Ohio State Board of Cosmetology
1929 Gateway Circle • Grove City, Ohio 43123
Local: (614) 466-3834 • Statewide: 1-866-642-6723
http://cos.ohio.gov

Five Steps to Stop Identity Thieves

Identity thieves can strike quickly and without warning. That is why it is very important that you know how to protect yourself and combat identity theft if it happens to you.

What is Identity Theft?

Any of the following actions can indicate that your identity has been stolen.

You are denied credit.
You find charges on your credit card that are not yours.
Your credit card bills stop coming.
You have had personal information stolen from you.
You see something wrong with your credit report.
A debt collector calls about debt you do not owe or know about.

If targeted, quickly take the following steps:

STEP ONE: ACT QUICKLY — If your identity is stolen, make sure you act quickly. You need to file a report with your local law enforcement agency and, if the theft did not take place where you live, the agency near where the theft took place.
STEP TWO: CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNTS — Close all accounts under your name that have been tampered with or opened without your consent. Also, if there are fraudulent charges or debts on your account or if a new account has been opened without your permission, immediately file a fraud report with your bank’s fraud department. When you open a new bank account, make sure you create a new PIN and password.
STEP THREE: INITIATE A FRAUD ALERT — Make sure you place a fraud alert on your credit file and also review your credit report. A fraud alert will prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name. Also, contact the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, to issue a fraud alert and minimize the potential damage to your credit.
STEP FOUR: APPLY FOR A ID THEFT PASSPORT — Right after you have filed a police report, ask your local law enforcement agency to enroll you in the Identity Theft Verification Passport, a unique program created by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which provides victims of identity theft a method of demonstrating to law enforcement and creditors that their identity has been stolen.
STEP FIVE: FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION — The Federal Trade Commission is the federal consumer protection agency. The FTC, in conjunction with the FBI, maintains an Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse. The FTC aids identity theft investigations by collecting complaints from identity theft victims and sharing the information with law enforcement agencies, credit bureaus, companies where the fraud took place and other government agencies. File a complaint with the FTC by going to www.ftc.gov/idtheft or by calling its toll-free number: (877) ID-THEFT (438-4338).

As always, the Attorney General’s Office is happy to come to your salon and provide CE approved training to equip you with tools to help prevent domestic violence in your community through the Cut It Out program. For more information, contact Venica Miller at Venica.Miller@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or (614) 466-3552. If you would like to host a seminar, please fill out the training request form online at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/CutItOut.

Annual Ohio State Board of Cosmetology Employee Recognition Ceremony

Board Staff Recognized at October 29, 2009 Event

The event celebrated and recognized employees for their hard work and dedication to the over 135,000 licensed individuals and businesses in the cosmetology field in Ohio. Attorney General Richard Cordray was the guest speaker for the event. Attorney General Cordray spoke to the staff about the difficulties all Ohioans are facing during these difficult economic times. “I know many of you have had to experience pay reductions and cost savings days to help Ohio deal with this difficult budget,” said Mr. Cordray. “Your dedication and hard work to the licensed cosmetology professionals despite this, shows your ability to overcome adversity and make the Cosmetology Board in Ohio stronger,” he added.

SONJA ROE – EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR-OFFICE STAFF
L-R Kevin L. Miller, Executive Director, Richard Cordray, Attorney General, State of Ohio, Sonja Roe, Administrative Action Coordinator, Steve Thompson, Board Chairman and Dolores Gillis, Board Member

TONI MOORE – EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR-FIELD STAFF
L-R Kevin L. Miller, Executive Director, Toni Moore, Field Inspector, Richard Cordray, Attorney General, State of Ohio, Steve Thompson, Board Chairman and Dolores Gillis, Board Member

LORI PEARSON - CHAMPION OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
L-R Kevin L. Miller, Executive Director, Richard Cordray, Attorney General, State of Ohio, Lori Pearson, Examiner/CE, Steve Thompson, Board Chairman and Dolores Gillis, Board Member

Sonja Roe, Administrative Action Coordinator was selected as the Central Office Employee of the Year. Mrs. Roe has been employed with the state for over 9 years and previously was selected as a Champion of Customer Service by Director Kevin L. Miller. Mrs. Roe interacts with licensees who have violations and processes fine payments and hearing requests.

Toni Moore, Field Inspector based out of the Columbus area, was selected as the Field Staff Employee of the Year. Mrs. Moore has been employed for 20 years with the Board and began her tenure as a testing examiner. Mrs. Moore is responsible for enforcing Ohio’s safety and sanitation laws in all salons and tanning businesses across Ohio. Mrs. Moore was also previously selected as a Champion of Customer Service.

“Sonja and Toni are great examples of working hard and caring about those around them”, said Kevin L. Miller, Executive Director of the Ohio State Board of Cosmetology. “I am particularly pleased that they are both past winners of the Champion of Customer Service award,” he added. The Employee of the Year recipients are nominated by fellow employees with final selections made by a committee of Board Members.

This year’s Champion of Customer Service was Lori Pearson, Examiner and Continuing Education Program Coordinator. This award was developed to recognize those individuals who consistently provide outstanding customer service to the public. Mrs. Pearson implemented new strategies to streamline the application process of CE providers, while holding them accountable to deliver the training our licensees requested. Mrs. Pearson has been employed with the Board for three years.

Board Chairman Steve Thompson and Board Member Dolores Gillis joined Executive Director Kevin L. Miller and Attorney General Richard Cordray in presenting the awards.

Ohio State Board of Cosmetology
1929 Gateway Circle
Grove City, Ohio 43123
Local: (614) 466-3834
Statewide: 1-866-642-6723
Fax: (614) 644-6880
E-mail: ohcosbd@cos.state.oh.us
http://cos.ohio.gov

Board Members:
Steve Thompson, Chairman, Independent Contractor
Daisy Rickman, Cosmetologist & Salon Owner
NeCole Cumberlander, School Owner
Kimberly Thomas, Salon Owner
Dr. Marilyn Huheey, Medical Doctor
Bernadine Neal, Cosmetology Instructor
Delores Gillis, Cosmetologist
Charles Penzone, Cosmetologist & Salon Owner
Dr. Milroy Samuel, General Public