In the quiet days before Thanksgiving, I have been thinking a lot about what GOPC has accomplished since its founding as an issue campaign in 2004.

Earlier this month, we moved the GOPC offices for the first time in 12 years.  To prepare for our relocation to a much smaller suite, I recycled half a dumpster’s worth of obsolete files and reports. But what I had anticipated being a tedious task, was quite the opposite. 

Skimming through somber conditions reports from the mid-2000s, it was gratifying to think about how much more vibrant Ohio’s legacy cities are today; and how much more organized and aligned local leaders are, as compared to a decade or two ago. 

While GOPC can not take credit for the hard work that communities have accomplished, I am thankful that local leaders continue to trust us to provide research and advice that helps them stabilize neighborhoods and downtowns. More to the point, I am thankful that local and state leaders are, in fact, “restoring prosperity to Ohio.”

As I re-lived past projects and read through old policy platforms, I was reminded of how important GOPC’s board members and close advisors have always been to the success of the organization. These individuals generously give their guidance and knowhow and are our biggest cheerleaders. This year, as in past years, I have appreciated our board members’ subject expertise, but I am also grateful for all the practical knowledge—like communications, HR, and legal expertise—that they have provided to GOPC pro bono. 

During my file purging, I finally assembled the organizational archive I have been wanting to build. Sorting our reports, white papers, conference programs, policy platforms, and one-pagers was humbling and gratifying.

GOPC, as an organization, has learned a lot since 2004. (And our design skills have improved a thousand-fold.) Thinking about the projects that staff completed in the last 12 months, I can see that years of hard-earned knowledge flow effortlessly from my colleagues. 

It’s not just their expertise. In a small nonprofit, everyone inevitably does tasks outside their stated job descriptions. I have appreciated my colleagues’ good humor this year as I’ve asked them to review hundreds of rebranding drafts, give our website a facelift, and prepare the office for moving.

Reflecting on GOPC’s origins and history, and what we have accomplished, has been inspiring. While there is much to do in 2025 and beyond, this fall’s trip through GOPC’s previous twenty years was an encouraging reminder that we stand on the shoulders of giants as we look to the future.

This Thanksgiving, I give thanks to the decades of talented staff, dedicated board members, collaborative local and state partners, and generous funders who have helped GOPC become the organization it is today.