Ohio Career Development Association

03/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the OCDA Conference! We were so excited to host the conference in Northwest Ohio for the first time, and we’re incredibly grateful you came and helped make it such a special event.

29/05/2026

What a way to kick off Day 1 of the OCDA Conference! 🎉 From incredible sessions during the day to keeping the energy alive into the night, it’s already been an unforgettable start.

A huge thank you to the Visit Greater Lima team for being such phenomenal hosts and making us feel so welcome. We can’t wait to see what Day 2 brings! ☕️✨

28/05/2026

Thank you to for the trolley tour of downtown Lima!!!

28/05/2026

27/05/2026

Speaker Spotlight: Aaron Sturgill from Ohio University

Join us at the OCDA Conference: Reimagining Career Readiness: Building Pathways to Impact, taking place May 28–29, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

On May 29, Aaron Sturgill will lead a session titled “From Overwhelmed to Action-Oriented: A Brain-Based Approach to Career Development”. This session will introduce key Brain-Based Career Development (BBCD) principles and demonstrate practical strategies such as chunking, prioritization, and feedback loops that help move individuals from overwhelm to focused, action-oriented progress. (BBCD) offers a neuroscience-informed framework that helps practitioners structure career conversations in ways that reduce cognitive overload and increase engagement. By the end of the session, participants will understand how the brain processes career decisions and will be able to apply brain-based strategies to strengthen career readiness conversations across counseling, education, and workforce settings.

Not registered yet? Secure your spot today: https://ocdaonline.org/registration

26/05/2026

Speaker Spotlight: Erika Hill, Owner of Careerlog

Join us at the OCDA Conference: Reimagining Career Readiness: Building Pathways to Impact, taking place May 28–29, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

On May 29, Erika Hill will lead a session titled “The Mindset Bridge: Using Daily Reflection to Anchor Career Readiness in Work-Based Learning”. This session introduces a 30-day framework of interpersonal reflection designed for early career professionals. We will explore how the framework—delivered either as a pre-start "Mindset Prep" or an "Onboarding Navigator"—equips students to decode office culture, manage ambiguity, and track their contributions. Attendees will receive a practical toolkit to help students shift from passive observers to proactive contributors, ensuring they maximize every work assignment for long-term career impact.

Not registered yet? Secure your spot today: https://ocdaonline.org/registration

25/05/2026

Speaker Spotlight: Crystal Newman and Terah Campbell from NCUS TEC

Join us at the OCDA Conference: Reimagining Career Readiness: Building Pathways to Impact, taking place May 28–29, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

On May 29, Crystal Newman and Terah Campbell will lead a session titled “The Work Within: Refueling the Practitioner for Purposeful Impact”. Through self-assessment, powerful metaphors, and practical wellness tools, participants will explore how mindset, boundaries, and community support sustainable practice. Attendees will learn to identify personal energy patterns, distinguish burnout from resilience, and create a personalized refueling plan grounded in actionable habits. They will leave grounded, refueled, and equipped to support students with clarity, balance, and authenticity.

Not registered yet? Secure your spot today: https://ocdaonline.org/registration

24/05/2026

Speaker Spotlight: Rabina Anand, M.Ed., CCSP, Owner of R.A. Consulting

Join us at the OCDA Conference: Reimagining Career Readiness: Building Pathways to Impact, taking place May 28–29, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

On May 29, Rabina Anand will lead a session titled “From Classroom to Career: Empowering the Next Generation Through Work-Based Learning”. This session explores how schools and organizations can foster strategic partnerships and provides tools to develop a scalable internship program that fulfills the needs of students, businesses and the community. The world of work is constantly changing and as educators and workforce managers it can be daunting to implement programs that prepare students to be successful in a world where future jobs have yet to be created. Work-based learning has proven to be an effective approach to educating students that allows them to explore and immerse themselves in potential career pathways.

Not registered yet? Secure your spot today: https://ocdaonline.org/registration

23/05/2026

Speaker Spotlight: Andrea Gutierrez, M.A. from Bowling Green State University

Join us at the OCDA Conference: Reimagining Career Readiness: Building Pathways to Impact, taking place May 28–29, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

On May 29, Andrea Gutierrez will lead a session titled “Designing a Career Ecosystem: From Campus Silos to Collaborative Strategy”. Attendees will discover how BGSU is laying the foundation for a campus-wide career ecosystem through career readiness milestones, faculty engagement and engaging. This interactive session includes a peer idea-sharing and practical examples grounded in the Career Leadership Collective framework. Walk away with scalable strategies to build or enhance your own institution's approach to career development.

Not registered yet? Secure your spot today: https://ocdaonline.org/registration

22/05/2026

Speaker Spotlight: Richard Fajardo, MBA, M.A., LPC, NCC from The Ohio State University

Join us at the OCDA Conference: Reimagining Career Readiness: Building Pathways to Impact, taking place May 28–29, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

On May 29, Richard Fajardo will lead a session titled “Mandatory Internships: A Connecting Pathway for Students and Employers”. Attendees will explore what has been learned through mandatory internships that are required in the Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) undergraduate curriculum. Attendees will also build connected understanding of students’ professional development needs and employers’ expectations out of students as job candidates. Lastly, attendees will gain wisdom of best practices, including mandatory internships and other professional development opportunities, to help prepare students for the workforce in 2026 and beyond.

Not registered yet? Secure your spot today: https://ocdaonline.org/registration