Insight Matters
Fall, 2003

Keeping the Faith
by Mark R. Munetz, M.D., President

The OPA is a remarkable organization. We are a respected voice in both the mental health and general medical community and represent Ohio psychiatrists well. Much of the credit for our visibility and credibility is the work of our Executive Director, Phil Workman and his small staff. Mr. Workman regularly reminds us that Linda Smith, OPA's Administrative Assistant keeps the day-to-day business of OPA running smoothly. We are very thankful for Linda's great work on our behalf. If you call OPA, Ginny Selck, OPA Administrative Secretary is most likely to answer the phone. Ginny is always helpful, making a great first impression for callers to our organization.

For those of you who have not yet heard, OPA is about to face a major challenge. After over 20 years as our first and only Executive Director, Phil Workman has announced his plans to retire early next year. Phil and his wife, Evelyn, are looking forward to their next stage of life and we all wish them well. But OPA will greatly miss Phil Workman. For many of us Phil is OPA. In my 14 years in Ohio, I have never known OPA without Phil Workman and have a hard time imagining him absent from our organization. I clearly remember meeting Phil at the first OPA event I attended, an OPA Job Fair. He made a point of introducing himself and welcoming me to the event and to OPA. The next time I saw Phil, he again went out of his way to greet me and remarkably he remembered my name and what I did. It was quickly clear to me that Phil was someone special who helped make OPA special.

Just as Phil and Evelyn have planned their retirement, Phil has planned carefully to help us transition to our second Executive Director. With Linda's help, day-to-day operations will go smoothly. Mr. Workman is actively helping our Search Committee find a top notch new Executive Director and plans to provide a smooth transition. He will overlap with the new Director for a couple weeks before gracefully exiting.

Dr. Herman Tolbert, OPA President-Elect has graciously agreed to chair a small Search Committee to find a new OPA Executive Director. In addition to Dr. Tolbert, Drs. Alice Hale and S.R. Thorward have agreed to participate on the Committee. Keeping the Executive Committee and Council well informed, the Search Committee has hit the ground running. The position has been advertised, applications received and reviewed and a first round of interviews have been completed. In fact it is very possible that the Committee will have a recommendation for the Executive Committee before this issue of Insight Matters is printed.

This illustrates the strength of OPA. While our staff is critical, OPA is most of all our members, so many of whom volunteer in some way for the organization. At every Council or Committee Meeting that I attend, I am impressed anew with the energy and commitment of our members. And it is worth reminding each other that everything each member does for OPA or its local chapters is voluntary. Thank you all for the important work you do on our behalf.

Independent of organizational changes, these are discouraging times. With sadness and anger I watch as our society has apparently decided that we cannot afford to adequately fund services for the disadvantaged, including those services necessary to provide reasonable care for people with mental illness. Our priorities seem askew and progress made seems lately to be in the process of being undone. But working within OPA gives me courage. We will keep working for what is needed to help our patients, our community and our profession. And while this is an uphill battle, and it hard to overcome overwhelming odds consider the odds anyone would have given the Florida Marlins to win the 2003 World Series.

Better times are ahead. We will all miss Phil Workman as OPA Executive Director. But Phil assures us he will be only a phone call or email away. We are planning a celebration to thank Phil for his excellent service to OPA and to wish him and Evelyn well. We will designate Saturday January 24 "Super Phil Day" and have a dinner celebration in Columbus the evening before our January Council Meeting, which happens to be Super Bowl Sunday. Come to dinner to wish Phil well.

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