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February 2012
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
At its January Board Meeting, Governor John R. Kasich re-appointed Independent Contractor Representative Steve Thompson of Upper Arlington to a five year term on The Board, and re-appointed Valerie J. Benfer of Willard to the expired term of Salon Owner, Daisy Rickman.
The nine member board also organized itself in January and re-elected Kim Thomas of Richmond Heights as Chairwoman for 2012, re-hired Executive Director Jim Trakas, and made various committee appointments.
Biographies of the newly re-appointed members follow:
Valerie J. Benfer of Willard, Ohio is the salon owner's representative to the Board. Appointed by Governor John R. Kasich for the term commencing November 1, 2011, Mrs. Benfer previously served for ten years during the Taft and Strickland Administrations, and served as Board Chairwoman, overseeing the construction of the Board Offices.
Member Benfer has owned her own salon for two decades, and currently runs Styles Unlimited in Willard, a full service salon, that has many repeat customers, a testament to Valerie's focus on customer care and service. A graduate of Tiffin Academy of Hair Design, Valerie holds a managing cosmetologist license. She serves as Chairwoman of the Board Ethics Committee.
Valerie Benfer is a member of the Willard Chamber of Commerce, worships at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, and is active with the Huron County Republican Central Committee and Women's Club. Her passion for the community comes through by assisting many community events and organizations such as the Miss Ohio Pageant, Relay For Life, Locks of Love, and many more.
Steve Thompson has been a licensed cosmetologist for seventeen years and a salon owner for eight years. Mr. Thompson joined the Board in May of 2003, when Governor Bob Taft signed a new measure, at the urging of the Ohio Independent Cosmetologists and Barbers Association (OICBA), updating many sections of the laws that govern Cosmetology. One of the provisions was adding a member to the Cosmetology Board to represent the interests of Independent Contractors. Since that time, Steve has served as President of OICBA which provides association benefits to its members. Ohio is the first state with this unique Independent Contractor's license and the OICBA is the first and only type associations for these professionals.
Mr. Thompson's passion for cosmetology is driven by not only the great people in the industry, but also the superb professional products and educational opportunities that are made available in the beauty industry. As cosmetologists, Steve feels that all individuals in the profession have a duty to serve our clients with the utmost of professionalism, since we come into contact with them more than their attorney, physician, accountant or other professional person.
In addition to being fully dedicated to the industry and OICBA, he credits much of his achievements to his wife who is also a dedicated cosmetologist and their two wonderful young sons.
In the next issue of The Ohio Stylist, we will outline an overhaul of Ohio Revised Code Section 4713, the law that covers Cosmetology in Ohio. Ohio House of Representative Assistant Majority Whip Rep. Cheryl Grossman (R-23) of Grove City has graciously agreed to partner with The State Board on this project, not undertaken in a decade.
Rep. Grossman would like to see Ohio law modernized and made friendlier to Ohio's Cosmetology employers and consumers. She has identified ways of preventing fraudulent licensure and protecting the public as amongst her top priorities, as well as substantial updates on The Board's ability to bring non-conforming establishments into conformance, updated licensing standards for Hair Braiding and Threading, as well as many other changes that The Board has supported, with input from our licensees and the general public.
Governor John R. Kasich has asked each agency of state government to make rules and laws that act to make it easier and less expensive for employers to operate in Ohio. We welcome your feedback about how best to balance serving the public, and modernizing our laws and rules. Please email us at OhioCos@cos.state.oh.us with any ideas you have, and we will bring them up to The Board, and they may become law! Check back for our March Issue with more details.
All beauty salons are required to have a licensee list available for the inspector at the time of an inspection. It will be used during the inspection to let the inspector know if the licensee is an employee or independent contractor. Once the inspector establishes the employee or independent contractor relationship, then they will look for the correct documentation to support this.
The licensee list is available on the board's website at http://www.cos.ohio.gov/uploads/File/LicList.pdf .
It stays at the salon, also be sure everybody in the salon knows what it is and where it is. It is important to keep the licensee list updated as licensees leave or join the salon. A salon could risk a violation and possible fine by not having the licensee list available and updated. This is a law in the Ohio Administrative code 4713-13-06 under licensee list.
One year ago, The Ohio State Board of Cosmetology required that all salons post the most recent Inspection Report from your State Board Inspector in your salon. The purpose of this requirement is to adhere with State Board's mission to protect the public. For the sake of the millions of consumers and Ohio citizens who patronize Ohio salons, State Board wants all to know both the check list of information that state inspectors look for, as well as how well each salon performed.
Educating the public is one of our primary missions. In some parts of Ohio, local Boards of Health are asking restaurants to post their inspection report as a courtesy, and State Board felt that we had the same obligation to inform the public. So, please post your inspection report in a conspicuous place in your salon, and keep the public informed.
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
Executive Director: James Trakas
Board Members:
Kimberly Thomas, Chairwoman, Salon Owner
Steve Thompson, Independent Contractor
Valerie J. Benfer, Cosmetologist & Salon Owner
NeCole Cumberlander, School Owner
Dr. Marilyn Huheey, Medical Doctor
Bernadine Neal, Cosmetology Instructor
Delores Gillis, Cosmetologist
Thomas Taneff, General Public
Clara Osterhage, Multiple Salon Owner
