Scott DiMauro — OEA President
Scott DiMauro, a high school social studies teacher from Worthington, was elected President of the OEA in 2019 after having served as vice president for six years. Over his 33-year career as an educator, Scott has worked to provide students the critical thinking and decision-making skills they need to be successful citizens in our democracy while advocating for students, educators, and strong public schools at all levels of his union.
Scott’s priorities as president have included strengthening local affiliates, enhancing professional supports for members, and elevating the voice of educators in public policy to ensure all students are given access to a high-quality education that inspires their creativity, imagination, and desire to learn. As OEA President, he helped lead a successful coalition effort that resulted in the historic passage of the Fair School Funding Plan along with an increase in the state minimum teacher’s salary as part of the most recent state budget bill.
Scott has facilitated OEA’s Board and leadership team in educating and organizing members to advocate for social, racial, and economic justice. That priority has framed OEA’s advocacy on school safety, resistance to attacks on educators’ freedom to teach and students’ freedom to learn an honest education, and a comprehensive strategy to attract and retain caring, qualified educators—both licensed and support professionals—in every community across Ohio.
As vice president, Scott was proud to guide the OEA Commission on Student Success to lay out a comprehensive vision for high-quality education for all students and lay the groundwork for positive implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act in Ohio. He also led an initiative to increase student access to breakfast in high-poverty districts and served as national spokesperson for the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom. At the national level, he currently serves as president of the National Council of State Education Associations.
Jeff Wensing — OEA Vice President
Jeff Wensing a high school math teacher in Parma City Schools, has been a public education advocate and leader for more than 30 years. Jeff served as President of the Parma Education Association from 2012-2018 and as President of the North Eastern Ohio Education Association (NEOEA) from 2016-2018. One of Jeff’s accomplishments as a local and district leader was organizing members and the community to elect a new Parma Board of Education majority in 2017.
Jeff has served on OEA’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee and President’s Cabinet, as Vice Chair of OEA’s District Leaders Council, and as a member of the Fiscal Fitness Review Committee and Systemic Practices Committee.
Since his election as OEA Vice President in 2019, Jeff has continued to emphasize the importance of organizing members throughout the state. He believes the OEA must support locals in order to both maintain and grow membership.
Jeff believes it is critical to listen to members before decisions are made, ensure communication throughout the process, and engage in full transparency. In his second term as Vice President, he has continued to focus on the OEA’s strategic issues, shared values, and the students members work with each day.
Rob McFee — OEA Secretary-Treasurer
Rob McFee brings over two decades of dedicated leadership in education and union advocacy to his role as OEA Secretary-Treasurer. While serving as a secondary math teacher in the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools, Rob has consistently demonstrated his commitment to advancing the rights and interests of both his students and his members.
Rob’s union leadership journey has seen him wear a variety of hats. Most notably, he served nine years as local president and as the NEOEA President from 2018 to 2022. He has also advocated for members while serving on the NEOEA and OEA Board of Directors, and as a member of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Board of Directors, including a term as chair from 2021 to 2022. As local president, Rob successfully negotiated multiple contracts and served on various levy committees. He led his local union through significant changes, including the construction of new buildings and the aftermath of a fire that devastated the district’s Board of Education Office. His unwavering advocacy for the health, safety, and working conditions of union members underscored his leadership as NEOEA President during the COVID pandemic. Rob believes deeply in the power of collaboration and diversity. For him, leadership means assembling the right team, empowering individuals to succeed, and finding equitable solutions through collective effort.
As OEA Secretary-Treasurer, Rob is dedicated to upholding financial transparency and accountability. Working closely with the leadership team, Rob is committed to amplifying OEA’s voice in advocating for public education. He believes passionately in racial, social, and economic justice, viewing diversity as a cornerstone of strength within the OEA. Rob’s vision for an inclusive education system demonstrates his commitment to ensuring all students and educators have the resources they need to succeed.
Patricia Collins — OEA Executive Director
Patricia Collins, became OEA’s Executive Director December 1, 2020. Collins previously served OEA as Assistant Executive Director for Field Operations for two years, following 13 years as a Regional Director for the Association.
She returned to her native state of Ohio in 2005 from the National Education Association, where she worked as a lobbyist, Manager of Government Relations, and Manager of External Partnerships for nearly a decade. In addition to her work with OEA and NEA, Collins has extensive legislative, policy, and program experience in a range of organizations, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the African American Cultural Center at the University of Connecticut. After earning her law degree from Vanderbilt University, she began her professional career as Legislative Counsel in the office of U.S. Senator John Glenn.
Collins’ experience, knowledge, skills, and commitment have helped her to successfully lead OEA’s staff and operations during challenging times. With more than 25 years of dedication to public education and unionism, and passion for fighting for our members and the students we serve, she continues to work in collaboration with OEA’s governance leaders, managers, and staff to grow and strengthen the Association.