Nominations for the John Romer Advocacy Award open May 1. Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services (HCDDS) created this award to honor John’s legacy and the impact he had on so many lives.
The award recognizes someone whose exceptional advocacy work on behalf of themselves and others has made a significant difference in their community.
We have two categories: one for people with disabilities and one for professionals working directly or indirectly with people who have disabilities.
Who is eligible?
Nominees must be at least 16 years old and live or work in Hamilton County. Previous award winners and HCDDS employees are not eligible to win.
New for 2025
Nominations will be submitted through Google Forms. Each nomination should answer three questions about the person’s advocacy work and the impact of their advocacy. We revised the questions this year based on feedback from the award judges and from people who attended the annual Advocacy Summit.
We’re also providing examples of award-winning nominations to help you describe how a nominee has empowered and inspired others. You can find those examples on this page.
All nominations are due May 31.
Winners will be notified this summer. They’ll be recognized at the HCDDS Board meeting on Sept. 9 and at the annual Advocacy Summit this fall.
The 2024 John Romer Advocacy Award winners: Miara Miles, left, Amy Hayden, Courtney Meatchem, and Sean Vicente. The Board of Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services recognized each person for their exceptional community advocacy.
John Romer was the HCDDS advocacy director from 2005 until his retirement in 2021. During his life and career, he lifted the voices of people with disabilities, encouraging everyone to speak up for themselves and advocate for change.
Learn more about John and his career in this story, published when he retired in June 2021. You can also read about his impact on the lives of people with disabilities in this My Life magazine story from 2023. He’s pictured above with HCDDS colleagues, advocates, and friends.
Need an alternate version of the nomination form? Have other questions about the John Romer Advocacy Award? Contact Community Relations Coordinator Lisa Danford at (513) 559-4425 or Lisa.Danford@HamiltonDDSOhio.gov.
