Director of Commerce Donna Owens has appointed Thomas Ratcliff of Cortland as a public information officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce.

"I am pleased to have Thomas join our team, " Director Owens said. "With his background and leadership ability, I am confident that he will do an outstanding job as public information officer."

Lieutenant (Retired) Ratcliff is a 1988 graduate of Lakeview High School and a 1994 graduate of West Point. He was the Academy's first-ever White House intern and an Army helicopter pilot until being medically retired in February 1996. During the 1996 presidential campaign, he served as the coalitions coordinator and veterans director for the Ohio Dole-Kemp campaign and as a member of the Americans with Disabilities for Dole national steering committee. He is currently a member of the Governor's Council on People with Disabilities.

As public information officer, Ratcliff will serve as a spokesman for the department, develop media plans, and deal with a wide array of public relations matters.

A native of Cortland, Ohio, Ratcliff currently resides in Columbus.

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The Department of Commerce is responsible for numerous regulatory functions carried out by its divisions of Financial Institutions, Consumer Finance, Real Estate, Securities, Unclaimed Funds, Industrial Compliance and State Fire Marshal. It enforces regulations regarding fire codes, industrial compliance, financial institutions, real estate, auctioneers, unclaimed funds, and private investigators, among others.