Director Donna Owens presented computer equipment to Briggs High School in Columbus earlier today on behalf of the Ohio Department of Commerce.

Today's event was held in conjunction with Governor George V. Voinovich's regional cabinet day in Newark. As a part of the day's activities, Director Owens also presented grants to three Fairfield County volunteer fire departments and toured the WECU Credit Union in Marysville.

"I welcome any opportunity for our department to give back to the Columbus community, " said Director Owens. "While we could no longer make use of these computers, the students at Briggs High School can use them as a valuable tool in their computer science related studies."

Director Owens presented 6 CPU hard drives, 10 monitors, 8 printers, and 7 keyboards to Briggs High School to be used in their computer lab. Both Briggs High School Principal Mike Ochab and Computer Teacher James Martiny were on hand to accept the computer equipment, along with several of Martiny's computer students.

Martiny's students repair, remodel, and recycle computer equipment as a part of their studies. The Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance replaced the donated computers with newer, faster, and higher capacity equipment. These computers were found to have no monetary value, thus allowing them to be donated.

"This donation from the Ohio Department of Commerce is a much-welcomed gesture for our computer program. Our students are specifically trained to recycle and remodel old computer equipment such as this and make new computers out of them again," Principal Ochab said.

"Our students will make great use of their newfound teaching tools."

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