Alisha Nelson, who received her BA in Communication from Ohio State in 2006, was named the 2019 How Firm Thy Friendship Award Winner.

Nelson is the director of RecoveryOhio, an initiative launched by Governor Mike DeWine to address mental health, addiction prevention, treatment and recovery support needs. She previously served as the director of substance abuse policy in the Ohio Attorney General’s office. During that time, Nelson helped lead development of the Drug Use Prevention Education Resource Guide, which has been shared with schools and community organizations statewide.

Nelson has also served on the Insurer Task Force, assisting in the development of recommendations to help eight of Ohio’s largest healthcare insurers address the opiate epidemic, and has worked for the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County.

The How Firm Thy Friendship Award recognizes dedication to and advocacy for The Ohio State University in the public sector.

Follow Nelson on Twitter @alishajnelson or LinkedIn.