JobsOhio is considering going after the thousands of dollars it paid podcast host Krisanthe Vlachos to produce episodes of "The Callout" podcast.
Former Ohio State University President Ted Carter resigned on Saturday after acknowledging to the university's board of trustees about an inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources for a private business.
On Thursday morning, the university's board of trustees unanimously appointed Ravi Bellamkonda as Ohio State's next president.
JobsOhio suggested earlier this week that Carter’s resignation was tied to the podcast, which was produced to connect military veterans to jobs. Carter, a former Navy admiral, appeared multiple times on the podcast.
In a post on X Wednesday night, JobsOhio said it contracted last year for four episodes at $15,000 each. Only one episode was completed.
JobsOhio says it fulfilled its contract for $60,000, and is now reviewing clawback options in the contract.
Vlachos contracted with WOSU Public Media to produce her podcast at its studio. WOSU News has asked the university for the contract.
JobsOhio said that Vlachos was one of several vendors it supplied with a vendor's pass to attend a consumer electronics show to meet people and identify angles for the three remaining podcasts.
She used a comp pass, but was eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses up to $5,000. To date she has not submitted a reimbursement request.
In the meantime, JobsOhio also said that it paid $10,000 to a Florida-based group called Task Force Pineapple to produce a play called “Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret.“
The AEP Foundation also approved a $10,000 grant for Task Force Pineapple, AEP spokesperson Scott Blake said in an emailed statement.
“Many of our employees are veterans or currently serve in the military reserves,” Blake said. “The play addresses issues that our service members and their families contend with, and we wanted to share supporting that story,” the statement said.
JobsOhio also said that Vlachos submitted a proposal to it and others, including the Ohio State president's office, for a mobile application that would connect Ohio veterans with available jobs.
JobsOhio said it decided against investing in that.
