Many people wonder if our government is connected to the communities it purports to serve, especially when the capital is an hour away, or in the case of Washington, hours away.

	Chamber CEO Mike Throne, left, and Adena Health System’s Ty McBee, listen to Lydia Mihalik, Ohio’s development director, during her Aug. 9 visit to Chillicothe.

But a recent visit by Lydia Mihalik, Ohio’s development director, and John Carey, our former state legislator turned director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, shows how our elected and appointed leaders make a concerted effort to find out more about our communities. Gov. Mike DeWine challenged all of his cabinet members to get out of the office and see the state, then report back what they saw and heard.