Experienced for Miami County……

John W. O’Brien has served as Miami County Recorder since 1996.

In that time he has been a member of the management team concept with all the elected officials, which has made Miami County government a model for the state of Ohio. He has provided sound fiscal management with an eye towards the future by using computer technology to make his office more efficient and easier to use.

Leadership for Miami County……

John W. O’Brien has served in many leadership positions in Miami County and Ohio.

Over the years he has been recognized as a person who accepts leadership and gets the job done. Whether through his leadership as Miami County Republican Chairman, Co-Chairman of the Ohio Recorders’ Assn Legislative Committee or his many volunteer positions of responsibility within our community O’Brien has a proven track record of leadership.

Committed to Miami County……

John W. O’Brien is committed to keep Miami County a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Since his parents moved his family to West Milton in 1971 O’Brien has been committed to Miami County. He understands the importance of keeping Miami County’s rural character and it’s commitment to agriculture. Nevertheless, planned, controlled growth is essential if we are to continue offer our children a safe place to grow and learn and provide quality employment opportunities within our county.

After College he sold computers for a Dayton retailer and then with Reynolds & Reynolds. Where at 24 years old he was promoted to a management position supervising 15 sales people. In 1988, Reynolds & Reynolds sold his division and John worked in the permanent recruiting industry recruiting computer programmers. In 1990, O’Brien took a position with the Miami County law firm of Huffman, Landis, Weaks & Lopez Co. LPA as the business manager. He left the firm in 1994 to start his own retail business in Piqua Ohio, which he sold in 1997.

O’Brien’s political activity continued during his private sector days. He was active in Miami County politics with the Young Republicans holding several offices and with the Miami County Republican Party, highlighted by his co-chairmanship of the 1994 Miami County Republican Convention, which endorsed Mike DeWine for United States Senator. He was elected Vice-Chairman of the Miami County GOP in 1995 and then Chairman in 2000. A position he currently holds.

O’Brien was recognized as a rural political leader during the 2004 Presidential campaign. O’Brien was interviewed by the London Financial Times as a rural political leader working on the Bush/Cheney ’04 re-election campaign. He was also featured on a BBC news program after the President’s campaign visit to Troy in August 2004.

In 1996 O’Brien was appointed Miami County Recorder by the Miami County Republican Central Committee and Governor George V. Voinovich to fill the un-expired term of retiring Recorder Janet Cain.

Since taking office O’Brien has installed computer technology making the office more efficient and easier for the public to use. Including the first imaging system in Miami County Government where the land records can be viewed on computer monitors. He is currently serving his third term.

O’Brien has been active in the Ohio Recorders’ Association as a member of it’s legislative committee since 1999 and as the committee’s co-chair since 2003. The ORA has worked on the passage of legislation making the filing of bogus liens a felony, fought the doubling of recording fees, pushed legislation to allow electronic recording and introduced legislation to eliminate social security numbers from recordable documents.

O’Brien has been very active in the community. He was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in 1976. Has been active in Tipp City Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts with Pack 285 and Troop 395. He was the coordinator of the Tipp-Monroe Community Services basketball league for 2 years, on the Tipp City Jr. Baseball Board for 5 years the last two serving as it’s President, organized the Tippecanoe wrestling parents organization in 2004 and reorganized the Red Devil Wrestling youth program after several years of inactivity, also served on the Kid’s Voting USA Miami County steering committee and the board of the Miami County American Cancer Society. He was appointed by Ohio State Auditor, Betty Montgomery, to the Ohio Auditor of State, Dayton Region Advisory Board in 2003.

He currently resides in Monroe Township in Miami County with his wife Kim (Grawe) O’Brien a 1982 graduate of Tipp City High School and a teacher in Tipp City Schools and three teenage children who attend Tipp City schools, Johnny, 17; Melanie, 15; and Joey 14. The O’Brien’s are members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Tipp City.