Techia Potter

Executive Director of Grant Funded Initiatives

About Techia Potter

As Executive Director of Grant‑Funded Initiatives, Techia Potter leads Future Plans’ growing portfolio of major grant‑funded projects with a deep commitment to stewarding resources responsibly and ensuring that every initiative delivers meaningful impact for the communities it serves. Her role centers on building strong program structures, supporting project leads, and guiding strategic implementation so partners and community members receive the highest quality services.

With more than 25 years of experience in the helping professions—including social services, workforce development, youth programming, and community advocacy—Techia brings a comprehensive understanding of both the opportunities and barriers that shape people’s lives. Her dedication to this work is personal: after moving from resource‑rich Dayton to rural Pike County, she saw firsthand how persistent barriers continue to limit access even when new services emerge. This experience fuels her commitment to eliminating obstacles for individuals in under‑resourced and rural communities.

Techia’s responsibilities include programmatic oversight of a diverse range of grant‑funded initiatives including Appalachian Regional Commission, Department of Beahavior Health, and Department of Labor. Some projects are approaching their sunset phases, enabling Techia to apply lessons learned to new funding opportunities and future organizational growth. Her strategic focus is on building scalable, systematic structures that can be replicated with partners across the region—supporting Future Plans’ ongoing efforts to expand services throughout Ohio.

Collaboration sits at the heart of her work. Techia works closely with program directors, project leads, and partners serving justice‑affected individuals, special populations and individuals seeking sustainable, meaningful careers. This broad network reflects the scope of Future Plans’ mission and the complexity of the barriers communities face. Her strong communication skills and experience working across diverse populations allow her to build trust and drive alignment among stakeholders.

Techia’s career is defined by a commitment to identifying and solving gaps—whether in program execution, service delivery, or systems design. Her ability to analyze needs and implement solutions has been shaped by her extensive work in youth programming, grant facilitation, social service work, mental‑health‑aligned vocational services, and nonprofit leadership. Her resume reflects years of building, managing, and improving programs that support individuals with barriers to employment, housing, transportation, education, and stability.

One story from her work illustrates her impact: Techia once supported a high‑school senior whose work‑experience stipend was the family’s only income. As training and family‑care barriers emerged, Techia worked step‑by‑step to link the young man to resources in order to remove each obstacle—connecting him to prerequisites, funding, and family stabilization resources. He went on to complete diesel‑mechanic training, secure employment, and begin planning to open his own garage. This experience reinforced Techia’s belief that eliminating barriers creates long‑term generational change.

Techia’s values center on equity and access—ensuring that every individual, regardless of location, income, or circumstance, has a fair opportunity to reach meaningful, self‑defined goals. She advocates for systemic solutions, particularly in areas like workforce‑aligned training and transportation access, recognizing that community‑wide structures—not temporary fixes—are necessary for sustained progress.

She holds both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in Human Services Technology from Ohio University and has accumulated over 25 years of continuing education credits, certifications, and specialized training, including areas such as trauma‑informed care and youth and geriatric advocacy. Her broad academic and professional background reflects her lifelong commitment to serving diverse populations.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Techia remains active in her community. She serves as a board member and volunteer at a local homeless shelter and food pantry—helping lead fundraising efforts and supporting workforce initiatives. She is also deeply engaged in her church, her family as her children transition into adulthood, and her small hobby farm where she and her husband raise cattle. These parts of her life ground her work and reinforce her belief in strengthening communities from the inside out.