Mike Curtin

State Representative 17th Ohio House District

Mike Curtin is retired from The Dispatch Printing Company after a 38-year career as reporter, public affairs editor, managing editor, editor, associate publisher, chief operating officer, vice chairman and consultant. He is 60 (d.o.b. 10-23-51).          

Curtin began his career with The Dispatch in 1973 as a general assignment reporter. For 18 years, most of his reporting career, he specialized in the coverage of state and local government, public policy and politics.  His beats included Columbus City Hall, Franklin County government, the Ohio General Assembly and local and state political campaigns.          

In 1985, Curtin became the newspaper’s chief political writer, public affairs editor and director of The Dispatch Poll.  In October 1994, he became the paper’s executive managing editor.  He was promoted to editor in December 1995 and associate publisher in July 1998.          

Curtin was named president of The Dispatch Printing Company in January 1999, chief operating officer in 2002 and vice chairman in 2005.  On December 31, 2007, he retired from the executive suite.  From January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2011, as associate publisher emeritus, Curtin served as a consultant to The Dispatch on civic and community affairs and provided research and advice on subjects of editorial interest.          

He is the author of The Ohio Politics Almanac, 1st and 2nd editions, published by Kent State University Press. He also is author of the chapter, “The O-Neill-DiSalle Years, 1957-1963,” in the book Ohio Politics, published by Kent State University Press.  He also has written several speeches on key issues that have been published in the monthly magazine, Vital Speeches of the Day.          

In civic and community service, Curtin has served on the boards of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Newspaper Association, the Mount Carmel Health System, the YMCA of Central Ohio, the Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation, the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio Dominican University and Prevent Blindness Ohio. He continues to serve as a board member of the Mount Carmel College of Nursing.          

He is a native of Columbus, a graduate of Bishop Watterson High School (1969) and a graduate of the Ohio State University School of Journalism (1973). He and his wife, Sharon Rhodes Curtin, have been married for 36 years. Mike and Sharon reside in the Village of Marble Cliff; they have two children and two grandchildren.          

Mike is a licensed umpire for the Ohio High School Athletic Association. He umpires high-school baseball and fastpitch softball games throughout central Ohio.