Steve Demetriou isn’t the only veteran-turned-legislator earning Concerned Veterans for America-Ohio’s backing this cycle. The organization is also putting its weight behind State Rep. Mike Dovilla, sharing the spotlight of CVA-Ohio’s first endorsement rollout with a fellow officer who’s spent nearly as much time in the Statehouse as he has in uniform.
“Mike Dovilla brings a veteran’s commitment to service and a proven record of delivering for Ohioans,” said Adam Miller, CVA Strategic Director for Ohio. “From his time in Iraq to his work at the Statehouse advancing priorities that matter to veterans, Mike has consistently demonstrated that he understands the challenges facing those who served and the communities they call home. CVA is proud to endorse Mike because he’ll continue working to expand opportunity, advocate for affordable housing, and ensure Ohio’s veterans have a strong voice in District 17.” Dovilla’s story is a reminder that “service” isn’t a line item on a resume for these candidates — it’s the throughline of their entire careers.
Answering the Call After 9/11
Dovilla didn’t wait to be asked. In the wake of the September 11th attacks, he volunteered for military service and was competitively selected for a direct commission in 2002 as a Navy intelligence officer. He’s been mobilized to active duty twice since — including a deployment to Baghdad in 2007-2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. More than two decades later, he’s still serving: Dovilla currently commands a Navy Reserve intelligence unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
That’s not a young man’s decision he outgrew. It’s a commitment he’s renewed for over twenty years, even while building a career and serving in elected office at the same time.
Building Beyond the Uniform
Between deployments and legislative sessions, Dovilla built a career defined by the same instinct to serve. He founded The Dovilla Group, a strategic consulting firm, and The Grindstone Institute, a leadership development company. Most recently, he co-founded and served as the inaugural president and CEO of the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the sailors of the USS Cleveland — work that ties his military service directly back to the community he represents.
He’s also worked inside government at the federal level, serving as a senior presidential appointee at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under two administrations and as a principal advisor to former U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich.
A Record Built on Veterans and Accountability
Dovilla currently represents Ohio’s 17th House District, where he serves as Vice Chairman of the House Finance Committee and sits on the Energy, Medicaid, Veterans and Military Development, and Workforce and Higher Education Committees. Over multiple terms, his colleagues have elected him Majority Whip, and he’s chaired two standing committees.
He’s the author of roughly two dozen state laws spanning:
Economic development and government accountability
Education reform
Protections for senior citizens
Support for Ohio’s veterans and military personnel
On the Veterans and Military Development Committee specifically, Dovilla has pushed policies like doubling the enhanced homestead exemption for disabled veterans and creating the Armed Forces Reserve Component Scholarship Program — the kind of legislation that only comes from someone who has actually worn the uniform and understands what veterans and reservists need when they come home.
Why Pairing These Two Endorsements Makes Sense
It’s not a coincidence that CVA-Ohio’s first endorsements of the cycle went to two veterans at once. Demetriou brings the infantry officer’s experience of leading soldiers in combat; Dovilla brings the intelligence officer’s experience of two decades of reserve service layered on top of a legislative career. Different branches, different roles, same bottom line: both understand what it means to put the mission — and the people counting on you — first.
For an organization built to elevate veterans’ voices in public policy, backing both men together sends a clear signal about the kind of leadership CVA-Ohio wants representing Ohioans in Columbus.
