I am writing in response to your recent editorial and news coverage about my service as a member of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees. First and foremost, I respect the Lantern and others, including students, staff and faculty, who have expressed their opinions on this matter. One of the most exciting parts of university life is the ability to debate openly and express divergent views on issues both great and small.

It has been my privilege to serve Ohio State in many roles throughout my career – as a member of various student clubs and organizations, as president of the Undergraduate Student Government, as the university’s official representative to events when I worked in Washington, DC, supporting OSU when I was the governor’s chief of staff, and now as a member of the Board of Trustees.

I take each role very seriously, and I devote significant time and effort to my trustee duties. I do this not only because of my love for and commitment to Ohio State, but also to give back to the university that has given so much to me. I recognize that many of the experiences I have had in my career occurred because of what I learned and gained as a student at Ohio State.

The events of this summer have been difficult for me and my family. For nearly four months, every aspect of my life and business were scrutinized. In the end, it all came down to a simple disagreement over the price I paid for a family vacation.

The property my family and I stayed at was not a rental and therefore no rental rates existed. Nor did my family have full use of the house through most of our stay. We used a two room efficiency apartment for the majority of our visit, and the homeowners occupied the main section of the house during most of our time there. Thus, comparisons to renting an entire house were simply inaccurate.

Nonetheless, I insisted on paying for use of the property because I wanted to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Because I paid rent for the property along with all other costs associated with my family’s vacation, including travel and meals – I believed no disclosure was necessary on my part, as permitted by Ohio ethics laws.

My legal counsel and I were convinced that because I paid rent for the use of the property, I would have been exonerated had this matter been taken to trial, but I made an important decision to end this issue as quickly as possible to avoid protracted litigation and further disruption of my personal life. I subjected myself to the legal process, paid the fine imposed, and I am now moving on.

Throughout this process, my role as a trustee was foremost in my mind. I did not want my actions to adversely affect the university in any way or lessen my effectiveness on the board. So I consulted with members of the OSU administration, my colleagues on the board, community and political leaders, and others who care deeply about the university. And I spent a long time thinking about my future role as a trustee as well. In the final analysis, my legal actions are unrelated to the university and I remain confident that I can continue to make a positive difference in the life of Ohio State.

Every experience in life, whether good or bad, is a learning opportunity. I have certainly learned a great deal in recent months. I’ve learned that a well-earned reputation can be jeopardized in the blink of an eye over an inadvertent error. I’ve learned that friends who we think we know well may not be what they seem. I’ve learned that an unintended mistake can lead to enormous scrutiny. And I deeply regret that some feel my decision to quickly resolve my issue reflects poorly on our university.

But I also have learned that a stumble in life does not preclude one from picking oneself up, dusting oneself off, and getting back to being a contributing member of the community. That is what I have done and what I will continue to do as a member of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees.

Brian K. Hicks Member, OSU Board of Trustees