The private nonprofit economic development group JobsOhio paid $15,000 to sponsor "The Callout" podcast by Krisanthe Vlachos, the podcast that former Ohio State University President Ted Carter appeared on.
Carter submitted his resignation to the university's board of trustees on Saturday, and Ohio State officials announced his resignation on Monday. University leaders said Carter disclosed to the trustees that he had an inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business.
University officials didn’t name that person, but JobsOhio released a statement on Monday that it was aware of Carter's resignation "and that this situation is possibly connected to a relationship between him and the host of a podcast for veterans, which we sponsored," mentioning "The Callout" podcast by name.
WOSU has left messages with Vlachos seeking comment.
In a statement late Tuesday afternoon, JobsOhio spokesperson Matt Englehart said, "We invested $15,000 per episode for production and promotion of a pilot series of four episodes as an opportunity to grow the military and veteran audience and connect them to our advanced aerospace and defense and energy sectors. One episode was completed."
“Ohio State is Ohio’s flagship university—its success is critical to economic growth in Ohio, and we will continue to be a strong partner with Ohio State. Any questions about the president’s resignation should be directed solely to the Ohio State University,” the statement said.
Vlanchos had a contract with WOSU Public Media to record the podcast inside the WOSU studio. WOSU has asked the university for that contract.
Vlachos has her VetEarnUSA business filed with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, which lists 1800 N. Pearl St. as her business address. That's the address for WOSU Public Media.
That business filing is part of the university investigation regarding public resources, university spokesperson Ben Johnson said.
Vlachos’ podcasts can be found on YouTube.
"The Callout" podcast features a rotating line-up of veteran or active-duty service members as co-hosts. Many episodes feature power line workers. There are 19 episodes.
Several episodes feature Carter, who is a former superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy and a retired vice admiral, including a two-part episode from a year ago titled “Ted Carter Leads Military to Power."
The latest episode from two months ago is titled, “Ohio: The Most Veteran-Friendly State?” and features Carter as well as J.P. Nauseef, the president and CEO of JobsOhio.
Now the search begins for a new university president. Ohio State officials haven't announced who will serve as interim president, though Johnson has said the board is finalizing a transition plan and will share more information in the coming days.
Carter replaced Kristina Johnson, who served less than three years after she arrived at Ohio State in August 2020, leaving in May 2023. Her contract ran through Aug. 31, 2025.
Johnson's separation agreement including a provision requiring her not to criticize Ohio State.
Before Johnson's tenure, Michael Drake served as Ohio State's president from 2014 to 2020. Boston-based search firm Isaacson Miller was paid more than $340,000 to find Drake’s replacement.
