Former Ohio Senate President Thomas E. Niehaus (R) is a principal with Vorys Advisors LLC, an ancillary business of Vorys.  In this role, he provides business and strategic counsel to the law firm’s clients and other businesses and organizations.

Tom served as a state senator from 2005 to 2012 and was elected president of the Ohio Senate in 2011 and 2012.  He left office on December 31, 2012 due to term limits.  His accomplishments as senate president include erasing an $8 billion budget deficit without raising taxes; personally negotiating and ultimately securing passage of Ohio’s landmark energy bill (SB 315); reducing Ohio’s personal income tax and introducing and securing overwhelming bi-partisan support for five pension reform bills with the senate minority leader as the lead cosponsor.    

Tom represented the 14th Senate District, including Adams, Brown, Clermont, Scioto and a portion of Lawrence County.  Before being elected to the Ohio Senate, he served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 2001 to 2004.  A fiscal conservative, Tom was named a “Watchdog of the Treasury” four times.  He also earned praise from 100 Capitol Square Insiders as the “best listener” and ranked as one of the top ten “most effective” state legislators. 

Tom's legislative career began after more than 25 years in the private sector.  He was a respected newsman who spent 15 years working at Community Press, a network of community newspapers in suburban Cincinnati.  Tom worked his way up from reporter to publisher of 13 of the company’s 27 weekly newspapers.  Prior to his role with the newspapers, he worked for Harte-Hanks, Inc., a media and marketing company for 10 years.

Tom earned his MBA from Xavier University and his B.A. from The Ohio State University.

Tom and his wife Emily live in New Richmond, Ohio.  They have three children and six grandchildren.

Vorys Advisors is not involved in the provision of legal services.

Education

Xavier University, MBA, 1986

The Ohio State University, B.A., 1973

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