In 1987, Judge Thomas Ryan of the Allen County Circuit Court became concerned about the large number of OWI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated) repeat offenders that were coming through the court system. He convened a series of meetings that included business leaders, educators, law enforcement, the medical community, local government, the judicial system and substance abuse treatment professionals to discuss the problem. These meetings resulted in the formation of the EEDAC (Eliminate Drunk Driving in Allen County) – a collective voice for the issue.