2019 Speakers

The 2019 Regional Conferences wouldn’t have been possible without our outstanding presenters and speakers!  Thank you!

Akron

• The Honorable Jon Husted, Lt. Governor of the State of Ohio
• The Honorable Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State
• The Honorable Robert Sprague, Ohio Treasurer of State
• The Honorable Vernon Sykes, Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee
• The Honorable Emilia Sykes, Minority Leader, Ohio House of Representatives
• The Honorable Ilene Shapiro, County Executive, Summit County
• The Honorable Shannon Jones, Executive Director of Groundwork Ohio and Warren County Commissioner
• Matt Akers, Public Liaison, Office of the President, The University of Akron and Assistant Director, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics
• Grace Wakulchik, Chair-Elect, Greater Akron Chamber and President & CEO of Akron Children’s Hospital
• Chris Burnham, President, Development Finance Authority of Summit County
• Jason Dodson, Chief of Staff, Summit County
• James J. Hardy, Deputy Mayor for Integrated Development & Chief of Staff, City of Akron
• David James, Superintendent, Akron City Schools
• Steve Millard, President & CEO, Greater Akron Chamber
• Bruce Winges, Retired Editor, Akron Beacon Journal
• John Green, Interim President of The University of Akron and Director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics
• Dr. Carl P. Wallace, Co-Convener, Akron Faith Community
• Michael Douglas, Editorial Page Editor, Akron Beacon Journal
• Kirstin S. Toth, Senior Vice President, GAR Foundation
• Derran Wimer, Executive Director, Summit Education Initiative

Canton

• The Honorable Robert Sprague, Ohio Treasurer of State
• The Honorable Larry Obhof, President of the Ohio Senate
• Dr. Para Jones, President of Stark State College
• Robert Gessner, Chairman, Stark Economic Development Board and Business Growth Chair, Strengthening Stark Governance Committee
• S. Ryan Hartong, Manager, Government Affairs and Attorney, The Timken Company
• Ray Hexamer, President & CEO, Stark Economic Development Board
• Hrishue Mahalaha, Senior Partner, Innovation Economy Partners and Chief Economic Development Consultant, Strengthening Stark
• Tom Walsh, Vice President, Ohio Association of Community Colleges
• Derrick Clay, President & CEO, New Visions Group
• Robert Paduchik, Senior Advisor, President Trump’s 2020 Re-Election Campaign and President, Agincourt Consultants
• Todd Pugh, CEO & Founder, Enviroscapes Inc.
• Dr. Donald M. Ball, Dean of Engineering Technologies, Stark State College
• Jennifer Meek Eells, Executive Director, Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board and OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties
• Dave Kirven, President, East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council

Dayton

• The Honorable Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton
• The Honorable Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State
• The Honorable Robert Sprague, Ohio Treasurer of State
• Dr. Eric F. Spina, President, University of Dayton
• Jim Bebbington, Editor, Dayton Daily News
• Chris Kershner, Executive Vice President, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce
• Dr. Harold J. Arata, Lead Systems Design Engineer, AT&T Government Solutions
• Lisa Heckler, Chief Information Security Officer, CareSource
• Stephanie Singer, Vice President of Operations, Reed Elsevier Technology Services
• Retired Air Force Colonel Joseph Zeis, Jr., Senior Policy Advisor for Aerospace and Defense, Office of Governor Mike DeWine
• Laura Bischoff, Statehouse Reporter, Dayton Daily News
• Dr. Christopher Devine, Assistant Professor, University of Dayton
• Kevin DeWine, Partner, CBD Advisors
• Janetta King, President & CEO, Innovation Ohio
• Samantha Sommer, Investigative & Community Impact Director, Dayton Daily News
• Shelley Dickstein, City Manager, City of Dayton
• Roger Edwards, Vice President of Accelerant Venture Capital Fund, Dayton Development Coalition
• Scott Koorndyk, President, The Entrepreneurs Center
• Former Governor Bob Taft, Distinguished Research Associate, University of Dayton

Southeast

• The Honorable Steve Patterson, Mayor of Athens
• Dr. Mark Weinberg, Founding Dean, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
• The Honorable Jon Husted, Lt. Governor of the State of Ohio
• Dr. Jason Jolley, Professor and MPA Director, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
• Bret Allphin, Development Director, Buckeye Hills Regional Council
• Jay Bennett, Public Service Director, City of Zanesville
• Craig Butler, District Chief, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Southeast District
• Stephanie Gilbert, Transportation Planning Coordinator, Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission
• John Carey, Director, Governor’s Office of Appalachia
• The Honorable Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State
• Dr. M. Duane Nellis, President, Ohio University
• Dr. Marsha Lewis, Associate Professor and Senior Associate Dean, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
• Matthew Hammond, Executive Vice President, Ohio Oil and Gas Association
• Sharon Hopkins, Director, Ohio University Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
• Mike Jacoby, President and CEO, Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth
• Lydia Mihalik, Director, Ohio Development Services Agency
• Thomas Hodson, Director & General Manager, WOUB Center for Public Media at Ohio University
• Corrie Callaghan, Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement Director, Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare
• Richard Hodges, Health Policy Executive in Residence, Ohio University
• David Schenkelberg, Chief Clinical Officer, Hopewell Health Centers
• Jennifer Westfall, Aging & Disability Director, Buckeye Hills Regional Council

Toledo

• The Honorable Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio
• William McDonnell, Chairman of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and Regional President of PNC
• The Honorable Wade Kapszukiewicz, Mayor of Toledo
• The Honorable Robert Sprague, Ohio Treasurer of State
• Lauren Lindstrom, Staff Writer, Toledo Blade
• Gretchen DeBacker, Legislative Director, City of Toledo
• Shannon Jones, Executive Director of Groundwork Ohio and Warren County Commissioner
• Robin Reese, Director, Lucas County Children Services
• Brian Dicken, Vice President, Advocacy and Public Policy, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Tim Brown, President, Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments Leadership (TMACOG)
• Nicole Busey, Member of Governor’s Advisory Committee on Transportation Infrastructure and Tax Director Indirect Tax Compliance & Planning, Marathon Petroleum Company LP
• Greg Lawson, Research Fellow, Buckeye Institute
• Chris Runyan, Coalition Member, Fix Our Roads Ohio
• Tom Henry, Staff Writer, Toledo Blade
• Crystal Davis, Policy Director, Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Jordan Hoewischer, Director of Water Quality and Research, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
• Gary Pierzynski, Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University
• Frank Szollosi, Great Lakes Climate Policy Director & Regional Field Director at National Wildlife Federation

Youngstown/Warren

• The Honorable Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State
• The Honorable Robert Sprague, Ohio Treasurer of State
• The Honorable Larry Obhof, President of the Ohio Senate
• The Honorable Matt Dolan, Chair, Senate Finance Committee
• The Honorable Rick Perales, Chair, Ohio House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committee
• The Honorable Michael A. Rulli, Member, Ohio Senate
• The Honorable Jamael Tito Brown, Mayor of Youngstown
• The Honorable William D. Franklin, Mayor of Warren
• James Dignan, President & CEO, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber
• Jeff Herrmann, CEO, The Business Journal
• Mike Garvey, President & CEO, M-7 Technologies
• Michael Hripko, Associate Vice President, External Affairs, Government Relations, and Economic Development, Youngstown State University
• Erin O’Donnell, Director of Partnership and Community Relations, America Makes
• Brenda Linert, Editor, Tribune Chronicle
• Vito Abruzzino, Executive Director, Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission
• Michael Dustman, Director of Constituent Services, Office of US Senator Rob Portman
• Retired Air Force Colonel Joseph Zeis, Jr., Senior Policy Advisor for Aerospace and Defense, Office of Governor Mike DeWine
• Amanda Smith, Reporter, WKBN TV
• Jim Kinnick, Executive Director, Eastgate Regional Councils of Government
• Kurt Princic, District Chief, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Northeast District Office’