Lydia Mihalik

Lydia Mihalik is the director of the Ohio Department of Development. The agency provides customer service and support to businesses, communities and individual investors and entrepreneurs to encourage economic development in the state.

Director Mihalik was appointed to lead the agency by Governor Mike DeWine. She comes to the agency after serving as the mayor of the City of Findlay. She is the first woman to hold the city’s top post. As mayor, she was a strong proponent of small business and workforce development.

She has been a board member for the Ohio Mayors Alliance, a collaboration of Ohio’s 20 largest cities, and has served on the Advisory Board for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Director Mihalik is a native of Indiana who moved to Ohio to attend the University of Findlay, where she earned a degree in political science. Her interest in public administration earned her an internship with the City of Findlay, which led to a full-time position in city economic development. She has served as Grant Administrator for the Hancock Regional Planning Commission. She serves on the Hancock County Red Cross Board of Directors as well as Board of Directors for The Partnership for Excellence.