Impact Ohio will hold a Canton Regional Conference on Thursday, December 12 at Stark State College from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference is a partnership effort with The Success Group, Stark State College, and the Stark Economic Development Board.
The Impact Ohio Canton Regional Conference, cosponsored by the Ohio Democratic and Republican parties, will offer a special, bipartisan opportunity to explore public policies important to community.
“We’re looking forward to bringing Impact Ohio to Canton Region for the first time. We have a great lineup that includes three policy panels and various speakers from both the Canton region and Columbus,” said Jennifer Flatter, CEO of Impact Ohio.
The conference agenda will feature government leaders, business leaders, and policy experts.
The conference will hold three public policy panels titled “Effective Economic Development and Strengthening the Regional Economy,” “Election 2020: From the White House to the Statehouse,” and “Workforce Transformation: Ensuring a Dynamically Skilled and Productive Workforce.”
Speakers include:
- 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
Panelists include:
- Effective Economic Development and Strengthening the Regional Economy
- Robert Gessner, Chairman, Stark Economic Development Board and Business Growth Chair, Strengthening Stark Governance Committee
- Ray Hexamer, President & CEO, Stark Economic Development Board
- Hrishue Mahalaha, Senior Partner, Innovation Economy Partners and Chief Economic Development Consultant, Strengthening Stark
- Election 2020: From the White House to the Statehouse
- Moderator: 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
- Workforce Transformation: Ensuring a Dynamically Skilled and Productive Workforce
- Moderator: 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
Ray Hexamer, President & CEO of the Stark Economic Development Board, views the Impact Ohio Canton Regional Conference as a great opportunity for members of the community to network and hear first-hand from elected officials, business leaders, and local experts.
“The Stark Economic Development Board is excited to partner with Impact Ohio to bring a regional event to Canton. We look forward to discussing issues important to our community with local experts and attendees from across the state,” Hexamer said.
The Success Group launched Impact Ohio in 1984 with the first Post Election Conference in Columbus, which is held every two years immediately following the general election. Interest has grown over the last 35 years, which led Impact Ohio to expand in 2017 with regional conferences. In 2019, Impact Ohio has held regional conferences in Toledo, Akron, Youngstown/Warren, Dayton, and Southeast Ohio, with the final event planned for Canton.
“We have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from attendees at our regional conferences who enjoy networking with professionals in various fields and discussing public policy. This motivates us to continue working with local communities to bring Impact Ohio events across the state,” Flatter said.
Following the conference, there will be a post-conference networking reception, hosted by The Success Group, at Stark State College.
Register for the conference and reception at https://impactohio.org/2019canton/.