Leadership Mahoning Valley will formally introduce the 43 individuals selected to participate in the Class of 2024 at a kick-off breakfast to be held on Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 a.m. at the Grand Resort, 9519 Market Street, Warren. The event is open to the public, and reservations can be made online at www.regionalchamber.com/events, or by calling 330-744-2131, ext. 1227.
Immediately following the public breakfast event, the members of the Class of 2024 will stay on for a two-day opening retreat, which will begin the 10-month program that concludes with the Leadership Mahoning Valley annual meeting and graduation ceremony in June 2024. Through this immersive, interactive program that includes a series of speakers, tours, hands-on activities and site visits, participants will gain knowledge of programs, services, businesses and institutions in our community. Program days are centered around specific topics such as History and Heritage of the Valley, Government and Public Service, Media and Communications, Health and Human Services, Education, Business, Labor and Economic Development, Housing and Community Development, Justice and Public Safety and Quality of Life.
Additionally, class members will participate in a DiSC© Assessment designed to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others. Participants will enhance their personal leadership development by increasing the skills necessary to raise self-awareness and improve teamwork, productivity and communication.
JoAnn Stock, Leadership Mahoning Valley executive director, said, “The response to the re-launch of Leadership Mahoning Valley has been tremendous. A total of 43 outstanding individuals have been selected to participate in the Class of 2024.”
“Upon completion of the program, these individuals will join the 1,200 Leadership Mahoning Valley alumni who have graduated from the program and gone on to serve our community in a variety of leadership roles,” Stock added.
Members of the Class of 2024 are:
- Melissa Bateman, Director of Community Engagement – Youngstown Area Jewish Federation
- Reilly Berk, CEO - Berk Enterprises
- Roxanne Bohach, Director of Career Advancement and Campus CARE Center – Eastern Gateway Community College
- Ramesh Dangol, Associate Professor – Youngstown State University
- Michael Engram, Executive Coach – Game Changers
- Kyra Fleming, Magistrate – Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center
- Lynnette Forde, President – The Youngstown Foundation
- Jessica Foster, Senior Manager, Assurance – Cohen & Company
- Jenita Gillespie, Director, Legal Operations – Bon Secours Mercy Health
- Jodi Glass, Recruiting and Marketing Coordinator – Mahoning County Career and Technical Center
- Andrew Hampton, Principal – Mahoning County Career and Technical Center
- Ryan Hutchison, Senior Manager, Human Resources – Vallourec Star
- Christine Jenkins, Chief Growth Officer – Potential Development
- Gerri Jenkins, Executive Director – MyPath MV
- Steven Jones, CEO/Agent – Steven C. Jones Insurance Agency, Inc.
- John Kettler, General Manager of Mass Production – Vallourec Star
- Dionne Lacey, Executive Director – United Returning Citizens
- Dr. Harriet Lemberger- Schor, Physician – Bon Secours Mercy Health
- Melissa Libert, Senior Tax Manager – HD Davis CPAs
- Matthew Longmire, Business Resource Manager – Valley Economic Development Partners
- Michael McGiffin, President – Regional Chamber Foundation
- Trisha Mossor, Business Development Manager – Aim Transportation Solutions
- Blair Mulholland, Private Equity Real Estate Associate – Sapientia Ventures
- Chelsea Munroe, Project Specialist II – Dominion Energy
- Linda Nuosci, VP, Commercial Relationship Manager – First National Bank of PA
- Katie Phillips, Urban Planner – ms consultants
- Ellie Platt, Owner/President – Platt Insurance
- Troy Rhoades, Regional External Affairs – FirstEnergy/Ohio Edison
- Melissa Russo, Chief Operating Officer – Mercy Health Physicians
- Leah Sakacs, Director of Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs – Family and Community Services, Inc.
- Juan Santiago, Vice President/CRA Engagement Leader – Farmers National Bank
- Roxann Sebest, Vice President – United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley
- Jody Sexton, Human Resource Business Partner – Ultium Cells
- Victor Shaw, Youth Facilitator/Quality Assurance Specialist – Mahoning County Juvenile Court
- Maria Spencer, Director of Early Care and Education Services – Early Childhood Resource Center
- Alexa Sweeney Blackann, Consultant - #1 Cochran Automotive Group
- Ryan Tekac, Health Commissioner – Mahoning County Public Health
- Anthony Trevena, Executive Director – Western Reserve Port Authority
- Candace Turpack, Relationship Manager – Key Private Bank
- Martin Tursky, Market Chief Operating Officer – Mercy Health
- H. Terrell Washington, Owner – HLW Fast Track, Inc./Leaf Relief
- David Wilaj, Director, Mahoning Valley Logistics Council – Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber
- Megan Wine, Business Development Executive – TEMA Roofing Services
Leadership Mahoning Valley is a non-profit corporation created to identify individuals with diverse backgrounds and experience who demonstrate leadership talent and community commitment. In 1994, Leadership Mahoning Valley combined the highly successful Leadership Youngstown and Leadership Warren programs, which were first established by a group of interested citizens in 1984 and 1988, respectively. In 2006, Leadership Mahoning Valley, while maintaining its status as a separate non-profit organization governed by a separate Board of Directors, entered into a management agreement with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber to operate as a program under the umbrella of the organization. The program is now being re-launched since being halted in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.
Since its inception, over 1,200 business and community leaders have graduated from the Leadership Mahoning Valley program and gone on to assume leadership roles within their organizations and our community. Leadership Mahoning Valley has established a reputation as a prestigious program designed to engage business, non-profit and civic leaders in our community’s collective progress.
About Leadership Mahoning Valley
Leadership Mahoning Valley (LMV) is an extensive 10-month leadership training program that incorporates key community concepts, current leadership themes and training opportunities. Leadership Mahoning Valley is a non-profit corporation created to identify individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who demonstrate leadership talent and community commitment. Created in 1984 and governed by a volunteer board, LMV is one of more than 300 community leadership programs in the United States and is a member of the Association of Leadership Professionals (ALP).
About the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber (Regional Chamber) is a private, non-profit organization that provides leadership and business services to promote the growth of our 2,900 members—representing more than 150,000 employees in the Valley. Membership with the Regional Chamber provides exclusive member perks like cost-saving discount programs and services that help businesses maximize their bottom line. In addition, the Chamber advocates on behalf of its members to contain the cost of doing business, improve the overall business climate and advise policymakers on the impact laws and regulations have on the Valley’s economy. The Regional Chamber also supports local expansion, attraction of new investment and job creation in the two-county area by providing services such as site selection, customized research and program coordination. The team is currently managing more than $1.5 billion of pending investment. For more information, visit regionalchamber.com.