The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber is pleased to announce that Brenda J. Linert has joined its team as the director of Government Affairs & Community Impact. In this role, she primarily will oversee some of the organization’s economic development and quality-of-life priorities, such as its efforts to grow the Valley’s population.
Linert will be a champion for the Valley’s three R’s—retain, return and receive—of repopulation and develop and implement plans for a coalition of regional partners to achieve population growth, as well as a campaign to promote positive news and all of the assets the Valley has to offer.
She will coordinate action plans that intertwine with other community initiatives, such as the Eastgate Regional Council of Government’s housing strategy, and strengthen the Chamber’s Government Affairs team, focused on advancing the Valley’s top public policy priorities that include common-sense energy policies and attracting more state and federal funding.
"It is an honor for the Regional Chamber to welcome one of the most talented professionals in the Mahoning Valley onto our team. Having Brenda onboard will enable us to play an even more impactful, strategic leadership role in strengthening the Valley's economy and improving its quality of life, especially around important initiatives such as growing the population," said Chamber President & CEO Guy Coviello.
Linert has served as editor of the Tribune Chronicle for the past 10 years and The Vindicator for the past four but first came on board the Tribune as a reporter in 1995. She became metro editor in 2001 and business editor in 2012 and earned several awards from the Ohio Associated Press for her work during that time.
The Austintown resident serves on the board of the Youngstown Press Club and as chair of the marketing committee of the Junior Women’s League of the Mahoning Valley and member of the Penn-Ohio Model A Club, Five Points Chapter. She previously served on the board of the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors and was a member of the Regional Chamber’s marketing committee.
Linert received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Pittsburgh and Master of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Kent State University. She and husband Ross have two adult sons.