µÛÍõ»áËù

Bret Adams is a principal with Black Diamond Development Company LLC. Black Diamond is an historic focused development company with a portfolio which does not include a structure less than 100 years old. Black Diamond has been a primary driver of historic re-development efforts in SE µÛÍõ»áËù. He is a proud graduate of µÛÍõ»áËù and Capital University Law school. 

Julie is the Executive Director of Ross County Community Action Commission, an organization providing housing, weatherization, SUD recovery support, early childhood education, and other community services in Ross County.  Julie has served on several committees and boards in the region, including the Ross County Continuum of Care, Corporation of Appalachian Development (COAD), µÛÍõ»áËù Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA), and the South-Central µÛÍõ»áËù Human Resources Council.  Her professional experience includes working in a variety of workforce development programs through µÛÍõ»áËù’s Area 20 Workforce Development Board/µÛÍõ»áËù Means Jobs and Pickaway Ross Career and Technology Center.  Julie holds a B.S. degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from John Carroll University.  She grew up in the Cleveland area and has resided in Chillicothe for the last 20 years. 

Governor’s Office of Appalachia

John Carey was appointed Director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia by Governor Mike DeWine in February 2019.

John Carey served as the Chancellor of the µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Higher Education from 2013 – 2018. As Chancellor he worked to align higher education programs with µÛÍõ»áËù’s job creation and workforce needs. Carey also implemented initiatives that increased collaboration among colleges, universities, technical schools and local businesses and
community organizations.
 
Prior to joining the µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Higher Education, Carey was Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives at Shawnee State University. He led university workforce initiatives, working closely with local businesses. Carey served in the µÛÍõ»áËù House of Representatives and the µÛÍõ»áËù Senate. He was the Mayor of Wellston for seven years. 
 
A graduate of µÛÍõ»áËù, he lives in Wellston with his wife, Lynley, and two sons.

Shawn Carvin is a native of Warren, µÛÍõ»áËù with over 11 years of experience in µÛÍõ»áËù’s land banking community. Shawn is currently serving as the Executive Director of the µÛÍõ»áËù Land Bank Association (OLBA), where he leads advocacy, lobbying, and technical assistance support to µÛÍõ»áËù’s 69 county land banks. The OLBA has been instrumental in assisting communities addressing affordable housing, reducing blight, and securing crucial resources.

Prior to his role at OLBA, Shawn served as the Trumbull County Land Bank Director at Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership for 10 years. Shawn led the organization from its infancy, and he made significant strides in transforming his community through blight remediation, homeownership opportunities and creative vacant land reuse projects. Shawn has a deep-rooted commitment to revitalizing communities through innovative land banking strategies and creating healthy homes and neighborhoods for µÛÍõ»áËùans.

 
Shawn is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and graduate of Youngstown State University. While now working statewide, he remains involved in his local community, serving on several nonprofit boards and regularly participating in volunteer work. He resides in Downtown Warren, µÛÍõ»áËù with his partner.

Misty Crosby joined µÛÍõ»áËù’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service as a Senior Executive in Residence for Local Government Services in September 2022. In this role, she will assist in supporting local governments, most notably those members of the Mayors Partnership for Progress; work to strengthen relationships with key partners and organizations, and intentionally seek ways the Voinovich School can support the efforts of key partners and organizations.

Crosby previously served with the Buckeye Hills Regional Council and retired as Executive Director in August of 2022. In this role, Crosby led a 65-member team in their efforts to bring resources and affect positive change in state and federal policies and programs important to local governments and communities in rural Southeastern µÛÍõ»áËù. Under her leadership, Buckeye Hills Regional Council facilitated the investment of more than $625 million in its eight-county region from 2007-2021.

Representing the Midwest Region of the country, Crosby serves as President of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Board of Directors and as President of the NADO Research Foundation. Crosby has served as President of The Development District Association of Appalachia and also served as Chair of the Training Committee. Crosby also was appointed to µÛÍõ»áËù’s Board of Trustees as its first Regional Trustee. She was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the µÛÍõ»áËù Advisory Council on Aging and she currently serves on The Hippodrome/Colony Historical Theatre Association Board of Directors and is also a member of The Executive Order of the µÛÍõ»áËù Commodore.

Crosby holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management from µÛÍõ»áËù Valley University and earned Executive Women in Leadership Certification from Cornell University. She also holds an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Washington State Community College.

She resides in Belpre, µÛÍõ»áËù with her husband Dave.

DJ Falcoski grew up in Solon, µÛÍõ»áËù and attended Bowling Green State University and Kent State University. He was a member of the Turner Construction team that built the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum as well as several other high-profile projects in Cleveland including Jacob’s Field and the Cleveland Public Library addition.

In 1995, he moved to Columbus, OH and assumed the role as the Senior Cost Engineer for Turner.  After several years of analyzing and controlling the field-financials for projects such as the Bank One (Chase) World Headquarters, New Albany High School, and the Upper Arlington Schools remodels, he was asked to head the newly formed Commercial Sales Division of Trus-Joist.  His team was responsible for all commercial product sales east of the Mississippi River. 

He joined National Realty in Dublin, OH as their Development Manager and financial partner, where he successfully completed over $100 million worth of commercial projects in µÛÍõ»áËù and Florida including Medical Office, Retail Centers, Apartments and Condominiums.

In 2008, with the commercial real estate market in recession, he worked with several companies to help them reorganize to better function in the rapidly changing real estate world.  This work led to the formation of Development Services Group (DSG). DSG and the Partner company, New Avenue Architects & Engineers, provide seamless development services to clients. In 2014, he received his Real Estate license.

As a Commercial Agent/Owner with Re/Max Commercial, DJ has brokered over 80 transactions totaling over $100MM and represents clients in the hotel development, restaurant, retail, and senior living sectors.

His work with Renew Rio and Opcon began in 2020.  Phase I included the purchase of several properties that needed to be improved.  Work on these properties led to the formation of Opcon Development.  To date, Opcon and Renew Rio have developed 13 rental properties, commercial property, and cleared several lots.  Current plans include the renovation of a 12-unit apartment building and the construction of 15 new single family homes for rennt/sale.

Mr. Falcoski sits on several Boards and Committees including the Mid-µÛÍõ»áËù Food Bank and the Worthington Board of Zoning Appeals and is a consultant to several not-for-profit organizations.

Director Colbert grew up in Ashtabula, µÛÍõ»áËù where he graduated from Edgewood Senior High School in 1997. After high school he attended Youngstown State University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a focus on Political Science. While at YSU he met his wife, Amanda who is a life long resident of Warren. In 2004, after graduation, Director Colbert moved to Warren to make a life with his wife.

In the private sector Director Colbert has worked at the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center and as a lead mental health provider for children at Associates of Child Counseling and Guidance both of which lead to his desire to make the future better for children. Once becoming a father, he felt the calling to run for City Council because he wanted to make Warren an even better city for his children to be raised in.

While working for Coca Cola, Director Colbert ran for Warren City Council’s 7th ward position and won. He spent six years as a ward councilman before he decided to run for the At Large position which he was elected to for three terms. Director Colbert resigned from council to take the Safety Service Director position. During his tenure on council Director Colbert was Chairman of Finance Committee, Police and Fire Committee and Council Pro Temp.

Along with council, Director Colbert is very involved in the community and has served on many boards including TCAP, Mobile Meals and the Historical Society. He and his family, along with good friends have organized and participated in many community service projects like Make A Difference Day, TSI’s A Home for Christmas and their annual 100 Turkey Giveaway. Director Colbert also coaches his son’s baseball teams for the WAC organization and football teams for Next Level Athletics and Warren Little Raiders

Director Colbert and his wife Amanda have been married since 2007. They have two sons, Jayden and Cameron, both who attend Warren City Schools.
 

Stephanie Gilbert serves as the Transportation Planning Coordinator for the µÛÍõ»áËù Valley Regional Development Commission in Waverly, OH.  Stephanie studied Business Management at Shawnee State University and has 11 years working in planning and 8 years in transportation planning.  Helping communities find the funding they need to move projects forward is what drives her to love the work that she does at OVRDC.  Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and grandkids.  

Nate Green provides economic development planning and corporate site location services to companies and communities based upon 20 years of public and private sector economic development service, including with a major investment bank, JobsµÛÍõ»áËù, µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Development, Pickaway Progress Partnership, and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. Mr. Green served as a development finance consultant to the Van Wert Port Authority, Southern µÛÍõ»áËù Port Authority, Lawrence County Port Authority, Superior Marine, and has successfully negotiated and closed over $1 billion in financing, has substantial economic development strategy experience including co-researching and drafting the 30 economic development strategic plans and infrastructure and incentive strategies, and advises local communities such as the city of Pataskala, Forest Park, Strongsville, µÛÍõ»áËù on the day to day operation of their economic development programs.

G. Jason Jolley, Ph.D. serves as Interim Associate Vice President for Research and Creative Activity at µÛÍõ»áËù where he coordinates economic development activities across the university. In his faculty role, he serves as Professor of Rural Economic Development and MPA Director at µÛÍõ»áËù’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. He also directs the Center for Economic Development and Community Resilience. Prior to joining µÛÍõ»áËù in 2013, Dr. Jolley spent seven years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Kenan Institute/Kenan-Flagler Business School where he co-led the largest state sponsored study of the effectiveness of economic development incentives for the North Carolina General Assembly.

Dr. Jolley has served as principal investigator on over $10 million in sponsored research funding and co-led efforts to secure an additional $2 million in federal funding and $1 million in state funding for regional economic development partners. His portfolio includes funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Appalachian Regional Commission, Small Business Administration, µÛÍõ»áËù Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and JobsµÛÍõ»áËù, among others. Dr. Jolley also leads µÛÍõ»áËù portion of the µÛÍõ»áËù Economic Development Institute (OEDI), in partnership with the µÛÍõ»áËù Economic Development Association (OEDA) and JobsµÛÍõ»áËù. OEDI provides state level certification to µÛÍõ»áËù economic developers.

Dr. Jolley serves as Executive Director of the Mid-Continent Regional Science Association and is a former board member of the University Economic Development Association. In 2022, he served as an advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on their Anchor Economy Initiative to better understand the role of higher education institutions and hospitals (eds and meds) on regional economies. In 2016, Governor John Kasich, and the leadership of the µÛÍõ»áËù Senate and µÛÍõ»áËù House of Representatives appointed Dr. Jolley as the state’s Nonpartisan Census Liaison. In this role, he led Voinovich School staff in building the redistricting database used to draw legislative districts for the U.S. House of Representatives, µÛÍõ»áËù House of Representatives, and µÛÍõ»áËù Senate districts.

Dr. Jolley maintains an active service portfolio. As the father of daughters with developmental disabilities, he is a passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities. He serves as Vice-President of the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities; on the Board of Trustees and as Treasurer of the µÛÍõ»áËù Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities; and on the Board of Trustees and Vice-Chair of the Arc of µÛÍõ»áËù. Dr. Jolley is a leader in the multi-stakeholder public, private, and nonprofit µÛÍõ»áËù Developmental Disability Crisis partnership that promotes long-term financial sustainability of µÛÍõ»áËù’s developmental disabilities system.

Dr. Vicki King-Maple is the Executive Director of OMEGA – the µÛÍõ»áËù Mid-Eastern Governments Association. Over the years, she has led extensive economic resiliency plans, workforce priorities, educational skills gap analyses, and occupational forecast assessment projects throughout the Appalachian region and across the nation. She is prepared at the doctorate level with her dissertation research steeped in bridging the engineering technology-based workforce gap. She brings future-thinking, consensus-building skills to the OMEGA region with priorities in expanding the pursuit of prosperity for the Appalachian region she is proud to call home.

Faith Knutsen has served the Voinovich School since 2008. Faith directs the Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE) project, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. SEE has a dual mission: bringing venture development services to regional social enterprises, which combine a market-based approach with a mission for social good, and capacity-building for philanthropic funders interested in impact investment. Faith lectures on entrepreneurship and venture development and aids in regional K-12 and college pitch competitions. Before joining the Voinovich School, Faith worked for 12 years in an executive role at Sunpower, Inc., an Athens µÛÍõ»áËù-based, 60-employee research and development engineering firm. Her early career in international development began with a tour as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central Africa and segued into international consulting. Faith holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's degree from µÛÍõ»áËù.

Donald Mason is a lifelong resident of Zanesville, µÛÍõ»áËù and was elected to office on November 5th, 2019 with over 65% of the vote, winning every precinct. He was unopposed in the November, 2023 re-election.

Mason has long been committed to public service. After graduating from Muskingum University in 1979, where he majored in Political Science and History. Mason  was the first NCAA All-American wrestler ever at Muskingum and later earned his law degree from Capital University, graduating cum laud.

In 1979, he was elected as a write in candidate to the Zanesville City Council in 1979 and served on the council through 1983. In 1983, at the age of 26, Mason was elected Mayor of the City of Zanesville, where he oversaw natural gas and cable negotiations, water and sewer infrastructure development and other public works projects. Including within the projects was a development of the water, sewer, electricity and natural gas infrastructure in an industrial park of over 600 acres, which became the city's 'flagship' for business and economic growth. He was subsequently re-elected in 1987. Furthermore, Mason's administration built the first water treatment facility in Zanesville, in order to remove many of the heavy minerals which were causing damage to hot water tanks, plumbing, laundry and domestic consumption.

Leaving local government in 1991, Mason then became Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas at the µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) where he supervised regulatory activities and developed environmental programs for the safe and healthy extraction of oil and gas resources, including hydraulic fracturing and the disposal activity of oil and gas by-products including UIC Class I, II and III permitting. He also served on the Hazardous Waste Facilities Board, which reviewed permits for hazardous waste storage sites in µÛÍõ»áËù. From 1993 to 1995, as Deputy Director of ODNR, he supervised the Divisions of Parks, Forestry, Watercraft, Natural Area Preserves, and Wildlife. Those agencies totaled over 2000 employees and $100,000,000 in annual budgets.

His past public service included serving two terms as Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of µÛÍõ»áËù. He was first appointed to the PUCO in 1998 by Governor George Voinovich and reappointed in 2003. In each appointment he was nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the µÛÍõ»áËù Senate. The PUCO regulates investor owned electricity, natural gas, telephone and water and sewer companies in µÛÍõ»áËù.

Mayor Mason was appointed by former U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and reappointed by Secretary Samuel Bodman to serve on the National Petroleum Council. He was a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) where he served as Chairman of the Gas Committee and member of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he was a government representative and Chairman on the U.S. Department of Transportation's Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Committee. Mason also served as chairman of the Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Committee.

Commissioner Mason has served µÛÍõ»áËù on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) appointed by Governor George V. Voinovich and Governor Bob Taft from 1995 until 2010 and Governor John Kasich subsequently reappointed him in 2014. At the IOGCC, he chaired various committees, eventually becoming vice-chair from 2003 to 2004 of the Commission, serving with then chairman Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, and Alaska Commissioner and future Governor Sarah Palin.

After leaving state service, Donald L. Mason also served the State of µÛÍõ»áËù as Commissioner of the Oil and Gas Commission and presently is a Trustee of Kent State University. He serves as Secretary to the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Investment Committee and the Audit and Compliance Committee.  He is also a Board Member of the Governor's Executive Workforce Development Board.

In 2022, Mason was appointed to the Board of Directors of OneµÛÍõ»áËù Recovery Foundation, where he serves as Chairman.

Mason is the Past-President of the 109-Year-Old Zanesville Rotary with over 42 years of perfect attendance and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. He is also a 32nd-degree Mason, Shriner, and a member of the several other Masonic organizations such as York and Scottish Rites, Amrou Grotto, and the Knights of Columbus. In 2010, he received an award for Outstanding Community Service by the Grandmaster of all µÛÍõ»áËù Masons. Mason continues to serve Muskingum County as President of the Board of Trustees of the Muskingum County Library System.

He is in his 45th year as an µÛÍõ»áËù high school wrestling official. He has been was selected to referee the µÛÍõ»áËù High School State Wrestling Championships on numerous occasions. In 2023, he was elected to the OHSAA Official Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Zanesville High School Hall of Fame and Muskingum University Hall of Fame. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP, where he serves on the Muskingum County Chapter Board and has been the Master of ceremonies for the Annual Freedom Fund Dinner.

Retired From Western-Southern Life after 34years,currently Caldwell Village Council 2004-present Noble County Historical Society president since 2020,Noble County CVB director 2023-present,hobby’s antique cars and grandchildren

Brad is a former elected official from Noble County µÛÍõ»áËù, with experience across a broad range of projects. Brad is now employed with Buckeye Hills Regional Council as a development specialist, where he continues to work several different programs hoping to provide meaningful change to the region.  

As Dean of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, Tracy Plouck oversees two academic programs (public administration and environmental studies) and more than $16 million in funding focused on addressing the unmet needs of µÛÍõ»áËù and its 32 Appalachian counties. Prior to this, Plouck served as Assistant Clinical Professor with OHIO’s College of Health Sciences and Professions. In this role, she worked to support the µÛÍõ»áËù Alliance for Population Health, a network of more than fifty organizations that partner to address various population health challenges across the state. As a part of this effort, Plouck assisted local communities to build capacity through grant writing, training, workforce development planning, and project management.

From 2011 to 2018, Tracy Plouck was Director of the µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.  During that time, she also served as President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and as Vice Chair of the Council of State Governments’ Justice Center.  For more than 20 years, Plouck held a variety of leadership roles for the State of µÛÍõ»áËù, having served twice as the state’s Medicaid Director and as deputy director of both the µÛÍõ»áËù Office of Budget and Management and the µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Developmental Disabilities. Plouck has served as a member of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) National Board of Directors and is currently a board member of Del-Mor Dwellings, which provides supportive housing for individuals with mental illness in Delaware and Morrow Counties. She earned a BA from Kent State University and an MPA from µÛÍõ»áËù State. 

Ryan Scribner provides corporate site location, economic development advisory, and planning services to companies and communities based upon 20 years of public and private sector economic development service, including as the leader of the regional economic development organization for Pickaway County, µÛÍõ»áËù, as Pickaway County Administrator and public policy positions with the µÛÍõ»áËù Board of Regents and µÛÍõ»áËù General Assembly. Ryan has successfully negotiated and closed over $2 billion in large-scale industrial projects, developed a highly respected workforce development program, guided community economic development planning for cities, counties, and townships, and supported the development and operation of Joint Economic Development Districts, port authorities as well as Transportation Improvement Districts.  Mr. Scribner successfully attracted a global Italian manufacturing company to µÛÍõ»áËù as part of a major foreign direct investment win. Ryan is serving companies with corporate site location projects, advises 10 counties in Eastern µÛÍõ»áËù and 4 communities in Central µÛÍõ»áËù for economic development advisory services, is coordinating housing studies for an Illinois community, and advising the operation of a county Transportation Improvement District. 

Lee serves as the µÛÍõ»áËù and Michigan Representative for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA). For 14 years, Lee has supported local units of government, tribal governments, economic development districts and non-profit organizations to develop critical place based economic development projects. During his time at EDA, Lee has supported and fostered economic development initiatives in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, µÛÍõ»áËù, and Michigan. Prior to joining the EDA, Lee spent the previous 10-years leading local economic development efforts for communities in Northern Michigan and in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Lee holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Land-Use Planning from Central Michigan University, as well as, a Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Michigan University.

Before joining the Appalachian Regional Commission in 2019, Jen served as the Executive Director of Regional Innovation at µÛÍõ»áËù (OHIO). In this capacity, she orchestrated a network of ten place-based makerspaces and incubators catering to entrepreneurs in the Appalachian regions of µÛÍõ»áËù and West Virginia. Under her leadership, these hubs became vital catalysts for economic growth, nurturing startups and fostering innovation within the local communities.

Prior to her tenure as Executive Director of Regional Innovation, Jen spearheaded OHIO’s Innovation Center (IC), providing a nurturing environment where tech-based entrepreneurs could thrive. Her strategic direction led to the graduation of successful companies that significantly contributed to job creation in the region. Under her leadership, the IC won several national and international awards for its innovative practices.

Additionally, Jen has served in pivotal roles, such as leading the Athens County Economic Development Council and the Athens Chamber of Commerce and as the Assistant Director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia.

Jen is an alumna of µÛÍõ»áËù, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Master of Public Administration, and a Master of Business Administration. Jen and her husband live in Falls Church, Virginia, with their 85-pound dog, Jax. 

Tiffany Swigert is the Executive Director for the Coshocton Port Authority, providing economic development support to the City of Coshocton and Coshocton County, µÛÍõ»áËù.  Prior to joining Coshocton’s Economic Development office in July 2017, she served as the Executive Director of the Coshocton County Regional Planning Commission and the Safety Coordinator for the Coshocton County Commissioners.  Tiffany attended Zane State after High School and returned to college to obtain her bachelor’s in business administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University graduating in 2008. 

Tiffany currently serves the Treasurer and Immediate Past-President of the µÛÍõ»áËù-Mid Eastern Governments Association, the immediate past president of the Coshocton Visitors Bureau, a member of the Columbus to Pittsburgh Corridor Committee, and is a graduate of the Appalachia Regional Commission’s Appalachia Leadership Institute.

Tiffany and her husband of nearly 24 years, Gene Swigert, have two sons, and enjoy adventuring around µÛÍõ»áËù with their dog, Huck.   

Kristi Tanner is a member of the JobsµÛÍõ»áËù leadership team responsible for the organization’s small business and community investment programs. These programs and initiatives strive to attract capital and create jobs in distressed areas of the state and support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses that qualify by ownership or located in a distressed area.

Kristi has led economic development efforts at the local, regional, and state levels, including establishing the governor’s first regional economic development office in Southern µÛÍõ»áËù and serving as the assistant director and chief operating officer for the µÛÍõ»áËù Department of Development. She serves on the board of directors of Foundation for Appalachian µÛÍõ»áËù and is a past board member for One Columbus and µÛÍõ»áËù Southeast. She graduated from Morehead State University in Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in communication and marketing. 

Sheila Vandergriff is a lifelong resident of Northeast µÛÍõ»áËù. She has over 20 years of nonprofit communications, development and public relations experience working with independent organizations, higher education and healthcare. With a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University, she began writing engineering reports for a global manufacturer. Afterwards, she worked at Hiram College, Summa Healthcare Foundation and an animal welfare nonprofit where she wrote grants, cultivated partnerships and developed educational programs.

Today, Sheila is the Director of Development at Glenbeigh, a member of the ACMC Healthcare System, a Cleveland Clinic affiliate hospital. She is responsible for internal and external communications, business development as well as grant proposals. Sheila also oversees the community benefit initiatives for the organization giving her insight into social determinants of health and barriers specific to people living with substance use disorders and in recovery.

Sheila holds a master’s degree from Kent State University in Journalism, Mass Communications and Public Relations.

Tasha Werry started her professional career as a middle school teacher with Marietta City Schools and taught for 12 years. Moving into a grant coordinator's position with the district propelled her into supporting the schools with implementation of school reform initiatives. Throughout this work, she realized a need for deepening the relationship between the community, the local businesses and the schools, not just Marietta City Schools, but all schools in the county. Building upon collaborative efforts already in motion, Tasha supported the founding of Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C) in 2012 to further connect students, teachers, and parents to business and community adults in order to inspire career choices for students. She went on to complete her Educational Doctorate in 2016, with BB2C as the focus of her research. BB2C has since worked to develop programs that engage all stakeholders and support the mission, and became an official non-profit in 2017. The most recent endeavor of BB2C is expanding the community and career connected learning concept to all of southeast µÛÍõ»áËù through the BB2C Network. Werry was also awarded a fellowship to the Appalachian Leadership Institute, class of 2022-2023.  

Kara Willis is the Regional Talent Manager in all 25 counties served by µÛÍõ»áËùSE. She provides human resource solutions in the development and implementation of new or expanding company’s talent strategy.

Over the past 18 years, Kara has gained experience in workforce development, higher education, and economic and community development through prior positions with the µÛÍõ»áËù Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), University of Rio Grande, and µÛÍõ»áËù Valley Regional Development Commission.

Kathy Zook has worked in public service for Eastgate Regional Council of Governments for over two decades and has served as the ARC Program Manager for the last 15 years. She is a founding member and acting Secretary of µÛÍõ»áËù Rural Development Alliance (ORDA) and has been appointed to the Board of the Development Districts Association of Appalachia (DDAA) in 2022, 2023 and 2024. She is a graduate of the University of Akron and lives in Cortland, µÛÍõ»áËù. As the ARC Program Manager, Kathy works with communities in her 3-county district to identify and prioritize projects to utilize Federal and State Appalachian funding to make investments to support economic and community development, critical infrastructure, workforce development, job training, and improved access to health care. Kathy has a demonstrated history of working with local, state and federal elected officials, as well as, members of the public and private sectors to bring resources together to support projects with opportunities to improve the quality of life for the Appalachian region.