Honoring our 12th annual award-winners, who were chosen by their peers
It’s our job to make sure he’s ready. We ignite curiosity, learn voraciously and live with intention so he can take the world head on.
We invite you to tour our world.
At The James, you’re choosing the experts who understand there is no such thing as routine cancer. Where your care is delivered by a highly specialized, compassionate team dedicated to studying and treating just one type of cancer — yours. And where more than 1,700 scientists are working on new treatments — and new hope — for every form of cancer, including lung, colon and breast cancers. All at the region’s only comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute.
At a time when many cities across the country are facing economic uncertainty, Columbus is moving forward, full steam ahead.
New investments by tech companies, job-creating sustainability efforts and momentum behind manufacturing initiatives are just a few encouraging signs Columbus has become a hub of innovative investment. And now OhioHealth is leading the charge to position healthcare — particularly cancer care — as a key component of the city’s innovation.
With its new Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) program, OhioHealth is stepping up to make this highly specialized treatment accessible to more Ohioans. Blood and marrow cancers are incredibly complex and often require careful support from nearly every specialty in medicine. This level of precise, comprehensive care makes launching a BMT program a big feat, one that cannot be undertaken without an extensive network of resources at hand.
Yvonne Efebera, MD, MPHBasem M. William, MD
Hematology and Oncology Blood and Marrow Transplantation Director, Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy
It all started with a $20.5 million investment to create a state-of-theart facility at the Riverside Methodist Hospital campus. Together, the outpatient and inpatient clinics boast a total of 31,332 sq. ft., making the facility strategically equipped to deliver the exact type of care each patient needs. After all, there is no one-size-fitsall treatment plan.
Hematology and Oncology Blood and Marrow Transplantation
to expand the clinical trial portfolio at OhioHealth and make novel lifesaving treatments available to patients through phase I trials.”
At the helm of the program are Yvonne Efebera, MD, MPH, and Basem William, MD, both of whom are internationally recognized for their research expertise in blood cancer treatment and transplant.
“We bring a total of 40 years of expertise in hematologic malignancies, cell therapy and clinical research,” says Dr. William. “We have ambitious goals
Behind the medical expertise and technological ingenuity of the new BMT program is perhaps one of the most innovative approaches to cancer care out there: a systematic practice of compassionate care. Offerings like BMT coordinators, financial services, social services, survivorship support, clinical trials and integrative care are built into the BMT program. Dr. Efebera embodies this approach at every level in her daily practice. “My philosophy is treating every patient like a family member,” she says. “I’m a big hugger... So I hug all my patients actually. When they come in to see me, they expect that hug!”
By placing equal emphasis on cuttingedge technology and holistic care, patients will now be able to undergo care that focuses on their entire selves — not just their illnesses. It’s a unique approach to cancer care, and it’s right here at OhioHealth.
“My philosophy is treating every patient like a family member.”
YVONNE EFEBERA, MD, MPH
62 E. Broad St., P.O. Box 1289
Columbus, Ohio 43216
Phone: 614-540-8900 • Fax: 614-461-8746
ColumbusCEO.com
VOLUME 31 / NUMBER 9
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Columbus CEO (ISSN 1085-911X) is published quarterly by Gannett. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © Gannett Co., Inc. 2023, all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials. Known address of publication is 62 E. Broad St., P.O. Box 1289, Columbus, Ohio 43216. Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, Ohio, and additional mailing offices.
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Introducing our 2023 class, plus a project update from last year’s honorees
Connie Gallaher spent decades in health care leadership before taking the top job at Ohio Dominican University.
Some local law firms have found a niche in economic development.
Despite rising prices and a volatile market, local financial advisers see signs of stability.
Local medical providers are using ketamine as a treatment for depression and other mental health disorders.
Browse 78 options around Central Ohio.
A look at how the Columbus College of Art & Design enhances the city’s businesses and organizations with design thinking
Recognizing this year’s winners of BBB’s annual Torch Awards, Spark Awards and Students of Integrity scholarship program
Recapping the 2022 Annual Networking and Awards event and honoring former board members
As I sit down to write this column the week before Christmas, seasonal celebrations are in full swing and the Central Ohio mood is merry and bright.
Here at Columbus CEO, we’re also feeling festive, because our Winter issue is a celebration of some of the smartest business minds and changemakers the region has to offer. It’s the perfect way to kick off a new year full of possibilities.
One of our longest-running awards programs, CEO of the Year, recognizes four winners and 11 finalists working in a variety of for-profit and nonprofit organizations across Central Ohio. This marks the 12th year for the initiative, but the stories of these honorees and their accomplishments are as inspiring as ever.
Again, we’ve partnered with Bill LaFayette of Regionomics on the annual business climate survey that accompanies the awards. It seeks
to learn how C-suite executives feel about the economy, inflation, the challenges they face and why Central Ohio is a good place to do business. Affordable housing is a top priority for respondents, who also weighed in on what they see as the advantages and disadvantages of the Intel development in Licking County. Read about the honorees and the survey results starting on Page 13.
This issue also honors our Future 50 class of 2023. The program, in its fourth year, recognizes business leaders who are committed to helping the region grow and thrive. They bring with them bold ideas to help move Columbus forward. Meet the five new honorees and catch up on three community projects undertaken by the class of 2022 in our story on Page 44.
One final note: In case you missed the announcement on our website, we’re sad to report that Dispatch Magazines’ former general manager/ publisher Ray Paprocki has departed
the company. In early November, Ray joined his wife, Sherry Beck Paprocki, at R.S. Rock Media, where they help local and national clients with a variety of strategic communication needs. I’ve been fortunate to work with Ray during two different time frames, dating to the early 2000s when he was the editor of Columbus Monthly and I edited CEO, then again when he returned as the magazine division’s publisher. We wish him all the best.
Thanks for reading, and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2023.
Julanne Hohbach Managing Editor
the Midwest Momentum imprint, covering topics from area startups to kids competing in the Ohio Invention League—the entrepreneurs of the future.
“We all hear startup and investment stories out of Silicon Valley, but they’ve got nothing on us here. We got it going on. We have our own unicorns, everything. These are stories that need to be told,” Gatchell says.
talent for TV and radio (ONN, WDLR, WQTT and WVXG) and also held several posts in communications and public information, including for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the state attorney general’s office. “I just love helping people tell their stories,” Gatchell says.
Big Kitty Labs is known for an unusual take on software development: rapidbaked, get-you-moving service and quirky, innovative projects. For its latest venture, BKL co-founder Dan Rockwell partnered with veteran radio and broadcast journalist Michelle Gatchell to found Gatchell Rock Media, a tech-forward media startup.
Gatchell Rock recently launched its own podcasting lab inside COhatch Polaris, where the company has begun offering both a foray into podcasting and a service to clients. “The idea is to create the Big Kitty family. The key is that if you have capacity and connections, why not do more collaborations? That’s what Columbus is about,” says Rockwell.
Gatchell Rock has already produced a series of podcasts under
1654 Polaris Parkway, Suite 317, Columbus • gatchellrock.com, midwestmomentum.tech
CO-FOUNDERS: Dan Rockwell and Michelle Gatchell
BUSINESS:
LAUNCH: April 2022
EMPLOYEES: 2
ANNUAL REVENUE: N/A
Another show in the pipeline is Research to Market, focusing on tech commercialization stories, which is in Rockwell’s wheelhouse. He did a stint in Ohio State University’s tech commercialization office and launched BKL with co-founder Tushar Kulkarni specifically to ignite new technology businesses. “That’s a massive love for me,” he says. “We want to walk through the complications, the hardships, the things to do to get to the other side.
“I’ve always been the loudspeaker of Big Kitty, but I’ve never pursued media as a real focus before, though I have felt I’m moving more into a teaching kind of role. We’ve got so many good things to tell people, ways to build, a mentality to our approach that is a lot of what makes BKL work,” Rockwell says.
That’s where Gatchell comes in. She’s worked as a producer and on-air
In addition to a focus on entrepreneurial tales, Gatchell Rock will provide a service to clients, many of whom are new businesses that lack their own marketing capacity. “We’re going to focus on telling their digital story” through podcasts, audio spots and other multimedia avenues, Gatchell says.
Finally, Gatchell Rock will be able to provide the expertise and technology to help produce independent podcasts. “Everyone is on their phones these days. They like to see and hear their information,” Gatchell says.
According to a 2021 report by Forbes, 52 percent of all people using the internet between the ages of 16 and 64 listen to podcasts. In the same story, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated podcast ad spending at $800 million in 2020 and projected it will more than double to $1.7 billion by 2024. A growing business indeed.
Big Kitty Labs dives into podcasting with a new media venture.
Spinoff of Big Kitty Labs focused on podcastingCynthia Bent Findlay is a freelance writer. Photo courtesy Gatchell Rock Media Michelle Gatchell and Dan Rockwell in Gatchell Rock Media’s podcasting lab
Columbus CEO celebrated our 15th annual Best of Business winners with a party at COSI. Nearly 300 guests attended the event, held Oct. 26, 2022.
Thanks to our presenting sponsor, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; our supporting sponsors, The Champion Cos. and Moody Engineering; and our partners, Einstein Law, KEMBA Financial Credit Union and the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio.
1 Randy Webb, Grace Groene, Sarah Hudson, Alexis Vandevelde, Rachael Durant, Jessica May, Emily Chapman 2 Loletia Davis, Kim Saxton 3 Don Robertson, Aaron Lebow 4 Peter George, Cari Ice, Betsy Lenhart 5 Chris Snyder, Rachel Iannanno, Kim Welther, Andrew Dawson, Maribeth Mace, Jeremy Riga, Tyler Baesman, Rod Baesman, Kelsey Crookes, Zach Baesman
Congratulations to this year's Champion is a vertically integrated real estate
Central Ohio with so many leaders working
Leading any organization is hard. Guiding one through a pandemic and remaining successful more than two years later takes an even stronger skillset.
For the 12th year, Columbus CEO is recognizing Central Ohio business leaders who have risen to the top of their field and earned the respect of their peers through the CEO of the Year awards.
Beyond the pandemic, this year’s honorees have also had to contend with fluctuating variables such as inflation, a volatile stock market, ongoing supply chain challenges, rising costs and staff shortages.
Our 2022 awards honor four winners and 11 finalists from both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. They work in a variety of fields, including banking, insurance, construction, the funeral industry, transportation, housing, the arts and more.
Honorees were chosen through our annual Survey of Economic Conditions, conducted in partnership with Bill LaFayette of Regionomics. It seeks to gain a better understanding of the local business climate by learning how executives feel about the economy, the challenges they face and why Central Ohio is a good place to do business.
Adapted from the SMU Cox CEO Sentiment Survey, the survey is open to all C-suite and cabinet-level executives in the Columbus area. It includes questions on the local, national and global economies; hiring; challenges local organizations face; diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and other business issues. Responses were gathered in October and November. (Find LaFayette’s analysis of the data on Page 29.)
Respondents also were asked to vote on the CEO of the Year awards. More than 40 nominees appeared on this year’s ballot in four categories: Large For-Profit (500 or more employees), Small For-Profit (fewer than 500 employees), Large Nonprofit ($5 million or more annual revenue/ deposits) and Small Nonprofit (less than $5 million annual revenue/deposits). Nominees included past finalists, as well as suggestions from select local executives and our editorial staff. Past winners are not eligible.
Three of this year’s winners are no stranger to the program, having been previous finalists: Robert “Bo” Chilton (2021), Michael Corey (2021 and 2020) and Elizabeth Blount McCormick (2017).
Congratulations to all our 2022 CEO of the Year honorees.
The honorees of our 12th annual program include four winners and 11 finalists from for-profit and nonprofit organizations.By VIRGINIA BROWN + Photo by TIM JOHNSON
Francie Henry rose through the ranks at Fifth Third Bank, where she now leads operations for Central Ohio and beyond as regional president.
Francie Henry loves to play golf, but she never keeps score—she just focuses on making contact with the ball.
“In work and in life, all day long, we’re measured, we’re ranked,” says the regional president of Fifth Third Bank. “I like to put my music on, order a cocktail, and just swing.”
Maybe it’s that eyes-on-the-prize focus, without measuring herself much against others, that has worked well for the Mount Vernon native in her 36-year banking career. “I always just tried to be the best possible version of myself that I could be,” Henry says. One work meeting with taller colleagues stands out in her mind. “All the men were about 5-8 to 6-2,” recalls Henry, who is 5 feet 2 inches. “They all had khakis on and blue blazers. I thought, ‘I can’t be that, so I might as well be myself.’”
Henry’s parents were Greek immigrants who taught her early on about hard work and sacrifice. “They came here with no family, no money, no resources,” she says. “They didn’t know the language.”
Eventually, her parents opened a restaurant in Mount Vernon. “They had that hard work ethic and always such humility,” she says. “My father instilled in me that this country welcomed us, but we’re guests here. We have to be faster, stronger, better— we are earning our way in.”
As Fifth Third’s regional president, Henry, 58, oversees the growth and strategic direction of the bank’s commercial, consumer, and wealth and asset management businesses. It’s a role her predecessor, Jordan Miller, prepared her for with hopes she would take over when he retired.
Henry’s banking career began following graduation from Miami University in 1986, when she enrolled in a management training program with Fifth Third in Cincinnati. She stayed there for 16 years, moving up the ladder until she relocated to Columbus in 2003.
Regional president
Fifth Third Bank
IN ROLE SINCE: 2018
AGE: 58
EDUCATION: B.S. in business administration, Miami University
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Member of the Ohio State University STAR Advisory Committee, SciTech board, Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Columbus Partnership (chair of the finance committee) and PACT (Partners Achieving Community Transformation)
Early on, she worked in consumer banking, which, she says, helped shape her outlook. “It doesn’t matter if people have a dollar in their checking account, or a hundred dollars, a thousand, or a million. The zeros really are insignificant,” she says. “We are a service industry helping people achieve their dreams—that’s what brings me joy in this profession.”
Over the years, Henry has held multiple roles at Fifth Third, including market president, managing director of wealth and asset management, retail executive, regional Bank Mart manager and marketing coordinator. In essence, she grew up with the bank, watching it soar to more than $200 billion in assets companywide. “I run a bank that’s twice as big as the bank I started with,” she says. “To lead an organization where you grew up, it has so much more meaning.”
Locally, Henry oversees 674 employees, $3.5 billion in assets, $8.5 billion in deposits and $1.7 billion in assets under management.
In 2021, according to a report by Deloitte, women held 19 percent of C-suite roles and just 5 percent of CEO positions in financial services institutions globally.
“We’re still in the minority in the C-suite,” she says. “I’m mindful that I’m always earning my way in, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had.”
When it comes to her leadership style today, Henry says, “I try to lead with positive intensity and energy, and make people feel good about what they’re doing.”
She also points to authenticity. “There is just one me,” she says. “You can be your authentic self and as successful as you want to be if you follow your heart and goals. You don’t have to be someone else.”
One leader who helped show her the way was Robert Niehaus, who died in October. “Bob was responsible for growing our organization through the ’80s and ’90s, and he grew our bank faithfully,” Henry says. “He was always a consensus builder, and your voice mattered. He taught me to do more listening than talking.”
And she practices gratitude. “Each morning, I try to wake up with one thought in mind, like, ‘Today is going to be the day,’ and I hope to accomplish something.”
Virginia Brown is a freelance writer.
By VIRGINIA BROWN + Photo by TIM JOHNSON
When Elizabeth Blount McCormick was a young girl, her father, who was an ophthalmologist, would give his patients the family’s home phone number.
“Patients would call, and it didn’t even matter what time—he would always show up for them,” says the president and owner of Uniglobe Travel Designers. Her mother, Elsie Blount, who ran Uniglobe from 1996 until Blount McCormick took over in 2012, did the same. “They both worked really hard and went above and beyond.”
Today, Blount McCormick infuses that dedication into her work at the independently owned franchise of Uniglobe Travel International, helping large business clients and leisure travelers have the best trips possible.
“It’s about relationships,” she says. “At a call center, who knows what you’re going to get. We go to bat and advocate for you. Talking to a robot is not going to help you; we want the human interaction.”
While the majority of her business is made up of corporate clients—including Vizient Inc., OMNIA Partners, Columbus City Schools and the University of Missouri—she also works with celebrities and leisure travelers.
The company recently organized a destination wedding trip to the Dominican Republic for a group of 170. “We know how our clients want to be treated—we’re proactive and responsive,” she says. “The customer is always right, even when they’re wrong.”
of the company, back to Columbus. Her father died a few months later. “My gut told me to move back,” she says. “I’m so glad I did, so I had that time.”
Today, Uniglobe Travel Designers has annual revenue of $29 million and employs about 40 people who work in a variety of locations. “I really like people and working with people,” Blount McCormick says, adding that she’s very selective about who she brings on board.
“You have to want to have a meal with the people you hire,” she says. “I understand people, and I take the time to listen to them.”
Since the pandemic dramatically shifted workplace environments, company culture is a top priority. “I just want to make sure people feel that they understand their impact on the company,” she says. “I couldn’t do this by myself.”
Blount McCormick also empowers her employees. “I’m not a micromanager,” she says. “The people I hire are smart, and I trust the people who work with me. I have a responsibility to them. I’m providing a livelihood by running this company, and I really am proud of that.”
It was that dedication to her employees, and a positive spirit, that kept her going at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was really difficult,” she says. “No one was traveling, but I stayed positive. I knew travel would resume, and I had a commitment to my team and employees.”
IN
AGE: 44
EDUCATION: B.A. in psychology with a minor in Spanish, Spelman College
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Board member, Columbus Chamber of Commerce; trustee, Alvis; committee member, Equitable Small Business Fund with the Columbus Foundation; learning office, YPO Columbus Chapter
Blount McCormick, 44, grew up in Bexley and attended Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women, where she studied psychology and Spanish.
After college, a retail opportunity with Gap Inc. took her to San Francisco, and then to Miami. She left Miami for New York to pursue a role with Edun, the fashion brand founded by U2’s Bono; the job often required her to travel abroad to destinations such as Portugal, Peru and India.
“Being a business traveler, I understand how I want to be treated,” she says. “We have to be responsive, have our technology in place and constantly change.”
In 2006, her father suffered a stroke, and it brought Blount McCormick and her sister, Jacqueline Blount, who is also a part-owner
To stay grounded, Blount McCormick wakes up early (at 5:30 a.m. most days) and enjoys Pilates classes and reading. “That’s my time, just for me, where I don’t have to think of anything else.” She listens to truecrime podcasts like Dateline while she walks.
Many of Uniglobe Travel Designers’ larger corporate clients seek her out because it is a diverse business, she says. “They love that I’m a Black, women-owned company.
“For Black women business owners, there are misconceptions that our businesses are less than or that we can’t compete, or don’t have legit employees or a location,” she says. “Those biases don’t get me down. I just work harder. I deserve to be here.”
Virginia Brown is a freelance writer.
By LAURA NEWPOFF + Photo by TIM JOHNSON
Bo Chilton guides IMPACT Community Action’s work to provide not only housing stability, but also career training and weatherization programs.
IN ROLE SINCE: 2008
AGE: 51
EDUCATION: B.A. in English and master’s of education in secondary teaching, Wright State University; master’s degree in higher education, Ohio State University
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Chair of the Ohio Urban Community Action Network; secretary/treasurer of the Columbus CEO Collective; and board member of the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, the Ohio Community Development Corp. Association, Homeport and the African American Leadership Academy Advisory Board. He’s also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the Merry Makers Club Inc., where he serves as vice chair of the education foundation.
One of the most devastating effects of the pandemic was the economic disruption that caused people to struggle financially, so much so that there was a surge in mass eviction filings. With thousands of people suddenly at risk of losing their homes during the early days of COVID-19, local authorities decided to convert space inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center into an eviction court.
To trigger protection, at-risk renters had to file for assistance with their local Community Action Agency. That’s why Robert “Bo” Chilton and his staff of 150 at IMPACT Community Action headed to the front lines of the crisis to offer help. Armed with money from federal and local governments and private donations, Chilton and his team kept 40,000 families in their homes and distributed $100 million into the local economy between June 2020 and the end of 2022. That’s roughly four times the organization’s projected 2023 operating budget.
“What we ended up with was a tremendous challenge that also turned into a tremendous accomplishment,” says Chilton, who has been CEO of the nonprofit since 2008. “Now as we come back to pre-pandemic levels, we want to continue focusing on building a robust system that increases housing stability for all Central Ohioans.”
IMPACT Community Action traces its roots to 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson’s vision for a “Great Society” ushered in civil rights reform and began the war on poverty. IMPACT is one of 48 agencies of its kind in Ohio and more than 1,100 nationally.
In addition to rent and utility assistance, the nonprofit also offers career training, as well as weatherization and energy-efficiency programs.
As part of a growing list of its climate justice initiatives, IMPACT Community Action has created a new program called Empowered! to provide pathways to good-paying careers in the construction and clean energy sectors for young adults in Central Ohio. The focus is on populations that have been historically underrepresented, including people of color, women and residents of the city’s “opportunity zone” neighborhoods.
The nonprofit also is partnering with American Electric Power Co. Inc. on a new initiative that will provide career-readiness training to boost the number of female electric line workers. After completing that training and a three-year apprenticeship, participants will have access to positions that pay more than $100,000 a year.
Under Chilton’s leadership, IMPACT was one of just four recipients of funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to install solar panels and other energy-saving measures in the city’s American Addition neighborhood. The $2 million grant will help the community’s goal of becoming the first net-zero Black neighborhood in the country.
Meanwhile, the weatherization program—thanks to funding from the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—will double in size starting this summer. The program provides energy-conservation assistance and access to energy-efficient appliances to help lower home energy costs and reduce environmental pollutants.
Maude Hill, senior vice president of community and government relations at affordable housing nonprofit Homeport, is chair of IMPACT’s board of directors. She’s known Chilton since his days as a legislative analyst for Columbus City Council from 2003 to 2007, when he worked for Council Member Charleta Tavares, who oversaw human services.
“That experience for Bo expanded his insight on how to support those most in need, a great background to help him succeed and be empathetic at IMPACT,” Hill says. “Each day he shows his ability as a good steward of funding support.” That included setting up the one-stop shop at the convention center to make help more accessible, she says.
One of Chilton’s guiding philosophies is to be an advocate for low-income residents while also receiving input from them so the relationship is equitable. “Our clients are not just passive recipients, but are active partners,” he says. “We believe in partnership over paternalism. We’re partners in meeting the moment and leading the movement.”
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
By LAURA NEWPOFF + Photo by TIM JOHNSON
IN ROLE SINCE: 2017
AGE: 40
EDUCATION: B.A., Duke University (history with minors in political science and English); M.A. in education policy and leadership, Ohio State University; J.D., OSU Moritz College of Law
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Board member for the Franklin County Rise Together Innovation Center, Rapid 5: Rivers and Parks Imagination Design, and the National Council of the Moritz College of Law. He previously volunteered with the Columbus Commission on Black Girls, the American Constitution Society of Columbus’ Board of Directors, the Advisory Council on Diversity Initiatives for the Ohio State Bar Association, Lower Lights Christian Health Center’s board of directors, and the Downtown YMCA of Central Ohio’s advisory board.
When Michael Corey was hired as executive director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County in 2017, he was charged with overseeing its two distinct missions: to serve as “one voice” for the health and human services sector, and to provide professional services so that nonprofit members could focus their precious resources on serving the community.
Three years and a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic later, his job description suddenly included multiple other roles: chief communications officer, legal and government affairs adviser, advocate for federal funding and COVID vaccines, health news curator, personal protective equipment procurer, logistician and group therapy leader.
“Ninety-five percent of my job became COVID response czar,” Corey says. “Many of our members were allowed to operate in person during the pandemic to serve the elevated needs of the community. My goal was to do everything to keep them safe and informed.”
Today, some of the initiatives Corey implemented in those early days of uncertainty remain a part of the chamber’s offerings to its 165 members, a number that has doubled since 2020.
While advocacy has always been the chamber’s top priority, the professional services component became more important in 2020. When local nonprofits needed high-quality legal, human resources and accounting services, Corey cobbled together generous businesses and individuals who could provide expertise to help members navigate issues like safe workplaces, funding, and layoffs and furloughs.
To help continue these services, Corey announced in early November a dramatic expansion of those offerings thanks to the work of Bhumika Patel, director of membership and community engagement, and two “transformative” gifts.
Support from The Columbus Foundation will fund finance, accounting, fundraising and cybersecurity/information technology services for members. And funding from the city of Columbus will allow the
chamber to provide the most in-demand service—human resources—and hire two full-time staffers to support members in the areas of communications and environmental and energy sustainability. That will bring the Human Service Chamber up to 4.5 employees with a projected 2023 budget of $850,000—more than double its largest previous budget.
“We just want to be as helpful as we can by elevating the quality of the services we’re offering, which will bring significant savings to our members,” Corey says. “This will allow our members to continue to focus on the elevated needs that will continue to exist in our community.”
The Human Service Chamber has been around since 2010, but by the time Corey was hired, it was struggling and membership had dwindled to 48. Board members believed in its mission and sought a leader to bring new life to the organization.
In picking Corey, they chose an attorney who previously worked at Bricker & Eckler and was a regional voter protection director for the Hillary for America campaign, a legal fellow for the Office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a policy analyst at the Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio and a consultant for the Ohio Board of Regents.
Christie Angel, the chamber’s board chair and outgoing president and CEO of the YWCA Columbus, says Corey was the thread that held the sector together during the pandemic. He has many qualities that make him a good leader, she says, and is empathetic, an excellent communicator and values the role members play.
“He has a caring spirit for the members and the work that we do, but also as individuals who are leaders in our teams,” Angel says. “Big picture, he cares deeply about the success of our community and has a deep foundational understanding around the importance of health and human services delivery, the connection to the community and the work that we do. He has that understanding that without us, there is no safety net.”
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
At the Human Service Chamber, Michael Corey helps 165 member nonprofits achieve their goals through advocacy and a newly expanded focus on professional services.
BY VIRGINIA BROWN, JULANNE HOHBACH AND LAURA NEWPOFF
Corrine Burger is managing director and Columbus market leader for JPMorgan Chase & Co., a job she has held since 2015. Burger joined Chase by way of its merger with Bank One, where she started working in 1991. She previously served as a controller in the retail, asset management and corporate treasury divisions, and was a member of the corporate accounting team.
In addition to representing 18,000 Central Ohio employees, Burger, 59, oversees operational risk management in her role as chief control manager.
solar power installation in the country at the JPMorgan Chase McCoy Center at Polaris, which is also notable for being the bank’s largest building worldwide.
Burger’s community involvement includes serving as a board member for the Columbus Partnership, One Columbus and the governing board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She also chairs the board of trustees for Columbus State Community College.
This year, she oversaw the completion of the second-largest corporate
She holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Ohio State University. Burger also was a finalist in the 2021 CEO of the Year awards.
Kirt Walker is the CEO of Nationwide, one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the U.S. Walker joined the company in 1986 as part of Allied Insurance, which Nationwide acquired in 1998. Prior to being named CEO in 2019, he served for 10 years as president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Financial Services and held various other executive roles at Nationwide and Allied.
Today, Walker, 59, oversees the Fortune 100 company’s mission-driven business strategy, customer experience and financial results across Nationwide’s financial services and property and casualty business lines. Under his leadership, the company achieved a record $52.9 million in
sales and premiums in 2021. The same year, he also received the highest associate engagement scores in company history among the company’s 25,000 employees.
An Iowa native, Walker holds a Bachelor of Arts in business management from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in management from the American College of Financial Services.
His community involvement includes serving as incoming co-chair of the Columbus Partnership, chairing the board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, sitting on the boards of the American Red Cross Board of Governors and Catalyst Inc., and co-chairing the 2021 Mid-Ohio Food Collective capital campaign, among other commitments.
Lori Gillett has served as the CEO of Corna Kokosing Construction Co. since 2019 and was named chair of the board in 2022. In addition to providing overall leadership and direction, she oversees growth initiatives and leads community engagement for the 275-employee, familyowned business.
New Albany Co. President and CEO William (Bill) Ebbing, 59, has had a busy year. In September, Intel broke ground on its new semiconductor manufacturing site in the New Albany International Business Park, a project that is expected to create 7,000 construction jobs, 3,000 permanent jobs and $20 billion in investment. It was a major achievement for the region, as well as for Ebbing and other civic leaders who led the local effort to lure the tech giant to Licking County.
As president and CEO of the 12-employee development company, Ebbing oversees the business park as well as the organization’s other holdings. Since he joined the New Albany Co. in 1995, it has led the development of thousands of acres of land in Franklin and Licking counties, including the business park, New Albany’s town center and other projects.
Previously, Ebbing served as vice president of real estate for the Edwards Cos. and as a project architect for NBBJ Design. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in environmental design and architecture from Miami University.
His community involvement includes serving on the board of trustees for Ohio Dominican University, Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, the New Albany Community Foundation and Union Village LLC; he also is a member of New Albany’s economic development committee.
Gillett, 48, joined the company in 1996, the year after Corna DiCesare Construction Co. was purchased by Kokosing Construction Co. and changed its name to Corna Kokosing. Kokosing Construction Co. was started by her grandfather, Bill Burgett, in 1951.
Prior to serving as CEO, Gillett worked her way up the ranks in numerous other posts within the Kokosing organization, including laborer, foreman, project engineer, lead estimator, plant manager, market leader, vice president and president of several business units.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Ohio Northern University, as well as a diploma in culinary arts, baking and restaurant management from Arizona Culinary Institute.
Gillett chairs the advisory board for the Ohio Northern University Smull College of Engineering and serves on the Columbus Partnership, the JobsOhio Board of Directors, the Central Ohio Associated General Contractors board and the Young Presidents Organization. She also is an honorary co-chair of the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Dream Big Initiative to foster interest in STEM careers.
Randy Schoedinger is the CEO of Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service, where he has worked since 1994 and now oversees about 200 employees. The company operates multiple locations in the Columbus area and was founded in 1855.
Though the sixth-generation, familyowned business was sold in late 2021 to Service Corp. International, the country’s largest funeral home operator, the Schoedinger family remains at the helm.
Prior to joining the family business, Schoedinger, 54, worked as a high school basketball coach in Colorado and as a management trainee at Huntington National Bank. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business from the University of Colorado and an Associate of Applied Science in mortuary science at the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He also holds an MBA from Ohio State University. He was named CEO in 2007.
Schoedinger serves on the boards of Columbus Humane and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Past local board roles have included Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio and the Buckeye Ranch Foundation. He has been recognized with awards including the Leadership Columbus Hall of Fame (2010) and as a 2013 runner-up for American Funeral Director of the Year.
As president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League, Stephanie Hightower sets and executes organizational strategy, but also touches all the other facets of the 105-employee nonprofit’s mission.
Hightower, 64, was tapped to join the Urban League as its top executive in 2011. Previously, she held roles as vice president of institutional advancement at the Columbus College of Art & Design, communications/press secretary for the Columbus mayor’s office, director of communications at the Ohio Department of Mental Health and board president at Columbus City Schools.
Under Hightower’s leadership, the Columbus Urban League received a $6.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott this year, repre-
senting one of the largest single gifts in the organization’s 104-year history. The funds will be used to build capacity and stabilize and expand programming, and to retain and develop talent. The donation follows a series of major gifts, including $4 million in unrestricted funds from the late Columbus businesswoman Alexis Jacobs.
Hightower holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Ohio State University, where as a hurdler she set multiple school and Big Ten records as well as a world record and competed on the 1980 Olympic team. Her board service includes the African American Leadership Academy, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and CelebrateOne. She was also a CEO of the Year finalist in 2021 and 2020.
M.In her role as president and CEO of COTA, Joanna M. Pinkerton aims to deliver transportation services that fit changing customer preferences as well as their equity and mobility needs while overseeing the transit system’s 1,067 employees.
Pinkerton, 46, joined the nonprofit in 2018 after serving as chief operating officer at the Transportation Research Center Inc. Previous jobs included senior associate director of the Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research, co-director of the Honda-Ohio State Partnership and Central Ohio regional manager at the Ohio Department of Transportation. Under Pinkerton’s leadership, COTA
launched the first-ever strategic planning process, created a new customer experience center and recruited a chief innovation officer, chief people officer and chief equity officer. It became the first transit agency to win the American Public Transportation Association’s “Outstanding Midsize Transportation System” twice in three years (2018 and 2020).
Pinkerton holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Ohio Northern University and is a licensed professional engineer. She holds board posts at the Transportation Research Center and Intelligent Transportation Society of America. She was also a CEO of the Year finalist in 2021.
President and CEO
Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County
Lark Mallory is responsible for carrying out the Affordable Housing Trust’s overall mission and developing new programs. As president and CEO, she also aims to ensure the nonprofit has a voice in regional conversations to further housing policy and build coalitions with key stakeholders.
Mallory, 53, has been involved with the organization since 2009, when she joined its board. She was hired on in 2016 before assuming her current role in 2021. Previously, she worked as an attorney at several law firms, including as a partner at Frost Brown Todd and an associate at Taft Stettinius & Hollister and Chester Wilcox and Saxbe.
Under her leadership, the nine-employee housing trust has established policies to create equity and launched the Emerging Developers Accelerator program and the AHT Housing Innovation grant program.
Mallory holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a J.D. from Ohio State University and a Master of Laws (tax) degree from the University of Florida College of Law. She serves on the boards of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where she’s co-chair of the community engagement committee, and the RiverSouth Authority.
From your friends and colleagues at The New Albany Company.
Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Bill.Bill Ebbing, President and CEO, The New Albany Company Photo courtesy Shellee Fisher
Janet Chen guides all aspects of ProMusica Chamber Orchestra’s education and outreach programs, oversees business operations and ensures the orchestra upholds its mission.
Chen joined the organization in 2003 as its operations and education manager and was promoted to executive director in 2006 before becoming CEO in 2019. Prior to joining ProMusica, she was the assistant principal flute at the Taipei Symphony Orchestra and worked as a flute instructor at the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer camp.
Under Chen’s leadership, the orchestra hired music director David Danzmayr and brought in world-renowned violinist Vadim Gluzman to the newly created position of creative partner. Chen also has broadened ProMusica’s footprint in the community to reach 20,000 people each season through outreach and educational programming in schools, libraries, retirement communities and human service organizations. Chen doubled the orchestra’s annual operating budget, and its endowment fund has grown to $2 million from $700,000. ProMusica currently has nine administrative staffers and 37 musicians.
Chen holds a master’s degree in flute performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Her board service includes Experience Columbus, Ohio Citizens for the Arts, Columbus Music Commission, International Women’s Forum and the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium.
Besa founder and CEO Matthew Goldstein is working to strengthen civic engagement and the world at large by making it easier for Central Ohio residents and businesses to give back to the community.
Goldstein, 42, launched the nonprofit 10 years ago while he also owned the WOOF! Downtown Pet Care business from 2010 to 2016. Previously, he was the coordinator of market research at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and a consumer insight analyst at Retail Forward Inc.
Under Goldstein’s leadership, Besa has grown to 15 employees and rallied 60,000-plus volunteers, completed more than 10,000 service projects, supported more than 130 nonprofit partners and helped generate $50 million in community impact. Besa’s biggest annual project, Wish, provides holiday gifts to more than 2,000 local seniors in need. It also partners with many of the region’s major companies, including Bath & Body Works and CoverMyMeds.
Goldstein holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Bachelor of Science in business administration, marketing, from Ohio State University. He regularly volunteers at nonprofits himself, including gardening in Bronzeville, serving dinner to families at the Van Buren Shelter or delivering holiday gifts to senior citizens.
Jane Scott has served as president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club since 2003, but in May 2023, she’ll be turning the microphone over to a new leader. Scott, 69, announced in September she would step down from the nonprofit, which aims to engage the Central Ohio community in important conversations through weekly public forums and other events.
Scott came to CMC with a diverse background, having served as head of public relations for architectural cooperative Landmark Inc. and as an event management consultant for Vintage Communication LLC. She also co-owned Wyandotte Winery from 1984 to 2006 and created Wm. Graystone Winery in the Brewery District in 1990.
Under her leadership, CMC’s annual budget has increased from $300,000 to more than $1.2 million. Annual sponsorship revenue rose from $82,000 to more than $800,000. Membership grew from 600 to nearly 1,400. And weekly forum attendance has increased from an average of 110 to 550 guests who attend in-person or virtually—the latter made possible when the organization had to switch to livestreaming during the early stages of the pandemic.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics and journalism and a Master of Science in agricultural economics and communication from Ohio State University. She has a long history of community involvement and currently serves on the board of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation. She was previously a CEO of the Year finalist in 2018.
The need for more affordable housing in Central Ohio is becoming a business issue, according to a survey of executives who say addressing the problem is the No. 1 thing that could be done to improve the region’s business climate.
Larger business incentives, public transportation improvements, education and tax reform also were frequently mentioned as top issues in Columbus CEO’s 12th annual survey on economic conditions in the region. The survey is conducted in conjunction with the magazine’s CEO of the Year awards program.
“Affordable housing has really ratcheted up in importance,” says economist Bill LaFayette, owner of local economic consulting firm Regionomics, who completed the analysis of the survey for CEO. “It’s certainly something the community is worried about.”
Of the C-suite executives in companies, nonprofits and government agencies who were surveyed, 38 percent identified addressing affordable housing as the one thing that could be done to improve the regional economy, up from 23 percent in the prior year’s survey.
Increasing business incentives was favored by 22 percent of respondents, up from 17 percent a year ago, and 17 percent chose improving public transportation, compared with 9 percent in last year’s survey.
Regional political, business and nonprofit leaders have stepped up efforts to take on a housing market that is becoming too expensive for many. In November, voters approved Columbus’ $200 million bond package for affordable housing that Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and other city officials say will provide funding for homes for lower-income residents.
“At least it’s getting attention now,” LaFayette says. “I think [the
fact that] we’re paying attention is a really good thing.”
An affordable cost of living is one reason why the region makes an attractive business location, according to the survey. A collaborative culture, an educated workforce, a welcoming community, a family-friendly environment and quality health care help, as well.
Housing prices have continued to climb even as home sales have gone down in recent months. The median price in October was $284,945, up 9 percent from a year ago.
The Intel project in Licking County is expected to put even more pressure on housing prices. The Silicon Valley semiconductor company is investing $20 billion to build two factories in the New Albany International Business Park that will employ 3,000 people and draw thousands of construction workers and others who will be needed by Intel suppliers.
LaFayette says the result may be that people search out other cities in the region where housing costs are cheaper and there’s more availability.
Executives who responded to the survey see advantages and disadvantages to the Intel project. The advantages are more job opportunities, increased economic activity and prosperity, and improvement in the quality of the region’s workforce, according to those surveyed. Beyond housing, the project may put strains on infra-
structure and services, and worsen an already tight labor force.
The survey showed the top challenge facing business continues to be the availability of labor, followed by the current cloudy economic climate where rising interest rates are threatening to push the economy into a recession. Since the economy bounced back to life after being shut down during the early days of COVID-19, businesses have complained about how tough it is to find employees. The region and the state show more job openings than unemployed workers.
Business leaders say they are generally satisfied with the quality of the region’s workforce, with only a quarter rating the quality low.
Inflation came up as a new economic concern on this year’s survey, with three-quarters of respondents believing inflation will get worse in 2023, even as recent data shows inflation starting to ease. “So much of inflation is from supply chain bottlenecks,” LaFayette says. “You shut down the economy for three months [because of the pandemic], it came roaring back when it opened. Of course, there are going to be bottlenecks.”
The survey shows nearly half of those responding expect revenue to increase in the coming year. Meanwhile, 79 percent expect costs to increase at least 5 percent, and a third expect an increase in profit. Revenue and profit expectations are significantly weaker than last year, when 70 percent of respondents expected to grow revenue and 52 percent foresaw higher profits.
The pandemic also has created a big change in where employees work. More than 40 percent of organizations in the sample analyzed by LaFayette provide the ability to work at home at least part time, with 17 percent keeping many or all employees remote full time.
Executives who took our survey of economic conditions weighed in on how to improve the local economy and offered their outlook for 2023.Bill LaFayette FILE/Courtesy George Anderson By BILL LAFAYETTE
INCREASE MORE THAN 10%
For 2023, 53 percent of organizational leaders expect to increase their staffing levels, not significantly less than last year’s 58 percent. Partly reflective of wage pressures and the ongoing competition for talent, 78 percent expect higher payrolls in 2023, equal to last year.
INCREASE MORE THAN 10%
INCREASE 5–10%
12%
29%
32%
9%
INCREASE 5–10% INCREASE LESS THAN 5% STAY THE SAME DECREASE LESS THAN 5% DECREASE 5–10% DECREASE MORE THAN 10% 2%
12% NO OPINION 2%
LESS THAN 5%
THE SAME
LESS THAN 5%
2% 2%
5–10%
MORE THAN 10%
To a much greater extent than in previous years, price instability complicates expectations for revenues, expenses and profits. Increases can be driven by rising prices and costs rather than economic growth. Even aside from inflation, these forecasts are less optimistic than last year’s. In the context of inflation, this indicates considerably less optimism about business prospects in 2023. The 42 percent of respondents expecting at least a 5 percent increase in costs is less than last year’s results, but not significantly so. Only one-third expect an increase in profits, significantly less than last year’s 52 percent.
THAN
Join Columbus CEO as we celebrate the 2022 CEO of the Year winners and finalists in the categories of small nonprofit, small business, large nonprofit and large business.
The event features the results from our annual survey of economic conditions presented by Bill LaFayette of Regionomics. He will also moderate the CEO of the Year leadership panel forecasting the Columbus business climate as we kick off 2023.
Taxes matter, and they’re not always obvious. We all understand taxes when it applies to incomes, but also having a tax-efficient portfolio is vital. We seek to help clients limit year-end capital gain distributions from mutual funds, something common for mutual funds even in years where fund values drop. Imagine losing value in an investment and having to pay Uncle Sam on top of it! Avoidance of owning mutual funds that generate these taxable distributions, combined with periodic tax-loss harvesting, is one way a good advisor uses market volatility—as we experienced this year—to their clients’ favor.
Advisor asset-based fees erode your wealth (and are unfair). Is an advisor really looking out for your best interests if their compensation is tied strictly to the value of your portfolio? Take it a step further, and you find out advisors get paid more as you save more and when the market appreciates, which it generally does over time. The bigger your portfolio, the more cash advisors collect, usually without having to do more work to earn it.
Not only does this reek of a commission—or, dare I say, another tax on your savings—it also in no way reflects a professional fee. Name one other professional service where you spend thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars based on a percentage and not stated in dollars? Advisor fees matter and should be
based on the time, resources, and value provided. This is why we charge our clients a flat dollar fee for the work we do.
Don’t forget the product fees you’re paying. Though often overlooked, these are just as important. Most advisors use actively managed mutual funds that cost far more than broadbased index funds or ETFs. These actively managed funds rarely beat their respective benchmarks over long periods, and their trading activity create the aforementioned year-end taxable capital gain distributions. Annuities, long touted as tax-efficient, not only convert capital gains to higher
income tax rates, but these products are often grossly expensive. Paying an advisor a percentage-based fee, adding a second layer of expensive product fees, only to generate more tax for you to pay creates an approach almost impossible for you to come out ahead.
Of importance, it should be noted a fee and tax savings is important this year, but the compound effect over many years is where your wealth can be dramatically enhanced. As we turn to 2023, maybe it’s time to understand how this might affect you personally.
At PDS, our focus is on the best interest of our clients. In constant consideration of after-tax outcomes, we invest in low-cost, tax-efficient index funds and ETFs that limit taxes and expenses. We understand circumstances for our clients are constantly evolving, allowing us to use our financial modeling to help them make long-term decisions. And most importantly, it’s why we are one of the only flat-fee firms you will find, charging clients a fair fee stated in dollars and not based on the value of their investment portfolio.
Jamie Menges CFP®, CPA, Shareholder
PDS Planning, Inc. 475 Metro Pl. S, Suite 460 Dublin, OH 43017 614-481-8449 pdsplanning.com
There are many keys to investing successfully, but the following three are easy to implement in 2023.
Local CEOs discuss the value of creative problem-solving and design thinking in the workplace.
Thanks to Columbus College of Art & Design’s expansive and diverse educational offerings, its graduates bring strong skill sets to a wide variety of industries. In Central Ohio, CCAD alumni are shaping sectors like finance, health care, retail, technology and more, while also impacting traditional creative and design industries. Columbus CEO spoke to four local CEOs whose companies have a long history of hiring CCAD graduates—Fran Horowitz of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Jonathan Moody of Moody Nolan, Steve Steinour of Huntington Bancshares Inc. and Kirt Walker of Nationwide—about why CCAD alumni stand out and the importance of design thinking in the workplace.
Can you talk about your organization’s relationship with CCAD, both in terms of hiring and other community partnerships you’ve collaborated on?
Kir t Walker: Nationwide has enjoyed a long relationship with CCAD, its students and faculty. We currently have 33 CCAD graduates working at Nationwide, and we’ve also benefited from many CCAD students serving as interns over the
years. Several Nationwide leaders are currently adjunct faculty or mentors for students at the school. We appreciate that CCAD intentionally has a large number of adjunct faculty on staff to keep the education their students receive current. This reduces onboarding and training time for the companies who hire CCAD grads. You know they’re ready to go and will hit the ground running.
Jonathan Moody: We have a number of CCAD grads that are active in the firm, in three or four different studios. We look to CCAD pretty often when it comes to certain skill sets—design,
communications, graphics, technology—that we’re looking for. I think in various forms, we’ve been a thoughtful partner with CCAD, both from a project [standpoint] but also [with] things that we want to see happen in the Columbus community that we know we need to collaborate on.
What do CCAD grads bring to your organization?
Steve Steinour: They’re just incredibly valuable to us to create a very user-friendly set of products and capabilities. Huntington has the No. 1 mobile app [in customer satisfaction
62 E. Broad St., P.O. Box 1289, Columbus, Ohio 43216 614-540-8900
PROJECT MANAGER Emma Frankart Henterly DESIGN DIRECTOR Betsy Becker CONTRIBUTOR Brittany MoseleyAll photos are courtesy Columbus College of Art & Design.
CCAD: Here for Creative Collaboration is published by Gannett. All contents of this magazine a re copyrighted © 2023, all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.
challenging business norms is essential. We want to push boundaries and be trend-setters as we discover what’s new and next for our global customers.
Walker: We live in a world where digital solutions are a critical aspect of our lives, and this was accelerated by the pandemic. Design thinking is more critical today as digital experiences become more complex. Thanks to innovations in technology, people are accustomed to having simple solutions right in the palm of their hands, but they also expect their data and information to remain safe. Striking that balance requires creative solutions, and teams across Nationwide are using design thinking and creative problem-solving to deliver on those expectations.
Moody: Pretty much from here on out, we’re going to be in a flexible, constantly adapting world. And because of that, the idea of limiting [ourselves] to a certain system [of] thinking, well, what if it shifts? What if it evolves? How do you process or think about [an idea] in a way that is unique? Thinking of it like a design problem is one of the things that we don’t see going away. If anything, it’s going to become more commonplace.
How are CCAD grads positively influencing your organization’s work?
for a regional bank] by J.D. Power [four] years in a row. No. 1 in the country. We couldn’t have done that without these CCAD students.
Moody: I think one of the skill sets is a certain level of design thinking that is crucial. If you think about an organization that’s trying to tell their story, the ability to leverage different skill sets to gain consistency from a storytelling standpoint … [and] adapt to whatever medium is necessary to consistently deliver a message or tell a story is one of those [skill sets].
Why are creative problem-solving and design thinking important to the future of work?
Fran Horowitz: Especially in recent
years, we have learned just how important it is to quickly listen to customers’ wants and needs by adjusting to industry shifts and trends. If we fail to pivot and modify our strategies, we can assume the future of our work, and ultimately, our business, will struggle. That’s why creative problem-solving and
Horowitz: In addition to their creative contributions, it’s been exciting to see our CCAD alum[s] contributing positively to fostering an inclusive culture, including active participation in our associate resource groups, which bring our associates together and allow them to connect on topics they are passionate about.
Walker: There’s been a huge shift in the design practice over the last several years. Design is no longer just about your own perspective as a designer, but also includes thinking about who you design for, what they need, and offering something new. Design has gone beyond the technical aspects to include designing solutions, products, even teams and businesses. CCAD graduates are among the first to lead these efforts at Nationwide because of their broad-based problem-solving skills and adaptable mindset.
A new equity design institute aims to tackle social and economic challenges.
Columbus College of Art & Design, in collaboration with Zora’s House and The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, plans to embed designing for equity into the core of the Columbus community’s economic development efforts with the launch of an equity design institute for women of color.
The institute’s mission is to shift power dynamics, so that the expertise, perspective and lived experiences of women of color lead the development and implementation of innovative solutions to some of the community’s most challenging disparities. Put simply: The people most affected by community issues will be at the table when designing solutions to those issues. The institute will bring together cohorts of women to learn equity-centered design thinking techniques, which they will use to generate solutions to problems such as caretaking as a wealth decelerator for women of color. This equity-centered design thinking instruction will be led by CCAD.
“We have designed systems that benefit some people and don’t benefit others, and those systems can be redesigned,” says Jennifer Schlueter, CCAD’s associate provost and dean of academics. “That really is what equity-centered design thinking is about. The approach gives folks the ability to look at a problem globally and know that there are ways to intervene. These kinds of cumulative efforts are one way that we can actually get our arms around the problems themselves.”
By addressing social and economic disparities that women of color face, the institute’s cohorts will be better equipped to positively influence community development in Columbus. It will also create more economic opportunities for women of color and, in turn, help them affect change in those around them.
“[Tackling inequity] is not a ‘one and done’ type of work,” says Lara Alsoudani Weeks, partner and art director at the design studio FRINGE22. “It’s a lifetime of work that people have to invest in as individuals to be able to affect the businesses that they are participating in.” Alsoudani Weeks is a CCAD alum and an adjunct professor; she will teach equity-centered design thinking at the institute.
Schlueter says the idea for the institute came from LC Johnson, founder
and CEO of Zora’s House, the nonprofit coworking and community space for women and gender-expansive people of color, and Kelley Griesmer, president and CEO of The Women’s Fund. The institute, funded by a $1.5 million systems-change investment from JPMorgan Chase and headquartered at Zora’s House, will welcome its first cohort in 2023. CCAD, in collaboration with the women of color themselves, will shape the design-thinking classes and curriculum; eventually, the college will also create a standalone certificate in equity-centered design thinking, available to Central Ohio organizations and the public.
“When we think of equity-centered design and human-centered design, we’re talking about everyone,” Alsoudani Weeks says. “This equity institute [will] allow women of color to understand the process so they can apply it to themselves first, which will then trickle down and affect the community—economically, mentally, spiritually, in all ways that we can think of.”
Since 2019, students at Columbus College of Art & Design have contributed 81,000 hours of creative work to the Central Ohio economy through collaborations with more than 80 companies, including Cardinal Health, Huntington Bank, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and SocialVentures.
Nicole Monahan is the director of corporate and community partnerships at CCAD. She says these collaborations are beneficial to the students as well as the companies.
“Our partners are really excited by how unfettered the students are. They haven’t been steeped in the industry for years, so they can solve problems from new perspectives,” Monahan says. “When company representatives come into the classroom, they learn alongside the students about different methods, like design thinking or co-creation, which they may not have had previous exposure to. Many find the experience invigorating for their teams.”
CCAD students collaborate with local and national companies, as well as nonprofits, and the impact of their projects has influenced both culture and commerce in Central Ohio. In recent years, students partnered with the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) to design new staff uniforms; worked with 99P
Labs, backed by Honda and The Ohio State University, to prototype an autonomous shared mobility vehicle; created holiday window displays for Easton Town Center; and designed Pelotonia merchandise.
Most recently, 18 students from CCAD’s Illustration, Animation, Game Art & Design, and Comics & Narrative Practice programs collaborated with the Mid-Atlantic Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact (MAIFFPC) and USDA Forest Service to conceptualize, design and launch Smokey’s Scouts, a mobile game designed to increase fire safety awareness and wildfire prevention.
“We need to bring new energy and creativity to wildfire prevention, and the students at CCAD really delivered through Smokey’s Scouts,” says Aaron Kloss, Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program Coordinator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry and MAIFFPC Ohio representative.
“Within these projects, creative collaboration is about helping students understand how cross-functional teams work, how to draw out the capabilities of each team member, and how creativity doesn’t come with a title,” Monahan adds. “For CCAD, creative collaboration is a hallmark of
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how we work together not only within the college, but with corporate and community partners.”
Creative collaboration is paramount to CCAD’s core values. Symbiotic partnerships with outside organizations allow students to experience collaboration both in and out of the classroom and add real-world experience to their resumes; in turn, they infuse the Columbus community with their creative talent, and partner organizations reap the benefit of CCAD’s expertise.
These partnerships have also fostered a healthy talent stream in Central Ohio. “It really does create these hiring pathways for creatives and helps companies cultivate pipelines for a diverse and talented workforce,” Monahan says.
Companies and organizations that are interested in becoming a CCAD learning partner should visit ccad.edu/ partnerships for more information or to submit a project request.
CCAD students provide creative solutions to health care challenges.
In 2018, Joel Colyer put in a call to Columbus College of Art & Design. In his role as the global portfolio director at Cardinal Health, Colyer oversees the purchasing of surgical gowns, drapes and fluid management products. Colyer says he reached out to CCAD because although surgical gowns are medical devices, they’re also pieces of apparel, and he wanted a designer’s viewpoint on garment improvements.
“CCAD has a great reputation for apparel design, among other things,” he explains, “so I thought it’d be interesting to see if we could get an external viewpoint … to try to then make [surgical gowns] more comfortable, more flexible—things that people would be more willing to wear.”
Nine CCAD students participated in the project, which ran throughout the fall 2018 semester. Colyer says, typically, as gowns become more protective, they also become less comfortable. Students studied the design, cut and fabric of surgical gowns and found ways to incorporate new materials that would provide better ventilation. At the end of the class, they presented their designs to the surgical gowns marketing team at Cardinal Health.
Colyer says the goal of the collaboration isn’t for him to lead students to solve a problem with one solution, but rather for them to utilize their creativity and experience to craft ideas that can improve a product’s performance.
“The value that I [got] out of the engagement the most [was] their external perspective, both as design students but then also as nonmedi -
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Top, Joel Colyer from Cardinal Health shares his insights with surgical first assist Kathy Volpe and CCAD students Jessie Andrade and Autumn Dang (both Master Of Design in Innovative Design Strategies, 2020) during a design thinking workshop to reimagine interpersonal communication in the surgical operating room.
by Stephanie Wott
Bottom, a young recipient tests a 3D-printed prosthetic prototype designed by a team of students from CCAD and other area schools during the Form5 Prosthetics 2020 CO-FAB workshop.
Photo by John Youger
cal people,” he says. “A big one to me is diversity of thought, so that’s one reason I [wanted] to leverage them–to see how they look at our problems and what kind of solutions they [could come] in with,” he says.
This project is just one example of CCAD students using their design skills to shape the health care industry;
other collaborations can focus more on individual solutions.
Several CCAD students participate annually in CO-FAB, a multiweek workshop hosted by the nonprofit Form5 Prosthetics. Teams are made up of students from different schools and disciplines—including industrial design, biomedical and mechanical engineering, athletic training, and physical a nd occupational therapy—along with industry professionals. Each team is paired with an individual with a limb difference or differences; after discussing the individual’s mobility issue, they work together to build a prosthetic or a device to assist the individual.
“For the students, it’s all about interacting with this person, hearing their story, gaining an understanding of what’s going on, building empathy and looking thoughtfully for solutions to support the individual,” says John Youger, assistant professor of industrial design at CCAD. “As designers, we strive to improve people’s lives, and when it’s so personal, it’s hard not to feel that.”
As health care continues to evolve, CCAD students are uniquely qualified to not only excel in the industry, but to help it evolve. “If you’re in health care and you’re wondering, ‘Why look to CCAD?’ when it comes to solving challenges,” says Youger, “the answer is, ‘Because you’re looking for somebody who looks at your problems in a different way.’”
As the service economy demands a more skilled workforce, employers are searching for individuals who understand human interaction and can push problem-solving past the user interface—how a user interacts with a product, typically through an app or website—to improve the overall user experience (UX) and create design solutions that extend beyond digital platforms. Columbus College of Art & Design is answering that call by expanding its curriculum to train students to use the powers of creativity, human understanding and visual design to engineer new or improved services.
Before coming to CCAD, alum Bona Park didn’t know a lot about UX design. But after taking the course “UX Strategy Interaction” with adjunct professor Tim Frank, the advertising and graphic design major was hooked. The class’s first project was redesigning the mobile app for Bird, the electric scooter and bike company.
“When I first started that project, it was really fascinating, because the [design process] itself was very data-driven. Graphic design is more about the outcome and how it looks for the viewer.
But UX design requires a lot of testing, like usability testing, and a lot of ideating and problem-solving,” says Park. “And that’s where I was very interested. It was fun to solve problems for the user and then incorporate that into my design.”
Jordan Bell, assistant director of career services at CCAD, says the college is seeing an increased number of requests from companies seeking UX design talent—and Park’s experience is common among students. Because UX design isn’t taught at the high school level, it’s not a subject most students are familiar with before enrolling. “I like when students do an internship in UX design,” he says. “They come back to campus, present their experience to their peers, and I see all the light bulbs going off among other students like, ‘Wow, this is really cool, and I now want to explore UX.’”
Bell says user interface design has always been part of the CCAD curriculum, but the college is now expanding that curriculum to include humancentered UX design as the demand for talent increases across industries. It’s part of the reason Tamara Peyton was brought on as an associate professor in August. Peyton worked in UX design for
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11 years—“before we even called it that,” she says—and is now developing a new Master of Professional Studies program in user experience design.
“Our curriculum will be co-created by leading industry experts and offer realworld experiences, network connections and mentorship. We’re teaching in-demand skills that you can apply and use in a business setting,” Peyton says. “What employers are looking for is people who are better at working in collaborative teams and who understand that creativity isn’t just about art; it’s also about problem-solving.”
The Master of Professional Studies program in user experience design will begin accepting students in fall 2023.
“Expanding CCAD’s presence in this space—working with people from Columbus and Ohio in general, to ensure that our curriculum meets the need for UX talent—creates new areas for CCAD graduates to really make a difference,” Peyton says.
Throughout Central Ohio, Columbus College of Art & Design alumni are making the world a more interesting place to live, work and play. Below are just a few examples of CCAD graduates who are shaping Columbus in surprising ways.
“At CCAD, I learned time management skills, and that there is more than one way of doing everything–so be open! CCAD grads are everywhere, and we are applying creative problem-solving to your daily life.”
Jen Bur ton, owner/partner, Seventh Son Brewing Co (Fine Arts, 2000)
“Creative problem-solving has been the most beneficial skill I learned at CCAD. The feedback provided by my instructors and peers helped me view my work more objectively. It taught me the value of learning through the act of creating, and the importance of evolving my ideas along the way. Through that process, the end result was so much greater than my preconceived idea. Now, I view dialogue and feedback as essential to project management, whether you’re making business decisions or creating a piece of art.”
Lauren Conrath, director of operations, 400 Square (Fine Arts, 2004)
“While drawing was my major area of study, my main takeaway from my time at CCAD was just learning to be critical with my mind. CCAD pushed me to think about what makes something work (or not) and why. Those of us who are motivated by our strong sensitivity to our senses can learn to shape someone else’s experience through aesthetic properties. Understanding what influence color, light, pattern and textiles have in a space is just as important as the space’s functionality or flow. Employers should know that creativity could mean everything for their business. One CCAD graduate could change the way we see the city by creating long-lasting, strong brands.”
Bobby Silver, co-owner, Yellow Brick Pizza (Fine Arts, 1999)
“I was drawn to CCAD because I loved the idea of being a creative in a thriving city like Columbus. CCAD attracts passionate creatives and prepares them to tackle creative challenges without getting discouraged. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for time spent with caring and dedicated professors there. My time at CCAD prepared me to be ready to think on my feet and think creatively about problems and solutions, which has been an invaluable skill while running a business.”
Emily Kellett, co-owner, STUMP (Industrial Design, 2016)
“CCAD prepared me to put in the extra thought, time and effort toward all projects—not just the ones that I knew how to do well or felt comfortable with the medium. In co-founding STUMP with Emily, we had a very limited understanding of what we were getting ourselves into. Business is difficult; growing and maintaining a team is very difficult. Being able to confront learning new skills as a positive and exciting challenge is similar to what I learned to do at CCAD.”
Brian Kellett, co-owner, STUMP (Media Studies StillBased, 2007)
“During my time at CCAD, I learned the importance of self-responsibility and having a strong work ethic. CCAD’s critique process really set me up well to take constructive criticism, which is important for continual improvement in any career. I also learned the value of creative problemsolving, and how it needs to be applied in all areas of business. Someone with a BFA doesn’t need to find an art-focused career. Those skills go way beyond art and design.”
Joel Limes, co-founder and chief brand officer, COhatch (Industrial Design, 1994)
Some do so in small ways, perhaps donating to a favorite nonprofit or volunteering at the local food pantry. Others tap their passions by serving on boards or starting their own nonprofit. Many more contribute in ways large and small, seen and unseen. They all make a difference.
Columbus CEO’s Future 50 program recognizes business leaders who have bold goals and are committed to helping the region grow and thrive through the program’s core values of achievement, altruism, boldness, creativity and inclusivity. They are committed to effecting change on issues of diversity, access, workforce, education and more.
Thus far, three 50-member classes have joined the Future 50. This year, with a solid foundation of alumni already in place, we scaled back the class to five new members, who were chosen based on career and community achievements and their ideas to help move Columbus forward. Nominations were reviewed by past Future 50 honorees and our editorial staff.
We’re proud to introduce our Future 50 class of 2023—a group of big thinkers, all. From a philanthropy specialist at a Fortune 1000 company to a physician who works with students to a chamber of commerce executive, they have varied backgrounds but a common interest in giving back.
Members of the Future 50 undertake a group project to tackle a specific community issue. Catch up on what the class of 2022 is up to on Page 52. And stay tuned to see what this year’s honorees achieve.
Central Ohio is full of people who care about this community and want to give back.
ABOUT: Katie Cramer joined Big Lots after graduating from Miami University in 2018. In her current role, she leads the company’s philanthropic outreach and manages the Big Lots Foundation, which distributes $4 million annually to support organizations addressing hunger, housing, health care and education. She also works on the Exclaim Grant Program, which has granted nearly $2.5 million to 500 nonprofits around the country, and coordinates associate participation in numerous volunteer programs.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: She is a graduate of United Way’s Project Diversity Pride Leadership program; secretary of SocialVentures and chair of its development and nominating committee; and leads Team Big Lots for Pelotonia, for which she is a six-year rider and has raised more than $13,000. Cramer also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio.
“In order for Columbus to thrive, we must strengthen the sector, organizations and cultural spaces that support New Americans during their time of transition and beyond. But if we aspire to be an authentically inclusive city for all, it is imperative that we look beyond formal structures to influence the hearts and minds of those
who already call Columbus home. We must increase the cultural awareness of our current Central Ohio residents so we can each do our part to bridge the gaps for New Americans within the systems and networks we influence. I believe this can be accomplished through education and awareness.”
CRAMER’S IDEA: “In order to address the need for deeper engagement and connectiveness between the refugee/ immigrant population and the greater Columbus community, the Future 50 could pilot a community navigator
program to build relationships with New Americans and support them as they begin life in Columbus. The Future 50 could identify nonprofits to partner with in this endeavor (potentially Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services and CRIS), and those organizations could facilitate a training for our group so we had a stronger understanding of the populations we would be working with, the challenges they face, and the services that exist that might be helpful for them. Then, each member of the Future 50 would be partnered with a New American family as a community navigator.”
Emergency medicine attending physician, Mid-Ohio Emergency Services/ OhioHealth
ABOUT: Laura Espy-Bell, M.D., MHA, FACEP, has spent the past eight years as an emergency medicine attending physician for Mid-Ohio Emergency Services/ OhioHealth. She also is associate medical director of OhioHealth emergency departments in Reynoldsburg and Obetz; clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine; and medical director of community partnerships at Grant Medical Center, and she also serves on the OhioHealth Physician Diversity Steering Committee.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Espy-Bell is the founder of the Columbus Black Physician’s Network, a social/service organization created to promote networking, mentorship and volunteerism among Black physicians. She has been a national representative for the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians and volunteers in Columbus City Schools. Espy-Bell is the founder of the “Made for Medicine” program, a collaboration with the Columbus Medical Association that aims to encourage students of color to pursue a career in medicine. She also serves as the treasurer elect of the Columbus Medical Association.
“In order to thrive, we should continue to honor our diversity and intentionally act on inclusion. Our various differences are what makes us strong; it is our superpower. As it relates to medicine, I am personally doing my part to improve the percentage of physicians of color in our community so that our medical providers can truly be reflective of the community that we serve—ultimately addressing health disparities and improving access to care. Our strength is centered on having various perspectives, diversity of thought, backgrounds, and experiences at the table so that we can make decisions about our city that [are] reflective of all of us. Can you imagine how much we could thrive if we were intentional about this in all of our industries and organizations? It is our superpower. As a result, we will include the voice of all of our Columbus residents, ultimately driving change and providing input on the direction in which our great city is going as it relates to urban develop-
ment, rebuilding, and growth—all the while keeping equity at the center.”
ESPY-BELL’S IDEA: “The Future 50 members could establish a project with a ‘unified theme’ that we could all implement in our various careers, organizations and circles. We would work together to create a toolkit that would serve as our guide to make sure that we were all working toward a collective goal. We could create a theme such as ‘Wellness and Resiliency’ or ‘Celebrating our Differences,’ as examples. We would all serve as ambassadors of the initiative and implement the project/toolkit in our various organizations—therefore expanding our reach as accountable executives. As leaders in Columbus, our specified project/ initiative would stretch and reach many careers, organizations and communities, allowing us to have diversity in our impact and create change among all people. … If the Future 50 class members had a toolkit to lead in this space, imagine the impact we could make in our community.”
ABOUT: Kesha Garrett is a Columbus native who grew up on the city’s East Side. She is a community advocate with more than a decade of civic leadership. As Besa’s first chief operating officer, she helped the nonprofit double its size in just over a year, from a budget of $1 million to $2 million and from seven to 15 employees. She previously worked as development manager for Orange Barrel Media, integration manager at The Columbus Partnership and chief of staff at Columbus Urban League.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Garrett began volunteering with her family while growing up in Mount Vernon Plaza. At Besa, the nonprofit had 8,000 corporate and individual volunteers donate 16,600 hours on 1,400 service projects in the past year, impacting thousands of people in the community. She also volunteers with organizations such as Star House, Broad Street Food Pantry, MidOhio Food Collective, Franklinton Farms, Columbus Early Learning Centers and others. She is a graduate of the African American Leadership Academy.
“To thrive, Columbus needs diverse and innovative leadership. Many of our large corporations create strategic succession plans. In these cases, existing leadership is
intentional about setting up the next leader for success. This should happen in every industry. There should be a leader being groomed at every level of every business to assume a leadership role should the position become available. Instead of waiting for the current leader to resign, start now. Create a pathway to leadership.”
GARRETT’S IDEA: “We could select 50 nonprofits or agree that each of us will
volunteer 50 hours over one year at local nonprofits, giving of our time and talent. It is easy to write a check, but spending time in our community, civically engaged, is not just about volunteering—it’s also about understanding and learning. What does change look like? Where have we fallen short in supporting all of our neighbors? Where can we leverage our networks and connection to drive equitable change?”
ABOUT: Mackenzie King has worked in New York City, Cleveland and Columbus, consulting with Fortune 500 brands at agencies including Capgemini Invent, Pillar Technology, Lextant and What If Innovation. During a two-year role with the Columbus Partnership and Smart Columbus, King served as director of innovation, focusing on digital inclusion, sustainability and mobility. She also worked with MindMarket at the Columbus College of Art & Design.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: King co-founded Can’t Stop Columbus, a volunteer group that united tech, design and business professionals to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has served as a leader with VaccinateOH, Art Walks App, Shop Small Collective, Gravity Uplifts Mural Art Cubes and Cbus Arts Hub. She also served as an adviser and volunteer with Open Columbus and has been involved with a variety of other efforts and causes, including the Smart City Hackathon, Community Information Exchange Columbus, Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition and other city, school and arts programs.
WHAT DOES COLUMBUS NEED TO THRIVE? “As the pandemic has demonstrated, remote work opportunities have extended access to jobs across the world
from a hub like Columbus, Ohio, that can deliver a more reasonable cost of living than cities like New York City and San Francisco, while still providing a vibrant arts scene, incredible cultural institutions, good schools and a community eager to drive innovation, equity and hospitality. People working for the leading tech giant can now work remotely and are looking for special places to call home. As a region, we will continue to experience noteworthy population growth and urban development. Access to careers in highgrowth industries will be critical as we not [only] aim to attract and retain talent, but also provide career pathways to those that may feel stuck in lower income jobs. … The thing that remains consistent is our city needs to prepare its workforce for these careers that celebrate skills in innovation, technology and creativity. We must increase access to related upskilling and reskilling opportunities, while increasing efforts to retain the talent of our local universities and attract talent from elsewhere.”
KING’S IDEA: “ARtsway—expand the program that engages teens in the design of augmented reality murals in their neighborhoods. The team would fundraise to help run it during the school spring semester in addition to the summer, growing the program from 48 students to … an eight-student brigade at 12 schools. Take learnings from Publicolor and Groundswell in NYC and ArtsWay in Cincinnati. Art Walks—extend the public art app to include an earned revenue stream (i.e. receive an ad from a doughnut shop via geolocation as you pass it), driving more sustainable operations for the app. … [Create] a series of STEAM with Teens Road Show—invite top-performing teens from under-resourced schools to join a field trip program to corporate headquarters across Columbus. They would be invited to attend a pre-field trip workshop to learn about a company, then visit the company and have a virtual coffee/snack with an employee of the company after their visit. The goal would be to leverage the initial momentum of the STEAM Incubator for Teen Summer Programs into a post-program deep dive.”
ABOUT: Janet Tressler-Davis works on various facets of business recruitment and member service in her role as president and CEO of the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, a post she has held since 1992. She participates in economic development, redevelopment and retention efforts in partnership with local government and school leaders, as well as the county, state and One Columbus. She also is involved with Taste of Westerville, Leadership Today and the Westerville Partnership, which focuses on workforce and development strategy. Outside of the chamber, Tressler-Davis teaches group fitness classes.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: She is a board member of Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ohio (also past president), Central Ohio Chamber Executives (also president), Better Business Bureau Scholarship Selection Committee, Westerville City Schools Business Advisory Council, City Industry & Commerce Commission, Westerville Symphony Advisory Council, the Lakes Golf & Country Club Board of Directors, Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance Group Health Insurance Board and Leadership Westerville Board. She previously served on the boards of Concord Counseling, Westerville Public Library Foundation and the Otterbein Alumni Board.
WHAT DOES COLUMBUS NEED TO THRIVE?
“Our focus for Columbus to continue to thrive should be working collaboratively to build the workforce infrastructure working toward reducing the housing shortage and continue investing in the expansion of our mobility options, including bikeways, sidewalks, waterways and mass transit to connect people to jobs. Acknowledging barriers that prevent residents in fulfilling their career aspirations need to be addressed. These include and are not limited to the cost and availability of child care, food insecurities and access to specific job skills training. We need to continue finding ways to bring educators from our public schools, career centers, technical schools, and public and private universities to the table with business leaders to identify the skills needed for the jobs in the near future. Building curriculum and career paths that prepare students and adults for the needed job skills will help us ramp up to meet the needs from Intel, Starlab project and related suppliers and ancillary companies, as well as expanding and new businesses yet to be announced. These collaborative efforts need to be ongoing because business needs change, entrepreneurs continue to develop, and with these advances, skills needed to accomplish the work will continue to evolve. Providing
opportunities for teachers and guidance counselors to experience the workplace, observing how skills are used in specific jobs, would expand the understanding of the skills and value each bring to a job.”
TRESSLER-DAVIS’ IDEA: “A project that our team could develop to provide positive change in our community could be a marketing campaign, Columbus WORKS!, encouraging students and adult learners to have a career in the skilled trades. The team would determine and recruit the necessary funding for an outcome-based marketing campaign. The suggested career clusters to promote would include construction, manufacturing, health care, automotive and professional services. Having the number of students enrolled in a skilled trades program and number of jobs needed today can serve as our base to measure progress over a set timeframe. The campaign would work to secure support, testimonials, and a team of speakers from business owners, young professionals working in skilled trade positions, Columbus City Schools superintendent, One Columbus and Franklin County JFS citing the five top reasons why skill based training and jobs are for Columbus. A Columbus WORKS! campaign would need an advocate in each city of Columbus school building to help.”
GET READY TO GROW! The Columbus Chamber’s Annual Meeting is our grandest event of the year – one of the largest gatherings of Columbus Region business and community leaders. The event will recognize the recipient of the prestigious Columbus Award, celebrate small business leaders with the presentation of the Small Business Leader Award and provide valuable insights on how the Columbus Chamber connects businesses to resources that help them flourish and thrive.
Members of our 2022 class are pursuing community projects targeting urban trees, nonprofit board diversity and support of Black-owned restaurants.
BY KATY SMITHIt’s something most of us have probably experienced. Walk down a street with a dense tree canopy overhead on a 90-degree July day and feel the cool shade on your skin. It’s a stark difference from walking on a street with no trees on that same day— sun beating down, pavement blazing.
Researchers who fanned out around Columbus in August 2022 found that neighborhoods that have trees and those that don’t can vary as much as 13 degrees in temperature. And in areas where incomes are low or are experiencing disinvestment—lack of air conditioning, older buildings that aren’t energy efficient and few trees— people are especially vulnerable.
The issue is one of three that a group of Future 50 members from the class of 2022 is doing something about. The urban tree canopy project is joined by two other active projects from the most recent class: one to support Black-owned restaurants, and one aimed at building a pipeline of nonprofit board candidates from diverse backgrounds. The three projects were chosen from among 50 ideas submitted in 2021 when people applied to join the class of 2022.
The Future 50 urban tree canopy proj-
ect brings together people from complementary disciplines. It includes Jim Bruner, sultan of systems at the Past Foundation and founder of Mezzacello Urban Farm; Karen Hewitt, associate director at Leadership Columbus; Dean Tran, CEO of Cultivate Geospatial Solutions; Brian Pierson, vice president of community health and well-being at Mount Carmel Health System; and Trent Smith, executive director of the Franklinton Board of Trade.
The tree canopy issue is being addressed by multiple organizations across the region, Bruner says, so the Future 50 group is centering its efforts on amplifying that work. The project description is “a tree-roots based community effort to coordinate with expert organizations already engaged in this work and amplify their results.” Its mission is to “coordinate, educate and motivate communities to engage in sustainable methods to address climate reality.”
The Columbus 2022 Heat Watch Report released in December by research consultant CAPA Strategies tracked temperatures around the city throughout the day on Aug. 12. Their data found Downtown and the neighborhoods around it, plus the West Side, were the hottest, on average. Those are all places that have little to no tree canopy.
“This is a really important piece of information for us,” Franklin County Public Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola told The Columbus Dispatch. “From a public health standpoint, it’s very important that we focus on our most vulnerable.”
The group plans to host two free community events a year. One in the spring will be an educational gathering where participants can learn about climate change and the need for more trees. Then, in the fall, the group will bring people together to plant tree seedlings.
Like the urban tree canopy project, the work around building a pipeline of nonprofit board candidates from diverse backgrounds brings together plenty of existing efforts, project lead Almar Walter says. As Columbus continues to grow in population, that growth is being driven by people from diverse backgrounds. This gives the nonprofit sector an “unprecedented opportunity to not only engage but recruit from a very diverse workforce” for its boards, says Walter, who is the vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer for Columbus State Community College.
The region also is home to a robust set of leadership programs, and participants—who often are accomplished professionals to begin with—gain skills that position them to be informed and engaged nonprofit board members, Walter says. With all these graduates, the region’s nonprofit boards should reflect the diversity of the community. But research from the United Way shows they do not.
The Future 50 group addressing this issue, which includes Phoenix Consulting CEO Toni Bell, has engaged in conversations with stakeholders around systemic and structural factors driv-
ing the lack of diversity on nonprofit boards, Walter says. The talk also has centered on candidate readiness, “But then we also talked about readiness from the board’s perspective,” Walter says. “Has the board done the work that they need to do when they say they’re looking for diversity on boards?”
The idea is for the Future 50 to conduct a survey gathering insights, attitudes and experiences from potential and existing nonprofit board candidates, Walter says. That research could hopefully get at the heart of any barriers to achieving more diverse board representation. It would help the group present the region’s leadership programs and the corporate community with recommendations to help boards recruit in ways that will sustain diversity and inclusion.
That work could also manifest in a 2023 networking event that would bring together board candidates and nonprofit leaders, Walter says.
“We feel like this approach gives us the best idea for what our pipeline could look like,” he says. “But ultimately, this
has to be housed in a place where they can dedicate staff [such as United Way or the Columbus Partnership].”
The Future 50 class of 2022’s third project started with the broad goal of helping the restaurant industry as it struggled through COVID-19 disruptions related to supply chain issues and labor force. The group members are well-positioned to contribute in that arena. They include Sangeeta Lakhani, a former restaurant owner who founded Service! Relief, a nonprofit supporting the industry; Spencer Jordan, vice president of leasing at Steiner + Associates, which develops and runs large retail projects including Easton; Ben Kelley, partner at the Kelley Cos. and owner of Emmett’s Café; Lion Cub’s Cookies founder Brad Kaplan; and Sarah Townes, chief marketing and innovation officer at Experience Columbus.
The group was moved by research from the University of California showing that 41 percent of Black-owned businesses had closed since February 2021,
compared with 17 percent of whiteowned companies. So, group members decided to offer consulting support to Parable, a Black- and LGBTQ-owned coffee shop in Columbus that started as a popup inside Comune restaurant and recently moved to 149 S. High St.
Jordan says the group offered public relations assistance and copywriting to reactivate a GoFundMe that was started to help the business move to its new space. There also are plans to feature Parable more prominently on the Experience Columbus website.
“We really put a lot of our effort and energy into the marketing and fundraising side,” Jordan says. “That’s in addition to the real estate expertise among the members, where we’re on deck and on board to advise Parable, if needed, on any kind of lease renewal that comes up.”
Go to columbusceo.com for an extended version of this story.
Katy Smith is a freelance writer and the former editor of Columbus CEO who founded Future 50.
BBB celebrates the outstanding leaders that our community has to offer! Better Business Bureau is a resource where consumers can find trusted, local businesses and nonprofits. Visit bbb.org to learn more.
Connie Gallaher retired from a career in medicine after more than 20 years in local leadership roles. Then, Ohio Dominican University took a leap of faith and hired her as its president.
BY JOEL OLIPHINT + PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSONOn the second floor of Ohio Dominican University’s Erskine Hall, you’ll find two huge glass doors that, under previous administrations, usually remained closed until someone entered the presidential suite. But since the arrival of Connie Gallaher in 2021, the office doors have stayed open—a policy that goes hand in hand with the accessible, approachable style of leadership that Gallaher has modeled since she took the reins at this historic Catholic university.
“When I first got here, everybody was like, ‘What do we call you?’ And I’m like, ‘How about Connie?’ That’s the name my parents gave me. Why would I change now?” Gallaher says, noting that her title “doesn’t make me more important. Everybody is important. … We’re humans before we’re titles.”
A few things set Gallaher, 66, apart from her predecessors at ODU, which was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Peace in 1911 as the Literary Institute of St. Mary of the Springs, later becoming a four-year, Catholic liberal arts college for women, and, eventually, a co-ed university with a new moniker. Until 2001, “Sister” preceded every president’s name, but in the last 20 years, six men have held the post. Gallaher represents a return to the university’s roots as a female-led institution at a time when, according to a 2022 study by Women’s Power Gap, only 22 percent of elite universities are run by women. As one ODU alum told Gallaher, “This place is a her, Connie.”
While a female president may hark back to Ohio Dominican’s past, Gallaher also represents a fresh start. For one, the Northwest Ohio native was born and raised Methodist, not Catholic. Rather than degrees in education, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from Ohio State University’s College of Nursing. Before coming to ODU, she had never worked in higher education administration. Rather, Gallaher, a licensed nurse for more than 40 years, held leadership roles at all three of Columbus’ adult health care systems, most recently at OhioHealth, where she was chief
operating officer and president of OhioHealth at Home.
In fall 2020, Gallaher announced she would retire from OhioHealth in early 2021 after decades in the health care business. About a week after the announcement, she received a call from Dr. Janet Bay, a neurosurgeon who previously worked alongside Gallaher as covice president of neuroscience at OhioHealth; the duo led the charge in bringing Riverside Methodist Hospital’s neuroscience tower to life. Bay also serves on the board of trustees at Ohio Dominican University.
“She said, ‘Connie, you need to listen and not say no,’” Gallaher recalls. “She said, ‘We want somebody with a proven track record, who takes ideas to implementation and gets results. We want somebody who has experience at turning things around. Somebody who’s passionate about people and relationships, passionate about leadership and leadership development, has been successful in philanthropy, and is of deep faith.’ Finally, I
said to her, ‘Well, are you going to tell me what the hell it is?’ And then she said, ‘We’re looking for the next president at Ohio Dominican University.’ I burst out laughing. … I just thought it was the silliest darn thing.”
“She was not entirely receptive the first time I talked to her,” Bay says, though Gallaher’s reluctance and lack of a Ph.D.—a prerequisite for most top jobs in higher education— didn’t bother the search committee. “We had decided as a group, before we even started looking, that we were going to go in a different direction. We were not going to look for a traditional academic person. We wanted someone with a business background. Small liberal arts universities are suffering financial challenges with enrollment and retention. It’s a tough time. So we wanted somebody who could help with that.”
Gallaher eventually came around, helped along by her family, and by the fortuitous reading of Saint John Henry Newman’s Prayer of Discernment before her Zoom interview with
the board. The same day Gallaher turned in her OhioHealth badge and laptop, the ODU board chair called and said the committee had narrowed the candidate pool from 48 to its final choice: her.
Gallaher assumed the presidency in June 2021, when COVID-related decisions still dominated daily life. The pandemic affected enrollment, too. In fall 2019, 1,641 students were enrolled at ODU; that number stood at 1,276 this fall. Making matters worse, all universities are approaching the so-called “demographic cliff” in 2025, when enrollment is predicted to drop because of the decline in birthrates accompanying the Great Recession that began in 2007.
But Gallaher isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. “I learned a long time ago, in my career, I’m either fixing or building or both. I just don’t do status quo very well,” she says.
Bay says Gallaher has already added staff to the enrollment office and improved academic support for students. “She’s had a huge impact
on the morale here. Students love her,” Bay says. Plus, ODU has a few other things going for it. Fortytwo percent of undergraduates identify as nonwhite, and 22 percent of undergrads are first-generation college students. “A lot of businesses today are trying to become more diverse,” Gallaher says. “It’s not an aspiration here; it’s a tradition. We have those diverse graduates that people are wanting.”
The university, with Gallaher’s help, is also trying to define itself. “We’ve got some strength in health care and health sciences,” she says, including a new Central Ohio Primary Care clinic inside Peace Hall that provides medical care to those on campus and in the neighboring community while also giving ODU students hands-on experience. “We also know that Ohio Dominican has turned out teachers upon teachers. … And the third thing is business: How do we become the educational
partner with anchors in business, education and health sciences?”
While the world of higher education is distinctly different from the health care business, Gallaher has found that they do overlap. In fact, she (like Bay) argues that ODU needs to be run
like a business. Plus, regardless of the industry, Gallaher says most people want the same things. “They want to be appreciated. They want to be valued. They’d rather be talked with than talked about. They’d love to have their opinions asked,” she says. “So when you think about it through the lens of people, and what makes us more similar than not, it can get easier.”
She’s also proud to partner with other women helping to lead ODU, such as executive vice president Margaret Pomfret, the school’s No. 2 in command. And even though women make up about half of ODU’s leadership team and board, Gallaher acknowledged there’s more work to be done to close the gap for women in higher education. “We have come a long way, but we’re not at the finish line,” she says. “We’re also not on the homestretch.”
A lot of businesses today are trying to become more diverse. It’s not an aspiration here; it’s a tradition. We have those diverse graduates that people are wanting.”
Connie Gallaher, ODU president
Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio was thrilled to honor the 2022 Torch Award, Spark Award, and Students of Integrit yScholarship recipients at this year ’s Toast to Trusted Leaders event held at COSI .
The event celebrated role models in our community nomatter where they are on their journey– an establishedbusiness ,an entrepreneur, or a future leader. Those recognizedembody the BBB standards oftrust and set an example for others to follow
BBB ’s Torch Awards for Ethics , in its 28th year, honorsorganizations whose leaders demonstrate a high level of personal character;ensurethat the organization’s culture meets the highest standards of ethics;and consequently generates trust withits customers and the community. These Torch Award winners embody BBB ’s mission of advancing business trust by building a community oftrustwor thy businesses and giving consumers peace of mind.
BakerCreativefocuses on cultureand environmentasanintegralpar t of theircreativebrand .Their customer-centric approach meldswith an employee work-lifebalancemakingfor an award-winning, full-service brand management and global marketing firm
Buildinghighqualit ystruc turessince 19 84 ,BoL acey Construc tion isa full servicegeneral contractingcompany that focusesonits community and employees .With afoundationofgivingback, Bo L acey leads charit y- driven projec ts ,feedsthe homeless ,and suppor ts future leaders through 4- Hsponsorship.
Formorethan five decades, Carlile, Patchen ,and Murphy has demonstratedstrongcharac terwith aleadership team whoembraces an open door policy, strict ethics ,and arobust probono program. The at torneysatC arlile, Patchen ,and Murphy aretrusted partnersoffering complexbusiness andpersonallegalsolutions.
ColumbiaG as is oneofO hio’sleadingenergy companies and the largest provider of naturalgas serviceinthe state. This centralO hio companyisdedic ated to providingconsumerswith services they need ever yday throughtheir customer-centric approach.
Client sare thehear tbeatofC PM edia &M arketing .H onesty and integrit yis thelifeblood that accounts fortheirlong-standingsuccess .With aculture suppor ting trust first, CPM edia &M arketing employe es bond together to of ferawealthof collec tive experience spanning many industries ,markets , and platformsenabling theirclients to standoutf romthe competition .
GBQPar tners, atop tax, accounting ,and consulting firm for69years , embracestheir purposetoempowerthe grow th oftheirpeople,their communities ,and theirclients’businesses .Through theEmpowerProject, afirm -wideleadership grow th initiative,G BQ employeesare driven by this ground-upapproachtocreatepositiveoutcomesfor theirassociates and clients .
Muth &CompanyRoofing is foundedinthe principalsofhardwork, commitment, anddoingwhat’sbestfor thecustomer.Celebrating their 30 th year of business ,M uth&CompanyRoofing carriesthiscommitment throughits many ac ts of serviceand sponsorship includingitsGive Where YouLiveprogram
BBB ’s SparkAward is giventoentrepreneurs35 yearsold andunderor businesses operating forless than threeyears .Entrepreneurshave aunique oppor tunity to sparktrustas they buildtheir business with Character; foster a collaborative Culture,and give back to theirCommunity.
180 Demo is aprofessionaldemolition company specializing in interior demolition work on commercialrenovationproject s. They arepassionate aboutfair-chanceemployment, changingperceptions ,and usingtheir business as away to providec areerand grow th oppor tunities forformerly incarcerated individualsand to causechange in thecriminal justicespace.
Benesafe Solutionsmanufactures ,produces, and sells1 00%plant-based insect repellents safe forkids, pets ,and theenvironment. Theirsolution is designed to effectivelykill ,repel, and preventmosquitoes ,fleas ,and tickswithout posing athreattonature and allowfamilies to enjoythe outdoorsagainwithoutcompromisingtheenvironment or theirsafet y.
Collaborate and ElevateisaB2B platform focusedonimproving businesses ,revenue,andprofitmargin by empowering people, businesses ,and organizationstoworktogether to complete ataskor achieve agoal and ultimately reachhigher levels of success .
Success has many parents, and the truth of that saying was proven once again in January 2022 when Intel and Gov. Mike DeWine announced two state-of-the-art computer chip factories would be built just outside New Albany by 2025.
By the time of the groundbreaking ceremony in September, the number of people who claimed parenthood for the Intel project—said to be the largest single private-sector investment in Ohio history—had grown astronomically.
But whether it was an executive at a private company, an elected official in local government or an outside facilitator, all parties were aided in their journey to that blockbuster announcement by attorneys in a growing field of legal practice: economic development.
Scott Ziance is a partner in the Columbus law office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, where he leads the firm’s national economic development incentives practice. It is one of the largest law-firm-based incentives practices in the country.
His work as site selection counsel for Intel is only the latest project in a practice that began a few decades ago. “There aren’t that many lawyers who really focus 100 percent on economic development and incentives, and fewer who have teams,” Ziance says. “When I came out of law school in 1997, I knew I wanted to do this [practice]. At that point in time, it was pretty conventional to have a lawyer who happened to take the lead on a transaction; it might have been on the side, but no one just involved in economic development deals.
“So I told the Vorys partners, ‘I’d like to do work on this,’ and when clients started to come and the deals started to get more sophisticated and complicated, it became clear that my interests converged with market needs.”
Soon, other firms realized that the economic development practice could become an important part of their services.
“This isn’t even a practice I knew existed when I was in law school,” says Chris L. Connelly, who worked alongside Ziance for 10 years at Vorys before joining Taft, Stettinius & Hollister. “I was a little surprised [Taft] didn’t have a public finance/economic development person,” he says. “They did have folks who were quite knowledgeable, but they didn’t specialize in the economic development practice.”
Connelly has been ramping up the practice, and he and colleague Steve Cuckler worked together on such projects as the Tanger Outlets mall in Sunbury. “Nothing is slowing this train now, not COVID, not anything,” Connelly says. “Our clients historically have been 50-50 government and commercial development, and there has been a lot going on in Licking County. It was crazy even before Intel was announced.”
Caleb Bell is chair of Bricker & Eckler’s Public Finance practice group, which is the largest of its kind in the state. He works with clients on economic development and public finance issues. “As most things go, I jumped on a train that was already moving,” Bell says with a chuckle. “When I came to Bricker in 2007, economic development was a very niche area of law. It was tax abatement, TIF [tax increment financing] and that was about it. If a local government came to us, they might be reacting to a company request to locate or relocate, and we might advise on tax abatement.
“But from 2007 there’s been increasing complexity in property tax laws, and that complexity has really given rise to the full-blown practice. There are now so many areas of law that are involved in this—contract, corporate, property, income tax—that it’s a multidisciplinary practice.”
“Legislators are constantly tinkering with laws to encourage job growth,” Ziance says.
As Central Ohio continues to attract new businesses, local law firms have found a niche with robust economic development practices.Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, Lt. Gov. John Husted, Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman were among the participants in a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Intel site in September. FILE/Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch
While businesses have long worked with attorneys to lead them through the thicket of local regulations, the increasing complexity in Ohio law has pushed local governments to consult with lawyers who specialize in economic development.
“The field of economic development in Ohio has become incredibly sophisticated during my tenure of 20-plus years,” says James Schimmer, director of the Franklin County Economic Development and Planning Department, who has also worked for the city of Columbus. “If you’re a community smaller in size like Obetz, say, or Canal Winchester or any township, you don’t have the ability to have an internal legal professional to help you. Most of them have a legal professional, but they’re not focused exclusively on economic development.
“So you might see a township where a developer comes in and says
they want to use a TIF … and that community finds itself outmatched to represent its own residents.
“That’s where outside help comes in,” Schimmer says. “There are a lot of top-notch folks in town who have the ability to help solve a community’s problem. That has been something really important as we’ve become more sophisticated—deadlines have to be met, filings have to be done, you have to get zoning and land use put in place—and sometimes smaller communities can’t do all that.
“The profession has changed so much, you really need someone focused on economic development. Anyone who has been a homeowner knows that you can say, ‘I can change out that bathtub,’ and eventually you realize you have to call an expert.”
The challenge isn’t just keeping up with the ever-evolving Ohio Revised Code, Schimmer says. “There’s truly been an evolution of incentives and programs that make us more com -
petitive as a state. That’s something you have to stay on top of—and attorneys in town follow those things closely, too.”
Keeping track of state-level changes is part of the job, Connelly says. “Sometimes a small change [in the law] makes a big deal. Right now, I’m dealing with joint vocational school districts. There isn’t a lot of law dealing with it, so it keeps me on my toes.”
In some cases, “it can get pretty politically charged,” Connelly says. “You always have to keep the school districts in mind. You have to make sure you communicate with them, that you’re doing right by the schools. Luckily, the universe of lawyers who do this, we all know each other, and we trust each other.”
Even so, “people talk public-private partnership all the time,” Bell says. “Well, actually making that partnership come together is very hard work. You see that play out with Bridge Park in Dublin. You had a need for different parties to get together in different ways. You need all of it. You can’t just have the government say, ‘We need good things here.’
“Part of this job often involves pulling elected officials aside and offering advice on what a good decision would be,” Bell says. “That ‘trusted advice’ piece is another interesting part of the job. There’s a lot of responsibility. [Small governments] need to be well advised.”
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease has long advised clients on economic development, but as that practice has grown, a shortcoming emerged. “We realized we did not have anyone in-house with vast real estate background,” says partner Scott Ziance.
So, in October, the firm launched a separate business, Vista Site Selection. Matt Samler, a site selection and incentive negotiation expert with nearly 15 years of experience, was brought in as senior managing director. Two managing directors, Jeff Troan and Evan Stair, join him in the venture.
“The site selection process is not onesize-fits-all,” Samler says. “The way you start is, when a client says they want a new facility you say, ‘Why and where? What does this operation need to get going?’ If you’re planning a new headquarters, then it’s employees. So the GIS [geographic information system] and labor demographics are important because if you don’t have the right employees, you won’t have a successful facility.”
The massive amount of data that has become available online in the past decade allows the firm to provide a
comprehensive analysis. “We can layer on a map everything: labor, infrastructure, the tax environment and incentives. When you can visualize it that way, we can help a client make the right decision,” Samler says.
Once a decision is made, incentives are negotiated. “Is there a perfect site? Probably not, and if there is it’s really, really expensive. So we’re not just picking the best site; we’re eliminating places. And we can show on a map, where are the two best places,” he says.
“Not long ago, that wasn’t possible.”
“There aren’t that many lawyers who really focus 100 percent on economic development and incentives, and fewer who have teams.”
SCOTT ZIANCE, PARTNER AT VORYS, SATER, SEYMOUR AND PEASEPhoto courtesy Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
For over 55 years, Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP has been providing legal excellence to businesses, families and individuals. Our team provides expert legal advice, practical options, and the utmost in attention and respect.
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BY TIM FERAN
For the past few decades, inflation seemed like nothing more than a relic of the past, something that only a rapidly aging generation remembered from a time when eight-track tape players and leisure suits were all the rage and NASA launched the first space shuttle.
Since those days, while many disruptions and crises happened, few things seemed likely to upend the economic order of low inflation, low borrowing rates and ever-increasing returns in the financial markets.
“I can tell you as an investor myself and a professional, over the last 20 years-plus, we’ve seen 9/11, the Great Recession and a number of things that we haven’t seen in 100 years,”
says Derrick Ransom, Key Private Bank market leader and senior vice president. “So we’ve seen a lot. But, if anything, we’ve seen that the market is resilient.”
And then, two years ago, the world changed.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the annual inflation rate rose to 7 percent in 2021 from 1.4 percent in 2020. While still a far cry from the highs of 13.3 percent in 1979 and 12.5 percent in 1980, “obviously inflation has been the topic du jour over the past two years,” says Ben Ayers, senior economist with Nationwide Economics.
“I get asked a lot, is it COVID? Is it the Fed? Is it fiscal stimulus? Is it
Putin? Is it the invasion of Ukraine?” Ayers says. “My response is: ‘Yes. All of those.’”
The start of it, of course, was the worldwide economic shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Demand was cut in half, and supply was cut in half, so for a time we were at a state of equilibrium,” Ayers says.
“The Federal Reserve and federal government both responded to COVID in a very strong, appropriate way,” says Ric Dillon, CEO of VELA Investment Management LLC. “It’s been 100 years since Spanish flu, so no one had experience with a pandemic, and what the Federal Reserve did in March 2020 really was important, unprecedented and enormous.”
Thanks to the Fed’s action of cutting federal fund rates at that time to zero, thus providing borrowers with practically free money, Ransom says, “a lot of money has been in the system for a few years.”
When the economy began to open up in 2021, “demand goes from 50 percent and then to 100 percent, so supply couldn’t keep up,” Ayers says. “That’s just basic economics: If you have lots of demand and not as much supply, it leads to inflation.”
Rising prices and a volatile market left many investors puzzled by their portfolios. Local financial advisers preach prudence and see signs of stability ahead.
Maribel Perez Wadsworth, 7950 Jones Branch Dr, McLean, VA
At the time, inflation seemed transitory. Unfortunately, there were big shocks on the supply side that couldn’t have been predicted. “We still have shutdowns in China—that disrupted supply further—and the conflict in Ukraine disrupted the commodity market,” Ayers says. “So the disruption happened at the worst time, when you think about it in an inflationary perspective.”
“So, in hindsight, the Fed [interest rates] stayed too low for way too long,” Dillon says. “Now we’re behind the inflation curve, and we’re playing catch-up in a very aggressive way.”
Since March 2022, the central bank has hiked rates six consecutive times, actions not seen in decades. By October, the Fed’s efforts seemed to be paying off as two key inflation reports—the Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index—showed that prices rose at a slower pace than expected that month, suggesting that inflation may be coming down. “But the Fed’s target is 2 percent,” Ransom says, “and over the next six months to a year, we’re likely to see inflation get to about 4 percent—so still above the Fed’s target.”
What does that mean for investors?
Jeremy Young, market director at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, says his firm is telling clients that, “Although inflation is still elevated now, [we] expect it to subside over the next two years.”
Ayers agrees, citing the improving conditions in supply chains over the past six months or so. “Generally we see ports getting unclogged, transportation costs coming down, and you see that reflected in the inflation numbers,” he says.
On the other hand, “we do have a very tight labor market,” Ayers says. “There’s been a shift in the narrative from the price of goods over to the cost of services. … But when you look at next year, we do expect inflation to fade.”
And by mid-2024, “We may again be in a normal type of inflation market,” Ayers says.
For investors of all levels, Young suggests focusing on the basics. “Make sure you have a financial plan, and regularly reevaluate your shortterm and long-term goals. It’s important to ensure you have enough cash
for current and short-term needs in an emergency savings fund,” he says.
“Remember the importance of investing for the long term, and that volatility is normal,” Young adds. “It’s important to understand which goals are short-term and which are longterm. Despite inflation and volatility, investors should stay invested for long-term goals, such as retirement. Remember, it’s about time in the market, not timing the market.”
In the past, some investment advisers focused on a 60-40 mix of short- and long-term investments, “an approach which has been devastated over the past year,” Dillon says. “That’s why we don’t do it that way.”
Dillon compares his firm’s investment strategy to a tale of three buckets. The first bucket is cash you expect to spend over the next year that’s kept in savings or money market accounts. “Those should be very, very safe.”
The second bucket is cash that might be used in the next five years—“say, for a down payment on a house two years from now. So the investments there are maybe a little higher yield, and can have a little more volatility.”
The third bucket focuses on five years and beyond, “and we believe bonds and equity markets will return above the inflation rate going forward,” Dillon says.
“But it’s all relative,” Ransom says. “In general, we look at [clients’ financial] goals, their plans, and then look at the investment policy that’s right for them. We try to be tactical. It’s an interest rate environment we haven’t seen in 20 years, and some clients are keeping a significant level of liquidity in order to take advantage of those higher rates.”
A recession is definitely possible, Ayers says, “but more of a normal recession with a cutback in growth, some job cuts, some business closings, but nothing like 2008-09.”
For investors, a “soft landing” type of recession shouldn’t be a huge problem, Ayers says. “Historically, equity markets are always ahead of the curve, which means by the end of next year, the equity market may be rebounding. Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of uncertainty. It’s the nature of the game.”
Feran is a freelance writer.
ACG Columbus is focused on growth for middle market M&A dealmakers and the business community.
This fall, ACG Columbus members gathered for the organization’s 15th annual networking event, sponsored by Copper Run, Fifth Third Bank and Porter Wright, on Oct. 13 at the Exchange at Bridge Park.
Like last year, the 2022 Annual Networking and Awards Event recognized three local companies that are making an impact in the Central Ohio middle market community by presenting them the Innovation Award and awards for Deal of the Year and ESG Deal of the Year.
The event featured hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, as well as ample time for premium networking—one of ACG Columbus’ cornerstones in supporting the business community. Read on to learn more about the organization and its 2022 honorees.
WHEN CATHCART RAIL completed a major acquisition and equity recapitalization this year, it was the culmination of a period of exponential growth for the family-owned company.
Earlier this year, Cathcart Rail acquired the railcar repair business of The Andersons, Inc., and secured new capitalization from Nuveen, a leading global investment manager. Combined with new syndicated loan services, the moves represent an enterprise value of more than $250 million, says Casey Cathcart, who founded the company with his father, Thomas, in 2016.
They began the business with 20 employees and now have nearly 1,000 in more than 30 states.
“We’re now the largest provider of mechanical services in the industry, and we’ve built that in six years,” says the younger Cathcart, who serves as chairman and CEO of the company. “It has been a combination of organic growth, plus several acquisitions. Some is a matter of luck, being in the right place at the right time and having the ability to make transactions.”
BEFORE COVID, most people didn’t know about cold chain storage, required to keep life-saving vaccines viable. Athens-based Stirling Ultracold has been working with biopharma and life science customers for more than two decades to provide sustainable and efficient ultra-cold storage around the globe.
Stirling’s recent merger with BioLife Solutions allows it to offer a full range of options that also support cell and gene therapy at centers such as Nationwide Children’s Hospital, says Bill Baumel, managing director of the Ohio Innovation Fund, a key investor and partner since 2016.
The company partners with UNICEF to deliver COVID vaccines to areas without the infrastructure to store drugs safely. Stirling’s ultra-cold freezers use 75 percent less energy than alternatives and emit little to no carbon dioxide.
“Environmental Social and Governance [ESG] is a more and more prominent consideration among investors,” Baumel says. “We have increased our valuation from $20 million to $400 million, and we did it in a way that benefited society.”
WITH THE SKILLED LABOR market in recent decline, Path Robotics leverages autonomous technology to help U.S. manufacturers grow their businesses while addressing a potential shortage of up to 400,000 welders by next year.
The company makes autonomous welding systems using robots that autonomously scan, position and weld equipment without the need for skilled welders or robot coding programmers. Path Robotics CEO Andrew Lonsberry says the technology allows robotic systems to “see” their environment and “take on the hard tasks that only a skilled human welder could do before.” The intention is not to replace human welders entirely, but alleviate strain on the industry, he explains.
In four years, Path Robotics has grown from four employees to about 230 and has tripled sales annually. However, Lonsberry says, “Our company isn’t made up of sales and marketing people. It’s made up of engineers and product people, trying to build … a product that will change the future.”
ACG Columbus would like to honor two of its former board members, Don Hughes and Mark Koogler, both of whom passed away in 2022.
Hughes practiced law at Squire Patton Boggs for 25 years, joined ACG Columbus in 2007, became a board member in 2013 and served as board president in 2018 and 2019. A native of Alger, Ohio, and resident of Dublin, Hughes was married to his wife, Sherri, for 38 years. He is also survived by his daughter, Danielle, and son, Benjamin, as well as five grandsons, whom he adored. Hughes served as an elder and small group leader in his church, Northwest Presbyterian, and played guitar in its worship band. In addition to the ACG Columbus board, Hughes also was on the board of Campus Outreach, a ministry to undergraduate students.
Like Hughes, Koogler had a career in the legal field, serving as associate general counsel at Nationwide Insurance for 20 years before becoming a partner at Porter Wright, where he worked for 19 years. He was an inaugural member of ACG Columbus in 2005 and joined its board in 2013. He served on its Great Lakes Capital Connection planning committee, contributing to successful events in several cities. Born in Kettering, Ohio, Koogler also lived in Dublin. He was married to his wife, Vicki, for 41 years; together they had two sons, Nicholas and Andrew.
Both Hughes and Koogler were valuable members of the community and will be deeply missed.
As one of 59 global chapters of the Association for Corporate Growth, Inc., ACG Columbus has a simple goal: To benefit Central Ohio communities by helping local businesses grow. The organization’s robust programming, which includes networking events, roundtables, annual events and more, is designed to share best practices in business, build relationships that support growth and provide exposure to investment opportunities. In addition to ACG Columbus events, members receive access to the organization’s online member directory, a subscription to its Mergers & Acquisitions Journal and access to capital resources through the group’s proprietary database.
Staff: Nichole Glenn, Chapter Executive
President: Dennis Duchene, Taylor Corp.
Immediate Past President: Andy Hays, Copper Run Capital, Inc.
Finance/Treasurer/Secretary: Nick Lombardo, Schneider Downs & Co., Inc.
Annual Event Chair: Amy Fleenor, First Commonwealth Bank Program Chair: Laura Fox, HUB International Diversity Chair: Laura Hult, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Membership Chair: Meryl Weinstein, Highlights for Children, Inc.
Sponsorship Chair: Brent Thomas, Fifth Third Bank Directors: Mike Abramo, Plante Moran; Joe Boeckman, BakerHostetler; Joe Borowski, GBQ Consulting; Melissa Diethelm, PNC Financial Services Group; Renee Milyiori, J.P. Morgan Private Bank; Brett Thornton, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP; Nick Ulrich, Tri-W Group; Eric Wygle, Dispatch Media Group
Ex Officio: J. Michael McVey, Hylant Group; Curtis Loveland, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur; Bill Remias, Huntington National Bank; Thomas Washbush, Washbush Business Law, LLC
YACG Liaisons: Frank Tice, RIV Capital; Rachel Ross, Fifth Third Bank
WiT Liaisons: Renee Tyack, Capital Plus; Kim Haymes, Huntington National Bank
Health care providers are using the once-taboo club drug to treat depression and other mental health disorders.
BY RANDY EDWARDS + PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSONBobby Griffith can’t put his finger on any single event that led to his lengthy battle with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Maybe it was the multiple concussions he suffered playing high school sports. Maybe the many tragic events he witnessed as a firefighter, including (and especially) the day he responded to an emergency run and found a close friend and fellow firefighter laid low by a heart attack and was unable to revive him. Maybe it was another close friend’s suicide.
Whatever the reason, his family first noticed gaps in memory and some confusion when he was trying to recall stories. Eventually, there were thoughts of suicide and a general personality shift that made Griffith, and everyone around him, unhappy.
“I was hateful, cynical and always looking for an argument,” says Griffith, now 57, of Reynoldsburg. “If I couldn’t make other people miserable, I couldn’t be happy. It has cost
me friendships, and it has cost me relationships with family. At the time, I didn’t know what was going on, and they sure didn’t know what the hell was going on.”
Encouraged by his wife, Christina, who also suffers from depression and PTSD, Bobby sought mental health care and began a long series of treatments, including group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of psychotherapy. He was also prescribed antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Nothing worked for more than a short time.
Two years ago, he was invited to participate in clinical trials to study a nontraditional use for ketamine, a drug used since the 1960s as an anesthetic and analgesic both in human and veterinary medicine. Also known by the street name “special K” and as one of the popular “club drugs” for the short-lived euphoria it provides, ketamine can, in higher dosages, have psychedelic effects,
including hallucinations and dissociation (feelings of detachment from self and surroundings).
The results were nearly immediate, and astounding, Griffith says. “There is nothing I have tried in the last 20 years that has worked like this and so quickly.”
In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a nasal spray containing esketamine, a ketamine derivative, to help people with treatmentresistant depression, which means they have tried two other antidepressants and they have not been helped.
Ohio State University’s Harding Hospital began using the nasal spray for selected patients in 2020, says Dr. Subhdeep Virk, a psychiatrist there.
Harding also has been offering, since 2018, intravenous ketamine therapy, which is not approved by the FDA specifically for depression but can be prescribed “off label” by qualified medical professionals.
Researchers have been studying ketamine as a treatment for depression for more than a decade, Virk says, and the results have been encouraging. “In some studies, the response rate was as high as 70 percent, which is significant,” she says.
Traditional antidepressants can take up to six weeks to take effect, and up to two-thirds of patients using traditional antidepressants continue to struggle with depression, Virk says. In contrast, ketamine takes effect within hours or days, an important factor in treating major depressive disorder, a condition that leads to suicidal ideation in 20 percent of patients.
“Ketamine filled a void,” Virk says. “We didn’t have antidepressants rapidly acting on symptoms.”
Bobby Griffith participated in clinical trials to study the effects of ketamine on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He’s pictured here with his wife, Christina Griffith, in their Reynoldsburg home.
Although it is considered a psychedelic, ketamine works on different receptors in the body than the “classic” psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin, and the dosages used for treatment of depression aren’t likely to lead to hallucinations, Virk says. Still, patients have reported feelings of sedation and dissociation, which is why the treatments must occur in a clinical setting.
OSU has restricted its therapies to patients with depression, but other health care providers promote ketamine as a treatment for other mental health disorders. Happier
You, a clinic in Gahanna’s Creekside development, offers IV ketamine clinics for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, general anxiety, and treatment-resistant forms of depression, PTSD and depression caused by bipolar disorder.
Happier You was purchased in September 2022 by Irwin Naturals, a California-based herbal supplement chain, becoming the 11th clinic in Irwin Naturals Emergence, a chain of “psychedelic mental-health clinics,” according to a company press release. Representatives of Happier You and Irwin Naturals Emergence did not respond to requests for interviews, but the press release says the clinic was founded in 2020 by Tara Dillon, a registered nurse and family nurse practitioner.
According to its website, Happier You charges $500 for a session of IV ketamine infusion. That’s the same price charged at OSU’s Harding. Virk says insurance coverage varies by state, and ketamine IV treatments are not covered in Ohio. Many insurance providers will cover the cost of the nasal spray treatments, which can be more than $4,000 per treatment day. Virk says the FDA recommends nasal spray patients receive treatments twice a week for four weeks and then weekly for four additional weeks, while OSU intravenous patients receive treatments twice a week for three weeks and then weekly for four weeks.
Christina Griffiths, Bobby’s wife of 20 years, says they have had some back-and-forth with their insurance company for reimbursement, but she says the effort is worth it. “Within two days, I could see a difference,” she says. “We were just dumbfounded. He was able to do things. We would go about with friends more.”
The winter holidays have always been difficult for her husband because his friends’ heart attack and suicide fall in November and January, respectively. But during an interview in December, Christina says this year has been different. “He’s excited to put decorations up. Excited to make trips to see family.”
This story also appears in the January issue of Columbus Monthly.
If you’re looking for a senior community for yourself or a loved one, it’s hard to know where to begin. Here are 78 local options to get your search underway.
KEY: IL – INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS; AL – ASSISTED LIVING UNITS MC – MEMORY CARE UNITS; SN – SKILLED NURSING UNITS
COMPILED
BY EMMA FRANKART HENTERLYABBINGTON ASSISTED LIVING abbingtononline.com
Abbington of Arlington Assisted Living
1320 Old Henderson Road, Columbus; 614-451-4575; 44 AL
Abbington of Pickerington Assisted Living
9480 Blacklick-Eastern Road, Pickerington; 614-577-0822; 48 AL
Abbington of Powell Assisted Living 3971 Bradford Court, Powell; 614-789-9868; 48 AL
ALPINE HOUSE alpinehouse.net
Alpine House of Columbus 1001 Schrock Road, Columbus; 614-505-3531; 55 AL
ANTHEM MEMORY CARE anthemmemorycare.com Glenwood 6355 Emerald Parkway, Dublin; 614-7619200; 66 MC
ARROW SENIOR LIVING arrowseniorliving.com
Carriage Court Senior Living 3570 Heritage Club Drive, Hilliard; 614-529-7470; 87 AL, 16 MC
Chestnut Hill Senior Living 5055 Thompson Road, Columbus; 614-855-3700; 105 AL, 25 MC
BICKFORD SENIOR LIVING bickfordseniorliving.com
Bickford of Bexley 2600 E. Main St., Bexley; 614-235-3900; 33 AL, 20 MC
Bickford of Scioto 3500 Riverside Drive, Columbus; 614-457-3500; 33 AL, 20 MC
Bickford of Worthington 6525 N. High St., Worthington; 614-8466500; 54 AL, 27 MC
BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING SOLUTIONS
brookdale.com
Brookdale Lakeview Crossing 4000 Lakeview Crossing, Groveport; 614-836-5990; 73 AL, 16 MC
Brookdale Marysville 1565 London Ave., Marysville; 937-738-7342; 59 AL, 17 MC
Brookdale Muirfield 7220 Muirfield Drive, Dublin; 614-336-3677; 54 AL, 30 MC
Brookdale Pinnacle 1305 Lamplighter Drive, Grove City; 614-277-1200; 83 AL, 23 MC
Brookdale Trillium Crossing 3500 Trillium Crossing, Columbus; 614-734-1000; 120 AL Brookdale Westerville 6377 Cooper Road, Columbus; 614-901-2100; 31 AL, 12 MC
capitalhealthcarenetwork.com
Gardens of Scioto
433 Obetz Road, Suite 200, Columbus; 614-558-3141; 15 IL
Meadows of Scioto
433 Obetz Road, Suite 100, Columbus; 614-558-3141; 120 SN
Villas of Scioto
433 Obetz Road, Suite 300, Columbus; 614-558-3141; 32 AL
CENTURY PARK centurypa.com
Mayfair Village Retirement Community 3011 Hayden Road, Columbus; 614-889-6202; 85 IL/AL
DANBURY SENIOR LIVING danburyseniorliving.com
Danbury on 5th 579 W. Fifth Ave., Columbus; 380-215-1412; 189 IL/AL/MC
Danbury Senior Living of Columbus 2870 Snouffer Road, Columbus; 614-339-0459; 69 IL, 69 AL, 33 MC
Danbury Westerville - Parkside Village
730 N. Spring Road, Westerville; 614-794-9300; 204 IL/AL (MC on request)
Grove City Danbury
3615 Glacial Lane, Grove City; 614-957-0029; 94 IL/AL/MC; 30 additional IL villas in 2023
Feridean Commons 6885 Freeman Road, Westerville; 614-898-7488; feridean.com; 40 IL, 58 AL
FIVE STAR SENIOR LIVING fivestarseniorliving.com
The Forum at Knightsbridge 4590 Knightsbridge Blvd., Columbus; 614-451-6793; 143 IL, 90 AL, 25 MC
Friendship Village of Dublin 6000 Riverside Drive, Dublin; 614-764-1600; fvdublin.org; 304 IL, 29 AL/MC, 50 SN
The Gables of Westerville 131 Moss Road, Westerville; 614-918-0050; gablesofwesterville.com; 27 IL, 59 AL, 24 MC
THE GANZHORN SUITES ganzhorn.com
The Ganzhorn Suites Specialized Memory Care 10272 Sawmill Parkway, Powell; 614-356-9810; 64 MC
Hoover Haus Assisted Living
3675 Hoover Road, Grove City; 614-875-7600; hooverhaus.com; 5 IL, 22 AL, 5 MC
Kemper House Worthington
800 Proprietors Road, Worthington; 614-681-8330; kemperhouseworthington.com; 55 MC
LAUREL HEALTH CARE CO. laurelhealth.com
The Laurels of Gahanna 5151 N. Hamilton Road, Columbus; 614-337-1066; 112 SN
The Laurels of Norworth 6830 N. High St., Worthington; 614-888-4553; 126 SN
The Laurels of Walden Park 5700 Karl Road, Columbus; 614-846-5420; 225 SN, 48 MC
The Laurels of West Columbus 441 Norton Road, Columbus; 614-812-1200; 97 SN
The Laurels of Worthington 1030 High St., Worthington; 614-885-0408; 95 SN, 49 MC
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES lssnetworkofhope.org
LSS Kensington Place 1001 Parkview Blvd., Columbus; 614-251-7689; 64 IL, 64 AL, 12 MC
NATIONAL CHURCH RESIDENCES nationalchurchresidences.org
Avondale 5215 Avery Road, Dublin; 614-319-3353; 200 IL Brookwood Point 2685 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus; 866-5696328; IL (number not available, opening 2023) First Community Village 1800 Riverside Drive, Columbus; 877-364-2570; 211 IL, 38 AL, 36 MC, 47 SN
Harmony Trace 3550 Fishinger Blvd., Hilliard; 888-211-3477; 25 AL, 57 MC
The Hartford 120 E. Stafford Ave., Worthington; 888-205-8740; 85 IL
Inniswood Village 1195 North St., Westerville; 844-841-5770; 120 IL, 52 AL, 20 MC
Lincoln Village
4959 Medfield Way, Columbus; 614-870-1123; 54 AL Stygler Commons
165 N. Stygler Drive, Gahanna; 614-342-4588; AL (number not available)
Walnut Trace 389 Olde Ridenour Road, Gahanna; 844-211-1329; IL (number not available)
OHIO LIVING ohioliving.org
Ohio Living Sarah Moore 26 N. Union St., Delaware; 740-362-9641; 39 AL, 47 SN
Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber 717 Neil Ave., Columbus; 614-228-8888; 198 IL, 30 AL, 20 MC, 128 SN
OPTALIS HEALTHCARE optalishealthcare.com
Canal Winchester Rehabilitation Center, Skilled Nursing & Assisted Living
6800 Gender Road, Canal Winchester; 614-834-6800; 35 AL, 87 SN
Mill Run Rehabilitation Center, Skilled Nursing & Assisted Living 3399 Mill Run Drive, Hilliard; 614-527-3000; 36 AL, 66 SN
Monterey Rehabilitation Center, Skilled Nursing & Memory Care 3929 Hoover Road, Grove City; 614-875-7700; 41 MC, 114 SN
New Albany Rehabilitation Center, Skilled Nursing & Assisted Living 5691 Thompson Road, Columbus; 614-855-8866; 36 AL, 67 SN
West Park Rehabilitation Center, Skilled Nursing & Memory Care 1700 Heinzerling Drive, Columbus; 614-274-4222; 28 MC, 71 SN
Whetstone Rehabilitation Center, Skilled Nursing & Assisted Living 3710 Olentangy River Road, Columbus; 614-457-1100; 60 AL, 145 SN
RITTENHOUSE VILLAGE BY DISCOVERY SENIOR LIVING rittenhousevillages.com
Rittenhouse Village Gahanna 1201 Riva Ridge Court, Gahanna; 614-6830199; 117 IL
SENIOR STAR seniorstar.com
Dublin Retirement Village 6470 Post Road, Dublin; 614-764-2800; 134 IL, 60 AL, 39 MC
STORYPOINT storypoint.com
StoryPoint Gahanna 5435 Morse Road, Gahanna; 614-924-8144; 81 IL, 54 AL, 24 MC
StoryPoint Grove City
3717 Orders Road, Grove City; 614-875-6200; 116 IL, 35 AL, 44 MC
StoryPoint Pickerington
611 Windmiller Drive, Pickerington; 614-953-5421; 96 IL
StoryPoint Powell 10351 Sawmill Parkway, Powell; 614-363-6631; 90 IL
SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING sunriseseniorliving.com
Sunrise of Dublin 4175 Stoneridge Lane, Dublin; 614-718-2062; 52 AL, 28 MC
Sunrise of Gahanna 775 E. Johnstown Road, Gahanna; 614-4189775; 24 AL, 27 MC
traditionsmgmt.net
The Bristol 7780 Olentangy River Road, Columbus; 614-886-2818; 55 IL, 54 AL
Cherry Blossom Senior Living 79 Blossom Field Blvd., Columbus; 614-530-7726; 28 IL, 66 AL, 30 MC
Oakwood Senior Living 1169 Bryden Road, Columbus; 614-502-3800; 74 AL, 6 MC
WALLICK COMMUNITIES wallickcommunities.com
The Ashford on Broad 4801 E. Broad St., Columbus; 614-641-2995; 131 AL
The Ashford of Grove City 3197 Southwest Blvd., Grove City; 614-9573918; 100 AL, 50 MC
The Ashford at Sturbridge 3700 Sturbridge Court, Hilliard; 614-633-4811; 61 IL, 62 AL
The Grove at Oakleaf Village 5546 Karl Road, Columbus; 614-431-1739; 56 MC
Oakleaf Village of Columbus 5500 Karl Road, Columbus; 614-431-1739; 121 IL/AL
THE WESLEY COMMUNITIES thewesleycommunities.com
Wesley Glen Retirement Community 5155 N. High St., Columbus; 614-888-7492; 152 IL, 74 AL, 21 MC, 65 SN
Wesley Ridge Retirement Community 2225 Taylor Park Drive, Reynoldsburg; 614-759-0023; 106 IL, 61 AL, 38 MC, 25 SN
Wesley Woods at New Albany 4588 Wesley Woods Blvd., New Albany; 614-656-4100; 72 IL, 15 AL, 20 MC, 16 SN
Westerwood 5800 Forest Hills Blvd., Columbus; 614-8908282; liveatwesterwood.org; 201 IL, 66 AL, 14 MC, 75 SN
WEXNER HERITAGE VILLAGE whv.org
Creekside at the Village
2200 Welcome Place, Columbus; 614-384-2271; 83 IL/AL
Geraldine Schottenstein Cottage 1149 College Ave., Columbus; 614-384-2271; 18 AL/MC
Wexner Heritage House 1151 College Ave., Columbus; 614-231-4900; 99 SN
Worthington Christian Village 65 Highbluffs Blvd., Columbus; 614-846-6076; wcv.org; 107 IL, 38 AL, 50 SN
These listings first appeared in the October issue of Columbus Monthly.
estimated economic impact of the four-day 2022 Arnold Sports Festival, which attracted some 80,000 unique visitors
in prize money awarded at the 2022 Arnold Sports Festival
athletes participated in the 2022 Arnold Sports Festival in 60 sports and events, including martial arts, baton twirling, bodybuilding and “medieval fighting”
Throughout his long and colorful life, Jim Lorimer was many things—FBI agent, politician, insurance company lobbyist, sports promoter. But above all, he was this: a Columbus booster whose savvy, ideas and vision have transformed the city, especially through a handshake deal he made in 1970 with an Austrian muscleman named Arnold Schwarzenegger. That informal agreement grew into the Arnold Sports Festival, the biggest weekend event in Columbus and an economic juggernaut for the region. Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the legacy of Lorimer, who died in late November at the age of 96. Of course, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
rooms in the recently expanded Hilton Columbus Downtown, now the state’s largest hotel, which city leaders say would never have been built without the Arnold
Lorimer served as the mayor or vice mayor of Worthington
300 companies represented at the 2022 Arnold Fitness Expo at the Greater Columbus Convention Center
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