The study team met with well over 100 individuals during the course of research between May and September 2018. They included members of Ohio’s congressional delegation in Washington, DC, as well as representatives of interested business and trade associations, organized labor, and Washington, DC-based think tanks. The interviews helped inform the concept for the study. However, because this exercise focused on bringing in voices not often heard within the Washington, DC-based foreign policy establishment, the report’s content relies on the information obtained from interviews in Cleveland, Columbus, Coshocton, Dayton, Lima, and Marion. This is not the full list of interviews conducted in those locations, as some individuals did not wish to be explicitly named.
Cleveland
Jay Foran, senior vice president, TeamNEO
Mindy McLaughlin, director, International Business Development, TeamNEO
Joe Roman, president and chief executive officer, Greater Cleveland Partnership
Randell McShepard, vice president, Public Affairs, and chief talent officer, RPM International; also founder of PolicyBridge, a local minority-focused think tank
Marvin Hayes, vice president, Business Development, Data Genomix, and former director, Communications and Public Affairs, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency
Jason Russell, South Euclid councilman and neighborhood general manager, Van Aken District
Joe Frolik, managing producer, Community Affairs, ideastream, and former Plain Dealer editorial writer
Brent Larkin, former political columnist, Plain Dealer, retired
Mary Anne Sharkey, owner, Sharkey, Dirck & Associates, former politics editor of the Plain Dealer, and former communications director for Ohio Governor Bob Taft
Dominic Coletta, senior vice president, Operations, Tarkett North America
Donald E. Washkewicz, former chairman and chief executive officer, Parker Hannifin, retired
Shilpa Kedar, program director, Economic and Workforce Development, Cleveland Foundation
Luis Carrion, partner, Renner Otto
Amy Hanauer, founding executive director, Policy Matters Ohio
Randy Solganik, owner, City Plating
Columbus
Alex R. Fischer, president and chief executive officer, Columbus Partnership
Kenny McDonald, president and chief economic officer, Columbus 2020
Steve Schoeny, director, Department of Development, City of Columbus
Jim Samuel, founder, Capitol Integrity Group, and former staff member of two Republican governors
Tim Burga, president, Ohio AFL-CIO
Michael B. Coleman, former mayor, City of Columbus, and partner and director, Business and Government Strategies, Ice Miller LLP, Legal Counsel
Jack Partridge, former president, Columbia Gas of Ohio, and former chairman of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, retired
John McEwan, managing partner, Deloitte Columbus, and former chairman of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Jack Irvin, senior director, State and National Affairs, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
Beth Hansen, chief of staff, Office of the Governor, State of Ohio (joined by other key staff)
John Minor, president and chief investment officer, JobsOhio
Andrew Deye, managing director, JobsOhio
Ian Sheldon, professor and Andersons chair, Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy, The Ohio State University
Col. Julie Blike (retired), director, Family Readiness and Warrior Support, Ohio National Guard
Coshocton
Steve Mercer, mayor, City of Coshocton
Max Crown, safety service director, City of Coshocton, and former superintendent of Rock Tenn/WestRock Paper Mill (closed 2015)
Tom Scott, safety coordinator, City of Coshocton
Marion Sutton, chairman, Jones Metal Products; joined by a few managers and employees
Paul Prater, external affairs manager, AEP Ohio, and Coshocton Port Authority Board member
Tiffany Swigert, executive director, Coshocton Port Authority
Amy Stockdale, executive director, Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce
Sherri Gibson, business coordinator, Coshocton County, Ohio Means Jobs
Brenda Stamper, executive assistant, Coshocton Port Authority
Dayton
Keith Klein, senior development specialist, Department of Economic Development, City of Dayton
Joe Sciabica, president, Universal Technology Corporation
Kim Frazier, director, Growth Initiatives, The Entrepreneurs Center
Jim Masonbrink, director, Small Business Hub, Wright Brothers Institute, and director of operations, Wright Brothers Institute—2nd St
Torey Hollingsworth, senior policy aide, City of Dayton
Carl Kennebrew, president, IUE-CWA, Dayton
Heather Atkinson, policy program manager, IUE-CWA, Dayton
Mike Wiehe, director, Applied Policy Research Institute, Wright State University
Jane Dockery, associate director, Applied Policy Research Institute, Wright State University
Michael Gessel, vice president, Federal Government Programs, Dayton Development Coalition
Lima
David Berger, mayor, City of Lima
Jed Metzger, president and chief executive officer, Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce
Jeff Sprague, president and chief executive officer, Allen Economic Development Group
Rich Rudolph, president, Rudolph Foods
Marion
Dave Claborn, director, Development and Community Relations, The Ohio State University-Marion, and former president, Marion CAN DO! economic development organization
Elizabeth Claborn, elementary school social worker, Marion City Schools
Howard (Howie) Smith, president, Wilson Bohannan Padlock Co.
Lowell Thurston, president, Carroll’s Jewelers
Vaughn Sizemore, community development consultant
Ted Graham, president, Marion Industrial Center/Marion Intermodal
Lois Fisher, president, Lois J. Fisher & Associates
Dean Jacob, president and chief executive officer, and Julie Prettyman, vice president and director, Programs, Marion Community Foundation. Prettyman’s family also grows corn and soybeans on 1,200 acres
Jack and Bea Kellogg, former mayor of City of Marion and former executive secretary of Marion Shovel, respectively, retired
Brad Ridge, president, Holbrook & Manter
Ron Cramer, attorney, Michel, Davis & Cramer