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TWO GRADUATE FROM LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: Warren attorneys Ashleigh Musick and Alexander Keane were among 27 Ohio attorneys who recently graduated from the Ohio State Bar Association's 2023 Leadership Academy.

The academy is designed to prepare lawyers for effective leadership in the association, the legal profession and their communities. The program takes place over a five-month period in six sessions, during which participants interact with a diverse group of seasoned attorneys and other professionals, learning about topics such as civility, ethics and professionalism.

Musick has been a magistrate in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court since 2021. She previously worked for the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office as an assistant prosecutor in the appellate division, where she later became chief prosecutor.

Keane is an attorney in the Trumbull County branch office for the Office of the Ohio Public Defender, where he represents indigent defendants charged with felonies and participates in the Forensic Training Unit, providing training to attorneys and bar associations on how to handle cases that involve forensic science topics.

SALUTE TO BUSINESS SET: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber's annual Salute to Business event will be 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Aug. 31 at the Eastwood Event Centre, 5555 Youngstown Warren Road.

The event will feature a keynote panel discussion with experts Lee Williams, chief program officer with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, and Dr. Brian Corbin, executive vice president of Catholic Charities. Additional panelists will be announced.

The chamber also will honor five business leaders with Salute Awards and special recognition will be given to Warren native John Zabrucky, a renowned prop designer, as well as founder of Modern Props, Inc.

There is an effort between Zabrucky and the Trumbull County Historical Society to create a museum around items in his collection.

Also at the event, Youngstown State University head football coach Doug Phillips will preview the upcoming season, and the Canfield Fair board will report on this year's fair, which starts Aug. 30.

Register at regionalchamber.com under the Events tab.

NETWORK UPGRADES DONE: Verizon recently made major upgrades to the network serving customers in Youngstown.

The upgrades are part of a multi-year redesign of the company's network architecture to stay ahead of exponential data usage increases, upgrade the technology in the network and to pave the way for personalized customer experiences, according to Verizon.

Upgrades in Youngstown include deploying new cell sites to extend coverage and capacity in local communities, adding more capacity on fiber optic cables to move more data through the network and adding bandwidth to the cellular network to accommodate new services like wireless internet service for homes and businesses.

DEADLINE LOOMS: The deadline to apply to be part of the Youngstown Business Incubator's Shark Tank competition is Tuesday.

YBI Shark Tank invites businesses and entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to YBI Celebrity Sharks and investors in front of a live audience to gain investment and exposure.

The 2022 event showcased some of the best startup entrepreneurs and innovators throughout the Mahoning Valley and northeast Ohio. More than 70 regional startups applied, and five startups presented their pitches to the sharks, local and regional investors, venture capitalists, potential investors, and more than 600 guests.

This year, there is $30,000 in prize awards available. The event is at 5 p.m. Oct. 19 at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center, 7440 South Ave., Boardman.

Go to ybi.org/sharktank to apply.

RULLI TO ATTEND EVENT: Ohio Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, who represents Mahoning and Columbiana counties, will be featured at the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber's Lattes With Legislators event 7:30 to 9 a.m. Aug. 21 at the DeYor Performing Arts Center 260 W. Federal St., Youngstown.

The cost is $15 per person

Register at regionalchamber.com under the Events tab.

VISITOR DAY PLANNED AT EWM: The Valley Referral Chapter of BNI, a business professional networking group, is hosting a visitor day 7 to 9 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Eastwood Event Centre at the Eastwood Mall.

Attendees will be able to present their business to everyone in attendance through networking and a 60-second speech.

Refreshments will be available. The event is free, but seating is limited. Email Syl Frazzini at sfrazzini@abc-

officesolutions.com or text 330-398-7099 for information and getting a spot.

PET SUPPLY DRIVE SUCCESSFUL: Farmers National Bank of Canfield has collected more than $8,400 in donations for local animal charities across Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The money was raised across all 65 bank branches in June through a pet supply drive hosted by Farmers. Customers and bank staff donated money and pet supplies to benefit animal shelters in the community.

Each bank branch chose the local charity they wanted to help. Organizations included All About the Pawz, Butler County Humane Society and Berea Animal Rescue Fund.

INNOVATORS SOUGHT: Ohio Third Frontier, an office within the Ohio Department of Development, is seeking proposals from companies aiming to advance their products from the idea stage to the market.

Through the Technology Validation and Start-up Fund program, companies can apply for grants that can make a difference in commercializing their products.

The department has issued a request for proposals for phase 1 and phase 2 of the program. Phase 1 is intended to fund activities that will demonstrate the commercial viability of a technology and help prepare a proof-of-concept for commercialization. Phase 2 targets companies ready to move from Ohio research institutions to the marketplace.

Responses to the requests are due by 2 p.m. Aug. 4. Awards in this funding round are expected to be made in October. To learn more, visit go to development.ohio.gov/tvsf.

The awards are focused on technology and tech-enabled products in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, biomedical and life sciences, energy, sensors, and software and information technology.

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MEIJER DONATES: The new Meijer store in Howland has given $5,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Trumbull County to help the organization feed local families in need.

The organization serves about 500 meals per day, five days a week at lunchtime.

The funding is from Meijer's Team Gives program, which allows employees at stores and distribution centers to pick and donate to nonprofit groups in their local communities. Meijer announced $1.5 million was given to nearly 300 nonprofits in the latest round of the program.

JOANIE ABDU ACCREDITED: The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program administered by the American College of Surgeons has granted accredited status to the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center in Youngstown.

The designation confirms the high-quality, comprehensive care delivered in the Mahoning Valley.

As an NAPBC-accredited center, the Joanie Abdu center is committed to maintaining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care for patients with breast disease. Patients receiving care at an NAPBC-accredited center also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatment options, genetic counseling and patient-centered services including psychosocial support, rehabilitation services and survivorship care.

As part of their accreditation process, NAPBC surveyors review each center's commitment to leadership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. Breast centers seeking NAPBC accreditation undergo a site visit every three years.

CPA FIRM NAMED TO TOP 10 LIST: HD Davis CPAs in Liberty was recently named one of the 2023 Best Employers in Ohio. The company was listed in the top 10 at No. 7 for small / medium size businesses on Crain's Cleveland Business annual list.

The statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor Ohio's best places of employment, benefiting the state's economy, workforce and businesses. The 2023 Best Employers in Ohio list is made up of 60 companies.

This is the second year in a row the firm has made the list.

To be considered for Best Employers in Ohio, companies had to participate in a two-part survey process. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience.

Crain's noted HD's dedication to employee well-being and work-life balance by mentioning their healthy lifestyle reimbursement program and flexible work schedule. They also made note of HD's family-friendly environment in that they allow employees to bring their children to the office.

HEALTH CARE SYSTEM RECOGNIZED: Bon Secours Mercy Health has been named one of the 2023 Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Seramount, part of EAB, a strategic professional services and research firm dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, for its commitment to supporting and developing women leaders throughout its health system.

The annual survey recognizes the top 80 companies that create and use best practices in hiring, retaining and promoting multicultural women in the United States. This is the third consecutive year that Bon Secours Mercy Health has appeared on the list.

Mercy Health-Youngstown is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health and locally serves the Mahoning Valley.

SHEELY'S GETS NATIONAL RECOGNITION: Sheely's Furniture and Appliance, which has stores in North Lima and Aurora, has been named to Furniture Today's Top 100 U.S. furniture stores list.

To qualify for the list, eligible companies must specialize in home furnishings, with sales from furniture, bedding and accessories accounting for at least 25 percent of total sales, with at least 25 percent of those sales coming from brick-and-mortar stores.

PLAYHOUSE AUCTION OPEN: In the Imagination Creation Contest, children ages of 6-14 dreamed up their playhouse ideas. A panel of judges selected 10 designs. And now, an online auction is underway. To bid, go to the Eastwood Mall, where the winning designs are on display in the mall concourse. Informational flyers near each playhouse include a QR code that may be scanned to place a bid and check on the status of bidding. The winning bids will be revealed Aug. 17. Proceeds of the auction will benefit Akron Children's Hospital Mahoning Valley. Imagination Creation is sponsored by iHeart Media and The Cafaro Foundation.

The winning designers are Giavanna Hafely, Melody Bartlett, Olivia Mazzola, Antoinette Davis, Brianna Kleismit, J.J. Hether, Dakota Moore, Alana Moore, Zander Kosmo and Alison Smith. The 10 winning designers received Eastwood Mall gift cards.

PENGUIN CITY PARTNERS WITH FESTIVAL: Penguin City Beer is the official beer of the The Greater Youngstown Italian Fest, which takes place Aug. 4 to 6 in downtown Youngstown.

The annual festival is hosted by the Italian Heritage Foundation of Youngstown, Inc. The primary goal of the nonprofit foundation is to improve the quality of life in the greater Youngstown area through charitable donations while honoring the memory and living heritage of the Italian community in the Mahoning Valley.

Penguin City will be serving drafts of Penguin City Beer and Penguin City Light, and Holy Cannoli in cans, the collaboration pastry stout with One Hot Cookie.

LEADERSHIP MV LAUNCHES: Applications are available to be part of the Leadership Mahoning Valley Class of 2024.

Leadership Mahoning Valley is a nonprofit corporation created to identify individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who demonstrate leadership talent and community commitment.

The program includes a series of speakers, tours, hands-on activities and site visits to gain knowledge of programs, services, businesses and institutions in the community. Program days are centered around specific topics, including as the History and Heritage of the Valley, Government and Justice, Health and Human Services, Quality of Life, Business and Economic Development, Housing and Community Development, Diversity and Culture and Education.

Additionally, participants will participate in a DiSC Assessment in order to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others.

The program year begins in September and concludes with a graduation ceremony in June 2024.

Applications must be received by Aug. 1. They are available at regionalchamber.com by clicking on Initiatives / Programs and scrolling to Leadership Mahoning Valley.

iSYNERGY, YBI PARTNER: Canfield-based iSynergy, a digital marketing and search engine optimization agency, and the Youngstown Business Incubator have teamed up to provide Give Back Learning Sessions.

Starting on Tuesday, employees from iSynergy will be at YBI 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays to talk with local businesses about different aspects of marketing. The free sessions are open to the public, with registration through YBI.

Interested individuals can contact YBI and schedule one-hour sessions with iSynergy employees. Topics for each session will range from having professional headshots taken to learning how to register a website domain.

To schedule a time, RSVP at www.eventbrite.com/cc/isynergy-marketing-sessions-2302439. For registration questions, please contact Jessica Sprowl at jsprowl@ybi.org.

NEW ALTA LOCATION: Alta Behavioral Healthcare, the Valley agency committed to the social, emotional and behavioral well-being of children, adolescents, young adults and families in the community, is moving its Howland office to a new dedicated space.

Children and families can visit the new space for outpatient counseling, case management, pharmacological services, alcohol or drug treatment level one and peer support services, all with no wait times. The new facility, 8790 E. Market St. Suite 100, will replace Alta's current Howland office.

For more information about Alta, visit altabehavioralhealthcare.org.

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