Business briefs
The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber is accepting nominations for its Family-Owned Business Award.
The chamber, with partners Huntington, HBK and Roetzel & Andress, will honor 20 family-owned businesses at a dinner Feb. 27 at The Lake Club in Poland.
The categories are Success in Succession, Social Impact, Family-Owned Business Advocate of the Year, Local to National Presence and Growth Story. The categories are designed to highlight a family-owned business or individual that has excelled in each.
Of the honorees, one will be chosen from each category as the recipient of a special award.
The Family-Owned Business program was designed to help family businesses of all sizes and industries with succession planning, including maximizing value, understanding tax implications and many other aspects during the transition of a business. The dinner showcases the successes and importance of family-owned businesses in the community.
Nominate a business at https://tinyurl.com/3w9prbdb by Jan. 10.
LAWYER RECOGNIZED: Martin J. Boetcher, an employment and civil litigation lawyer with Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell, Ltd., has been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list for 2025.
Published by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine, the list is based on peer review by lawyers throughout the state. Only about 5% of the state’s attorneys are selected to appear on the list.
Boetcher was recognized in the Employment & Labor category. He serves clients throughout the Youngstown, Warren and Salem areas on matters of employment, workers’ compensation and general civil litigation. He is certified as a specialist in workers’ compensation law by the Ohio State Bar Association.
Boetcher has practiced law for more than 30 years with Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell and its predecessor firms.
MOVES AT MORE OPTIONS: More Options Realty, headquartered in Boardman, is now active in North Carolina, the firm announced. It is the fourth state for the office; the others are Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.
The firm also added several new agents. They are Ezequiel Rabello, working the Pittsburgh area; Raymond Sanders, working the Youngstown area; Trisha Koenig, working the southwest Florida market; Matt Martinez and Adrienne Mitchell, both in the Youngstown area; Drew Pirlozzi, in the Hubbard area; David Ricks, in northeast Ohio; and David Raptis, working in the West Palm Beach, Florida, area.
More Options also recently had its 2nd annual gift drive to benefit Mahoning County Children Services. The firm more than doubled the amount of gifts collected last year.
MVYP TO BECOME AFFILIATE OF CHAMBER: Mahoning Valley Young Professionals has announced it will become an affiliate of the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber as part of its ongoing reorganization to better serve the community.
As an affiliate, MVYP intends to launch new programs to help local employers recruit and retain young professionals, integrate the region’s post-secondary students into the organization and invigorate its annual 25 Under 35 event.
The chamber received a grant from the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber Foundation to provide staffing to establish new programs, such as mentorship from senior leaders to MVYP members and mentorship from MVYP members to high school and college students.
The group joins other chamber affiliates, including the Warren Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Foundation, Warren Area Chamber of Commerce Education, Civic & Cultural Foundation and Lake to River Holding Company.
BON SECOURS MERCY HEALTH RECOGNIZED: Bon Secours Mercy Health has been named to the 2024 Digital Health Most Wired Survey, recognized by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives for its outstanding integration of technology in patient care.
The organization earned honors in the Level 9 Acute and Level 9 Ambulatory categories, demonstrating its leadership in advancing health care through digital innovations.
Mercy Health-Youngstown is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health and locally serves the Mahoning Valley.
STUDENTS COMPLETE APP CHALLENGE: Students in the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center’s software development have achieved a milestone in innovation and teamwork by completing their submission for NASA’s prestigious App Development Challenge. The intensive 10-week program tasked students with designing an application to visualize the mission profile for Artemis II — the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo.
Guided by Billy Young, a simulation software engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the MCCTC team developed a state-of-the-art application using Unity, a leading game development platform. Their app features 3D Mission visualization, real time data displays and interactive features like camera toggles and playback controls.
LEADERSHIP AWARDS ANNOUNCED: The Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University has announced the recipients of its fall 2024 Senior Leadership Awards, recognizing several students for their exceptional academic performance, leadership activities and professional development.
The recipients represent a diverse range of disciplines across WCBA, including accounting, finance, marketing, management, human resources and communication.
Recipients from the Lariccia School of Accounting & Finance included:
• James Shaffer, an accounting major from Campbell, who has secured a position as an associate accountant with HBK CPAs and Consultants and will pursue his MBA at YSU in the spring.
• Ashley Thompson, an accounting major from Youngstown, who will join Schroedel, Scullin & Bestic as a tax intern.
• Alan Greathouse is a finance major from Berlin Center and will continue his career as a real estate agent.
Recipients from the Department of Marketing and Management included:
• Angelina Peebles of Struthers, who studied human resources and intends to pursue a career in human resources with plans to attend graduate school.
•Jordyn White, a management major from McDonald, who has accepted a position as office & marketing coordinator with Advanced Technology Partners in Austintown.
• Dylan Shields of Cortland, who studied marketing and is employed as a fulfillment specialist at Fastenal.
Recipients from the Department of Communications included:
• Hailey Clark, a communication major from Youngstown, who will continue her work in the human resources department at Lippert in Elkhart, Indiana, and plans to pursue a master’s degree in human resources.
• David Battaglia of Warren, who studied telecommunication and is continuing his work with the Boardman Performing Arts Center, intending to pursue a master’s degree in communication.
People on the move
TRUMBULL COUNTY NATIVE JOINS FIRM: Niles native Sam Rossi has joined the staff of Lesic & Camper Communications.
The firm’s public affairs emphasis provides clients with expertise in strategic communications, including media relations, community engagement, public opinion development and support for clients’ public policy and business goals.
Clients include corporations, nonprofits, government agencies and associations.
Rossi worked as an Ohio Legislative Service Commission Fellow in 2009. He later served as a legislative aide to former state Senator Keith Faber and deputy press secretary for the Senate Majority Caucus.
In 2012, Rossi joined the Ohio Department of Medicaid for a four-year tenure as the office’s communications director.
Afterward, he joined the Ohio Association of Health Plans as the organization’s director of government affairs, overseeing legislative and policy priorities.
Rossi returned to state government to serve as press secretary for former Secretary of State Jon Husted and later as communications director for Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague.
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Business briefs
BERK ENTERPRISES CERTIFIED: Warren-based Berk Enterprises has been certified a Woman-Owned Business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
The certification marks a new chapter for the family-owned company and reinforces its commitment to diversity and empowerment within the food service disposables and packaging industry, a press release states.
Reilly Berk is owner and president, the release states, of the company, which was founded by her grandparents and run for many years by her father, Rob.
Berk Enterprises provides food service disposables and packaging solutions.
HELP FOR CADENCE CARE: DeSalvo Construction is supporting Cadence Care Network this holiday season by matching donations made through Dec. 31, up to $25,000, to support the organization’s programs.
The programs include foster care, behavioral health services for children, school-based services and the Cadence Coffeehouse and Creperie, a social enterprise providing job readiness and life skills to youth with behavioral health challenges.
Donations can be made at cadencecare.org/givingtuesday.
WRTA WINNER ANNOUNCED: Yellow Brick Place Cancer Wellness Center was presented the first ever Nonprofit of the Year Award by the Western Reserve Transit Authority as part of its Holiday Lights Campaign.
The organization was among 12 nonprofits honored for the 4th annual campaign. Each of the honorees will receive promotions, including bus signs, to help create awareness of their services. Yellow Brick Place will receive additional help.
It offers support and education to cancer patients and those closest to them by providing individual and group programs in the Mahoning Valley. All of their services and programs for cancer patients, caregivers and family members are offered for free and are non-medical.
YSU STUDENTS PLACE IN COMPETITION: Four students from the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University won second place in the Association for Supply Chain Management’s Pittsburgh Supply Chain Case Competition on Nov. 16 at Duquesne University.
The YSU team, which competed against 11 teams from nine universities, shared the $3,000 prize.
According to Alina Marculetiu, an assistant professor in the Department of Management and Marketing and faculty adviser for the team, teams were presented with a qualitative case study on the morning of the competition and had 2.5 hours to develop a solution and prepare a five-minute presentation.
The YSU team was Skylar Brocious, a senior accounting major from Southington; Elizabeth Saur, a senior business administration major from Grove City; Caleb Sturgeon, a senior business administration major from Beloit; and Sean Ascano, a senior supply chain management major from Girard.
SCHOOLS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS: The Mahoning County Career & Technical Center and Valley STEM+ME2 Academy are taking applications for the 2025-26 school year.
MCCTC, for juniors and seniors, has more than 20 career pathways, including health care, engineering, culinary arts, robotics and cosmetology.
Valley STEM, open to 9th- and 10th-grade students, integrates science, technology, engineering and math into a project-based curriculum designed to prepare students for future success.
Apply at mahoningctc.com.
KINDNESS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: Premier Bank recently launched its 5th annual “Powered By (kind) People. Fueled By You.” campaign. The tagline reflects the bank’s longstanding commitment to the community.
The bank also is encouraging its associates to participate in its Community Volunteer Program, which is designed to give associates the opportunity to represent the bank through community events and organizations that they are passionate about. The program provides paid volunteer time for associates annually.
Premier Bank also has five community partners from various markets to join them in a video series titled, “Powered by (kind) People. Fueled by You. Video Series,” to spread kindness and support programs to benefit families in the communities they serve.
People on the move
NEW HIRE AT FARMERS: Farmers National Bank recently hired Rebecca Soriano as project manager. She will be based out of the Canfield administrative office and will lead and monitor various projects throughout the organization.
Soriano brings more than 15 years of experience in project management to Farmers, with nine of those years spent in a leadership role.
BURGAN ADDS STAFF: Burgan Real Estate has brought O’Keal Gist as an agent.
Gist, a native of Akron, attended Youngstown State University to attain his degree in marketing. After graduating, he began a career as a property manager and later went on to become a loan originator.
To submit items for business briefs, new businesses and people on the move, email business@tribtoday.com.