7 Join Lake to River Economic Development Leadership Team
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Lake to River Economic Development, the newly established JobsOhio region, has named seven individuals to its staff.
Lake to River encompasses a four-county region covering Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The seventh JobsOhio region was formally announced by Gov. Mike DeWine last month during an event at Eastwood Event Centre in Niles.
The seven staff members are:
Alexa Sweeney Blackann, Interim CEO
Sweeney Blackann is the former president of Sweeney Chevrolet and Sweeney Buick GMC in Boardman, and is currently a consultant to #1 Cochran, which purchased the dealerships in 2023.
Sweeney Blackann serves on the board of directors for the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, Brite Energy Partners, Youngstown State University Foundation, Better Business Bureau and Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation. She also chairs the Impact Committee for the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley and is a trustee for the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County.
Sweeney Blackann holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from YSU and is a graduate of the NADA Dealer Academy.
Sarah Boyarko, Vice President of Economic Development
Boyarko leads all aspects of the economic development team, which is focused on job growth and investment throughout the four-county region.
Boyarko spent nearly 18 years at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, where she held a variety of executive level positions, including chief operating officer and senior vice president of economic development. Under her direction, the Regional Chamber’s economic development team managed 214 projects, resulting in $6.2 billion of private investment and the creation of 10,178 new jobs throughout the Mahoning Valley. Before joining the Regional Chamber, she spent 12 years in law enforcement.
Boyarko is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Mahoning Valley and a 2009 honoree of the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals’ 40 Under 40 Award. She is a member of the national and Western Reserve chapters of the Society for Human Resource Management and sits on several Valley boards and committees.
Boyarko earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from YSU.
Michael McGiffin, Vice President of Engagement and Investor Relations
McGiffin leads activities regarding private investment and stakeholder engagement. He most recently served as foundation president for the Regional Chamber, where he also oversaw operations of the Warren Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Foundation and Warren Area Chamber of Commerce Education, Civic and Cultural Foundation.
Previously, McGiffin served as a project manager for Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s OnRamp to Remote Learning initiative, chief strategy officer at Stambaugh Auditorium and director of events and special projects for the city of Youngstown.
McGiffin earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in education from YSU.
Matt Falter, Director of Talent Engagement
Falter manages the Regional Workforce Coalition and is responsible for coordination of the regional talent strategy.
Falter previously served as director of business solutions for the Workforce Initiative Association in Canton, Ohio. He has more than 24 years of combined private and public sector experience in economic and workforce development, including roles with Thomas P. Miller and Associates and the Ohio Department of Development.
Falter earned a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University and the Certified Business Engagement Professional credential.
David Wilaj, Director of Project Management
Wilaj partners with JobsOhio and local communities to support the retention and expansion of local companies and the attraction of new investment to the four-county region.
Wilaj most recently served in a similar role for the Regional Chamber, where he oversaw the launch of the Mahoning Valley Logistics Council. Before joining the chamber, he was an economist and market research analyst for the Printing United Alliance, the world’s largest graphic arts trade association.
Wilaj earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in financial economics from YSU and holds the Ohio Certified Economic Developer designation through the Ohio Economic Development Association.
Jason Neal, Director of Site Strategies
Neal partners with JobsOhio and local stakeholders to identify and market available buildings and land sites throughout the four-county region to support business expansion and attraction investment.
Neal previously worked with the Kentucky Cabinet of Economic Development and Euphrates International Investment Co. He was also a private business owner and championship winning college baseball coach.
Michelle Phillips, Director of Research
Phillips gathers, analyzes and reports data relative to the area’s economy, demographics and quality of life throughout the four-county region.
For the previous 25 years, she served in a similar role for the Regional Chamber, where she also provided business counseling services to entrepreneurs. Before joining the chamber, she worked with data systems at the YSU Bookstore and YSU Small Business Development Center.
Phillips earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information science and certificates in data analytics and multimedia from YSU.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
