YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Among the artifacts that Anthony Trevena keeps in his office is a baseball.
His son had hit the ball years ago to drive in the winning run.
The baseball has been in every office that Trevena has had since his son gave it to him. He often references it in addresses at commencements and other events during which he is asked to speak.
“Sometimes, you’ve just got to close your eyes and swing,” he says.
The baseball rests among souvenirs from various redevelopment projects done by the Western Reserve Port Authority, which Trevena serves as executive director.
There is the original key to the former Republic Steel/BDM Steel property that the port authority acquired in late 2023, where Kimberly-Clark Corp. is now constructing its $800 million plant.
The doors from the old Chemical Bank building in Boardman, which has been demolished, are now in use at the entrance to WRPA’s office in the City Centre One building in downtown Youngstown. And the doors from the former Harshman building in downtown Youngstown are now in use at the entrance to the office’s conference room.
The WRPA bought both of those buildings in 2024.
Real estate development is one of the pursuits that the port authority has engaged in since Trevena came on board just over a decade ago.
Trevena says he sees himself as a kid who “grew up in a one-stoplight town” who gets to wake up in the morning and do his “dream job.”
The New Waterford native has been executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority for nearly four years.
Formed by Mahoning and Trumbull counties in 1992 to assume operation of what was is now Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport from the city of Youngstown, WRPA has expanded its mission in recent years to be one of the major regional players in local economic development.
A Life of Service
Trevena’s career has largely revolved around public service. He recalls wanting from an early age to make a difference in the world.
“I’ve kind of carried that as a personal motto in the things that I do, just kind of leaving it a little better than when I found it, I guess,” he says.
Trevena’s career includes serving as a congressional chief of staff, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, congressional district field representative and vice president of sales and marketing for the Better Business Bureau of Mahoning Valley. From 2011 to 2015 he worked in the hospitality industry in Florida as a restaurant owner or general manager before deciding it was “time to go back to doing what I really wanted to do, which was something for the community,” he recalls.
“I have had stints where I worked in the private sector and I’m proud of those moments, but it never filled me up,” Trevena says. “There’s something about doing something and making a difference in your community that just fills a different part of your brain.”
In June 2015, Trevena had been one of the finalists for WRPA executive director. After being away from public service for a little while, he missed it and “saw a chance to serve the community again,” he says.
The board ultimately hired John Moliterno, a former president of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, who had been serving in the role on an interim basis, but the board members decided they weren’t done with Trevena. That September, they voted to hire Trevena as WRPA’s director of economic development and, later, as chief operating officer.
“He had a unique background with both public and private sectors, and he was a really bright individual,” says Sam Covelli, owner of Covelli Enterprises in Warren, vice chairman of the port authority’s board of directors and chairman of its economic development committee.
Trevena appreciated that WRPA’s board created the new position for him. The role provided him the opportunity to readjust to the community after being away and allowed him to initially focus on economic development. He also benefited from Moliterno introducing him to his extensive network of contacts.
Real Estate
When Trevena came on board at WRPA, he and Sarah Lown, now director of public finance, discussed future directions for the port authority’s development efforts.
He made a conscious choice to get into real estate development, something new for the organization. Before his hiring, the port authority’s role in economic development largely dealt with traditional incentives such as capital leases, bonds, tax increment financing and community reinvestment area programs.
Among the tools that port authorities have under Ohio law is the ability to directly negotiate with private entities to redevelop properties, without having to put those properties out for public bid or require they are sold at or above the appraised value.
“There’s properties in the community that aren’t worth what they’re appraised for,” he says. Also, what if a purchaser wants to put a property to a use that isn’t in the best interests of the community, he asks. “That’s where we step in,” he says.
Since its entry into the real estate sector, WRPA has been involved with several efforts in Trumbull and Mahoning counties to transfer, and in some cases rehabilitate, properties.
Recent projects include conversion of a long-idled building on Belmont Avenue in Youngstown into the new Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission building, redevelopment of Youngstown’s former McGuffey Plaza, and an assembly of properties in Warren for the new West Warren Industrial Park. (West Warren is being developed by Sapientia Ventures, which also owns The Business Journal.)
Most prominently, the port authority acquired the former BDM Steel property and sold much of it to Kimberly-Clark, which announced plans last year to build a plant on the site. The company is now considering construction of a 591,661-square-foot warehouse and distribution center there.
That project “pushed us as a team to our limits, and it really made us reach harder than we ever had even imagined,” presenting obstacles and challenges of which the public was unaware, he recalls.
“We really, really worked hard to get that across the finish line,” he remarks.
Local Organizations
Trevena serves or has served on the boards of several local organizations, including Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, Minority Business Assistance Center, vice chairman of Brite Energy Innovators, Better Business Bureau and Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology.
“Oh Wow engages children at an early age to think critically and creatively. I would encourage any parent to get their child off the Xbox, iPad or television and get them downtown for some good old, interactive, fun learning,” Trevena says. “Even my adult children love going with their nephews and nieces to play with them at Oh Wow.”
Ellie Platt, owner of Platt Insurance in Howland, is chairwoman of Oh Wow’s board and recruited Trevena to serve on it two years ago. She praises Trevena, whom she known for about 10 years and also serves on the BBB board with, as one of the area’s most effective and respected leaders.
“He really shows this rare blend of thoughtful and visionary leadership,” combined with “a genuine care for people,” she reflects. “He’s always focused on outcomes that uplift everyone and that uplift the community, and I think that’s hard to come by.”
Covelli also praises Trevena for his concern for the community as well as his work ethic.
“Our entire board loves working with him. He works as hard as anybody. He never asks anybody to do anything he wouldn’t do himself,” he says.
Trevena likewise compliments his board. Not a week goes by that he doesn’t talk to one of its members about a project, idea or staff issue.
He says 2026 will be a challenging year.
Upcoming projects include the recently announced new government building for Mahoning County in downtown Youngstown and construction of a new access road to serve Kimberly-Clark and other businesses on Pine Avenue, along with other projects in the pipeline. He also wants the port authority to become more proactive about communicating what it does to the community.
Trevena has no interest in moving onto another position. He says he wants to continue contributing to the community as long as he able to.
“I’d like to retire from this position, if the board and the community would let me, but not too soon,” he says. “I’ve got a couple years left.”
Pictured at top: Anthony Trevena, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, stands inside WRPA’s offices in downtown Youngstown.
