Huntington National Bank Donates $45K to Lake to River
BOARDMAN, Ohio – Huntington National Bank has provided a $45,000 boost to Lake to River Economic Development’s efforts.
Representatives of both organizations participated in a ceremonial check presentation Monday morning at Huntington’s private banking center.
The donation to the new JobsOhio partner – which covers Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties – aligns with Huntington’s mission to improve people’s lives, help businesses thrive and strengthen the communities the bank serves, said Sam Huston, Mahoning Valley market president.
“This is about bringing jobs to the area. This is about bringing paying jobs. This is about the businesses that are here today, helping grow and expand, but also to attract new business and so on. That’s going to strengthen our community,” he added. “When I talk about it aligning with Huntington’s mission, we see that as something that very much aligns and that we would absolutely want to support.”
Mike McGiffin, Lake to River vice president of engagement and investor relations, credited the efforts of Julie Strickland, Huntington vice president/community development relationship manager for the tri-state region, for securing the donation.
“She helped us, at the most integral level, find the connection between Huntington’s mission and our mission and attached funding to it,” McGiffin said.
The $45,000 gift from Huntington’s community development foundation will be used as Lake to River works to build its workforce coalition out and as the organization works to attract businesses to the area and help existing local companies expand.
“We meet with over 200 businesses a year within this market to understand how they’re planning to grow and expand, and we utilize that to generate our leads for helping businesses expand in this market,” he continued. “We also work on attraction projects, and we’ve got dozens of leads in companies that we’re trying to attract in this area.” At any given time, Lake to River is managing more than $1 billion in capital investment projects for the four-county region, he said.
JobsOhio currently provides at least 50% of the funding for Lake to River“It’s important to them and it’s important to us that we have a local stake,” McGiffin said.
“We know that investment in economic development is one of the biggest wealth generators for a community, so if we’re going to invest, an investment like this will raise all boats,” said Alexa Sweeney Blackann, Lake to River interim CEO. “It’s taking what Huntington does well in the community. They’re a great partner to businesses. They’re a great partner to some of our vibrant community grants. And then they’re taking those dollars from the foundation perspective and reinvesting them in the community, because they know it will generate wealth.”
Such donations exemplify the importance of economic development at the corporate level, said Greg Myers, executive director of the Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County.
When partners like Huntington Bank are willing to make an investment in a regional economic development entity like Lake to River, it sets an example for the rest of the community, “and shows the importance of economic development at the corporate level and how it helps us work together to raise the economic opportunity for everyone throughout the region,” Myers said.
Pictured at top: From left are Alexa Sweeney Blackann, interim CEO of Lake to River Economic Development; Jim Stallsmith, relationship manager at Huntington National Bank; Julie Strickland, vice president/community development relationship manager for the tri-state region at Huntington; Samuel Huston, Mahoning Valley market president at Huntington; Greg Myers, executive director of Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County; Chuck George, president of the Lake to River Board of Directors; and Michael McGiffin, vice president of engagement and investor relations for Lake to River.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
