Impact Ohio, Chamber Host Public Policy Forum Sept. 12

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Impact Ohio will host a public policy forum Sept. 12 in conjunction with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and The Success Group. 

The conference, held 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Stambaugh Auditorium, is cosponsored by both the Ohio Democratic and Republican parties and will offer the opportunity to explore public policies important to the Mahoning Valley. 

“We expect to have an engaging dialogue on a variety of topics,” said Jennifer Flatter, CEO of Impact Ohio, in a statement . “We look forward to having business and community leaders gather to network and gain new insight into issues facing the community.”

The full conference agenda is still in development, but will feature government leaders, media professionals, business leaders and policy experts. 

The conference will also feature three public policy panels – “Increasing Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness: The Next Generation of Technology & Machining,” “Military Affairs and The Economy: The Importance of Camp Garfield and The Youngstown Air Reserve Station” and “Mahoning River Restoration: Enhancing Sustainability to Improve the Region.” 

Among the participants are Ohio treasurer Robert Sprague, The Business Journal CEO Jeff Leo Herrmann, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber CEO James Dignan, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments Executive Director Jim Kinnick and state Sen. Sean J. O’Brien, D-32 Bazetta.

Nick Santucci, director of government and public affairs for the Regional Chamber, sees the conference as a great opportunity for the community. 

“Advocating for a thriving business climate is at the core of the Regional Chamber’s mission on behalf of its members,” he said. “A political conference of this size and scale has never taken place before in this market and we are excited to bring an Impact Ohio Regional Conference to the Valley.” 

The Success Group launched Impact Ohio in 1984 with the Post-Election Conference in Columbus, which is held every two years immediately following the general election. In 2017, Impact Ohio was expanded to include regional conferences. There will be six conferences taking place this year.

There will be a reception following the conference at B&O Station sponsored by Covelli Enterprises. Registration, available at ImpactOhio.org, is $60 through Aug. 15.

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