YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Leadership Mahoning Valley recently announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors.
Sarah Boyarko, vice president of economic development at Lake to River Economic Development, and Jessica Foster, senior manager, assurance at Cohen & Co., joined the board, bringing professional expertise, leadership experience and a commitment to strengthening the Mahoning Valley.
Board members of Leadership Mahoning Valley guide the organization’s strategic direction and ensure its long-term growth and sustainability. Responsibilities include participation in quarterly board meetings, engagement in committee work, support of organizational initiatives and a commitment to advancing the organization’s mission.
“Our newest board members bring valuable insight and perspective that will further strengthen our efforts to cultivate informed, connected and engaged community leaders,” said Paul Homick, Leadership Mahoning Valley board chairman. “Their dedication to this region and passion for leadership development will be instrumental as we continue to grow our impact.”
JoAnn Stock, president of Leadership Mahoning Valley, agreed.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sarah and Jessica to the Leadership Mahoning Valley board and appreciate their willingness to serve,” she said. “Their professional expertise and commitment to community will help guide our organization as we continue our work of building strong leaders for the Mahoning Valley.”
In her position as vice president of economic development at Lake to River, the JobsOhio regional network partner, Boyarko leads all aspects of the economic development team, which is focused on job growth and investment throughout Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties. Under her direction, the Lake to River team has managed expansion and attraction projects, resulting in $860 million in private investment and the creation of 685 new jobs in the region.
Prior to Lake to River, Boyarko spent 18 years at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, where she held a variety of executive-level positions, including operations and human resources, and spent 15 years leading economic development throughout Mahoning and Trumbull counties. She oversaw or managed 216 expansion and attraction projects, resulting in more than $6.2 billion of private investment and the creation of 10,218 new jobs. Prior to the chamber, Boyarko spent 12 years in law enforcement.
Boyarko is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Mahoning Valley and 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. In 2024, she was inducted into the Association of Ohio Commodores, elected to the Ohio Economic Development Association Board of Directors and sits on several regional economic and community development boards and committees.
Boyarko earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in criminal justice from Youngstown State University. She and her husband, Matt, are lifelong residents of Boardman Township.
Foster is a lifelong resident of Girard, except for her four years attending St .Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics, with minors in secondary education and Italian, and a concentration in middle school education. After graduation, she returned to Girard, where she taught mathematics in grades seven through 12 for three years at McDonald and Howland high schools.
Foster then attended the University of Akron and earned her Master of Science degree in accountancy in 2013 and has since been employed at Cohen & Co., where she is a senior manager in the assurance department, focusing on assurance work for privately held companies as well as various firmwide initiatives.
Foster has served as a board or committee member of various nonprofits, including Alta Care Group, Beatitude House/Ursuline Sisters, the United Way of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley, Junior League of Youngstown and Junior League of Akron. She is a past president of Youngstown Business & Professional Women and the current president of the Saint Mary’s College Alumnae Association Board of Directors.
Her honors include being a 2018 Mahoning Valley Young Professionals 25 under 35 honoree, a 2019 class member of the AICPA’s Leadership Academy and the 2022 Irish Echo 40 under 40 Women’s Empowerment award winner. She serves as the chair of the Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee of the AICPA and is a member of the Women’s Initiatives Committee of the Ohio Society of CPAs.
Foster is a graduate of the Leadership Mahoning Valley Class of 2024. She lives in Girard with her husband, Doug.