WARREN, Ohio – If there was one point of agreement during Leadership Mahoning Valley’s graduation celebration Wednesday evening, it was that every class seems to believe it was the best class ever.
From alumni representing classes dating back to the 1980s to members of the newly graduated Class of 2026, the friendly debate surfaced repeatedly throughout the evening at The Grand Resort.
Karen Conklin, a member of the Class of 1994 and Leadership Mahoning Valley board member, set the tone after joking that, “Of course, the Class of ’94 was the best class.”
Members of the Class of 2026 respectfully disagreed.
“Simply the best class ever” became a recurring theme throughout the night as Leadership Mahoning Valley celebrated 41 graduates who completed the organization’s nine-month leadership development program.
The evening highlighted not only the accomplishments of the class but also the relationships formed during a year that participants described as transformative.
One of the clearest examples came through the class service project. Angela Sanders, Casey Makosky and Traci Buttar explained how the class chose to forgo a single community project in favor of monthly giving initiatives that addressed needs across the Mahoning Valley.
Sanders said the idea emerged after class members recognized growing needs in the community and concluded they could make a bigger impact through sustained giving.
“We decided that our donations would go further, or our project could go further. We could reach more if we did something month to month, and not just one big thing,” Sanders said. “So we took that big thing, and we broke it down into many, many segments.”
The class donated food to the Mahoning Valley Community School, winter clothing to Youngstown Blue Coats, school supplies to Potential Development and the Rich Center for Autism, hygiene items and other essentials to Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates, gift cards for Leadership Mahoning Valley intern Alexis and supplies to Animal Charity of Ohio.
Makosky said the donations were often tied to the monthly themes explored during the program.
“We reached out to our class, the best class, and we got input from everybody to see where the needs could be met,” she said.
The spirit of giving even found its way back to members of the class. While discussing the group’s charitable efforts, Sanders revealed that classmates had one final project. Earlier in the year, members had surprised Makosky with a baby shower. During Wednesday’s presentation, Sanders announced that the class had secretly assembled a table full of baby gifts for Makosky and her husband, who are expecting a child.
“Outside of those doors, Casey, you have a floor full of things to take home to start your new baby journey,” Sanders told her classmate.
The emotional moment fit a class that frequently joked about how often its members cried. Buttar pointed to the boxes of tissues placed on every table before unveiling the group’s final service project, a Pay It Forward Scholarship that raised $3,330 to help future participants afford tuition for the program.
“We wanted to help others coming up behind us,” Buttar said. “Our time in this program not only opened our eyes to the treasures we have in the Valley, but also to the need to collaborate as a community to move forever forward.”
JoAnn Stock, Leadership Mahoning Valley president, fought back tears as she accepted the donation on behalf of the organization.
The celebration also included a significant investment in Leadership Mahoning Valley’s future.
Jim Kinnick, executive director of Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, presented a $25,000 donation from Eastgate’s GM Community Investment Fund to support the organization’s leadership development efforts.
Kinnick praised the graduates for their commitment to the region and pointed to positive momentum throughout the Valley.
“It’s on the upswing. It’s coming back. There’s some major announcements coming,” Kinnick said, citing projects involving the Mahoning River, broadband expansion, workforce development and housing. He added that Eastgate expects multiple housing developments to be under construction within the next year as more people remain in or return to the region.
Throughout the evening, video presentations featuring members of the Class of 2026 highlighted themes that emerged repeatedly during the program year: collaboration, community service, leadership through relationships, optimism about the region’s future and a deeper understanding of the organizations that make the Valley function.
Graduates spoke about everything from touring health care facilities and museums to visiting an Underground Railroad site and learning about economic development efforts reshaping the region.
Many participants said the opening retreat established bonds that lasted throughout the year. Others pointed to the DiSC personality assessment, exposure to community resources and a renewed appreciation for the people working behind the scenes to improve the Valley.
Stock noted that Leadership Mahoning Valley now boasts more than 1,400 alumni over its 41-year history and that 53 alumni representing 24 classes attended Wednesday’s event. She described the Class of 2026 as “truly special” and said the connections formed throughout the year reflected the purpose of the program.
“It’s the people that make the class so special,” Stock said. “It’s truly a special group of people.”
During the organization’s annual meeting, board Secretary David Paul announced the re-election of Sarah Boyarko, Karen Conklin, Paul Homick, Scott Schulick and Frank Valley to three-year terms on the Leadership Mahoning Valley Board of Directors. He also announced the election of officers for the coming year: Chairman Paul Homick, Vice Chairman Scott Schulick, Treasurer Frank Valley and Paul.
The Leadership Mahoning Valley Class of 2026 includes:
- Ketuan Baldwin, solutions architect, Microsoft Corp.
- Kim Bauchens, vice president, service lines (Youngstown and Lorain), Bon Secours Mercy Health.
- Julianna Begalla, vice president, director of marketing, Farmers Bank.
- Varada Bhide, chief operating officer, YWCA of the Mahoning Valley.
- Maria Bova, associate director of government affairs, Youngstown State University.
- Traci Buttar, manager, Packer Thomas.
- Courtney Campesi, financial resource development director, Youngstown Area Jewish Federation.
- Amanda Cox, project engineer, Hynes Industries.
- Jessica Dean, vice president of marketing, AIM Transportation Solutions.
- Melanie DeCarmen, human resources manager, Vallourec.
- Gina DeGenova, juvenile court administrator, Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center.
- Rachael Dobson, director, Rich Center for Autism.
- Kevin Flinn, real estate agent, Brokers Realty Group.
- Karrington Griffin, certification specialist, YBI.
- Alex Hertzer, executive director, Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition.
- Tanay Hill, business resource adviser, Mahoning Valley Economic Development Partners.
- Jim Houck, president, Houck Agency.
- Robert Kearns, deputy superintendent, Youngstown City Schools.
- Jeremy Kerola, owner/vice president, Uniserv.
- Monica Kirkland, program service director, Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
- Ryan MacLennan, director of operations and outreach, Trumbull County Historical Society.
- Bridget Madden, customer service manager, Berk Enterprises.
- Nicole Madison, clinical nurse manager, Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley.
- Casey Makosky, HR generalist, Metallico Youngstown.
- Heather McCowin, chief nursing officer, Mercy Health Youngstown.
- Mandi Moran, marketing director, Window World.
- Jason Neal, industrial base integration manager, YBI.
- John Orsini, partner/owner, BSHM Architects.
- Nikunj Patel, chief operating officer, Cadence Care Network.
- Katie Petridis, program coordinator, Potential Development.
- Jackie Podolsky, senior manager, tax, Cohen & Co.
- Luke Politsky, director of development, YBI.
- Brian Rella, treasurer, Mahoning County Career & Technical Center.
- Liz Repasky, chief human resource officer, Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County.
- Angela Sanders, customer success manager, Phillips Healthcare.
- Michelle Sawicki, business engagement and training coordinator, Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates.
- Michelle Schmader, senior communications coordinator, National Center for Defense Manufacturing/America Makes.
- Jill Stefanucci-Uberti, vice president of medical affairs, Bon Secours Mercy Health.
- Patty Summers, founder, president and CEO, Youngstown Blue Coats.
- Zachery Teter, business project manager, MS Consultants.
- Danielle Yarina, property manager, Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority.
Applications are now available for the Class of 2027, which will begin in September. Applications can be found at LeadershipMahoningValley.org, and the deadline to apply is July 1. The upcoming class will mark the 42nd year of the organization’s signature leadership program.
Before the evening concluded, Class of 2026 member Patel reflected on a question posed during one of the group’s earliest activities. Asked what the world needed most, Patel initially answered “love.”
Nine months later, he had a different response.
“What does the world need right now?” Patel asked the audience. “It’s us. It’s every single person in this room as we come together and fight for this community.”
He then offered one final reminder that the debate over the best class ever is unlikely to end anytime soon.
“Simply put,” Patel said, “the Class of ’26 were simply the best class ever.”
Pictured at top: The 41 members of Leadership Mahoning Valley’s Class of 2026 gather for a group photo following their graduation celebration Wednesday at The Grand Resort.