CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Team NEO Board of Directors has appointed Matt Dolan to be the organization’s next CEO, effective Tuesday.
Dolan is replacing Bill Koehler, who is stepping down after nearly a decade of leadership.
Dolan is an “accomplished attorney, successful businessman, a collaborative leader,” Kim Riley, chair of the Team NEO Board of Directors, said in a news release.
“Together with Team NEO’s exceptional economic development team, we have confidence that Matt will leverage his unique experience to build on the momentum we’ve created and continue to advance economic growth and prosperity for the companies, people, and communities of Northeast Ohio,” Riley said.
Dolan served in the Ohio House from 2005-2010 and in the state Senate from 2017-2024. As Finance Committee chair in both chambers, he oversaw billions of dollars of budgets and helped create the economic development tools that JobsOhio and Team NEO use to attract new businesses to the region, help existing companies grow and create jobs.
Dolan is a former chief assistant prosecutor for Geauga County and assistant attorney general for the state of Ohio. He is currently a partner at the law firm Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan and is vice president of 7th Avenue Properties, where he managed several area businesses as well as real estate properties.
“I am honored and excited to become CEO of Team NEO, an organization I respect for the work it does to advance economic development throughout our 14-county Northeast Ohio Region,” Dolan said. “Building on the strong foundation established by Bill Koehler, I look forward to working with our outstanding team, as well as area business leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders as we create a strong, unified voice for the region to advocate for investment and growth driving business expansion, job creation, and innovation for all Northeast Ohio and our residents.”
Koehler announced that he was ready to “pass the torch” in August 2024.
“Leading Team NEO has been an incredible honor, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our talented staff, dedicated board, committed partners across the region and JobsOhio,” Koehler said. “Together, we have made meaningful strides in creating economic vibrancy and strengthening Northeast Ohio’s economic development network. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, and I have full confidence that under Matt’s leadership, Team NEO will continue to reach new heights. I look forward to supporting him through this transition and seeing the organization’s impact grow even further.”
Team NEO’s Board of Directors formed a committee to lead the search for a new CEO. Waverly Partners, a nationally recognized economic development executive search firm headquartered in Cleveland, worked with the search committee to recruit more than 200 qualified candidates for consideration.
“Our decision to hire Matt Dolan reflects our confidence in his ability to strengthen relationships, drive investment to support our work in economic development, and build on the strong foundation Team NEO has established,” said Don Taylor, chair of the Team NEO Board of Directors’ Governance Committee and leader of the search committee.
Pictured at top: In this Oct. 7, 2019, file photo, state Sen. Matt Dolan, left, speaks during a news conference at the Ohio Department of Public Safety in Columbus, Ohio. (Joshua A. Bickel | The Columbus Dispatch via AP, File)