VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Ohio – With optimistic expectations for 2025, members of the Western Reserve Port Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously to retain its current slate of officers during its January meeting Wednesday morning.
Remaining as chairman of WRPA’s board is Marty Loney, who was first elected to the post in 2017. Also retaining their board positions are Sam Covelli as vice-chairman and Richard Edwards as secretary.
Covelli also was re-elected as chairman of the economic development committee; Edwards was re-elected as chairman of the aviation committee; and Kathleen Dillon-Kennedy was re-elected as chairwoman of the finance committee.
“This has been an exciting year for the [port authority], and much has been accomplished under the leadership of Loney and Executive Director Anthony Trevena,” Covelli said in his remarks recommending the existing officers be retained. He also said the port authority staff and board members have worked together better than ever.
“All that everybody here has cared about is what’s good for the community,” he continued. “Why should we change midstream here? We’ve got so many exciting things happening this year.”
Following the vote, Loney echoed Covelli’s sentiments and thanked his fellow board members for their confidence in the current leadership.
“Everybody’s doing what’s right for what we’re supposed to be doing here, and that’s helping out the Valley,” Loney said.
“This has been a really good year this past year, and I’m really excited for what’s coming up,” he added.
Trevena, who WRPA hired in 2015 as director of economic development and became executive director in 2022, predicted 2025 was going to be “a really big year of projects for the Mahoning Valley.” Several projects are moving forward, including the flight school, a new Mahoning County Veterans resource center and runway repaving at Youngtown-Warren Regional Airport, which the port authority operates.
He also was “extremely optimistic” about an announcement on the 560-acre Trumbull County site purchased in late 2023 by global consumer products giant Kimberly-Clark Corp.
“I know that their board meets quarterly, and we’re hopeful that in the coming months that there will be a discussion about what their plans are for Warren,” he said.
During the meeting, the port authority approved entering into a property management agreement with Pleasant Valley Property Management LLC to manage the City Centre One and the Commerce Building in downtown Youngstown. WRPA purchased the two buildings from Ohio One Corp. in September for $6 million and officially took possession of the buildings Jan. 10.
Pleasant Valley Property Management is staffed by the management, operational and support personnel affiliated with Ohio One.
“You’ll see the same maintenance crew that has been there for 30-plus years, as well as the same building manager … as well as the same cleaning individuals and security staff,” Trevena said.