YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Judge Jack Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and filmmaker Nancy Bannon will discuss the documentary “If You Are Breathing” for the Youngstown State University Centofanti Symposium. 

The symposium will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at Stambaugh Auditorium.

Durkin established the Mahoning County Felony Drug Court in 1997, the second such court in Ohio. Following the court’s establishment, Durkin was named Lawyer of the Year by the Mahoning County Bar Association. He continues to preside over the court nearly three decades later.

Drawing on his experience with drug-related crime, Durkin formerly served with the Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative and was co-chair for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Committee.

Bannon is a performer, writer and director who has written and directed several short films and stage plays.

Her work has been recognized by festivals, labs and contests, including New York Stage and Film’s Filmmaker Workshop, the Slamdance Film Festival and New York Women in Film and Television.

As a performer, Bannon has been in multiple productions. She last acted in Mark O’Rowe’s “The Approach” and later in the off-Broadway “Occupied Territories,” which she co-wrote. 

Bannon’s documentary “If You Are Breathing” examines the national opioid crisis, with a focus on Youngstown, through the lens of frontline caregivers.

Admission to the discussion is free, but tickets are required and are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available HERE and at the Stambaugh Auditorium box office.

The Centofanti Symposium was established in 2013 in memory of James Centofanti, a Marine who served in World War II and a successful business owner, philanthropist and horseman. He was a longtime member of the board of directors of Farmers National Bank and a supporter of many educational and community-based initiatives. 

The James and Coralie Centofanti Center of Health and Welfare for Vulnerable Populations was founded in 2012 with a $1 million gift from the Centofanti Foundation. The Centofanti Symposium is a branch of the center, which features nationally recognized speaker speakers on topics regarding the needs of vulnerable populations.

Pictured at top: Judge Jack Durkin and Nancy Bannon.