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A Warren native was honored recently with the Ohio Commodore Award, which recognizes business leaders for their contributions to economic development in their communities and across the state.
George Brown, 36, a 2003 graduate of Warren G. Harding High School, was nominated for the award by Gov. Mike DeWine, and was one of 50 business leaders to be inducted into the Association of Ohio Commodores. Warren entrepreneur Sam Covelli, the largest franchisee of Panera Bread, is the 2021 Grand Commodore of the association. Covelli's father, Al Covelli, was grand commodore in 1998.
"It is a great honor to be part of an organization so rich in Ohio history," Brown said following the Oct. 16 ceremony in Columbus. "It was an honor to be inducted in the presence of Sam Covelli, who has strong ties to the Warren area."
Brown, who lives in Pataskala with his wife, Meghan, graduated from Youngstown State University and is the executive director of the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program.
He joined the energy program after serving in a senior role at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he led engagements with members of Congress and industry stakeholders, according to the OOGEEP website. Brown has previous experience serving as the deputy assistant administrator for Congressional and Legislative Affairs and associate administrator for intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he spearheaded efforts with federal, state and local leaders on a variety of issues impacting small businesses across America.
His private-sector experience includes managing regulatory and government affairs at Westfield Insurance. He also has served in the offices of U.S. Sens. George V. Voinovich and Rob Portman, his biography states.
The Association of Ohio Commodores was founded by Gov. James A. Rhodes in 1966 during a ceremony at the Perry Monument at Put-in-Bay. Named for the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, Rhodes established the executive order of the Ohio Commodores to honor 60 Ohio businessmen who accompanied him on Ohio's first international trade mission, the association's website states.