NEW ON BOARD: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber has announced the addition of Jim Gasior and Ron Selak.

With a long career in the banking industry, Gasior heads the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber Foundation as its new president. Selak, an award-winning journalist hailing from the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator, is the Chamber’s communications manager.

Gasior oversees the Chamber’s nonprofit fundraising arm in its work to support economic and workforce development initiatives, including population and talent attraction, housing and developing the next generation of business and community leaders.

He joined Cortland Bancorp in 1992 as director of internal audit and served in executive-level positions at the company, including chief financial officer. In 2009, he became president / CEO, a role he held for 12 years until Cortland merged with Farmers National Banc Corp. With the merger, Gasior joined Farmers as its senior executive vice president and corporate development officer.

Gasior, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University, lives in Canfield with his wife,TinaMarie. They have a son and a daughter.

As communications manager, Selak works closely with Kim Calvert, the Chamber’s executive vice president of membership, events and MarComm.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Selak spent 24 years in journalism. During his career, he served in multiple roles, including reporter, metro editor and business editor, and earned several Ohio Associated Press awards.

Selak, a Walsh University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science, lives in Warren with his wife, Jill, and their two children.

MERIDIAN PROMOTIONS: Meridian HealthCare has announced the promotion of Tiffani Clayton as chief quality officer, Mark Gallagher as chief business officer and Paige Rota as chief programming officer.

As chief quality officer, Clayton will oversee all quality and compliance functions within Meridian. During her six years with the company, Clayton has progressed from health information supervisor to executive director of the Meridian Road and Warren campuses. In addition to her decade of experience specializing in health information and compliance, Clayton holds a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s in psychology from Kent State University.

Gallagher leads business analytics, benchmarking and operational growth strategies as chief business officer. Gallagher’s seven-year career with Meridian began when he was an administrative / operations intern. He has advanced to roles such as special projects coordinator and executive director of the Judge Joseph Donofrio Center. He also serves on the board of directors for Alta Care Group and holds an MBA from Pace University and a bachelor’s from Cleveland State University.

As chief programming officer, Rota manages the care coordination, prevention and criminal justice departments. In her four years with Meridian, Rota served as the site administrator and director of integrated care. A licensed independent social worker supervisor and licensed chemical dependency counselor III, she specializes in mental health, addiction treatment and youth prevention. She holds a master’s in social work from Youngstown State University.

ACCOMPLISHED: Two Mahoning Valley business owners have received national recognition.

Aundrea Cika Heschmeyer, president and owner of MARQUEE Creatives LLC, has graduated from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s T.H.R.I.V.E. 2024 Emerging Leaders Reimagined.

This seven-month, MBA-equivalent training series is designed to accelerate the growth of select small businesses in their first decade of operation. Heschmeyer was among 24 business owners chosen for the Cleveland Cohort, with 20 completing the program.

T.H.R.I.V.E., an acronym for Train, Hope, Rise, Innovate, Venture and Elevate, is an executive-level training series designed to help high-potential small businesses realize their growth plans. Each graduate completes a three-year growth plan.

Founded in 2005, MARQUEE is a marketing agency based in Youngstown. The 11-member firm specializes in marketing and events.

Mark Wolanzyk, president of Mr. PC Inc., also graduated from the T.H.R.I.V.E program. Mr. PC Inc. is an information technology firm located on Courthouse Square in Warren.

Wolanzyk was among the approximately 25 small business owners accepted into the 2024 Northeast Ohio cohort.

Founded 26 years ago, Mr. PC has spent the past eight years in downtown Warren providing a spectrum of IT services, from cybersecurity solutions and network installation to managed services and hardware support. Wolanzyk previously participated in the SBA’s Emerging Leaders program in 2016 and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.

CERTIFIED: Lisa O’Bryant, a financial adviser with Morgan Stanley’s Canfield office, has been awarded the CFP certification.

O’Bryant has worked at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management since 2021. In addition to providing financial planning services, she provides other advisory and nonadvisory financial services, including brokerage services.

The CFP designation identifies individuals who have met experience and ethical requirements; successfully have completed financial planning coursework; and have passed the CFP certification examination. CFP certificants also must agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements and to uphold the Certified Planner Board of Standards Inc.’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards.

CAREER CENTER TALK: The Mahoning County Career & Technical Center’s recruiting and marketing coordinator for its adult career program will offer a presentation at 11 a.m. Monday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 550 N. Broad St., Canfield.

Jodi Glass will discuss the Center’s role as a post-secondary Ohio technical center serving adults in the Mahoning Valley.

The school offers full- and part-time career training programs; customized training for business and industry; professional development opportunities; special interest classes; and Aspire classes for adult basic literacy.

Glass also will discuss the growing need for technical training instructors in health care, fire and EMS, and skilled trades as well as a need for special interest instructors.

This is a free community outreach social program offered to senior citizens. No reservations are required. For more information, call 330-533-3531, option 4, or email gpcanfield@gmail.com.

A box lunch will be provided.