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Valley input receives additional boost

The voices of Mahoning and Shenango valleys business leaders will be amplified with their addition to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s newest committee.

The Cleveland branch announced its creation Tuesday. Business advisory council members are leaders from a cross-section of regional businesses and from community development, consumer and labor organizations across the Fed’s Fourth District

Seventeen individuals were selected to the Shenango-Mahoning Valley Business Advisory Council that covers parts of eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

The Mahoning Valley also will be represented on the Fed’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. President and CEO Kevin Helmick of Farmers National Banc Corp, Canfield, was one of three new members named.

The three are leaders from commercial banks, thrift and savings banks, and credit unions with assets of less than $10 billion, the Fed said in a news release.

“We meet with advisers that come from the Federal Reserve, and they basically hear feedback on our local economy,” said Joe Koch Jr., vice president of Joe Koch Construction Inc., based in Austintown.

His expertise on the council will focus on new residential home construction.

“There’s really a good balance of different industries within our local economy that we feel the Federal Reserve is going to really try to listen to and hopefully help implement policy that can help our area,” Koch said.

Mahoning Valley representatives also include:

Guy Coviello, president and CEO, Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber; John Demmler, president and CEO, 717 Credit Union; Gordon Edwards, chief financial officer and treasurer, Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley, Boardman; Allen Ryan, director of corporate affairs, Covelli Enterprises; and Alexa Sweeney-Blackann, interim president and CEO, Lake to River Ohio.

Hailing from the Shenango Valley are Ben Bush, New Castle, Pa.; Rich Davis, Ellwood City, Pa.; Corey Deible, New Galilee, Pa.; Tim Feeney, Farrell, Pa.; David George, Hermitage, Pa.; Lew Kachulis, Sharon, Pa.; Frank Krieder, Hermitage; Zachary Lenhart, New Castle; Mark McClymonds, Portersville, Pa.; Kathy Richardson, New Wilmington, Pa.; and Rod Wilt, Hermitage.

“It’s important for us that the Fed consider real-time, qualitative data directly from the Mahoning and Shenango valley companies when deciding on monetary policy,” Coviello said.

Demmler said he looked forward to sharing insights from the local economy and discussing the impact of federal monetary policy throughout the region.

“This is one more illustration of the growing focus on northeast Ohio as an integral part of Ohio’s success story,” he said.

Koch said the council is expected to meet later this month in Youngstown.

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