YOUNGSTOWN — Lake to River Economic Development officials said economic development isn’t limited to buildings and incentives while introducing its first permanent CEO on Friday.

Dani Robbins spoke to the news media during an agency briefing at its downtown Youngstown office. She will replace Alexa Sweeney Blackann on Dec. 1. Blackann has held the unpaid, interim leadership post since April 2024.

“This was not a process of compromise. It was a process of conviction,” said Greg Myers,

Lake to River board member and executive director / chief administrative officer of Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County. “Our conviction was unanimous.

“We were looking for someone with leadership experience, strategic vision and the ability to build lasting relationships.”

In announcing Robbins as Blackann’s successor earlier this month, Lake to River highlighted her work with nonprofits and social service agencies. They ranged from senior leadership positions in Ohio and Washington, D.C., to CEO of domestic violence shelters / rape crisis centers.

“Economic development is about bringing together different sectors to align the work and to get everybody marching on the same page, and that’s what I’ve done my whole career,” Robbins said. “So I feel really confident that I have the capacity and the ability and the skill set to do what needs to be done for this organization in this region.”

Myers said Korn Ferry, a national consulting firm, filtered through the initial set of candidates. He could not provide a number of interested parties except to say it was significant. He said more than a dozen candidates underwent initial interviews before the field was reduced to two.

Blackann noted her lack of economic development background when she was named interim CEO.

“I’m a retired car dealer,” she said. “You want to talk about lack of economic development experience.”

Myers said Robbins’ track record of leadership and building organizations stood out in the selection process. He then addressed economic development skills.

“Look at the (Lake to River) team that’s here,” he said. “The economic development skills, the economic development knowledge is within the team. The proof is in the pudding.

“They haven’t been sitting on their hands for the last 16 months. They’ve been doing work that’s been creating value and economic opportunity for this region.”

Robbins said her work with social programs meshes with Lake to River’s mission.

“I think most economic development organizations already have a social agenda,” she said. “Because you can’t have strong communities without strong systems, without good schools, without housing stock that is healthy, without people who can afford to pay for those houses, and people who can afford to educate their kids.

“So I think it’s already baked in. I’m just here to help move it forward.”

Myers added that the goal of economic development is to lift everybody within the community.