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WARREN -- Elizabeth Bartz, a Trumbull County transplant and graduate of Howland High School, is president, CEO and founder of Akron-based State and Federal Communications Inc.
Bartz was born to Madeline and James Bartz in 1958 in Ann Arbor, Mich. They moved to the Warren area when her father took a job with Girves Brown Derby. He eventually purchased his own restaurant, An'Jo's, across from the Eastwood Mall in Niles. Growing up, Bartz led an active life between school and extracurricular activities.
She was one of three Bartz girls who were expected to work in the family restaurant.
"I'm the oldest of three. I have two sisters, we all went to Howland High School, two years apart from each other, and graduated 1976, 1978, and 1980," Bartz said. "The rule was, before we could go to a football game we had to go work from 5 to 7 at the restaurant. It was the busiest time."
She also worked at two different Dairy Queens before going to college.
"Growing up, it was very simple, and I don't think I live extravagantly here, but I have a dishwasher. No dishwasher back then. We had to build a shower in the basement, we had one shower for five people. We had a huge backyard, and dad did not have a lawn care company. He had three daughters. He did buy us a riding lawnmower."
School work, family responsibilities and church education was how the Bartz girls were raised.
"We would go to church and stop at Warren bakery to get our loaf of bread for our Sunday dinner. We did not sit around watching football. There was work to do, family dinner to prepare for. We were also very involved at St. Demetrios Church in Warren on High Street. I went through their Sunday school program, their Greek school program and we're still friends with a lot of people there," Bartz said.
"We were a hard-working family; my parents owned that restaurant and they were there all the time. We didn't go on a family vacation until I was 16. We went to Disney in Florida, we drove, and the second year we drove out to Kansas to see my dad's cousins. The third year we drove to Canada because it was the year I graduated and the Montreal Olympics had just been there. We really didn't do the annual vacation because my parents worked very hard for the family, and my sisters do the same thing. We work hard for our families."
BEING INVOLVED
Involvement was a big key to Bartz's success.
"In high school, I think I was involved in every activity -- French Club, Pep Club, Y-teens, I was involved in all of that. I've always been an extrovert. I was involved with homecoming, helping to decorate cars, never running for any royalty there, but I was also editor of the school paper there too."
Learning to help wherever possible benefits both parties and Bartz realized this at an early age. With all of her activities and responsibilities, she had to develop time management skills that serve her to this day.
Many schools in the 1970's still offered business office education, or secretarial, classes and in 11th grade that's where Bartz began learning about business, but soon realized she wanted to go to college and learn even more.
She began doing college prep work so she could be more prepared for Kent State University. She attended the Trumbull campus for two years then moved to the main branch and graduated, also earning her master's degree in political science there. She worked on the campus newspaper at Kent.
As for hobbies, Bartz learned to sew, and her sisters learned to crochet and embroider.
"And we read a lot. Back then we had a bookmobile that came around the neighborhood and you had to go get the books, so if we weren't really doing anything, we'd read," she said. "My dad, at one point, was the manager at the Elks club so we would spend a lot of time at the Elks Club swimming, and then read at night."
Bartz credits a love of reading for her interest in travel.
She found out about a program that KSU offered in Washington, D.C., and she told her parents she was going there for three months.
"I moved home 12 years later. I just stayed there," she said.
Despite life's changes, a good foundation makes for good roots, and Bartz' roots are in Warren. She still reads the Tribune Chronicle and tries to get back for the Greek festival when she can.
"I still go back for reunions for Howland High School. I have to make a reservation because I don't have any place to stay anymore. I used to go stay at my parents' house," Bartz said.
Now, she stays at a hotel and she and her husband, John Chames, go to the Eastwood Mall and Andrews Hardware in Howland Corners. A friend she grew up with, Ken Haidaris, owns the Sunrise Inn, so that also is a frequent stop when she is in town.
Bartz has emphasized giving back in the form of a scholarship available to graduates of Howland High School who start their college experience at Kent State at Trumbull.
"It's been really successful, I think. It's been at least eight years that I have had this scholarship available. I got a lot out of Trumbull campus when I was there, and I think it's a great way of helping somebody get their foot into college," she said.
Her mother died a few years ago and her father lives in a nursing facility in Akron, so she spends a lot of time on weekends visiting him, as does her sister, Nicollette.
Bartz marked the 30th anniversary of her business in July.