Columbus CEO - January 2025 issue

WHEN FINANCIAL ADVISORS ARE CROOKED,

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CEO OF THE YEAR

Our 14th annual CEO of the Year awards recognize 16 Central Ohio executives from the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Learn who our 2024 honorees are, and find out what C-suite leaders think about the economic outlook for the year ahead.

Photo by Tim Johnson

Oyauma Garrison

12 Profile

Don DePerro has helped revitalize the Columbus Chamber and forged new community partnerships.

15 Small Business Spotlight

Wilcox Communities finds a niche in the apartment market.

18 Best of Business

Photos from our 17th annual awards celebration

21 CEO of the Year Honorees

Meet the 16 executives recognized in our 14th annual awards.

38

Economic Outlook Survey

C-suite leaders weigh in on the local economy and their expectations for 2025, with analysis from Regionomics.

44

Everyday Kindness Heroes

Mary Donahue continues her mother’s spirit of giving through a gift drive that benefits those in need.

46

Overturning Overtime

Attorneys and HR executives offer advice on the court ruling striking down new salary thresholds for exempt employees.

48

Money Market Funds

MMFs can offer short-term benefits for many investors, with advantages such as lower risk and flexibility.

54

Senior Living Directory

93 communities across Central Ohio offering various levels of care

60

The Power of Positivity

Positive Foundry teaches employees that a new mindset can help change lives.

Photo by Tim Johnson

Photo by Tim Johnson

Photo by Tim Johnson

EverydayKindness Heroes

Sometimes the beneficiary is a stranger. Sometimes it’s a friend, acquaintance or colleague. We look to honor those who perform extraordinary selfless acts to improve, heal and unite our community.

Consider lifting up the volunteer quietly aiding their neighbors or the community member tirelessly advocating for change. We need your help to recognize the kind, selfless heroes among us.

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Phone: 614-540-8900

CEO.com

VOLUME 34 / NUMBER 1

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Michelle Crossman

EDITORIAL

Julanne Hohbach

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Linda Lee Baird, Lucy Clark, Katy Smith

CONTRIBUTORS

Tim Feran, Emma Frankart Henterly, Kathy Lynn Gray, Chuck Nelson, Laura Newpoff, Shannon Shelton Miller, Mandy Shunnarah, Peter Tonguette

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

PAGE DESIGNERS

Kathryn Biek, Kelly Hignite, Hannah Patton

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO EDITOR

Tim Johnson

ADVERTISING

MULTIMEDIA SALES MANAGERS

Heather Kritter, Adam Trabitz

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Rebecca Zimmer

MARKETING

MARKETING MANAGER

Lauren Reinhard

PRESS RELEASES

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Columbus CEO (ISSN 1085-911X) is published six times a year by Gannett. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © Gannett Co., Inc. 2025, all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials. Known address of publication is 605 S. Front St., Columbus, Ohio 43215. Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, Ohio, and additional mailing offices.

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Editor’s Notes

Celebrating 2024, And a Look Ahead

Central Ohio is fortunate to have remarkable bench strength when it comes to organizational leadership. The region boasts numerous CEOs and executives who help their companies thrive, even in difficult circumstances.

For the 14th year, our CEO of the Year initiative allows us to highlight some of these individuals. Our 2024 honorees include five winners and 11 finalists who lead for-profit and nonprofit organizations across the region. From a Fortune 500 insurance executive to the CEO of a billiondollar automotive industry supplier and two nonprofit leaders who work to help human trafficking victims and individuals with substance abuse issues, all earned the admiration of their peers.

The companion piece to the awards is an economic analysis and forecast for 2025, compiled from C-suite executives’ responses to our annual Survey of Economic Conditions. We’re indebted to economist Bill LaFayette of Regionomics, who compiles the survey and analyzes the results.

You’ll find the CEO of the Year package on Page 21.

While you’re reading, don’t miss the debut of our new Everyday Kindness Heroes feature, which shines a spotlight on people who help make our community a better place. Columbus CEO, The Columbus Dispatch and Columbus Monthly are partnering with the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation to tell the stories of those who give their time to help others. You’ll find Everyday Kindness Heroes in every issue. If you have a suggestion for someone we should feature, let us know. Our first story starts on Page 44.

And finally, in an issue where we’re celebrating such outstanding individuals, I also have some great news to share about Columbus CEO. Astute readers might notice that this edition is labeled January 2025 instead of on a quarterly cadence. That’s because CEO is increasing its frequency to six issues in 2025.

We’re thrilled to be able to bring you more Central Ohio business news and insights, including compelling profiles, trend stories, and of course our longstanding signature awards programs, which are rounded out by Top Workplaces and Best of Business. We have some new things in store, too, including an expanded focus on women in business (which involves our sister publication Columbus Monthly), the return of Small Business Spotlight, a section on young professionals and more. If you’re not a print subscriber already, it’s the perfect time to sign up for a complimentary subscription. Go to subscribe.columbusceo.com.

Thanks for reading.

Julanne Hohbach Editor

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BY PETER TONGUETTE

Business Booster

Don DePerro has helped revitalize the Columbus Chamber and forged new partnerships in the community.

As a teenager in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, Don DePerro acquired an unusual nickname. “I would shake hands with everybody, and they started calling me ‘Chamber of Commerce,’ ” says DePerro, a longtime business journalist and publisher who was recruited in 2016 to lead the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. It was a significant career change, but one for which he was well suited, given his deep knowledge of the community and its leaders, not to mention the outgoing, gregarious personality that earned him that nickname in Buffalo years ago.

In early 2025, DePerro will retire from the organization he has led as president and CEO for nearly a decade. Asked what prompted his decision, he speaks from the heart. DePerro, 66, says that in recent years, several of his closest friends—each younger than he is now—have died. He says he is blessed with good health. He and his wife, Lia, have raised three children. It was time to turn the page.

Above all, DePerro is satisfied with what he has achieved at the chamber and wants to exit on a high note. “A general manager will say, ‘It’s better to cut your ties a year too early than a year too late,’” he says. “I don’t want to be the type of leader where the board has to come to me and say, ‘Well, Don, you know, we think you served your role very well, but it’s time.’”

Community leaders who know and have worked with him say his impact reaches beyond the chamber into the region as a whole.

“In Don, sales acumen and civic advocacy came together in a uniquely compelling fashion, and Columbus is a better place as a result,” says Doug Kridler, president and CEO of The Columbus Foundation and a member of the chamber’s Government Affairs Steering Committee. “He built the chamber back up against tough headwinds, expanding its reach and relevance along the way.”

Darci Congrove, the managing director of accounting firm GBQ

Partners who also sits on the chamber foundation board of directors, describes DePerro as a “transformational” figure. “Don has had a tremendous impact at the chamber, by almost every measure: number of members, new community and government partnerships, expanded programming, profitability, strategic direction—and tangible benefits to the Columbus business community,” Congrove says.

Focus on Growth

The nonprofit chamber has seen significant gains in paid membership during DePerro’s tenure—from 1,200 to nearly 2,500—and experienced

major increases in its profitability thanks to a renewed commitment to programming and events. “In 2015, the chamber made less than … $150,000 profit out of all of the events that we did,” he says. “In 2023 … we made $875,000 in profit.”

The lineup of expanded chamber-sponsored activities ranges from mixers and luncheons to CEO Insights interviews with business leaders. More informal get-togethers include golf outings, pickleball tournaments and the long-standing (and much-loved) Clambake & Lobster Feast. DePerro estimates the chamber has gone from hosting about 20 events annually to more than 60.

“It’s the connections. It’s the collegiality. It’s the partnerships. It’s the relationships,” DePerro says. “I joke [that] we really don’t need to have a program at our annual meeting. We could have two-and-a-half hours of just standing around, networking and drinking coffee, and everyone would go home happy as hell. That’s what our annual meeting is all about.”

DePerro has been mindful in growing the chamber in ways that reflect Columbus’ increasingly diverse business landscape. When he took the job, DePerro reached out to Columbus Urban League President and CEO Stephanie Hightower. “I said to Stephanie, ‘I need your help. Too

Don DePerro

President and CEO

Columbus Chamber of Commerce

Age: 66

Previous: President and publisher, Columbus Business First; publisher, editor and writer roles with American City Business Journals publications in Jacksonville, Charlotte and Buffalo; Niagara Gazette

Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in business, Buffalo State University

Community involvement: ASPYR; Columbus State Community College Workforce Advisory Council; Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Central Ohio Business Advisory Council; Recreation Unlimited

many of our members look like me: [a] middle-aged white man. And we need to do something about it.’ ”

Today, DePerro says, the chamber includes among its membership 115 Black-owned businesses, more than 80 of which are Black, women-owned companies.

Also launched during DePerro’s tenure are programs such as Accelerate Columbus, to support entrepreneurs and small business; the Women’s Collective, which supports women business leaders through development workshops and mentorship; Elevate Cbus, focused on emerging leaders; and Cultivate US, which aids businesses run by new and emerging citizens.

“We’re connecting minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses [and] immigrant-owned businesses with majority-owned businesses,” he says.

Newspaper Roots

DePerro’s career began as a youth in Buffalo, where looked up to his father, a World War II veteran who drove a truck for Roadway Express during the week and worked at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on weekends. “He would change the hockey rink

Photo by Tim Johnson

into the basketball court,” DePerro says. At the Catholic schools he attended, DePerro struggled in math but loved reading. His writing career began on a school newspaper, The Marksman. “I was an adequate writer, but I was a better reporter,” he says. “I could elicit things out of people.”

After graduating with a degree in journalism from Buffalo State University in 1981, DePerro got a job at the Niagara Gazette, where he covered town councils, school boards and a future Superfund site, the Love Canal. He learned a lot. “I sat next to the environmental reporter and the city hall reporter and the columnist,” he says.

In 1984, DePerro made the leap to business journalism. That year, he was among a handful of Niagara Gazette colleagues who joined newly formed Buffalo Business First Two years later, he moved to North Carolina to become the managing editor and later editor-in-chief of the Business Journal of Charlotte, where he and his colleagues launched the Inc. 500-inspired “Fast 50” program. He found he enjoyed overseeing the

staff. “Nothing gets me going, in a positive way, more than seeing somebody get it—seeing somebody figure it out,” he says. “I’ve always empowered people. I’ve never, ever been a micromanager.”

In 1991, DePerro was named president and publisher of the Jacksonville Business Journal, which was a turnaround opportunity: He was the seventh publisher in the paper’s nearly six-year existence. “It had never turned a profit,” he says. “In four years, we were able to double the top line, create a significant profit margin and straighten the whole place out— and my reward was Columbus.”

From 1996 to 2016, DePerro was president and publisher of Columbus Business First, through which he became well-known in both the business and civic communities. Then came the opportunity to rejuvenate the chamber. “Columbus was now home,” he says. “My wife loved it here. … My kids were in school. This gave me an opportunity to turn around a venerable organization.”

As it turned out, all of his years covering business news had prepared

DePerro well for his new post. “I would interview CEOs and founders,” he says. “I learned so much, [including that] you learn far more from failure than you do from success. People who’ve never experienced failure will have great difficulty finding great success.”

Following his retirement, DePerro will stay on as a short-term consultant, but he is happy to pass the baton to his successor, Derrick Clay, who assumes the top post on Jan. 6. “Derrick is a natural leader,” DePerro says. “He’s a great listener. He’ll proceed on his own terms at his own pace, which is exactly the right thing to do.”

DePerro and his wife plan to remain in Dublin. He hopes to stay involved in the community by finding opportunities to serve on company boards. But his legacy rests with the chamber—a fitting career capstone for the teen once dubbed “Chamber of Commerce.”

“It needed the shine to be put back on it and the reputation restored,” he says. “I think we’ve done that in nine years. I really think we’ve done that.”

Peter Tonguette is a freelance writer.

Photo by Tim Johnson

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Photos by Tim Johnson

Focus on Family

Wilcox Communities leans on its heritage when developing new apartment communities around the region.

BY MANDY SHUNNARAH

Brothers Jamie and Jonathan Wilcox and their father, Randy, have found success capitalizing on a growing niche in the local housing market, providing steady growth for their family business.

Wilcox Communities built and operates 15 apartment communities in all corners of Central Ohio, including Westerville, Grove City, Marysville and Powell, where the brothers grew up.

“We develop suburban single-story apartment communities. That’s what we’re passionate about,” Jonathan Wilcox says. “That grew out of our experience developing condominium communities. Traditionally, apartment renters have normally been students and young people right out of school, but we began hearing from customers who wanted a condo experience, which means single-story, attached garage, no one living above or below you, no exterior maintenance obligations, and nice amenities, but they wanted to rent.”

When the family started looking closer at the apartment market, they realized few communities were developed for renters-by-choice: people who could purchase a condo or home but preferred the flexibility of renting. That’s where Wilcox found its niche in the region’s real estate development landscape. The brothers say their properties have been so well received that several have waitlists, and they’re working

to finish five communities under construction—three in Delaware, one in Reynoldsburg and one in Plain City.

However, the secret to Wilcox Communities’ success isn’t much of a secret, they say: It’s right on the building. “Our family name is on the business, so how we approach our family and how we live our lives permeates throughout the company,” Jamie Wilcox says. “We’re fortunate in that we’re business partners, brothers and best friends all at the same time. We disagree, we work through things, make a decision and move onto the next thing. It’s been a great relationship for us.”

Wilcox Communities was founded

in 2002 by Jamie, Jonathan and Randy Wilcox. While all share the same title of managing partner, each has different responsibilities. Jamie oversees operations, Jonathan heads up development, and Randy is principal adviser and a financial partner.

The 75-employee company outgrew its previous office and moved into a larger space in the former CFBank in Worthington six months ago. While Wilcox employees are accustomed to building projects for others to enjoy, the opportunity to purchase a building and do a full interior and exterior renovation meant the whole company got to experience the construction process firsthand.

Jamie (left) and Jonathan Wilcox

Lisa Tsen, a commercial relationship manager at Heartland Bank who has worked with Wilcox Communities for the past decade, has watched its growth and credits the tight family bond at the company. “It’s very different working with them in a good and positive way. At Heartland Bank, we’re very family oriented, as well, so I feel like we share the same culture. The big difference is if I have a question or

Wilcox Communities

7000 N. High St., Worthington wilcoxcommunities.com

BUSINESS: Real estate development

FOUNDED: 2002

EMPLOYEES: 75

MANAGING PARTNERS: Jonathan and Jamie Wilcox

ANNUAL REVENUE: WND

issue, I can pick up the phone and call Randy, Jonathan or Jamie. They’re so accessible,” Tsen says.

“If I need an update, they’re very responsive. They have the right teams in place, so I know who to go to for certain pieces of information. It’s the friendship that has evolved that’s made such a difference. … They’ve just done such a nice job—you can look at any project they’ve done and know it’s a Wilcox community.”

Both brothers are starting to have conversations with their children about perhaps joining the family business one day. Time will tell if more generations of Wilcoxes will join the company, but in the meantime, the legacy lives on in the communities Wilcox builds.

“Many of the communities are named after family members, our kids, and we have the honor of naming [The Residences at] Sara Crossing after our late mom,” Jamie Wilcox says. “All the streets are different elements of our mom’s life: the school she went to, the street she grew up on, and some of her best friends' names are in the street names. … The new

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community in Plain City is called The Residences at Maren Reserve, and Maren is the name of my youngest daughter. We have a property called The Aubrey named after Jonathan’s oldest daughter.”

Wilcox Communities survived the Great Recession in the early years of the company and is now on the other side, navigating the population boom in Central Ohio while the region also works to solve a housing affordability crisis.

“We continue to be in a supply-constrained market. We continue to lag behind in housing production,” Jonathan Wilcox says. “If you have a growing population and a higher demand for housing than what’s being provided, it drives prices up. There are a lot of great discussions happening in both the public and private sectors about how to fix the problem, but at the end of the day, I think the thing that will have the biggest impact is simply producing more housing to meet that demand.”

Mandy Shunnarah is a freelance writer.

LinkedIn Best Practices: What to Do (and What to Avoid)

DO THIS

Personalize Your Connection Requests

When sending a connection request, add a personal note explaining why you want to connect.

Example: “Hi [Name], I saw your post about [topic] and found it very insightful. I’d love to connect and learn more about your experience in [industry].”

Engage Thoughtfully with Content

Like, comment, or share posts that resonate with you, adding your own insights or questions.

Example: Commenting with “Great point, [Name]! I’ve also noticed that [additional insight]. How do you see this trend evolving?”

Share Valuable Content

Post articles, updates, or original content that provides value to your network.

Example: Share a link to a recent article you wrote or an insightful industry report with your analysis.

For more LinkedIn and business social media tips and strategies, please contact Jackie Murphy, Founder & Owner of Queen Bee Jackie Creative, a Columbus-based, boutique marketing agency focused on organic and personal connections.

NOT THAT

Like Without Engaging

Don’t just like posts without adding any value or commentary.

Example: Clicking “Like” on a post but not following up with a comment or share.

Post Self-Promotional Content Only

Avoid posting solely about your own achievements or products without providing value to others.

Example: “Check out my new product! Buy it now at [link].”

Ignore Messages or Delay Responses

Don’t leave messages unread or take too long to reply, giving the impression you’re unengaged or uninterested.

Example: Not responding to a message for several days or more.

Leave Your Profile Outdated

Don’t neglect to update your position, company, or accomplishments. An outdated profile can give the impression that you’re inactive or unengaged in your career.

Example: Keeping an old job title listed or not including recent achievements, making it harder for recruiters or connections to understand your current role.

614-266-2439 | queenbeepaper@gmail.com | queenbeejackie.com

CONNECTIONS

Best of Business 2024

Columbus CEO celebrated the 83 winners of our 17th annual Best of Business reader poll at Vitria on the Square in Columbus. About 250 guests attended the awards event, held Oct. 23, 2024.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The James; our platinum sponsors, Libertas Wealth Management Group Inc. and Schneider Downs & Company Inc.; and our gold sponsors Continental Office, KEMBA Financial Credit Union and Nationwide.

We’d like to also thank event partners The Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio, Middle West Spirits and Vitria on the Square.

1 Matt Davis and Amanda Dentinger 2 Jennifer Harris celebrates Revolution Group’s award. 3 Donna and Adam Koós 4 Jonathan McCombs, Patrick Bennett, Rick Sunderman, David Decker 5 Anne Stockton, Lacey Adkins, Ibisa FestusAbibo 6 Kenzie Prickett and Clarisse Hoenshell 7 Melissa McCoy, Taylor Jacob, Molly Sferrella, Josh Pruschen 8 Erin Nealy, Kim James, Abby David 9 James Rumph and Andrea Pfaadt 10 David Brinkman of Schneider Downs & Co. Inc. 11 Alex Ello, Kendra Penry, Rhonda Tisko, Anna Coleman, Chelsey McClain, Kim Shoemaker, Vanessa Bettinger, Jomayra Rivas, Roberta Shepherd, Tiffany Jones 12 Sydney Federer, Andy Bell, Sarah McCurdy, Kevin Kallstrom 13 Amanda Bird and Michael Townsend 14 Kim Lambert, Katie Hall, Sarah Bohman, Kim Shumate 15 Ashley Williams, Julie Parker, Gabby Fugger 16 Alicia and Brian Ellis with Jen and Sean Olson 17 Jaida Sterling and Mary Stankiewicz 18 Guests fill the ballroom at Vitria on the Square.

Photos by Tim Johnson

Inspiring excellence and driving success

Nationwide is honored to extend congratulations to CEO Kirt Walker, who leads with care and integrity. To all the honorees of the 2024 CEO Awards, we celebrate your leadership and unwavering dedication to your communities.

2024 Awards

Meet the five winners and 11 finalists, and find out what business leaders think about the economic climate, workforce and more.

It takes a special skillset to successfully manage an organization and the employees who contribute to its success.

The Columbus region is fortunate to have excellent leaders at organizations of all shapes and sizes, many of whom reach down to mentor the next generation.

Columbus CEO is proud to honor some of these high-achieving leaders through our 14th annual CEO of the Year awards. These top executives have navigated challenging business environments, fluctuating inflation, labor challenges and the global pandemic and have grown their organizations despite the uncertainties.

Our 2024 awards recognize five winners and 11 finalists from the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. They work in fields including automotive, insurance, consulting, construction, education and addiction recovery, to name just a few.

The honorees were chosen by their peers as part of the annual Survey of Economic Conditions conducted in partnership with Regionomics, owned by Bill LaFayette. The survey seeks to gain insights about why the Columbus region is a good place to do business; what factors could be improved; challenges posed by the area’s growth; workforce and hiring trends; diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; their outlook for the local, national and global economies; and other business issues.

The survey, adapted from the SMU Cox CEO Sentiment

Survey, was open to all C-suite and cabinet-level executives in the Columbus metropolitan area. New this year, general, district and store managers could participate in the economic outlook portion of the survey. Responses, collected in October and November prior to the election, were anonymous and were aggregated and analyzed by LaFayette.

(Read his data analysis on Page 40.)

C-suite and cabinet-level respondents voted for the 2024 CEO of the Year awards, recognizing executives for outstanding leadership. More than 40 nominees appeared on the ballot in four categories: Large For-Profit (typically 500 or more employees), Small For-Profit (typically fewer than 500 employees), Large Nonprofit ($5 million or more annual revenue/deposits) and Small Nonprofit (less than $5 million annual revenue/deposits). Nominees included past finalists and top vote-getters, as well as select choices from local executives and our staff. We placed one of this year’s winners, Billy Vickers of MAI Companies, in the Large For-Profit category because, while he has fewer than 500 employees, his business tops $1 billion in revenue. A write-in option also was available. Past winners are not eligible.

One of this year’s winners, Kirt Walker of Nationwide, was recognized as a finalist in 2023 and 2022.

Congratulations to all of our 2024 CEO of the Year honorees.

By KATHY LYNN GRAY

Business Builder

Billy Vickers grew MAI Companies into one of the nation’s largest Black-owned enterprises.

Billy Vickers has plenty to be proud of. He’s the owner and CEO of a $1.1 billion Dublin-based business, MAI Companies, whose chief customer is Honda. The automotive industry supplier, also known as Modular Assembly Innovations, has four assembly plants in three states that employ about 450 associates and also manages 170 suppliers. Among its accolades is being named among the first five companies in the Black Enterprise Top 100.

But Vickers is loathe to accept credit for the company’s success (or his), saying it should go not to himself, but to his employees and to Honda. “To be successful takes a lot of people,” says Vickers, 66. “I want to talk about our customer, Honda, who is still our biggest advocate, and our people.”

Large For-Profit (tie)

2024

Billy Vickers

CEO and owner

MAI Companies

IN ROLE SINCE: 2010

AGE: 66

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in animal science, North Carolina State University

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Board member of The Columbus Partnership, A Kid Again, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and Ohio Manufacturers’ Association

Vickers, who grew up in North Carolina, was the first in his family to attend college. When his plan to parlay his success as a football player at North Carolina State University into a professional career was sidelined by injuries, he became a businessman instead.

After stints as a steel-mill plant superintendent and a Detroit foundry operator, he was tapped in 2005 to be president and CEO of Great Lakes Assemblies LLC, a modular assembly and supply chain management company operated jointly with Honda. Six years later he bought the business, and it became Modular Assembly Innovations.

Since then, the company’s three assembly plants have grown to four, it has weathered the pandemic and hiring shortages, and has become one of Honda’s top-tier suppliers.

“It takes teamwork to make the dream work, and Billy embodies that roll,” says Daryl Watson, procurement diversity manager for Honda. “Honda is a great partner, but it’s a very demanding partner, and you have to have someone who can handle that.”

He says Vickers has put together a good organization that supports Honda’s philosophy and its needs.

“We are here today because Honda had the strategic vision in 2004 that they were

going to make sure diversity was a key piece of their goals,” Vickers says. “It’s an honor that, 20 years later, we’re still here and growing and trying to achieve perfection. We want to be a better supplier tomorrow than we are today.”

At the company’s Alabama plant in 2007, Vickers accepted a job that the plant wasn’t equipped for and briefly landed on Honda’s “top worst suppliers” list. But Honda helped the company develop a different way forward, and MAI has never been on the list again, Vickers says.

Vickers also prides himself on developing his employees’ talents. MAI created its own staffing company in 2015 that includes an extensive management trainee program. The company also increased wages to attract and retain workers, a move that Vickers says hurt profits but put the company in the best position possible. “Our staffing company and our development for associates helps the staffing shortage, but what really moves the needle is pay,” he says.

Vickers says that as a Black man, he faced barriers as he climbed the corporate ladder but as CEO of a large, minority-owned company he now has a seat at the table with decision-makers.

“Once you’re there, I don’t see diversity as being an impediment,” he says. “If we don’t perform, that’s what matters.”

Watson says Vickers makes it a point to help other companies learn how to grow and scale. “I don’t think he has an issue with sending the elevator down to bring someone else back up,” he says.

Vickers works closely with the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council, sharing his story and knowledge on speaker panels and at educational sessions, Watson says.

That fits his self-described leadership style, which Vickers says centers around being humble and kind as a CEO.

“I want to be known as a leader who embraces people and treats them with dignity and respect,” he says. “You need to be assertive but never lose the kindness you should show people.”

Kathy Lynn Gray is a freelance writer.

+ Photo by TIM JOHNSON

By LAURA NEWPOFF

Photo by LAURA A. SAUER/

People-First Culture

Kirt Walker’s focus on building an engaged workforce helps drive Nationwide to another record year.

LLarge For-Profit (tie)

2024

Kirt Walker

CEO

Nationwide

IN ROLE SINCE: 2019

AGE: 61

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in management, Iowa State University; master’s degree in management with an emphasis in leadership, The American College of Financial Services

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Chair, Nationwide Children’s Hospital board; co-chair, The Columbus Partnership governing board; board trustee, The Institutes; member, dean’s advisory council at Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business; board of directors, Catalyst. He previously served on the American Red Cross Board of Governors; as a Columbus State Community College trustee; on the boards of the American Council of Life Insurers, Association of Ohio Life Insurance Companies, Mid-Ohio Food Collective, American Red Cross of Greater Columbus, White Castle, New Albany Foundation and Greater Des Moines Partnership; and as a trustee for Grand View College in Des Moines.

ess than a year after Kirt Walker was named CEO of Nationwide in 2019, he launched a five-year, $160 million investment in the company’s workforce. The Future of Work initiative to reskill and upskill employees was meant to show 28,000 associates and potential new hires that the insurer values its employees.

“We wanted people to understand the business world was changing, and we wanted them to be able to change with it,” Walker says of the initiative, which focuses on digital literacy and future skills training.

It’s an example of the first of four guideposts Walker focuses on as the leader of the city’s largest private employer—people, planning, performance and partnerships—with “people” intentionally atop the list.

Investing in its people is why the company consistently is recognized as a best place to work, including ranking No. 21 on this year’s Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, No. 5 on its Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance list and No. 78 on the People Companies that Care list.

Nationwide has long been known for its caring culture, says Vinita Clements, chief human resources officer. Walker, however, has taken it to a higher level. “What he has done is take our caring culture and evolve it to a caring and high-performing culture. That takes a lot of work,” she says.

In 2021, Clements worked with Walker to introduce a new value into the business model that focuses on associates working together to deliver exceptional results. “That really is the essence of people coming together, working, collaborating and then that results orientation. He holds that at the core of who he is and who the organization is.”

That engaged and results-oriented workforce will help propel Nationwide to its fourth consecutive year of record sales in 2024. Earlier this year, it was ranked No. 75 on the Fortune 500. The company’s sales have been on an upward trajectory in recent years, growing

from $47 billion in 2020 to $60.3 billion in 2023, with financial services driving overall growth and excess and surplus/ specialty and agribusiness lines leading its property and casualty insurance performance.

Walker also continues to elevate the Nationwide brand on a national scale through its commercials featuring Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

“I’m proud of our iconic brand,” Walker says. “I was in an airport last week and had my Nationwide lapel pin on and some younger kids came up to me and sang the Nationwide jingle.”

On a local scale, Walker is heavily involved in community affairs, including with The Columbus Partnership and as chair of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital board. In recent years, he also teamed up with Nick Akins, the former CEO of American Electric Power Company Inc., and Steve Steinour of Huntington Bancshares to lead the Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s $30 million Rooted In You Fundraising campaign.

The company, too, is committed to the community. In May, the Nationwide Foundation announced a 10-year, $100 million commitment to Nationwide Children’s to back its Empower the Possible campaign. It is the largest-ever corporate foundation commitment to a U.S. children's hospital.

Nationwide also is partnering with Ohio State University on the AgTech Innovation Hub to develop solutions related to agriculture and climate change. Additionally, it is part of the Farm on the Hilltop initiative that provides fresh food for the West Side community.

These efforts all align with Nationwide’s mission statement, which Walker has simplified to undergird the fact that, at its very essence, it is a “protection company.”

“I’m proud to tell you,” he says, “that our associates can all share with you those nine simple words: ‘To protect people, businesses and futures with extraordinary care.’ ”

Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.

By LAURA NEWPOFF

Photo by TIM JOHNSON

Entrepreneurial Edge

UpRys CEO Keith Stevens plans to ramp up his consulting company’s growth in 2025.

Keith Stevens is a serial entrepreneur who launched his first business in 1992 to help people who were considered “hard-core unemployable.” His most recent venture at a business consulting group for nonprofits has him feeling like his career, after more than three decades of work, has come full circle.

“It really feels good when we deliver work on behalf of nonprofit clients and see downstream the impact that has on how they deliver on their mission and purpose,” says the founder and CEO of UpRys (pronounced uprise).

fractional support—in those markets.

“Each state becomes a path to do the balance of the work we do,” he says.

“The growth strategy is about starting to build a complete array of offerings in the cities and states we operate in.”

A key executive who will help with the growth plan is Anthony McIntosh, the company’s president and chief operating officer. He will become CEO in 2025 when Stevens transitions to a board chairman role. Doug Stevens remains in business with his brother as UpRys’ executive vice president.

Keith Stevens

Founder and CEO UpRys

IN ROLE SINCE: 2019

EDUCATION: Executive management program, Ohio State University Fisher College of Business; executive management program, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Director, Isabelle Ridgeway Foundation board; advisory board member, Proteam Solutions Inc.; past board member and board chair, Columbus Chamber of Commerce; past board member and board chair, Alvis; past board member and board chair, Community For New Direction; past advisory board member, Jump Goat Media

The firm has had more of his attention since he and his brother, Doug Stevens, sold IT consulting business Proteam Solutions Inc. in 2022 to Monty Ragland and Monica Dominic, who were executives at the company. The full-circle feeling comes from PSI’s roots on the Near East Side providing light industrial and clerical staffing services to create opportunities for people who needed work. It later grew into a multimillion-dollar venture and one of Central Ohio’s largest IT consulting firms.

“Our mission today is still about giving back to those communities,” says Stevens, who grew up in South Linden. “It’s not necessarily the same in terms of work opportunity, but it is about giving our time and treasure and talent to supporting organizations that are making a difference in those communities.”

Since the PSI sale, Stevens and his team at UpRys have “been in the laboratory honing what we do. It’s about continuous improvement to get to a place where we feel comfortable going out to the masses.” With “foundational pieces in place,” Stevens expects to execute an “ambitions growth plan for 2025.”

As of mid-December, UpRys was delivering “employer-of-record” services to organizations in 15 states, helping clients manage nontraditional workforces, including contract workers, freelancers and others. Having a foothold in 15 states, Stevens says, will allow the company to expand UpRys’ other services lines— business process optimization and

“We have our sea legs. The right team is on board, and everybody is moving in the same direction,” Stevens says, noting his workforce is entirely remote. “There’s a high level of trusted communication. There’s no retribution for speaking your truth. If you see something, say something. There are no big I’s or little yous in this organization. People know the job and do the job.”

Stevens, who also co-founded San Francisco-based tech consulting firm Akava LLC with Brandon Durbin in 2018, remains an advisor to PSI, which outsources its back-office functions to UpRys.

Ragland describes Stevens as a compassionate leader who cares about the people on his team and as “a visionary.”

“He has a unique ability to envision something that doesn’t already exist,” Ragland says. “He can look at a blank canvas and see something. He may need a little assistance in pulling it together, but he can see something and then put people around him to see it, as well.”

Ragland still is learning from his mentor’s leadership style. “I’m conservative by nature, but what I’ve learned from Keith is that you have to trust yourself and everything you know with the belief that it will all come together, whether you believe that or not at that moment. He’s always been willing to take a risk at a time when others may have not been willing to take that same risk. That’s courage.”

Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.

By SHANNON SHELTON MILLER

Charitable Charge

After a long corporate career, Oyauma Garrison is applying his executive acumen to benefit Maryhaven Inc.

During his two decades as an insurance executive, Oyauma Garrison never hesitated to give back to the community. Volunteering, leading boards, raising funds and joining civic organizations was just as important to him as climbing the corporate ladder.

Still, Garrison says he never considered a career in the nonprofit sector until his daughter Mya became critically ill in 2016. He says the experience made him rethink his life’s direction.

Large Nonprofit

2024

Oyauma Garrison

President and CEO

Maryhaven Inc.

IN ROLE SINCE: 2022

AGE: 50

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, Denison University; MBA, Franklin University

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Board vice chair, Buckeye Mutual Insurance Co.; cochair, United Way Campaign Cabinet corporate development committee; past board chair, St. Vincent Family Centers; past co-chair, United Way of Central Ohio Tocqueville society; member, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and St. Mark’s Lodge #7 – Prince Hall Masons

“I wanted to wake up every morning knowing I was doing some level of good, and that was helping people and moving the community forward,” Garrison says. “As much as I appreciated having a great career in insurance, I felt I needed to ground myself again in my family.”

The next year, Garrison became CEO and national president of A Kid Again, a nonprofit dedicated to providing fun and memorable experiences for children with life-threatening health issues. He led the organization for almost five years before leaving in 2022 to become president and CEO of Maryhaven Inc., a 360-employee nonprofit that serves more than 15,000 individuals each year, helping them overcome addiction and mental health challenges through education, treatment and support.

Garrison says he was impressed by the organization’s history, work and community impact, but didn’t think his own background connected much with mental health. Then he thought about life with his father, a Vietnam veteran who struggled with heroin and alcohol addiction after serving his country.

“It was at that moment I realized I did have a connection because of my father’s experience,” Garrison says. “I remember being a kid attending an AA meeting with him and learning the AA prayer. I think a natural progression took place, and I now know this is where I’m intended to be. Most importantly, I say it’s an opportunity to do God’s work.”

In late 2022, the organization opened the Residence at Maryhaven, a 30-bed

residential community where adults can continue their treatment and counseling for up to six months and also receive other support services.

When Garrison moved to the nonprofit sector, he found multiple similarities to his experience in the corporate world.

Maryhaven is a $36 million nonprofit, and nonprofits and corporations alike have a mission, vision and organizational and operational complexities, Garrison says. In addition to storytelling, he recognizes the importance of communicating Maryhaven’s impact in numbers, noting how quantitative data makes an organization’s impact “real” to potential supporters in the business community.

What nonprofits lacked, Garrison soon discovered, was resources. They didn’t have separate departments with multiple employees dedicated to marketing, programming or other operations he’d grown to expect in the corporate world. That’s why he turned to the relationships he’d built over the years in Central Ohio, often securing significant financial commitments and volunteer hours from major corporations for his organizations’ goals.

“You’d be surprised at the number of people willing to raise their hands to help organizations like ours,” Garrison says. “Often, they just don’t get asked.”

Garrison’s ability to make connections impressed Jeffrey Damron, founder and past CEO of A Kid Again. When Garrison took the reins as CEO, Damron says he appreciated how Garrison worked with him while he remained involved with the organization, and how Garrison grew the nonprofit from its Ohio roots to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in less than five years.

“I saw his passion to serve others and how he always put families first,” Damron says. “He also brought a ton of incredible resources to the organization—not just in terms of funds but relationships, as well. He’s just incredible.”

Shannon Shelton Miller is a freelance writer.

+ Photo by TIM JOHNSON

By JULANNE HOHBACH

JOHNSON

Changing Lives

Paula Haines has a bold goal for Freedom a la Cart to help thousands of human trafficking survivors.

The passion Paula Haines has for her work as CEO of Freedom a la Cart can’t be taught in business school. It’s evident in the way she explains her organization’s mission to serve and empower human trafficking survivors, and in the smiles she gives employees in the halls.

The nonprofit takes a multipronged approach to helping survivors, with a two-year workforce development initiative, a Butterfly Program that offers long-term support, and a new venture to help participants obtain stable, affordable housing. A large portion of its funding comes from its social enterprise catering company and a café that opened in 2021. Fiftyfive percent of the organization’s $3 million revenue in 2023 was earned, Haines says.

Freedom a la Cart, formerly Doma International, began working with survivors in 2009 through Franklin County Municipal CATCH Court, a specialty docket started by Judge Paul Herbert to help trafficking survivors and women charged with prostitution. First, the nonprofit brought food, then added mentoring, and in 2011 a food cart purchased on eBay for $1,200 launched the social enterprise element.

Small Nonprofit

2024

Paula Haines

CEO

Freedom a la Cart

IN ROLE SINCE: 2016

AGE: 60

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in advertising, University of Kentucky

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Past chair and participant on the Memorial Tournament Volunteer Committee through the Women’s Board at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Haines was drawn to that and began volunteering in the kitchen in 2013. “Giving a woman a job so she could take care of herself, that’s a brilliant model,” she says.

She helped with the organization’s first Eat Up! Columbus fundraiser, which garnered more than $100,000 in 2014 and showed Haines how much the community supported the mission. She was invited to join the board and served two years until she was tapped to be interim director in 2016. Shortly thereafter, she was named CEO.

Haines, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of Kentucky, started her career in pharmaceutical sales and later launched Touchpoint Strategies, a marketing business, with her husband, Jerry.

She credits her experience with the marketing business—where she had to teach herself Photoshop and graphic and website design—for giving her the confidence to step into the nonprofit world. “It really taught me that if you don’t know it, you figure it out.” Herbert, now retired, says Haines brought business know-how that helped grow Freedom

a la Cart and also aided CATCH Court. “She is a game changer. Period. We saw this woman who was a very successful businesswoman with a heart the size of Wyoming come to run an organization that was critical to the success of our program,” he says.

“She has an innate positive compassion ethos that is infectious. She looks you in the eye and you don’t feel judged.”

Under Haines’ leadership, Freedom a la Cart has blossomed. It now has a staff of more than 40, about half of whom are survivors. About half the management staff has been through the program.

“I just feel like the people that are associated with us and the team that we have has helped us to form a strong, resilient organization that is as strong and resilient as the survivors we’re serving,” Haines says.

Freedom a la Cart was projected to help about 350 survivors in 2024 through CATCH Court and its workforce development and Butterfly programs. Through the end of 2023, the organization had provided workforce training to 130 survivors, 71 percent of whom have not faced a new criminal charge.

The café has exceeded expectations, enabling the organization to expand its reach. “The number of survivors we’re serving has increased 134 percent. Our earned revenue has increased 244 percent,” Haines says.

The CEO says Freedom a la Cart has helped her grow as a leader. “It’s taught me that I don’t have to have all the answers, but if I ask, I have to be willing to listen.”

But the most rewarding element of her job is witnessing the outcomes. “It’s seeing people develop. It’s seeing people’s dreams come true,” Haines says.

The organization is planning an expansion to Cleveland in 2026 with the goal of helping more survivors. Haines has a threeyear goal to have two locations open with a third on the radar, and a 10-year target to serve 2,000 survivors a year in multiple markets in multiple states.

“If we figure this out and we have a model that we can replicate in other markets, we can serve thousands and thousands of survivors, and that’s pretty powerful.”

Julanne Hohbach is the editor of Columbus CEO.

+ Photo by TIM

LARGE FOR-PROFIT FINALISTS

EMMA FRANKART HENTERLY

Ammendola President and CEO

John Ammendola, president and CEO of Grange Insurance Co., believes it takes myriad skills to be a quality leader.

“A good CEO should communicate clearly with stakeholders to build trust and cultivate strong relationships while maintaining a strategic mindset to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risk,” he says. “They should also leverage emotional intelligence and decisive decision-making to foster collaboration and confidently lead the organization.”

Ammendola, 58, first joined Grange as a division president in 2010, ascending to his current role in 2015. For Grange and its 1,200 employees, he sets and executes strategic vision in alignment with the company’s goals and mission; fosters leadership, collaboration and innovation to build high-performing teams; and cultivates

Scott Barbour President and CEO

“Ibelieve a successful CEO should have strong communication skills with the ability to simplify complex ideas and communicate them effectively to different audiences, like employees, investors and customers,” says Scott Barbour, president and CEO of Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. “CEOs should be data-driven when making decisions and able to navigate their company through times of uncertainty and change, while remaining flexible in the face of challenges and new opportunities.”

Barbour, 62, joined the 5,000-plus employees of ADS in 2017 after holding several leadership positions with Emerson Electric Co. and Emerson Climate Technologies. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University and an MBA

strong workplace culture to drive success.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the New York Institute of Technology and has held executive roles at Geico, Safeco Insurance and Kemper Corp.

A member of The Columbus Partnership, Ammendola is the 2025 board chair of Columbus State Community College and has previously served on the boards of YMCA of Central Ohio and the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus. He also is a past board chair for the Ohio Insurance Institute.

Advice on leadership: “The best advice on leadership is to remain humble yet hungry for growth, stay authentic and accountable, and prioritize results over status. Above all, always treat people with respect and foster an environment of mutual trust.”

from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. His community engagement includes serving as a member of The Columbus Partnership, on the boards of directors for Allison Transmission and Recreation Unlimited, and on the advisory board of Buddy Up for Life, where he also serves as a “buddy” for Buddy Up Tennis.

Advice on leadership: “Be visible and over-communicate key messages. Create your messaging based on the main objectives you are trying to drive, while knowing your audience. Share them throughout the organization consistently and incessantly. It’s important that everyone understands the strategy and their role supports that strategy. We are part of a team, working together to drive growth.”

Barbour also was a finalist in the 2023 CEO of the Year awards.

John

Grange Insurance Co.

SMALL FOR-PROFIT FINALISTS

Heather Brilliant believes that a successful CEO needs four things: strategic acumen, long-term perspective, curiosity and humility.

The 48-year-old oversees all business aspects of investment firm Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. as its CEO, including ensuring a commitment to client outcomes, guiding its investment philosophy and cultivating a strong culture among its 128 employees. Before joining Diamond Hill in 2019, she served as CEO of First State Investments’ Americas division and Morningstar Australia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business; she also is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder. Brilliant sits on the boards

As CEO of family-owned CK Construction Group Inc., Lori Gillett leads the company’s 280 employees while managing responsibilities such as setting strategy and sustainable growth initiatives and creating workforce development opportunities in the company, industry and community.

She also aims to serve as the company’s chief visionary, shape its culture and talent pipeline, offer a balanced perspective on both present and future, and maintain a humble confidence. Those four qualities, she says, are essential to leadership success.

Gillett, 50, joined CK Construction in 1996, becoming CEO in 2019 and chair of the board of directors in 2022. From laborer to president, Gillett rose through the ranks at several family-owned entities, including Kokosing Inc., Kokosing Construction and

of Downtown Columbus Inc., Future Ready Five, ODW Logistics and the Investment Company Institute. She is a member of the Ohio Business Roundtable, The Columbus Partnership, the International Women’s Forum and the Young Presidents’ Organization. WealthManagement.com and the Markets Media Women in Finance Awards named her CEO of the Year in 2022, and in 2020 she received the Hortense Friedman, CFA, Award for Excellence.

Advice on leadership: “Being a great leader includes setting a strategic vision and working with your team to deliver on that vision. Be a great listener, embrace change, and guide your team through challenges with resilience and optimism.”

Brilliant also was a finalist in the 2023 CEO of the Year awards.

Kokosing Industrial.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Ohio Northern University—which presented her with its Distinguished Alumni Award—and a diploma in culinary arts, baking and restaurant management from Arizona Culinary Institute.

Gillett sits on the JobsOhio board of directors and is a member of the One Columbus executive committee, New Albany Community Foundation board of trustees and the Associated General Contractors Association of Ohio - Central Ohio Division. She also is an honorary co-chair of the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Dream Big Transformational Initiative.

Advice on leadership: “Be curious and use a mindset that asks questions to seek answers.”

Gillett also was a finalist in the 2022 CEO of the Year awards.

Heather Brilliant CEO

Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.

Lori Gillett CEO

SMALL FOR-PROFIT FINALIST

Joel S. Pizzuti President and CEO

“

ACEO should have vision, empathy and self-awareness,” says Joel S. Pizzuti, president and CEO of the Pizzuti Companies. “These important qualities, combined with the ability to effectively communicate with those inside their organization, as well as partners and stakeholders affected by their work, are all vital characteristics.”

Pizzuti, 53, has spent the bulk of his career at the Pizzuti Companies, which was founded by his father, Ron. He joined the business in 1998, was named president in 2006 and stepped into his current role in 2019. He manages day-to-day operations for the company’s 54 employees in Columbus, Nashville and Chicago, including oversight of financial decision-making, site selection and approval, and architectural and design efforts.

After earning a bachelor’s degree at

Vanderbilt University, Pizzuti served as director of operations for the Columbus Crew. He also is a licensed real estate agent, licensed broker and Certified Warehousing Operations Expert.

Pizzuti is a 2023 recipient of Vanderbilt’s Peabody College Distinguished Alumnus Award. He serves as a member of several local and national organizations, including The Columbus Partnership, the Ohio State University Center for Real Estate executive committee and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.

Advice on leadership: “Surround yourself with really smart people who are as committed to your goals as you are. Be sure to provide direction, not micromanagement. Think about how your decisions affect those who work inside and outside your organization.”

MAI Companies have the technology to serve customers around the world.

The Pizzuti Companies

LARGE NONPROFIT FINALISTS

For Lisa Courtice, president and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio, a successful executive possesses four key qualities: strategic leadership, collaboration, innovation and empathy.

Courtice, 62, has led her team of 46 employees since 2017, building a culture focused on effective fundraising for the organization’s 75-plus nonprofit partners and leading strategies to improve community outcomes. Previously, she served as executive vice president of The Columbus Foundation, executive director of the Childhood League Center and director of the Washington Center for Academic Internships and Seminars in Washington, D.C., among other roles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Syracuse University, a master’s in counseling from West Virginia University, a Ph.D.

For those seeking advice on how to be a successful executive, Columbus State Community College President David T. Harrison has four tips: Have a servant’s heart; think big, with scale in mind; listen with curiosity; and evaluate and grow talent.

Harrison, 62, celebrates 15 years of leading the 2,700 employees at Ohio’s largest community college in 2025; previously, he served as vice provost and a vice president at Florida higher education institutions, among other roles. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Dayton, an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in educational policy and leadership from Ohio State University.

He has been instrumental in expanding Columbus State’s community partnerships, as well as programs like Columbus Promise

in counseling psychology from the University of Akron and numerous professional certifications in counseling, psychology and philanthropy. Courtice’s board service includes the Syracuse College of Arts & Sciences dean’s advisory board, the ASPYR board and United Way Worldwide’s National Advisory Council, to which she was elected in 2022. She also is actively involved as a “big” with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio.

Advice on leadership: “Leadership is about fostering optimism and standing united in purpose, recognizing that lasting impact is achieved by empowering others and addressing systemic challenges with both courage and compassion. Always focus on the power of collaboration and the ability of individuals to effect meaningful change.”

and the OhioHealth Center for Health Sciences.

Harrison sits on the boards of The Columbus Partnership, OhioHealth, Future Ready Five and the Community College Presidents Initiative, as well as two committees of the U.S. National Science Foundation. Recent accolades include the 2024 Aspen Presidents Fellowship from the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the 2024 Social Justice Award in the education category from Think Make Live Youth.

Advice on leadership: “Surround yourself with smart people and listen to them. A great and gifted team is always behind a successful leader. You don’t always have to have all the answers, but you need to be comfortable asking the right questions.”

Harrison also was a finalist in the 2023 and 2018 CEO of the Year awards.

Photo courtesy United Way of Central Ohio

Photo

Lisa Courtice

President and CEO

United Way of Central Ohio

David T. Harrison

LARGE NONPROFIT FINALIST

Vickie Thompson-Sandy

President and CEO

The

Buckeye Ranch

Vickie Thompson-Sandy joined the Buckeye Ranch as president and CEO in 2019, overseeing nearly 600 employees and carrying out the nonprofit’s mission to provide mental health services to youth.

She considers three attributes vital to effective leadership: good listening skills, tolerance for making decisions with limited information, and passion for growth and change.

Thompson-Sandy, 56, joined the organization after serving in several leadership roles at Samaritas (formerly Lutheran Social Services of Michigan) and other nonprofits. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from Western Michigan University and a master’s in social work from Eastern Michigan University.

Thompson-Sandy’s leadership has been recognized with awards including the 2024 Steve Plottner Award for Leadership in Child Welfare from the Ohio Children’s Alliance and the 2013 Child Welfare Director’s Award from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The Buckeye Ranch is a 2024 Top Workplaces USA National Award recipient. She is the president-elect of the Ohio Children’s Alliance board of directors and has served on the boards of several Michigan social services organizations.

Advice on leadership: “It is an honor to lead at the Buckeye Ranch. I feel very fortunate that my work and my passion intersect in this role. My advice to other leaders is to find something that you are passionate about.”

SMALL NONPROFIT FINALIST

Janet Chen CEO

Asked what key qualities a successful CEO should possess, Janet Chen cites the four C’s of compassion, curiosity, creativity and communication; adaptability; and being trusting and open.

Chen, 48, joined ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in 2003 as the operations and education manager and was promoted to executive director in 2006. In 2019, she was named CEO, overseeing 11 administrative staff and 37 musicians. She previously was assistant principal flute in Taiwan’s Taipei Symphony Orchestra and flute instructor at Interlochen Center for the Arts. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master’s in flute performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Chen sits on several boards,

including Experience Columbus, CreativeOhio and the local chapter of Pink Ribbon Good. Her awards include being named to the 2022 Columbus CEO Future 50, a 2021 Women for Economic and Leadership Development calendar honoree and a 2018 YWCA Columbus Woman of Achievement.

In May 2024, Chen secured a twoday musical residency with Grammyand Academy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste.

She paraphrases Batiste in her advice on leadership: “Leadership isn’t about being perfect or being in charge—it’s about showing up and taking care of the people around you. Be authentic and be open to the experiences and perspectives of those you lead”

Chen also was a finalist for the 2022 CEO of the Year awards.

SMALL NONPROFIT FINALISTS

Matthew Goldstein Founder and CEO Besa

Besa founder and CEO Matthew Goldstein stresses the importance of presence, patience, curiosity, joy and optimism when it comes to leadership success.

Though Besa officially launched in 2012, work began on its creation two years prior. Since then, he and Besa’s 19 employees have provided support to more than 150 nonprofit partners, coordinating more than 83,000 individual and corporate volunteers who have helped with more than 13,600 service projects. It adds up to an estimated $97 million community impact.

Goldstein, 44, has bachelor’s degrees in political science and business administration/marketing from Ohio State University. He also participated in the Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program. Before starting Besa, he

owned WOOF! Downtown Pet Care and worked in retail market research and analytics.

Among Goldstein’s accolades are being named to the 2024-25 class of the Obama Foundation Leaders program, Columbus CEO’s Future 50 class of 2020 and Columbus Alive’s People to Watch class of 2012. He is an active community volunteer.

Advice on leadership: “Allow vision and values to drive the work. When overwhelmed, take a step back and take a breath: A good night’s rest and clear head bring clarity. Don’t judge— get curious. Nurture your team’s curiosity and allow them—and yourself— to fall off the bike and get back on. It’s the best way to learn, grow, and make a difference in the world.”

Goldstein also was a finalist in the 2023 and 2022 CEO of the Year awards.

Kelley Griesmer President and CEO

Kelley Griesmer’s approach to her role as president and CEO of the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio is to act with authenticity, empathy, strategic vision and courage.

Griesmer, who began her career in the legal profession, got her start as a law clerk in the Ohio Supreme Court and Ohio’s Ninth District Court of Appeals. After working as an associate and partner at Jones Day, she shifted to the nonprofit sector, holding leadership roles as chief operating officer of Pelotonia and senior vice president at The Columbus Foundation. She joined the Women’s Fund as president and CEO in 2019, overseeing five employees and the organization’s mission of advancing gender equity through research,

grants and advocacy.

Griesmer, 56, has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and history from Indiana University and a law degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. She is a board member of the Center for Healthy Families and a past board member of the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio and Choices for Victims of Domestic Violence (now known as LSS Choices).

Advice on leadership: “It’s important that we acknowledge that all people are capable of great leadership, but we’re not providing enough opportunities for everyone to lead. We all have a responsibility to challenge traditional notions of leadership and open the door for others.”

Photo courtesy Sara Knight

Photo courtesy Emma Parker

Executives are More Optimistic on Costs and Inflation

Respondents to our annual economic outlook survey expect higher revenues in 2025, but affordable housing is a top concern.

By LAURA NEWPOFF

Heading into the new year, inflation remains a top challenge for Central Ohio’s organizational leaders, yet they feel more optimistic about how much things cost than they did a year ago.

More than two-thirds of these leaders expect the inflation situation to improve in 2025, which is significantly better than the one-quarter who held this expectation for 2024.

That’s according to the 14th annual Columbus CEO Survey of Economic Conditions. Sixty-six percent of C-suite executives in companies, nonprofits and government agencies who responded to the survey expect a small improvement in inflation over the next 12 months, while 4 percent foresee a large improvement. Fifteen percent think there will be a small worsening in the inflation picture, but just 1 percent expect a large worsening. Fourteen percent expect no change.

Inflation has been a concern for both consumers and businesses in recent years after supply chains were roiled during the pandemic, peaking at a 9.1 percent annual rate in June 2022. While inflation has cooled during periods of 2024, it rose 2.7 percent on an annual basis in November. The Federal Reserve has been battling inflation in recent years by raising interest rates to get inflation closer to its 2 percent target.

“Supply chains normalized awhile back,” says Bill LaFayette, owner of economic consulting firm Regionomics, who completed the analysis of the survey for CEO. “Some economists, myself among them, argue that a lot of the stickiness of inflation is the ability of companies to keep their pricing high. It’s kind of a controversial opinion. The Fed for the last couple years has been focused on

cutting inflation. There’s a dual mandate to maintain price stability and full employment and, to a certain extent, those two are sort of in conflict. But what they’ve done by increasing interest rates—with the goal of slowing down the economy—they are starting to see the results of that.”

ECONOMY AND LABOR REMAIN TOP CONCERNS

Asked about their top business challenges for 2023 and 2024, 21 percent of respondents cite the current economic climate, similar to 20 percent who did so last year.

While the economy is top of mind for all business leaders, respondents are more optimistic about their economic prospects this year. Compared with the 49 percent who expected either stability or growth for the global economy last year, 84 percent expect that outcome in 2025.

In this year’s survey, 87 percent expect stability or growth for the domestic economy, up from 66 percent last year. Regarding the Central Ohio economy, 95 percent expect either stability or growth, nearly the same as last year’s 91 percent.

LaFayette also cites results of the November survey of 38

economic forecasters by the National Association for Business Economics. Its median forecast for gross domestic product growth in 2025 is 2 percent, slower than this year’s anticipated 2.7 percent. Nearly three-quarters of the economists in that survey do not expect a recession until 2026 or later.

Even as the inflation picture improves, when asked about the top business challenges in 2023 and 2024, 14 percent cite inflation/cost increases as a concern, up from 8 percent a year ago.

How leaders feel about labor availability improved dramatically this year, with 18 percent citing it as a top challenge, down from 29 percent last year. Amid the improving labor picture, LaFayette says the survey reveals “some stickiness” about remote work. A little more than half of respondents’ organizations provide the ability to work at home at least part time, a result not significantly different than last year.

“Workers have become used to the ability to work from home,” he writes in the report. “Workers save the time, cost and frustration of commuting, and are often as productive or more productive than they are in an office. While there can be a lack of office culture and socialization—particularly a problem for new employees—employers managing a fully remote office are not limited to the local workforce but can hire from anywhere.”

Sixty-six percent of business leaders expect revenues to increase in the coming year, compared to 61 percent in last year’s survey. Similar to last year, half expect an increase in profits. Thirteen percent foresee a decrease in profits, nearly the same as last year’s result.

Half of organizational leaders expect to boost their staffing level during 2025, while 40 percent expect no

Bill LaFayette

File photo courtesy George Anderson

changes, roughly the same as last year. Just 7 percent expect staffing to decline, down from 14 percent that had that expectation in last year’s survey.

When it comes to salary increases, LaFayette says respondents are slightly more restrained this year. Seventeen percent plan to boost salaries and wages this year, compared with 30 percent a year ago.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A TOP CONCERN

Not unlike last year, the top factors contributing to an attractive business climate for the region are an educated workforce, a collaborative culture and an affordable cost of living. At the same time, creating more affordable housing is the single most important factor cited that would improve the business climate, with 35 percent of respondents citing it as a top priority.

Two new questions this year addressed the advantages and disadvantages of Central Ohio’s anticipated population growth to nearly 2.9 million people by 2050.

Respondents’ top advantages were: economic activity and increased prosperity (19 percent), increased job opportunities (17 percent) and attraction of workforce (12 percent).

The most cited disadvantages: housing shortages/decreased affordability (38 percent), strains on human and social services (13 percent) and increased traffic congestion/commute times (13 percent).

“Going back to the affordable housing idea—that was the single most important action that would improve our business climate and workforce attraction,” LaFayette says. “The concern is we are less attractive than we used to be just because housing is so scarce, although it certainly is still more affordable than it is in Chicago and on the coasts. If you are comparing moving here versus moving there, then housing is an attraction if you can find one to buy that’s not bid out from under you. But if the idea is moving here versus Cincinnati, Cleveland or Pittsburgh, which are more comparable to Columbus in terms of affordability, that might make a professional choose to go somewhere else.”

Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.

ECONOMIC SURVEY RESULTS

By BILL LAFAYETTE

Here is an overview of some of the key metrics that Central Ohio executives rated in our 2024 Survey of Economic Conditions. The survey, which was open to all local C-suite and cabinet-level executives, as well as general, district and store managers, is adapted from the SMU Cox CEO Sentiment Survey. Responses reflect expectations for the next 12 months. All data comes from the Regionomics analysis. Numbers have been rounded.

INFLATION EXPECTATIONS

EQUITY AND INCLUSION BUDGETS

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STAFFING AND SALARIES

Half of organizational leaders expect to increase their staffing level during 2025, and 39 percent expect no changes, roughly the same as last year. However, 7 percent expect staffing to decline, not significantly less than last year’s 14 percent. Expected salary increases are slightly more restrained than last year. Seventeen percent are planning to increase salaries and wages more than 5 percent, less than last year’s 30 percent. However, the percentages expecting less than 5 percent increases, no change and a decrease are little changed from last year.

Staffing Expectations

Expected Change in Salaries

REVENUES, COSTS AND PROFITS

Business revenue forecasts are not significantly different from those in the 2023 survey. Sixty-six percent of business leaders expect revenues to increase in the coming year, compared to 61 percent in last year’s survey. Expectations of cost increases are more restrained from last year, but not significantly so. Thirty-three percent of respondents expect at least a 5 percent increase in costs. This is less than last year’s 45 percent, while those expecting stability or a small increase of 5 percent or less is 56 percent this year, compared to 47 percent last year. Half of respondents expect an increase in profits, almost identical to last year’s result. Those expecting a decrease amounted to 13 percent, also nearly identical to last year’s result.

Family Legacy

Mary Donahue continues her mother’s spirit of giving through a gift drive that benefits those in need. The program started with a simple batch of holiday cards.

By SOPHIA VENEZIANO

Judy Camp of Columbus was passionate about helping aging adults. Prior to her death in 2010, Camp served as the nursing director at the Columbus West Park retirement community in Columbus, and one year she decided to send Christmas cards to her residents.

What started as a few holiday cards turned into a large-scale operation with the help of her daughter, Mary Donahue, vice president of the National New Build Program at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Today, thousands of personalized gifts are delivered to Central Ohio seniors through Donahue’s professional networks with Chase, Nationwide and Honda,

as well as her friends and family.

The root of the program came from a response Camp received to a card she’d sent. “She got a thank you note from somebody saying this is the only thing they were getting for Christmas and how wonderful it was to get something,” Donahue says.

“She called me and I’m like, ‘Mom, we’ve got do something like this,’ when she told me the story. I [said], ‘You have the connections, and I have the people. So, let’s figure this out.’ ”

From there, a holiday gift drive was born in partnership with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging and its Aging Solutions Foundation, where Donahue is a board member.

Over the years, COAAA has expanded its reach to serve not only aging adults, but also individuals with

disabilities of all ages, says Tamara James, COAAA’s director of strategic initiatives, who has helped coordinate the gift drive for the past seven years. In 2023, approximately 1,500 gifts were donated to the effort, which is no longer holiday-specific. “Some people request very pragmatic items: towels, sheets, dishes, new pots and pans. Others are looking for something a little more personal,” James says.

“It’s individual. It’s not a situation where it’s a grab-bag of, ‘Here are 10 wrapped gifts, just give them away.’ It’s all very personalized and individualized.”

Carrying on the annual tradition, and with it her mother’s legacy, Donahue dropped off the 2024 truckful of gifts to COAAA on Dec. 4. The family involvement has endured

+ Photo by TIM JOHNSON

Mary Donahue at the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging

through the years, with Donahue’s siblings traveling to Columbus to help. Donahue says their mother always felt that older adults were the forgotten class.

“It’s an emotional event. People always think of the kids and the families, but then … you get these heart-wrenching stories, like a lady wants a new purse, because she doesn’t have any money and she’s been using a lunchbox that has holes in it,” Donahue says.

“People who drop off their gifts are like, ‘I’m doing this for my grandma. I’m doing this for my mom. My mom just passed.’ It’s just so emotional.”

Michael Horning works with Donahue as a real estate client manager at Chase. For years, he has helped coordinate staff donations to make sure all the gifts are in the truck before it moves on to its next pickup site. “It’s a big endeavor the morning of the drop-off at COAAA,” Horning says.

“It’s amazing when you see the truck that’s filled with the number of gifts that are in there—and that’s only from one location.”

The event also has become a family

People always think of the kids and the families, but then ... you get these heartwrenching stories, like a lady wants a new purse, because she doesn’t have any money and she’s been using a lunchbox that has holes in it.”

Mary Donahue, vice president, National New Build Program at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

affair for Horning, whose husband, Scott Rambo, crochets blankets and scarves to add to the gifts for the seniors the couple adopts.

“We always take several seniors ourselves and take the larger items that are a little more expensive, that might be harder for some people to afford, but he [Rambo] always does a few little extras,” Horning says.

James said it is these “little extras” that make the drive even more special.

COAAA case workers ask each recipient about pets in the home, and donors often go above and beyond to include extra treats or toys for animal companions.

While the drive is no longer specifically affiliated with the holidays, James says many recipients who celebrate holidays such as Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanzaa, save their gifts to open on a special day.

“It tips you over from the warm feeling of the gift drive, and then you add on the pets, and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m getting choked up talking about it right now,’ ” she says.

“They’re so honored. They’re so grateful. They’re so excited. It’s such a happy time.”

This article was made possible by support from the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation, which has partnered with Columbus CEO to profile those making our community a better place. Help us inspire kindness by suggesting people, initiatives or organizations for Reporter Sophia Veneziano to profile. She can be reached at sveneziano@dispatch.com. Learn more at ColumbusCEO.com/Kindness.

Bill LaFayette, Ph.D., Owner 4926 Crestbrook Drive Lockbourne, Ohio 43137 614.654.2151

www.regionomicsllc.com info@ www.regionomicsllc.com

Overturning Overtime

Attorneys and human resources executives advise a wait-and-see approach to the U.S. District Court ruling that struck down new salary minimums for exempt employees.

BY TIM FERAN

It’s been a head-spinning few months for employers, as a mandate that would have dramatically boosted the overtime salary threshold for white-collar workers was overturned by a federal judge— less than two months before its final phase was to take effect.

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a new rule that increased the salary at which some employees become eligible for overtime pay. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer is

generally required to pay an employee time-and-a-half for every hour they work over 40 hours a week. However, some executive, administrative and professional employees are exempt from that requirement.

The Department of Labor sought to increase the dollar amount at which these white-collar workers become exempt. Part one, which took effect July 1, increased the annual salary threshold from $35,568 to $43,888. The change made an additional 1 million U.S. workers eligible to receive time-and-a-half wages for each hour they put in beyond 40.

On Jan. 1, 2025, the threshold was to increase again to $58,656, covering an additional 3 million workers. But on Nov. 15, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas struck down the rule, negating both raises.

For businesses and human resources professionals in the Columbus region, the back-and-forth, up-and-down changes have been a source of concern, if not dismay.

“It’s just messy,” says Sharon Thomas-DeLay, owner and managing consultant of human resources firm GO-HR and president-elect of the nonprofit Human Resources Association of Central Ohio (HRACO).

“Small employers try to do what they need to do,” she says. “So, many employers did the increase on July 1, although there were some who said, ‘Nope, let’s see what happens.’ The general thinking was that July would happen, but January wouldn’t. But not because

by Getty Images

Photo

people thought that the White House would flip.”

Many observers thought the rule wouldn’t take effect because “we’ve kind of been down the road before,” says Alicia Nesline Shaw, a partner and employment law attorney at Carlile Patchen & Murphy. In 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas struck down a similar increase that the Obama administration sought to enact.

“But under Obama, they hadn’t gone into effect,” says Lisa Kathumbi, a labor and employment lawyer at Littler Mendelson. “Here, a portion had gone into effect. It’s a tough position employers have landed at.”

So, what should employers do? “What we’re looking at is that these thresholds are set at minimum levels,” says Bob Robenalt, a partner at Fisher Phillips who practices labor and employment law. “Our experience is that most employers are above that level anyway. It is going to be a wait-andsee situation. It’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all situation.”

Nesline Shaw says she tells clients to look beyond pay. “It’s not just the compensation. It’s the job duties,” she says. “This is the time to take stock and see if they qualify for those exemptions. Just because you always treated this job as exempt doesn’t mean it should have been exempt.”

Part of the equation, of course, is whether employers have enough wiggle room in their budgets to cover a salary bump. But even those businesses that are strapped for cash will have to move carefully. “Employers are still having a hard time finding people and keeping people,” Nesline Shaw says. “So, backpedaling and making starting pay significantly lower is probably not going to happen.”

Some organizations that had announced raises for employees impacted by the Jan. 1 rule change have canceled them. A week after the federal court decision was announced, Ohio State University sent emails to 306 affected employees rescinding salary increases that had taken effect Nov. 1. The employees were to keep their base pay increases for November and December before returning to their old salaries on Jan. 1.

Kathumbi says it’s important to note that Ohio State won’t take back the money that has already been paid out.

“What OSU is saying is, ‘We’re going to make a shift back to where it was,’ ” she says. “Ohio State is taking the right approach. They’re not going to claw back the money. That’s a good decision, not just for its impact on employees, but legally.”

“I don’t know any employer who is going to claw back the July 1 raise,” Thomas-DeLay says. “It’s not in an employer’s best interest to take back a raise. It becomes an attraction and retention issue.”

For the GO-HR owner, who specializes in advising small businesses, that is a crucial point. “Small business doesn’t have a lot to attract employees, so there’s some advantages to meeting that July 1 deadline,” she says. “It forced some to be more competitive.”

For bigger employers, the original,

smaller wage increase was met with a shrug, Kathumbi says. “One client who is based here said, ‘This is kind of de minimus for us. So, it’s not going to affect us.’ ”

Central Ohio attorneys and HR professionals say employers should continue to take a wait-and-see approach, because the Biden administration is seeking to have the court ruling overturned. Thomas-DeLay is advising her clients to have “two budgets ready for 2025: one if the increase was going to happen, one if not.”

But, looking further ahead, most observers think it’s unlikely the rule will be reinstated. “You can predict with pretty good confidence what the new [Trump] administration is going to do,” Robenalt says.

Tim Feran is a freelance writer.

Photo by

The Value of Money Market Funds

Financial advisers say these mutual funds offer short-term benefits for many investors, with advantages such as lower risk and flexibility.

By Chuck Nelson

Money market funds may be on the downside of their recent rate peak, but financial advisers still say they can be a great tool for making an investor’s money work harder and smarter.

A money market fund, or MMF, is a type of mutual fund that typically invests in short-term debt securities, cash and equivalents. The

investments are considered lower risk, yet they also generally yield lower returns than other options. MMFs have been around since the 1970s, but they began to attract more consumers when the Federal Reserve began raising its benchmark federal funds rate in 2022 in an effort to tame inflation after the pandemic, according to TheStreet. Those interest-rate bumps were quickly reflected in money market funds, whose assets

under management rolled to a record $7 trillion in November, according to the Office of Financial Research, part of the U.S. Treasury Department.

While the funds remain popular, Bloomberg says their yields peaked last summer at around 5 percent and have moved lower following recent Fed cuts. Even so, more than $700 billion had flooded into the funds in 2024 through mid-November.

“We’re starting to see a transition out of money market funds as the Fed lowers the rates,” says Peyman Salehi, managing director of wealth and asset management for Central Ohio at Fifth Third Private Bank. That’s likely to continue with more Fed cuts expected in the future, he says. “Unless something happens and the Fed has to raise rates, we don’t see those rates staying where they are.”

Until that happens, experts agree MMFs can still help consumers’ money work a little harder.

“For some folks, it can be a great place to temporarily park some cash,

Getty Images

Expert Advice from Footprint Capital: A Q&A for Private Business Owners Interested in M&A

Congratulations on Footprint Capital’s 10-year anniversary. While your firm is becoming more widely known in Central Ohio, can you tell our readers what Footprint does?

Formally, Footprint Capital is an independent middle market investment bank focused on sell-side advisory services, as well as buy-side, ownership transition planning, and debt advisory. What that really means is that our team advises founders and owners of privately held businesses through all kinds of merger and acquisition transactions. Footprint plays the quarterback role to help business owners complete transactions, allowing them to move towards retirement, gain liquidity through partial sales, partner with private equity to scale, complete acquisitions, and raise capital.

Josh, why did you start Footprint and what was your vision with founding the firm?

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, intellectual curiosity to learn about a variety of different industries and transactions, as well as genuinely enjoyed meeting business owners. Earlier in my M&A career, it seemed that too many local business owners were using out of town advisors and oftentimes, those processes were rather inflexible or rigid. I felt there was an opportunity in Columbus to create a local, independent sell-side focused investment bank with likeminded teammates who embraced that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for every business owner. Footprint’s approach starts entirely with understanding our clients’ objectives and tailoring our process to meet those goals. We pour ourselves into every engagement in an effort to exceed our clients’ expectations.

I understand that the team has grown and the number of transactions has continued to increase over the past 10 years. Can you describe the firm today?

Our 15-person team has diverse backgrounds and experiences, enabling us to provide differentiated advice to our clients. This includes participating in buy- and sell-side deals as public company executives, within CPA firms, M&A law firms, in corporate development functions, as owners, operators, CFOs, and so forth. None of us are lifelong investment bankers, and those operational experiences allow us to work alongside our clients at a granular level. As the team has grown, so has the number and size of transactions. In 2024, Footprint will close 18-20 deals at a combined enterprise value of approaching $600 million.

As of 2024, more than 51% of private businesses were owned by baby boomers. How can Footprint help our readers consider their exit options?

Our process always starts with understanding the business owners’ objectives. We begin each process educating owners on all of their options, including both internal and external transactions. Historically, more than 75% of Footprint’s engagements helped owners complete some form of sell-side transaction. For some owners, the primary motivation is taking steps towards retirement. Other owners may be seeking to diversify their personal balance sheets while simultaneously finding a partner to help them gain access to capital, scale, and/or make acquisitions. Our advice to all owners is that planning early, ideally two to three years in advance, is key to driving a successful outcome.

but it really depends on the situation that applies to that family,” says Jeremy Young, regional director of JPMorgan Chase Wealth Management. “Every investor is different in their financial situation. It comes back to what the client or family needs.”

He says the bank’s approach hinges on a client’s personal goals, their timeline for needing the funds, their liquidity or cash needs, and their tolerance level for risk.

According to Fidelity Investments, MMFs can be used for various purposes, including short-term goals or emergencies, or as an off-ramp for portfolio funds during periods of volatility, providing interest income for money that might otherwise earn little or nothing elsewhere.

“In most cases, you don’t use a money market fund as a long-term investment,” Salehi says. “We see them as being a specific tool in the wider array of vehicles we use for investing for our clients.”

In most cases, you don’t use a money market fund as a long-term investment.”

Peyman Salehi, Fifth Third Private Bank

Adam Koós, president and senior financial adviser at Libertas Wealth Management Group Inc. in Dublin, says his company uses MMFs when clients move out of securities due to a market downturn “to get a little more bang for our buck while money is waiting for a sunnier day.”

“We tell our clients the first thing you need to do is have an emergency account” to cover expenses for a set period of time. For a household where

two people are working, that’s at least three months of expenses, he says; plan on six months for a household with a single earner.

“If you’re retired, we like to call it ‘gunpowder,’ ” Koós says, “because instead of sending our clients a distribution from their accounts to supplement their Social Security or pension income, we’d rather turn off the distribution when the market’s struggling, let the cookies bake, and start taking money from the ‘gunpowder’ account.”

For a retirement account that has a time horizon of 10 years or more, MMFs might not be a great tool, says Jamie Menges, shareholder and senior financial adviser at PDS Planning Inc. in Dublin. But for someone close to retirement who wants to ease out of a volatile stock market, that could be a different story. “Cash is the greatest provider of peace of mind,” he says. “That’s always worth something.”

MMFs are considered low risk due to their underlying investments,

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Photo

especially those that hold government-issued debt. Historically, MMFs maintain a net asset value of $1 per share, Salehi says. But in rare instances, a fund can “break the buck” and lose money, as happened during the 2008 financial crisis.

“Does that mean that there isn’t that black swan event that you or I could never predict? No,” says Koós. “I don’t know what would cause a money market fund to implode temporarily, but I never tell our clients, ‘You can never lose money; it’s impossible.’ ”

As with any investment, there can be tax implications on money market fund earnings, depending on what kind of account they’re held in. “It’s always a great idea to speak to your tax adviser on any kind of tax obligations,” Young reminds investors.

Koós says there are lots of options for money market funds between traditional brokerages like Schwab or Fidelity or those offered through banks. He suggests potential buyers look for three things in addition to the published rate: if the fund requires a minimum investment; if it has to

Cash is the greatest provider of peace of mind,” he says. “That’s always worth something.”

Jamie Menges, PDS Planning Inc.

about the difference between money market funds and money market accounts. MMFs are investment funds registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while MMAs are a type of savings account that offers higher interest rates than traditional bank accounts. When offered by a bank, MMAs are insured by the FDIC for up to $250,000 per depositor.

Most of the big commercial brokerages offer their own MMFs, Menges says, making it easier to move funds around in a client’s account. “It’s really liquid in that regard,” he says.

be held for a certain amount of time; and if there are penalties for early withdrawal.

Don’t chase the highest rates without knowing what the fund is holding, Koós says. “Places like MarketWatch or ETF.com will tell you what’s inside that thing,” he says. If a money market fund today is advertising yields at or above 5 percent, “chances are, there’s some riskier stuff in there” than short-term Treasury bills, he says.

Newer investors often are confused

While there’s always some risk of losing money in MMFs, Menges doesn’t believe the exposure is significant. “It’s something we’ve been comfortable with.”

With the Fed expected to make more cuts, money market fund rates will probably follow and drop lower, Salehi says, leading some investors to put those assets to work elsewhere.

“Take advantage of these rates while you can,” Koós says.

Chuck Nelson is a freelance writer.

COLUMBUS CHAMBER ANNUAL MEETING

February 19 | Battelle Grand | Columbus Convention Center

The Columbus Chamber’s Annual Meeting is the most distinguished event of our calendar, uniting a remarkable assembly of Columbus Region business and community leaders. Join us at Ignite US | Fueling the Future of Columbus Together, presented by Mount Carmel Health and Wright-Patt Credit Union! Ignite US marks a pivotal moment of transition and transformation for our business community. As we welcome new leadership, this event will spotlight the collective energy, vision, and collaboration essential to driving the Columbus Region forward. Join us as we ignite fresh ideas, celebrate our shared achievements, and build connections that will shape the future. This is your opportunity to engage with the leaders and innovators who will steer our region through its next chapter, ensuring Columbus remains a vibrant and prosperous hub for all.

THOUGHT LEADER

THE HIDDEN COSTS OF INVESTING

Fees matter, especially when presented as 1% of your investment portfolio. Why the current advisor model is outdated.

American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Money often costs too much.” If you work with and pay an advisor whose advice is primarily focused on investments, you may want to re-examine the value of the relationship. So how do you find an advisor who provides comprehensive planning, guiding you toward meeting your goals without overpaying for investments?

Look for comprehensive advice, not just investment management. To justify their fees, most advisors focus on investments over comprehensive planning. Many advisors use a similar model to build an investment allocation. They may try to differentiate themselves by predicting where the market is going or even suggest they can beat the market. However, with information widely available now, it is increasingly difficult to guess what investments will consistently outperform or even match the market’s performance. Advisors attempting to do so introduce more product fees, advisor fees and less tax efficiency. All may erode your wealth long term. Times have changed, and active management often underperforms markets. An advisor working in your best interest will focus on a comprehensive plan factoring in topics such as cash flow, tax and estate planning, in addition to a disciplined low-cost investment plan.

Fee-only doesn’t always mean fiduciary.

Imagine going to the dealership to purchase a new car. You ask for the price and instead of telling you the dollar amount they say the price is a percentage of your total income. Does that make sense? Of course not, but that is how many fee-only advisors charge for their services. A 1% fee

based on the amount of investments managed introduces a conflict of interest. Why should those with more investments pay significantly more for an investment plan that isn’t customized? You may think, “1% to my advisor can’t be much, right?” Well, just as growth compounds, so do expenses. The seemingly small 1% of your investment portfolio, plus the fees for products they recommend, can cost you significantly long term.

Beware of pushy sales strategies. Have you ever felt you are being sold and get a bad feeling in your gut? While an advisor may say they’re putting your interests first, if they bring up expensive investment alternatives like annuities and life insurance, it may be time to walk away. Some

“An advisor working in your best interest will focus on a comprehensive plan factoring in topics such as cash flow, tax and estate planning.”

products offer security and guarantees, but often at an expensive price, with little flexibility or liquidity. In volatile times, advisors use fear of a financial collapse to sell expensive products that are in their best interest, not yours.

Wealth management services should enhance your wealth, not your advisor’s.

People happily pay their advisor 1% in fees without realizing how a seemingly harmless 1% fee shifts money from their portfolio to their advisor. A good advisor will be mindful of both your professional and product costs. Advisors should be fairly compensated for good advice that helps you avoid costly mistakes, while keeping you on track to achieve your goals. At PDS, we have embraced a flat, fixedfee pricing structure stated in dollars, not seemingly marginal percentages. Maybe it’s time to get a second opinion on how much the advice you are receiving actually costs.

Jimmy Rogers, CFP®

Activities, clubs and fun are available at Westerwood in northeast Columbus.

Senior Living Directory of Facilities

These 93 communities across Central Ohio offer various levels of care for yourself or a loved one.

KEY: IL – INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS; AL – ASSISTED LIVING UNITS MC – MEMORY CARE UNITS; SN – SKILLED NURSING UNITS

Central Ohio has a wealth of retirement and senior communities spanning a full continuum of care. Here are 93 options across the region to suit a variety of needs, whether you seek independent living, skilled nursing or something in between.

ABBINGTON ASSISTED LIVING

abbingtononline.com

Abbington of Arlington Assisted Living

1320 Old Henderson Road, Columbus; 614451-4575; 44 AL

Abbington of Pickerington Assisted Living

9480 Blacklick-Eastern Road, Pickerington;

614-577-0822; 48 AL

Abbington of Powell Assisted Living 3971 Bradford Court, Powell; 614-789-9868; 48 AL

ALPINE HOUSE

alpinehouse.net

Alpine House of Columbus 1001 Schrock Road, Columbus; 614-505-3531; 55 AL

ARROW SENIOR LIVING

arrowseniorliving.com

Carriage Court Senior Living 3570 Heritage Club Drive, Hilliard; 614-5297470; 87 AL, 16 MC

BICKFORD SENIOR LIVING

bickfordseniorliving.com

Bickford of Bexley

2600 E. Main St., Bexley; 614-235-3900; 33 AL, 20 MC

Bickford of Lancaster

1834 Countryside Drive, Lancaster; 740-9010912; AL/MC

Bickford of Upper Arlington 3500 Riverside Drive, Columbus; 614-4573500; AL/MC

Bickford of Worthington

6525 N. High St., Worthington; 614-846-6500; 54 AL, 27 MC

BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING INC.

brookdale.com

Brookdale Lakeview Crossing 4000 Lakeview Crossing, Groveport; 614830-9525; 73 AL, 16 MC

Brookdale Muirfield

7220 Muirfield Drive, Dublin; 380-257-3755; 54 AL, 30 MC

Brookdale Pinnacle

1305 Lamplighter Drive, Grove City; 380-9795451; 83 AL, 23 MC

Photo courtesy Westerwood

Brookdale Trillium Crossing

3500 Trillium Crossing, Columbus; 614-6810222; 120 IL/AL

Brookdale Westerville

6377 Cooper Road, Columbus; 614-426-0838; 31 AL, 12 MC

CAPITAL HEALTH CARE NETWORK

capitalhealthcarenetwork.com

Gardens of Scioto

433 Obetz Road, Suite 200, Columbus; 614558-3141; 15 IL

Meadows of Scioto

433 Obetz Road, Suite 100, Columbus; 614558-3141; 120 SN

Villas of Scioto

433 Obetz Road, Suite 300, Columbus; 614558-3141; 32 AL

CENTURY PARK

centurypa.com

Mayfair Village Retirement Community

3011 Hayden Road, Columbus; 614-889-6202; 85 IL/AL

CIENA HEALTHCARE

cienahealthcare.com

Laurels of Gahanna

5151 N. Hamilton Road, Columbus; 614-3371066; 112 SN

Laurels of West Columbus 441 Norton Road, Columbus; 614-812-1200; SN Laurels of Worthington 1030 High St., Worthington; 614-885-0408; 95 SN, 49 MC

CONTINENTAL SENIOR COMMUNITIES

continentalseniorcommunities.com

The Bristol 7780 Olentangy River Road, Columbus; 614886-2818; 55 IL, 54 AL

Cherry Blossom Senior Living 79 Blossom Field Blvd., Columbus; 614-5307726; 28 IL, 66 AL, 30 MC

The Coventry 3240 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington; 614-9679697; IL/AL

Dublin Glenn Memory Care

6355 Emerald Parkway, Dublin; 614-761-9200; 66 MC

Ganzhorn Suites

10272 Sawmill Parkway, Powell; 614-356-9810; MC

Middleton Senior Living

1500 Weaver Drive, Granville; 740-587-0059; 28 IL, 85 AL, 35 MC

FERIDEAN COMMONS

feridean.com

6885 Freeman Road, Westerville; 614-8987488; 40 IL, 58 AL

FIVE STAR SENIOR LIVING

fivestarseniorliving.com

The Forum at Knightsbridge 4590 Knightsbridge Blvd., Columbus; 614-4516793; IL/AL/MC

FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE OF DUBLIN

fvdublin.org

6000 Riverside Drive, Dublin; 614-764-1600; 300 IL, 29 AL, 27 MC, 50 SN

THE GABLES OF WESTERVILLE

gablesofwesterville.com

131 Moss Road, Westerville; 614-918-0050; 19 IL, 59 AL, 24 MC

HERITAGE SENIOR LIVING OF MARYSVILLE

heritageslm.com

1565 London Ave., Marysville; 937-738-7342; 59 AL, 17 MC

HOMESTEAD SENIOR LIVING

homestead-village.com

Homestead Village Blacklick

7250 E. Broad St., Blacklick; 614-360-2266; 130 IL

Homestead Village Grove City 4990 Hoover Road, Grove City; 614-653-1567; 130 IL

HOOVER HAUS ASSISTED LIVING

hooverhaus.com

3675 Hoover Road, Grove City; 614-875-7600; 5 IL, 22 AL, 5 MC

THE INNS AT SUMMIT AND WINCHESTER TRAIL

innatsummittrail.com

Inn at Summit Trail

8115 Summit Road, Reynoldsburg; 740-9194977; AL, MC winchestertrail.com

Inn at Winchester Trail

6401 Winchester Blvd., Canal Winchester; 614829-6388; AL, MC

LIFE CARE SERVICES

lifecareservices.com

The Avalon of Lewis Center 8875 Green Meadows Drive N., Lewis Center; 740-513-2270; AL, MC

The Avalon of New Albany

245 E. Main St., New Albany; 740-513-3044; 59 AL, 44 MC

LIFE ENRICHING COMMUNITIES

lec.org

Wesley Glen Retirement 5155 N. High St., Columbus; 614-888-7492; 152 IL, 74 AL, 21 MC, 65 SN

Wesley Ridge Retirement 2225 Taylor Park Drive, Reynoldsburg; 614759-0023; 106 IL, 61 AL, 38 MC, 25 SN

Wesley Woods at New Albany 4588 Wesley Woods Blvd., New Albany; 614656-4100; 72 IL, 15 AL, 20 MC, 16 SN

LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES seniorlivinglss.com

LSS Kensington Place 1001 Parkview Blvd., Columbus; 614-251-7689; IL, AL, MC

NATIONAL CHURCH RESIDENCES

nationalchurchresidences.org

Avondale

5215 Avery Road, Dublin; 614-319-3353; 200 IL

Brookwood Point

2685 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus; 866-5696328; 103 IL

Chimes Terrace

65 S. Williams St., Johnstown; 888-205-8801; IL, AL

First Community Village 1800 Riverside Drive, Columbus; 877-364-2570; 211 IL, 38 AL, 36 MC, 47 SN

Harmony Trace

3550 Fishinger Blvd., Hilliard; 888-211-3477; 25 AL, 57 MC

The Hartford

120 E. Stafford Ave., Worthington; 888-2058740; 85 IL

Inniswood Village

1195 North St., Westerville; 844-841-5770; 120 IL, 52 AL, 20 MC

Lincoln Village

4959 Medfield Way, Columbus; 614-870-1123; 54 AL

Stygler Commons

165 N. Stygler Drive, Gahanna; 614-342-4588; 32 AL

Walnut Trace

389 Olde Ridenour Road, Gahanna; 844-2111329; 93 IL

OHIO LIVING

ohioliving.org

Ohio Living Sarah Moore

26 N. Union St., Delaware; 740-362-9641; 39 AL, 47 SN

Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber

717 Neil Ave., Columbus; 614-228-8888; 198 IL, 30 AL, 20 MC, 128 SN

OPTALIS HEALTHCARE

optalishealthcare.com

Arlington Court

1605 NW Professional Plaza, Columbus; 614451-5677; MC, SN

Canal Winchester Rehabilitation Center

6800 Gender Road, Canal Winchester; 614834-6800; 35 AL, 87 SN

Mill Run Rehabilitation Center

3399 Mill Run Drive, Hilliard; 614-527-3000; 36 AL, 66 SN

Monterey Rehabilitation Center

3929 Hoover Road, Grove City; 614-875-7700; 117 beds MC, SN

New Albany Rehabilitation Center

5691 Thompson Road, Columbus; 614-8558866; 36 AL, 67 SN

Riverview at Clintonville

3710 Olentangy River Road, Columbus; 614457-1100; 60 AL, 145 SN

West Park Rehabilitation Center

1700 Heinzerling Drive, Columbus; 614-2744222; 28 MC, 71 SN

OUR HOME SENIOR LIVING

ourhomesl.com

Cotter House Worthington 800 Proprietors Road, Worthington; 614-8968700; MC

Our Home New Albany 5055 Thompson Road, Columbus; 614-8553700; 97 IL/AL

RITTENHOUSE VILLAGE BY DISCOVERY SENIOR LIVING rittenhousevillages.com

Rittenhouse Village Gahanna 1201 Riva Ridge Court, Gahanna; 614-6830199; 117 IL

SENIOR STAR

seniorstar.com

Dublin Retirement Village 6470 Post Road, Dublin; 614-764-2800; 134 IL, 60 AL, 39 MC

Harrison on 5th 579 W. Fifth Ave., Columbus; 380-215-1412; IL/ AL/MC

SINCERI SENIOR LIVING sinceriseniorliving.com

Amber Park Pickerington 401 Hill Road N., Pickerington; 614-834-3113; 86 AL

STORYPOINT GROUP

storypoint.com

Danbury Senior Living of Columbus 2870 Snouffer Road, Columbus; 614-339-0459; 68 IL/AL, 33 MC

Danbury Westerville – Parkside Village 730 N. Spring Road, Westerville; 614-794-9300; 158 IL/AL, 46 MC

Westerwood Assisted Living has move-in ready residences for immediate occupancy.

When someone you love needs assistance, waiting is not an option. We have move-in ready Assisted Living apartments and a team of experienced, compassionate caregivers trained to provide personalized care that maximizes your loved one’s independence. It’s care Columbus area families have trusted for decades —and it’s just a phone call away.

StoryPoint Gahanna

5435 Morse Road, Gahanna; 614-924-8144; 83 IL, 60 AL, 39 MC

StoryPoint Grove City

3717 Orders Road, Grove City; 614-875-6200; 116 IL, 35 AL, 44 MC

StoryPoint Pickerington 611 Windmiller Drive, Pickerington; 614953-5421; 96 IL

StoryPoint Powell 10351 Sawmill Parkway, Powell; 614-363-6631; 90 IL

SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING sunriseseniorliving.com

Sunrise of Dublin 4175 Stoneridge Lane, Dublin; 614-718-2062; 52 AL, 28 MC

Sunrise of Gahanna 775 E. Johnstown Road, Gahanna; 614-4189775; 23 AL, 27 MC

TRADITIONS MANAGEMENT

traditionsmgmt.net

Grove City Senior Living by Traditions 3615 Glacial Lane, Grove City; 614-957-0029; 94 IL/AL/MC, plus 30 IL villas

Traditions of Hilliard 4303 Trueman Boulevard, Hilliard; 614-3193305; AL, MC

TRUE CONNECTION COMMUNITIES

trueconnectioncommunities.com

Verena at Hilliard

4522 Hickory Chase Way, Hilliard; 800-9005055; IL

UNITED CHURCH HOMES

unitedchurchhomes.org

Columbus Colony for Elderly Care 1150 Colony Drive, Westerville; 614-891-5055; 110 AL

WALLICK COMMUNITIES

wallickcommunities.com

The Ashford on Broad 4801 E. Broad St., Columbus; 614-641-2995; 131 AL

The Ashford of Grove City

3197 Southwest Blvd., Grove City; 614-9573918; 100 AL, 50 MC

The Ashford at Sturbridge 3700 Sturbridge Court, Hilliard; 614-633-4811; 61 IL, 62 AL

The Grove at Oakleaf Village 5546 Karl Road, Columbus; 614-431-1739; 56 MC

Oakleaf Village of Columbus

5500 Karl Road, Columbus; 614-431-1739; 121 IL/AL

WESTERWOOD

liveatwesterwood.org

5800 Forest Hills Blvd., Columbus; 614-8908282; 193 IL, 66 AL, 14 MC, 75 SN

WEXNER HERITAGE VILLAGE

whv.org

Creekside at the Village 2200 Welcome Place, Columbus; 614-384-2271; 83 IL/AL

Geraldine Schottenstein Cottage 1149 College Ave., Columbus; 614-384-2271; 18 AL/MC

Wexner Heritage House 1151 College Ave., Columbus; 614-231-4900; 99 SN

WILLOW BROOK CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

willow-brook.org

Willow Brook at Delaware Run 100 Delaware Crossing W., Delaware; 740-2015640; 144 IL, 66 AL, 20 MC

Willow Brook Christian Home 55 Lazelle Road, Columbus; 614-885-3300; 26 AL, 50 SN

Willow Brook Christian Village 100 Willow Brook Way S., Delaware; 740-3690048; 124 IL, 40 AL, 17 MC, 34 SN

WORTHINGTON CHRISTIAN VILLAGE

wcv.org

65 Highbluffs Blvd., Columbus; 614-846-6076; 107 IL, 38 AL, 42 SN

These listings originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of Columbus Monthly.

The Ashford of Grove City by Wallick Senior Living

Photo courtesy Fairfield Photography

The Power of Positivity

Positive Foundry shows employees how a new mindset can help change their lives at work and at home.

BY SHANNON SHELTON MILLER

Ten years ago, Laura Cooke found herself at a crossroads. She was juggling the demands of her job as assistant head of The Wellington School and raising four daughters while her husband, Chris, traveled often for work. The stress took a toll on her health, leaving her battling illnesses she now recognizes resulted from a lifestyle she knew was unsustainable.

Cooke knew something had to change. A lifelong learner, she immersed herself in the study of positive psychology and the science of happiness, and in turn, strengthened her desire to use that research to help others, especially in the workplace.

The Cookes took their interest in positive psychology even further. They earned certifications in the field, and Laura Cooke created a class on happiness at The Wellington School with the help of Doug Smith, a mentor and author of “Happiness: The Art of Living With Peace, Confidence, and Joy.” Those actions planted the seeds for Positive Foundry in late 2016, and Smith gave the couple their first loan.

Laura Cooke’s keynote speech with Smith during a 2017 IGS Energy conference, however, brought the consultancy to fruition. The success of that talk fueled the Cookes to quit their full-time jobs that day and commit 100 percent to their dream.

“We believe organizations can play an important role in changing the trajectory of well-being in the U.S. and help create thriving communities,”

Positive Foundry was created by husband-andwife team Laura and Chris Cooke, who brought on Rachel Finney (right).

Laura Cooke says. “We knew we could do it by working with companies who believe people are their greatest asset.”

PRACTICE MAKES PEOPLE BETTER

Jeff Edwards, CEO of construction contractor Installed Building Products, was an early booster whose input helped lay the

consultancy’s groundwork. Edwards’ children attended The Wellington School, and his familiarity with the Cookes’ work led him to ask for help to reach employees across 200-plus branches. He especially wanted to connect with installers who worked in the field.

“Everybody has their cross to bear, and it’s not exclusive to a

by

Photo

Tim Johnson

job position, sex, race, religion or anything else,” Edwards says. “If we’re going to do something like this, I knew

members provides a more meaningful gauge of success.

IGS Energy integrated BetterYet in

ON THE FIELD. IN THE

LOCKER

ROOM. ON

THE

RECRUITING TRAIL.

If it’s happening in Scarlet & Gray, it’s happening here.

help you practice not only being a better worker, but a better human. I haven’t seen anybody in this space do it quite like Positive Foundry does.”

Cooke says Positive Foundry works with companies of all sizes, with pricing tiered depending on the number of employees, champions and products purchased. Companies can make requests tailored to their needs; for Installed Building Products, Positive Foundry produced videos in Spanish for its Spanishspeaking installers.

While success has come from word-of-mouth recommendations and existing contacts, Positive Foundry sees 2025 as the year to expand its reach. In August, the company hired Rachel Finney, the former CEO of Columbus Humane, as chief operating officer. Finney met Laura Cooke in 2018 when a Columbus Humane board member introduced them based on their similar interests— Finney writes and speaks about finding advantages in difficult situations in her blog, The Advantageist.

Finney left Columbus Humane in June after 16 years because she was ready for a new journey, even if she, like Cooke years earlier, didn’t know where it would lead. Finney says she was drawn to Positive Foundry’s goals to reach more than 1 million people in corporate America by 2032 and to bring the program to the education sector. “It’s certainly a departure for me in that it’s not a nonprofit organization, but it’s still very much a mission-focused business,” Finney says. “I still care passionately and deeply about the nonprofit space and community organizations. I know them, I love them, and I know they need help through these well-being skills.”

Cooke says she’s still on that journey of well-being herself, but now, she’s fully embraced a life where she can thrive.

“I feel like a different person today because of the personal growth I’ve experienced,” Cooke says. “I’m still growing, and I really love what I do because I get to learn every day, and because I get to learn from other people every day.”

This story also appears in the December issue of Columbus Monthly.

Breakdown

BY JULANNE HOHBACH

Air Travel Enhancements

Now that the first shovel of dirt has been thrown for the new passenger terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, local air travelers can look forward to significant enhancements as they take to the skies.

Gensler and Moody Nolan designed the new $2 billion terminal for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. It will replace the current 29-gate facility, which opened in 1958. The new building has multiple features aimed at improving the travel experience, including a centralized security checkpoint, a single concourse with a central marketplace, and special sensory, family and nursing rooms and pet relief areas. The design also makes use of natural light and other environmentally friendly measures.

A pedestrian bridge will connect the ground transportation center,

where travelers can find the rental car facility and a new 5,000-space parking garage.

The current terminal will continue serving passengers until the new one comes online, tentatively in early 2029.

BY THE NUMBERS

36 gates, including two for international travel

1 million projected square footage of the new terminal

250 electric vehicle chargers

5,000 spaces in the new parking garage

2029 projected opening date

8,672,440 2023 passenger count at John Glenn Columbus International Airport and the Rickenbacker Passenger Terminal

Source: Columbus Regional Airport Authority

The central concourse in the new passenger terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport

Take a listen to The Dispatch

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Hear the latest interviews from news-makers, politicians, artists and musicians.

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A roundtable discussion on the Blue Jackets with reporter Brian Hedger and columnist Michael Arace.

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NONSTOP FLIGHTS TO LAX START HERE

Plan your next business trip to Los Angeles with American Airlines’ daily service starting in March.