Devin D. Parram

Partner

Bricker Graydon LLP

Devin provides counsel to clients on a wide range of energy and utility issues. A significant portion of his practice focuses on litigating and processing cases before the Ohio Power Sitting Board (OPSB) and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Devin advises clients on various PUCO matters, ranging from routine regulatory filings to complex rate cases.

Devin regularly represents the Ohio Hospital Association in electric cases before the PUCO and advises hospitals regarding t=ratemaking proceedings, energy efficiency, energy procurement, distributed energy resource opportunities and PUCO regulatory matters that potentially impact the unique needs of health care providers. Devin also represents the Northeast Ohio Energy Council (NOPEC) before the PUCO in a variety of matters affecting residential and commercial consumers’ electric and natural gas rates. NOPEC is the largest public retail energy aggregation in the U.S., with approximately 220 county, township and municipal members. Devin also represents competitive energy suppliers on PUCO matters, including advising suppliers regarding the PUCO’s consumer protection rules.

At the OPSB, Devin represents utility-scale generation facility developers and natural gas utilities. He has served as lead counsel in fully contested wind farm cases before the OPSB and as regulatory counsel in dozens of cases involving the development of natural gas pipeline infrastructure.

Outside of the regulatory space, Devin has represented a variety of clients regarding energy-related transactions by drafting and negotiating purchase power agreements, lease agreements, energy procurement agreements, utility management/opportunities agreements and asset purchase agreements related to the purchase of utility systems. He frequently works with hospitals, schools, businesses and municipalities on these various energy transitional matters.

Prior to his career at Bricker Graydon, Devin served as Assistant Attorney General with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Public Utilities section. In this role, he argued numerous cases in the Ohio Supreme Court regarding PUCO appeals. In addition, while serving as an Assistant AG, Devin represented PUCO staff in cases before thew PUCO and OPSB.

Jerry Saunders Sr. CEO

Afrocentric Personal Development Shop Inc.

Afrocentric Personal Development Shop, Inc. (APDS), has been making significant contributions to the field of behavioral healthcare and community development for over three decades. With an impressive background and a strong commitment to addressing the socioeconomic needs of African American communities, Saunders has played a pivotal role in various organizations and initiatives.

Since 1997, Saunders has served as the CEO of APDS, a behavioral healthcare agency established in 1988. APDS specializes in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders and provides programming for male and recently added, female domestic violence perpetrators. Under Saunders’ leadership, APDS has achieved remarkable success in its mission.

In addition, Saunders is the managing partner of The Saunders Business Development Group, LLC. Prior to joining APDS, he served as the executive director of the Eldon W. Ward YMCA of Central Ohio for ten years.

Saunders has an extensive history of serving on governing boards of public entities and nonprofit organizations. He serves as the chairman of the board of directors for Creative Housing, Inc., and the Equity Now Coalition (ENC). Additionally, he is vice chair of the board for the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity (WCEO) and a trustee of the United Methodist Children’s Home, Inc. Saunders serves on the Mount Carmel Foundation Board of Trustees, is an inaugural member of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Health Equity Community Advisory Board, is a member of the Franklin County Reentry Advisory Board and is a founding member of The CEO Collective.

He has served as a commissioner of the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department for 15 years, a trustee for Franklin County Children Services for 6 years, and a board member of several other human services organizations. Through his involvement in these positions, he has made a lasting impact on various aspects of human services.

Saunders has received numerous awards, including the 2022 African American Male Wellness Walk Health Hero and the 2022 Greater Columbus Basketball Legends Hall of Fame Community Leadership Award. APDS has been recognized as the 2020 Nonprofit Business of the Year by the African American Committee. Saunders has received accolades such as the SMART Business Magazine 2019 Medical Mutual Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year and the Columbus Urban League Award of Excellence.

A proud native of Columbus, Ohio, Saunders graduated from Oberlin College. He is married to E. Gayle Saunders, and they have one son, Jerry Jr.

Jerry Saunders Sr. continues to be a driving force in building comprehensive supportive community services and addressing the socioeconomic needs of African American communities. Through his leadership, dedication, and passion, he is leaving an indelible mark on the field of behavioral healthcare and community development.

Lewis R. Smoot Jr.

CEO and President Smoot Corporation

Aculmination of 43 years of experience, Lewis R. Smoot Jr. is the third generation leading one of the Midwest’s largest black-0wned construction businesses, started by his family over seventy-five years ago. He and his father have been integral in steering Smoot Construction from a small masonry contractor to the successful multistate construction company headquartered today in Columbus, Ohio.

His leadership journey began in 1980. Lewis was discharged from the Navy as a Senior Hospital Corpsman working in the Nursery Intensive Care Unit. Following in the family footsteps, he went on to support the business started two generations earlier by his grandfather, Sherman R. Smoot (Founder), and run by his father, Lewis R. Smoot, Sr. (Chairman and CEO Emeritus).

Following the valuable experience of his military career, Lewis continued by learning ll areas of the construction industry. He received his degree from The Ohio State university, BS in industrial Technology and degrees from Columbus State Community College in Construction Management and Finance. He then furthered his education from the Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business executive development Program. Since his start with Smoot, Lewis has held positions of increasing responsibility including Laborer, Estimator, Project Manager, Administrative Manager and Vice President.

Following his education and varied career, 2021, Lewis assumed the leadership role of CEP and President of the Smoot Corporation. His position solidifies the third-generation leadership of the family business. Today, he is responsible for the executive management operations of the Smoot Corporation, Smoot Construction Company of Ohio, Smoot Construction LLC (Indiana) and Smoot Management. He provides executive direction for the firm, including the acquisition of work and oversight of successful daily operations. In his executive leadership role, he works closely with company executives to develop strategies for new pursuits and manages allocation of the company’s resources. He also focuses on identifying and proactively addressing risks and opportunities across the organization.

A champion of not only the construction business, education, and serving his country, Lewis is also a devout community leader of culture within the Greater Columbus Metropolitan area. He has served on the Capital Area Performing Arts Board of Directors, The Columbus Zoo & aquarium Associate Board of Directors, Columbus Zoo Zoombezi Bay Board of Directors, Columbus State Community College Foundation Board, Boy scouts of America, and Mt. Carmel Medical center Foundation Board to name a few.

Mahdi Taakilo CEO

Somali Community Link

Mahdi’s name rings a bell across Central Ohio and around the globe. The CEO of Somali Community Link and the publisher of Somali Link Newspaper has made a significant impact on the lives of everyone he encounters. Taakilo’s passion for community service and leadership began in the early ‘90s when he worked as an assistant of the United Nations Special Envoy to Somalia from 1994 to 1997.

After his stint with the UN, Taakilo worked with East African governments, trying to bring warring factions together. In 2000, he moved to the United States, where he continued his advocacy work for Somali immigrants and refugees. In 2004, he founded the Somali Link Newspaper, which has become the voice for Somalis in Central Ohio for 19 years. The monthly newspaper publishes 15,000 copies and serves as an essential source of information for the community.

Taakilo’s leadership and advocacy work have also led him to create several community-based organizations that aim to better the lives of African immigrants in Central Ohio. In 2004, he founded H.A.N.D (Helping Africans in New Directions), a 501(c)3 organization that provides education, employment, and housing assistance to African immigrants. He also created the New African Immigrant Commission, a statewide commission that aims to address the unique challenges faced by African immigrants in Ohio.

Somali Community Link, the organization that Taakilo currently heads, serves as a go-to resource for those in the Somali and immigrant community who need translations, immigration, legal, and employment assistance. The organization also partners with other service agencies, allowing for more efficient referral of vulnerable youth and families to their programs and other services as needed.

One of Somali Community Link’s notable programs is the Housing Assistance Program, which aims to stabilize low-income immigrants, refugees, and Limited English Proficient individuals in their existing homes and assist with housing. The organization conducts a needs assessment every two years to identify barriers and enablers to the implementation of individual/family support programs. As a result, Somali Community Link provides culturally and linguistically competent direct assistance to families in need.

Columbus has the second largest Somali population outside of Somalia. Taakilo’s leadership has been influential in the Somali and immigrant community in Central Ohio, and his work has had a significant impact on the lives of many. Through his advocacy work, he has brought the community together, working in collaboration, not isolation, to address the unique challenges faced by African immigrants. Somali Community Link is a testament to his leadership.