The Greater Columbus Region: Leading the Midwest
Kenny McDonald, CEcDPresident & CEO
Columbus Partnership
Kenny McDonald serves as the third president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, a civic organization of Columbus’ top business leaders. The Partnership was founded in 2002 to strengthen the economic and cultural base of Central Ohio. McDonald is leading the effort to boost diversity and equity, growth and development, and business and civic innovation – all with the ultimate goal of making the Columbus Region the most prosperous metropolitan area in the United States.
He brings more than 25 years of experience working with metropolitan economies in Savannah, Georgia; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Charlotte, North Carolina. He also spent seven years as a global site location advisor for Fluor Corporation.
McDonald has been named one of the Top 50 economic developers by Economix and is a frequent speaker and national thought leader on regional economic development. He was also named Small Nonprofit CEO of the Year by Columbus CEO magazine.
McDonald was instrumental in creating and leading the Columbus Region’s growth strategy when he was selected to lead Columbus 2020, a regional economic development group that was launched in 2010. Now known as One Columbus and housed within the Columbus Partnership, the organization is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 economic development organizations in the United States and represents a public-private partnership of more than 300 investors and partners from an 11-county area.
McDonald has served as chairman of the International Economic Development Council and is an active board member of the Champions of the Community/NCH Invitational, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Experience Columbus, Ohio Business Roundtable, Ohio Excels, Timashev Center for Software Innovation Advisory Council, the Transportation Research Center, RTRX, Ohio State University’s SciTech, and United Way.
McDonald is a graduate of Dickinson State University, Georgia Southern University, the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma, and Harvard’s Young American Leaders program. He has been a Certified Economic Developer (CecD) for over 20 years. He is married with three children.
David A. CiesinskiPresident, CEO & Director | Lancaster Colony Corporation
President | T. Marzetti Company
David A. Ciesinski is President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Lancaster Colony Corporation (Nasdaq: LANC) and President of T. Marzetti Company, a wholly owned subsidiary. Lancaster Colony is a $2 billion manufacturer and marketer of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice markets. Established in 1961, Lancaster Colony operates 13 production facilities in 7 states and employs 3,400 people.
Dave joined Lancaster Colony in 2016 as President, Chief Operating Officer and Director and was promoted to his current position in 2017. Since joining, he has rebuilt the company leadership team and led the development and implementation of the company’s Better Food Company growth plan, which has nearly doubled the size of the business and consistently delivered top-quartile financial results and world-class workplace safety.
Within the foodservice segment, Lancaster Colony is a trusted partner and supplier to 13 of the top 30 restaurant operators in the United States, including Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Domino’s, and Wendy’s. Within the retail segment, Lancaster Colony’s top brands include Marzetti, New York Bakery, Sister Schubert’s, and the following sauces sold exclusively under license agreements: Chick-fil-A sauces, Buffalo Wild Wings sauces, Subway sauces, and Olive Garden dressings.
Dave previously served as Executive Vice President and President of Kraft’s Meal Solutions division. He is also a 13-year veteran of H.J. Heinz Company, where he was the Vice President of Corporate Strategy from 2004 to 2006, Vice President of the U.S. Ketchup franchise from 2006 to 2011, and Vice President and CMO of its U.S. Consumer Products division. He later became Vice President of Global Business Development, leading the transaction to sell H.J. Heinz to an investment consortium consisting of 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway.
Dave is a member of the Board of Directors for Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE: WTRG), one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the United States. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Columbus Partnership.
Dave is a graduate of West Point and a veteran of the U.S. Army, with service during the first Gulf War in Iraq where he earned a Bronze Star Medal. He also earned a Master’s of Science in Industrial Administration from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
Dave and his wife Trish have six children and reside in Columbus, Ohio.
Annual Meeting Morning Presentation 2...
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Date and Time
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:10 AM EST
9:30AM - 10:00AM | Registration, Networking, Continental Breakfast
10:00AM - 11:10AM | The Columbus Region: Leading the Midwest, featuring Kenny McDonald, President/CEO of the Columbus Partnership. Dave Ciesinski, President of Lancaster Colony/T. Marzetti will facilitate discussion in a fireside chat-format.
11:30AM | Annual Meeting, Innovation Showcase and Awards Luncheon (REGISTER HERE)
Location
The Medallion Club
5000 Club Dr.
Westerville, OH 43082
Fees/Admission
"The Greater Columbus Region: Leading the Midwest" Presentation & Breakfast ONLY
$35 | Member
$45 | Potential Member
Contact Information
Jessica Schwarz
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