Central Ohio is the home of the newly-coined Silicon Heartland. The third largest of the country's manufacturing states, Ohio is outpacing the other two per capita.
- Ground has been broken for the forthcoming Intel semiconductor chip manufacturing site.
- Helping to drive Central Ohio's economy into the coveted Life Sciences sector, Amgen's 270,000 square foot packaging facility is slated to open in early 2024.
- Tech giant Amazon recently absorbed 400 acres in Licking County for a 30-building tech center.
- Together with LG, Honda is building facilities to build advanced lithium-ion battery cells for electric vehicles, beginning construction earlier this year.
Ted Geer
Manager, Semiconductor Sector, OneColumbus
Ted manages the implementation of the Intel project and the semiconductor industry across the Columbus Region. This includes supporting the construction of Intel’s factories, the recruitment of dozens of global suppliers, and planning for related growth across the Columbus Region. Prior to joining One Columbus, Ted spent time at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission as Economic Development & Infrastructure Officer and at the Greater Houston Partnership in government affairs and public policy.
Ohio Public Affairs Director, Intel, Emily Smith
In support of Intel’s $20B investment, Emily Smith leads Public Affairs for Intel across the buckeye state. In this role, she oversees community engagement, local government affairs, environmental sustainability and communication.
Emily previously served as the Senior Vice President of PR and Media Relations at Huntington National Bank where she oversaw corporate and regional media and public relations activities across Huntington’s multi-state footprint. She also served on the ESG Council, Climate Risk Committee and the Green Team.
Emily spent fifteen years in state government including the Ohio Senate, Ohio Department of Education and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. While at the commission, Emily reviewed impacts associated with construction and operation of major utility facilities including power generation, electric and gas transmission and renewable energy.
Her prior experience also includes serving as Vice President, Media Relations and Community Engagement at JPMorgan Chase where she served as point person for all media relations and community engagement activities for Ohio and five additional states which encompassed six million customers and 30,000 employees.
Emily’s first vehicle was a John Deere and she spent many years raising livestock for 4-H and earning badges as a member of the Girl Scouts. Her summers in a canoe fostered her deeply rooted passion for environmental education and conservation. She carried this love to THE Ohio State University where she earned a degree in Natural Resources. She also graduated from Capital University Law School and at Franklin University.
Latisha Woods
Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs, Amgen
Latisha Woods currently serves as the Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs for Amgen’s new advanced final assembly, labeling, and packaging facility located in New Albany, Ohio. She is responsible for building and implementing the communications strategy, with an emphasis on introducing Amgen to relevant stakeholders in Ohio, promoting Amgen as a desirable employer and establishing the company’s community outreach efforts.
Latisha has almost 20 years of experience in communications and government affairs with the City of New York, Time Warner Cable, Inc, and Speedway, LLC. Prior to joining Amgen, Latisha was responsible for corporate communications efforts at Speedway, LLC in Enon, Ohio, including more than 3,000 convenience stores, internal communications as well as customer and media responses. Previously, Latisha worked as Director of Government Relations for Time Warner Cable in New York City where she built relationships with government officials and local non-profits by coordinating the development of 40 local technology centers and spearheading a $6 million project to install branded Wi-Fi service in 60+ city parks.
Latisha earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Cornell University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University. She is a native New Yorker, but currently resides in the Columbus area with her husband Jason and son Avery.
Johnstown Mayor, Donald "Donny" Barnard
Mayor Barnard was appointed to the Johnstown City Council in April 2022, and chosen as Mayor in November 2022. He also serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee for the city. Prior to joining the Johnstown City Council, he served on the Johnstown Tree Commission and was President of the Concord Crossing Homeowners Association.
Donny grew up in Georgia and Michigan, enlisting in the United States Air Force upon his high school graduation, and serving nine years in Japan, Italy, and Ohio. During this time, he earned an Associate's degree in Business Administration from Sinclair Community College and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Capital University. After leaving the Air Force, he spent the next ten years in Central Ohio working in the public accounting sector as an auditor with a focus on non-profit organizations. Since 2010, Donny has served as an accountant with the Defense Finance Accounting Service, an agency of the United States Department of Defense.
Donny and his wife, Angela have been Johnstown residents since 2012 and he's a proud "Girl Dad" of three beautiful daughters.
New Albany Mayor, Sloan Spalding
Sloan Spalding was elected mayor in 2015 and 2019 after having been twice elected to City Council. Prior to his terms on council, Sloan served New Albany on the Personnel Appeals Board, Planning Commission, and was the Chair of the 2009 Charter Review Commission.
Mayor Spalding currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Ohio State Auditor, Keith Faber. Prior professional appointments have included being selected as Section Chief for Employment Law for then-Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, General Counsel and Deputy Chancellor for the Ohio Board of Regents, Chief Legal Counsel to the Ohio Department of Mental Health, and Labor Relations Director for The Ohio State University. Prior to moving to Ohio, he was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Army and served in the Utah Army National Guard.
He received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Military Science, and his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School.
Sloan and his wife Jennifer have been New Albany residents since 2002 and are the proud parents of three boys. The Spalding family is very active in New Albany High School sports, charity walks and runs, community events, the New Albany Symphony and Pelotonia.
Event Sponsors
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Quarterly Membership Luncheon - Septe...
Date and Time
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
11:00 AM - 1:15 PM EDT
Networking and registration: 11:00 AM
Program Begins: 11:30 AM
Location
The Golf Club at Little Turtle
5400 Little Turtle Way W
Westerville, OH 43081
Fees/Admission
$40 for members
$50 for non-members
Registration Deadline: September 5, 2023
No refunds within 48 hours of the event
When registering, please note if you have any special dietary needs in the Comment Box.(Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, etc.)
Contact Information
Jessica Schwarz
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