Frank Blankenship, EdD
Assistant Superintendent/Vocational Director
Columbiana County Career & Technical Center

Frank Blankenship has served as leader in the educational system in the Mahoning Valley for the past 33 years.  Currently, his role is Assistant Superintendent and Vocational Director for Columbiana County Career & Technical Center.  Prior to his employment with CCCTC, Dr. Blankenship served as Superintendent of Schools from 1991 to 2001, as a Principal, and as a High School Teacher.  Dr. Blankenship's professional education includes a Bachelor's Degree in Second Education from West Liberty State University, a Masters of Science and doctoral degrees from Youngstown State University.  Dr. Blankenship is very active in a number of professional organizations and holds memberships in the Ohio School Boards Association, Columbiana County Superintendents Association, and the Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development.

 
Melissa DeLisio
Assistant Director
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

Melissa DeLisio began her career with the former Ohio Bureau of Employment Services in the St. Clairsville local office in 1980 and then moved to the Central Office in 1986 where she has held several key positions.  Previous roles include responsibilities as District Coordinator of Unemployment Insurance & Employment Service operations for 12 offices in Northeast Ohio.  She then became Assistant Director of Operations over 76 local offices statewide and served as Employment Service Director in 1997 overseeing employment service programs statewide.  In July 2000, Melissa was appointed Deputy Director for the Office of Unemployment Compensation.  In October 2001, Melissa was appointed Assistant Director for Services to Employers for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.


Louis N. Harris, EdD, RRT
Director, Respiratory Care Program
Professor, Department of Health Professions
Youngstown State University

Louis Harris is Director of Respiratory Care and Professor in the Department of Health Professions at Youngstown State University.  He has over 30 years of combined experience as a respiratory care practitioner and educator at the collegiate level.  After receiving a bachelors and masters degree in Multidisciplinary Health Services at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Harris received his doctorate from the University of Akron in Higher Education Administration.  Dr. Harris has numerous peer-reviewed publications and has received several grants.  In addition, he has served as primary or co-author for six Ohio Board of Regents proposals for various health-related undergraduate and graduate degrees.  In his role as Director of the Respiratory Care Program at YSU, Dr. Harris has authored five Self-Study accreditation documents as well as serving as an on-site evaluator for the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.


Don Kacmar, NHA
Executive Director
Shepherd of the Valley

Donald Kacmar has been the Executive Director of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Retirement services for the past 18 years and has overseen the corporation's development from a single site to five sites which provide nursing care, rehabilitation, assisted living, independent living, home health care, and adult daycare to approximately 600 residents.  A graduate of Temple University, Mr. Kacmar is a licensed nursing home administrator and has worked in the field for over 25 years. 


Shirley McGlone
Project Manager, Workforce Shortage Issues
Ohio Department of Aging

Shirley McGlone is with the Ohio Department of Aging and serves as the manager for the Ohio Health Care Workforce Advisory Council.  The Council will guide a report and set of recommendations to the Governor's Workforce Policy Board and will serve as a resource, model, support and sponsor of an action agenda to build successful approaches aimed at substantially reducing and/or alleviating the health care workforce shortage.  Shirley's background includes more than 12 years as a manager for the Ohio Department of Mental Health, administrator of a children's mental health agency, and many years of experience developing programs and policies. 


Edward F. Morrison
Economic Development Consultant
Morrison and Associates 

For over 18 years, Ed Morrison has been conducting strategy projects with economic developers in the U.S.  Some highlights of his economic development work include a strategic economic development plan for Oklahoma City which was launched in 1996 following a $10 million investment by the business community. The plan's focus was to enhance the economic development efforts of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce by creating quality jobs, increasing capital investment, retaining existing business, and improving per capita income through seven initiatives.  The program generated one of the highest returns on investment ever measured.  As Oklahoma City builds on the momentum of this first program, their main goal is the attraction of higher paying jobs to the region, while retaining existing jobs and helping anchor firms expand in key clusters.  Based on his experience with workforce development programs in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Louisiana, Ed designed "Brainpower: Improving Workforce Development".  He is a frequent speaker on workforce development issues.  Most recently, he has spoken before the Kentucky Industrial Development Council, the Indiana Economic Development Council and the Economic Development Council of Maine on workforce issues.  He authored the1998 report for the Commission on the Future of the South, chaired by former Kentucky Governor, Martha Layne Collins that focused on the importance of "brain power" to the future of economic development.  Prior to starting his economic development work, Ed worked for Telesis, an offshoot of the Boston Consulting Group.  Ed started his professional career in Washington, D.C., where he served as a legislative assistant to an Ohio Congressman, staff attorney in the Federal Trade Commission, and staff counsel in the U.S. Senate.  He holds a BA degree from Yale University and MBA and JD degrees from the University of Virginia.


Molly Seals
Sr. Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development
Humility of Mary Health Partners

Ms. Seals is certified as a Senior Human Resources Professional and has over 18 years of human resources and employee development experience.  She provides leadership for the Human Resources functions at HMHP, including employee relations, labor relations, employee health, compensation and benefits, organizational development, and staff development for roughly 5000 employees across the region. Ms. Seals received her Master of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resource Management from The University of the State of New York.  She is also a graduate of Youngstown State University where she studied liberal arts and applied business.  Molly brings a host of community & professional affiliations including: President of the Ohio Society of Healthcare Human Resource Administrators, Past President Tempore of the Youngstown City Board of Health, 1999 Trustee of the Year for the National Association for Local Boards of Health, Board Member of the Youngstown Area Development Corporation, Vice President of the Mahoning Valley Coalition for Cancer Control & Prevention in the Black Community, Graduate of Leadership Youngstown, Member of Leadership Mahoning Valley Alumni Association, Member of the American Hospital Association/ASHHRA, National Association of Health Service Executives, Member of the Youngstown Area Junior Civic League, Selected as Woman of the Year in 2000 by the Iota Theta and Athena Woman of the Year Nominee for 1999 & 2000.  In addition to the above, Ms. Seals is actively involved with numerous community efforts, including fundraising campaigns and serves on a number of other organizations devoted to improving the quality of life. Ms. Seals has presented to a number of business, public health, youth, and community groups on a variety of topics including leadership - business leadership, governance, public health leadership, managing change, working as a team, conflict resolution, and diversity.  Her audiences have included local groups as well as groups across the country.