Columbus 2020: Columbus Region is home to business success

The Columbus Region is known to many as the home of the Ohio State University and the seat of government for the great state of Ohio.Our private sector is lesser known to the world, as are the men and women who lead industries and start companies that grow into major employers.

Some cities are defined by their geography or historical significance.Others are best known by their hometown brands.The list of companies that have been started in the Columbus Region is long and impressive, as are the founders who stand behind them.They have nurtured their businesses through good times and bad, and they've helped our region navigate through economic ups and downs.

The Columbus Region owes those founders a great deal of gratitude for their vision, persistence and passion for Central Ohio. The leaders you'll find profiled in this publication are creative innovators and risk takers who seized an opportunity to build something. In doing so, they've strengthened their communities, generated opportunities for individuals and businesses, and contributed to the Columbus Region's economic success.

Our region is experiencing unprecedented growth and our future is very bright. We stand on the shoulders of many who have created a terrific platform that we can all take to an even higher level.If you would like to learn more about doing business in the Columbus Region, please connect with our team at columbusregion.com or 614-225-6063.

Kenny McDonald, CEcD

Chief Economic Officer

Columbus 2020

Alex R. Fischer, Chairman

President and Chief Executive Officer

The Columbus Partnership

Jack Partridge, Treasurer

President

Columbia Gas of Ohio

Eric Phillips, Secretary

Executive Director

Union County Economic Development Partnership

Marilyn Brown

County Commissioner

Franklin County Board of Commissioners

Michael B. Coleman

Mayor

City of Columbus

John C. Fisher

Executive Vice President

Ohio Farm Bureau

Michael Keller

Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Nationwide

Michael W. Louge

Executive Vice President

OhioHealth

Gregory R. Overmyer

Chief Executive Officer

Overmyer Hall Associates

Mark Patton

Managing Director, Information Technology and Logistics

JobsOhio

Ellen Power

Center Director and Heath Site Executive Strategic Missile & Defense Systems

Boeing Defense, Space & Security

Mark Smith

President

Ohio Christian University

Pablo A. Vegas

President and Chief Operating Officer

AEP Ohio, American Electric Power

David Williams

Dean and Presidential Professor

College of Engineering, Ohio State University

Laing Akers

Of Counsel, Barnes & Thornburg

Sean Grant

Chief Administrative Officer

Columbus 2020

Kenny McDonald, President

Chief Economic Officer

Columbus 2020