Key Leaders Named to Economic Development Posts

Two organizations with responsibilities for economic development for the state and for the region announced the appointments of key leadership this week.

Karen Shauri has been named director of the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDC) network. Shauri has been serving as the SBDC interim director and she also currently also serves as assistant division director of the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division of the Ohio Department of Development. The SBDC network of 39 centers statewide serves as the technical and management assistance program for small business owners supported through the US Small Business Administration.  

Also this week, the Columbus Partnership announced the hiring of Kenny McDonald as senior vice president and chief economic officer. McDonald, a former executive vice president of the Charlotte Regional partnership, will lead the organization’s economic development efforts, including the Columbus 2020 effort to attract new companies to the region. 

For more on Shauri, see the release from ODOD

For more on McDonald, see the story in Business First