Community & economic development

Kristen is currently the Grants Coordinator for the Mahoning County Sanitary Engineering Department and Managing Member of K.O. Consulting, LLC. Kristen’s grant writing has secured millions of dollars for our community and local non-profit organizations.

Kristen serves as consultant and lead on many economic development projects in the Mahoning Valley, and works on business and grant development for multiple clients. Kristen volunteers her time in the community on numerous projects, including Big Brothers Big Sisters; CASTLO Community Improvement Corporation; Mahoning County Young Democrats; Mahoning/Trumbull Democratic Women’s Caucus; The League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown; Struthers Rotary Community Corps; and YWCA of the Mahoning Valley. Kristen published her first book in 2015 entitled “Winning Elections: A Blueprint for the Public Servant in US”.

Adam Lee is a member of KO Consulting and the head of Ecosystem Development. He combines his passions for economic community development and regenerative ecological design to engineer creative and fearless solutions to the complex challenges of our day. Adam currently serves as the program director for Youngstown CityScape. He also manages a farm-to-table pop-up event business, provides hands-on inner-city science education, and promotes non-profit work in support of local community food access.

Adam volunteers with the Downtown Youngstown Partnership; Wick Park Neighborhood Association; the City Club of the Mahoning Valley; and the Youngstown Rotary Club.

Elizabeth Nalepa is a member of KO Consulting and the head of Research and Equity.  She completed her BS in mathematics at Ohio University, her MA in sociology at the University of Virginia and is currently completing her PhD in sociology at Case Western Reserve University. She currently works for Family & Community Services, Inc in their Veterans Programs, which assist homeless veterans in locating and maintaining stable housing in nine counties in northeast Ohio She is a member of the League of Women Voters, Greater Youngstown; the American Sociological Association; the Society for the Study of Social Problems; the Birth Rights Bar Association; and the Scholars Strategy Network.

Devon is the head of Finance and Systems of Administration for KO Consulting. She completed a Master of Accountancy at West Virginia University and a B.A. in Business Administration at Youngstown State University. Devon is the Assistant Controller of Ellwood Specialty Steel. She has formerly had roles as Senior Financial Analyst at Comprehensive, Logistics Assistant Controller at Rotek, and Auditing at E&Y.

Jacob is an associate of KO Consulting. He graduated from Youngstown State University with both his BS and MS in industrial engineering. He has worked for eight years in customer relations management. He holds Administration and App Development certifications through Salesforce.

Matthew is a graduate of Kent State University. While at Kent he majored in Business Administration with a focus in Management. While at Kent State he was awarded scholarships to study abroad in both London, England and Dublin, Ireland.

Abagail works as a Grant Writer for KO Consulting. She conducts prospect research and writes grants for a local non-profit organization, with a focus on funding from family foundations and corporate giving programs. She has secured thousands of dollars for the organization from new funding sources. Abagail holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master’s in Education from Ohio University, as well as a Master of Public Health from Drexel University.