Community & economic development

Kristen served as the Grants Coordinator for the Mahoning County Sanitary Engineering Department for eight years. 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”.

Elizabeth Nalepa is the Director of Research for KO Consulting, LLC.  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.

Having lived in Denver, Stockholm, and Amsterdam,Samantha brings a unique and international perspective to creating more connected and navigable cities and to improving quality of life. Samantha holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s degree in geography from Youngstown State University. She comes back to Youngstown to share her knowledge, skills, and creativity to advocate for the connection between holistic wellness and urban planning, with a particular focus on urban food systems, active transportation, and health and recreation. She is deeply committed to simplifying overcomplicated systems to create stronger, more independent, resilient, and wholesome societies.

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.