BUSINESS UPDATES | Kenneth Frank, Brien Smith join YBI’s board of directors

YOUNGSTOWN —The Youngstown Business Incubator, 241 W. Federal St., announced two new additions to its board of directors: Kenneth Frank, CEO of Turning Technologies, and Brien Smith, provost at Youngstown State University.

Frank joined Turning Technologies in July 2019 as the new CEO. Turning Technologies creates interactive experiences for its users with its TurningPoint software, which allows users to enhance learning, measure sentiment and engage their audience.

Smith serves as the newest provost at YSU, a role he started in June 2019. As provost, Smith oversees the Graduate School, Honors College, the Office of International Programs, the Office of Assessment and Maag Library.

"As we grow and evolve as an organization, it's imperative that our board evolves with us. Mr. Frank and Dr. Smith are going to be great additions to our dynamic board of directors," Barb Ewing, CEO of the Youngstown Business Incubator, said in a news release.

YSU student Ryan Sheffield passes

Certified Global Business Professional exam

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University student Ryan Sheffield of Youngstown has passed the Certified Global Business Professional exam. The certification issued by the National Association for Small Business International Trade Educators is an acknowledgment of international business expertise in management, marketing, supply-chain management and trade finance.

Sheffield, a junior management major at YSU, has served as a Beeghly Fellow at the Ohio SBDC Export Assistance Network at YSU and has completed the Ohio Export Internship Program where he worked as an export/import and supply chain intern for Haltec Corp. During his time at Haltec, Ryan wrote an export compliance manual, created a value stream map flow chart and classified Haltec's products by the Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes. Upon graduation in May 2021, he plans to pursue a career in operations management on a global level.

Work to begin Monday on

Retaining wall at Poland Library

POLAND — Repair work will begin Monday on the retaining wall that runs alongside the driveway entrance/exit at the Poland Library, 311 S. Main St. The library branch is expected to remain open throughout the project, which will be completed in early April.

Repairs will include replacing stone and improving draining on the wall. The work is being done by MS Consultants of Youngstown and S.E.T. Inc. of Lowellville.

Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics

to host public open house Saturday

YOUNGSTOWN — Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics will host a public open house at 11 a.m. Saturday at its Youngstown campus, 1453 Youngstown-Kingsville Road NE.

PIA administration and attending employers will be available to discuss issues trending in aviation maintenance career education. Many factors, including an aging aviation maintenance workforce and shortage of trained airframe and powerplant technicians, have employers investing in recruiting candidates as early as pre-enrollment, according to the release.

"Employers are traveling to PIA to begin the recruiting process as early as first semester and even partnering to raise career awareness prior to enrollment, which is indicative of high demand," Joseph DeRamo, Youngstown campus director, said in a news release. "Once enrolled, employers are more frequently following students' progress to graduation, and it's becoming more common for a student to receive an employment offer prior to graduation contingent on successfully completing the federal exam — often with signing bonuses ranging from $2,500 to as high as $18,000."

Niles native named to leadership position

with Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND — Erin Evans, a Niles native and Kent State University graduate, has been appointed accounting manager for the new Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, the nonprofit organization created last year by the merger of clubs in Cleveland, Akron, Lorain County and Erie County.

Evans formerly served as the human resources and accounting coordinator for Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. She had held that position since 2016. In her new role, she will manage accounting functions for BGCNEO, which serves more than 8,600 kids at 39 locations in the region.

"We are fortunate to have someone with Erin's skill set, focus and talent on our staff," Ron Soeder, BGCNEO's interim president and CEO, said in a news release.

The Bistro at MCCTC

announces spring hours

CANFIELD — Student-operated restaurant, The Bistro at Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, 7300 N. Palmyra Road, is open to the public. Visitors can dine in or get food to go from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the beginning of April.

Upcoming dates on the Bistro schedule:

• February: 25-27
• March: 3, 4, 6, 11, 12 18-20, 25-27
• April: 1, 2

The Bistro is run by students enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at MCCTC. They have an opportunity to gain experience in working in the restaurant industry — from working as kitchen staff, line cooks and the sous-chef to waiting tables and hosting.

For more information or to make a reservation, call 330-729-4000, ext.1506.

Akron Children's Hospital recognized

for employee diversity by Forbes

AKRON — Akron Children's Hospital has been named to Forbes magazine's Best Employers for Diversity 2020 list. The hospital was listed as 172 out of 500 national organizations recognized for their efforts to develop a diverse workforce.

Working with market research firm Statista, Forbes surveyed employees on their perceptions of their employer's workforce diversity and inclusion, asking questions about age, gender equality, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQ+. The survey encompassed organizations employing at least 1,000 people from 24 industries, including utilities, insurance, automotive, education and health care. The awards list can be found here.

"As health care providers, being inclusive of a diverse patient population is something we already do each day," Carole Becerra, director of diversity and inclusion at Akron Children's, said in a news release. "We want our workforce to reflect that same diversity and for our employees to feel like they can be their authentic selves."

Ohio gas prices increase

YOUNGSTOWN — The average price for gasoline across Northeast Ohio was 6 cents higher this week at $2.37 per gallon, according to AAA East Central's Gas Price Report.

In the Youngstown area, the price for gasoline was $2.35 per gallon this week.

This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 4:30 AM with the headline "BUSINESS UPDATES | Kenneth Frank, Brien Smith join YBI’s board of directors."