Since 2014, David Zak has served as the President & CEO of the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership (TSEP), a public-private 501c3 economic, downtown and community development organization created in 1983 to lead development efforts for the city of Tiffin and Seneca County in northwest Ohio.

Since Zak’s arrival, the Tiffin-Seneca Micropolitan Area also has ranked in the top ten nationally for economic development four of the last five years in row with more than $400 million in new investment and 1600 new jobs. Tiffin’s downtown also ranks among the top three among Main Street communities in Ohio for jobs, new businesses, and investment.    

Prior to serving with TSEP, Zak served as Chief of the Business Services Division for the Ohio Development Services Agency, where he led a team of 70, managed a $400 million budget, and was responsible for economic development incentive oversight and administration, entrepreneurship, export promotion, minority business, tourism, and technology-based economic development. He streamlined and reorganized the division, led state agency incentives policy and approval, chaired the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, and oversaw the $2 billion Ohio Third Frontier program and Ohio Venture Capital Authority.

Prior to joining the State in 2011, Zak served for almost five years as Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce (Ohio), four years as Fairfield County’s (Ohio) Economic Development Director, and nearly seven years as International Business Liaison and Business Development Representative (Cleveland and Eastern Ohio regions) for the Ohio Department of Development. During his tenure, the Springfield, Ohio MSA moved from a community with the most job losses in Ohio (25% from 2000 to 2007) to one which ranked in the top five nationally and which created more than 3,000 jobs.

In his career, he has also led a private real estate management and development company, served as a university executive, worked as a clinical consultant for an Ohio-based biotechnology company, and assisted in the Foreign Technology section of Battelle Memorial Institute.

Zak is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional, has taught for both the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute as well as the Ohio Economic Development Association, and recently completed two terms as the Northwest Ohio Director and Vice President of Investors on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Economic Development Association. He attained both of his degrees at the Ohio State University, graduating summa cum laude and winning the prestigious Blume Fellowship.  

Zak lives in Tiffin, Ohio and has four daughters ranging in age from 13 to 27. He is also an avid trail runner and wine enthusiast.

From Automotive News, 2017:

The granddaughter of company founder William F. Reineke Sr., who purchased his first dealership in 1960, Suzie Reineke had other plans upon graduating from Ohio State University in 2010 with a degree in fashion and retail studies and marketing.

"I honestly had no ambition to come back, but I wanted to try it out and see if it was a fit for me," she said. "Ultimately, I fell in love with it."

Reineke started her career in sales. She then moved into marketing, where she created a marketing department for the Reineke Family Dealerships' then eight stores. Before that, marketing and advertising were handled by individual stores.

Now, as brand manager overseeing the group's three Lincoln stores, she's using her education in ways she hadn't imagined.

"Having that fashion background, you just have more of an appreciation for the materials and what goes into all of these vehicles," she said. "That helps sell the vehicles if you have that passion behind it."

Reineke, a recent graduate of the NADA Dealer Academy, would like to continue working in the family business. She is interested in becoming a partner, helping to build upon the family legacy along with other third-generation members of the Reineke family.

Reineke's father, Bill Reineke, an Ohio state legislator, currently operates Reineke Family Dealerships with his father, two brothers and a brother-in-law.

"I'm very proud of her," said Bill Reineke. "It's very exciting because growing up she never really showed any interest in the business."

Outside of work, Suzie Reineke enjoys traveling and investing in her hometown of Tiffin. She and her husband, Weston Reinbolt, are rehabilitating buildings in the city's downtown. She's also involved with the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association and has held seats on the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention Committee and NADA NextGen Thought Leadership Committee.

Kathryn Grasz serves North Central Electric Cooperative and Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative and as their Director of Key Accounts and Economic Development since April 2019.

Grasz earned a degree in Business Administration from Ohio Northern University and successfully managed the Wyandot Chamber of Commerce for nine years, helping local small businesses and entrepreneurs with marketing and branding services.

Grasz earned her Certified Key Accounts Executive (CKAE) in her first year with the cooperative family.

Completed the  Ohio Electric Cooperative’s Leadership Edge Program in 2020 and currently experiencing the Cooperative Management Internship Program (MIP).  She has been actively working to develop the cooperative owned, Spencer Industrial Park, Spencer, Ohio (Medina), and supporting the efforts of extending access to rural broadband to the cooperative’s members.

Kathy served on the board of the Medina County Economic Development Corp.,  and currently serving on the Legislative Committee.  Kathy is the Chairman of the Ohio Electric Cooperatives’ Key Accounts Association and the Vice-Chair of the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership’s Economic Development Strategic Committee.

She is also a member of the Ohio Economic Development Association, Wyandot County, Crawford Partnership, and the Fostoria Economic Development organizations. The cooperative funded the successful Ohio Rural Industrial Park Program application for the construction of a spec building in Fostoria, Ohio, a cooperative served industrial park.

Kathy is married to Rex Grasz, and they have two children and one granddaughter. 

Chamber/Small Business Director for the Fostoria Chamber of Commerce

As part of a small rural communications company, all employees learn from day one to wear many hats. I myself started green right out of college and was given a chance to learn and hone my skills on the run. I wasn't anticipating that one day I would be teching a customer over the phone and the next helping put Fiber Optic cable in the ground and the next climbing towers for wireless installations and the next upgrading server equipment and so on. I started as a field tech in 2004 and was promoted to the lead Information Systems Administrator, then IT Manager, and in 2013 General Manager of the company and its subsidiaries. I may not be wearing the same hats now in my current role, but as I create our short and long term strategy and direction, I still take an active role in engineering, development, and R&D of our fiber and wireless networks and the services on them, along with all the typical management, HR, and financial duties.

As General Manager/CEO of the Bascom Communications family, I have pushed my team to build upon the infrastructure that was put in place by my predecessors and take it to new levels. We have expanded our coverage areas and offerings while getting into emerging technologies and partnerships with local entities, producing strategic growth for both sides, all while maintaining our accountability of quality and great customer service. We are using our fiber assets to help create private networks through dark fiber leasing and Ethernet transport for entities much larger than ourselves. We are proud to be a small company “punching well above our weight class”.

Since becoming General Manager/CEO, I have had the wonderful opportunity to join multiple Boards of Directors/Trustees. I have used this time to learn from others in our industry and other successful business people to see different views and insights, along with strengthening my knowledge into areas I may not tackle daily.

J. Anthony Gorrell, CPA

· Employee of Sutton Bank since December 1993

· Chief Executive Officer of Sutton Bank and President of Sutton Bancshares, Inc. since October, 2019

· Executive Officer of Sutton Bank since March 1994

·  Director of Sutton Bank & Sutton Bancshares, Inc. since 2008

· Member of Asset Liability & Investments, Loan, Third-Party Vendor Risk, Nomination, Marketing, Payments Risk, ·

· Technology and Planning Committees

· Co-Trustee of Sutton Bank Employee Stock Ownership & 401K Plan

· Member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants

· Member of Independent Community Bankers Association Payments & Policy Committee

· Member of Community Bankers Association of Ohio Legislative Committee

· Former Adjunct Professor Tiffin University

· Resides in Tiffin, Ohio with his wife Robin; they have one grown son, Bryce.

Laura Kagy has a broad range of experiences as a practitioner and community member that shape her contributions to education. Laura is the superintendent of Seneca East Local Schools in Attica, OH.  Dr. Kagy has served in this role for the last nine years.  During that time, Kagy has guided the district through numerous educational and technological initiatives.  Recently, she wrote and was awarded the USDA Rural Distant Learning grant for $722,610.  As a result, these funds will upgrade classroom technology to take advantage of distance learning from around the world.    

Before serving as district superintendent in Seneca East, Kagy served as interim superintendent, assistant superintendent, and principal for the Clyde-Green Springs School District.  She started her career in education as a teacher and principal in Tiffin City Schools. 

Kagy's professional experience also includes workings as an adjunct professor for Concordia University.  Where she teachers courses for aspiring administrators.   

In addition to serving as an original board member of Seneca CEO, Kagy also serves on the board of the Northwest Career Ready Business Advisory Council, the Ohio Education Computer Network Management Council, and the North Central Ohio Regional Council of Governments. 

Kagy is married to her husband of 28 years, Scott, and they have two children, Katrina and Caroline.  They live and farm in Bloom Township and enjoy traveling and sports in their free time. 

Michelle Snay is a school counselor at Mohawk Local School District for students in grades 7-9.  She has worked in the district for 23 years and has served in a variety of roles.  Currently, she also serves as the Freshman Class advisor, Junior High Quiz Bowl advisor, and National Junior Honor Society advisor.  Prior to becoming a school counselor, she taught 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade Math and Science at Calvert Elementary School (formerly St. Mary’s Elementary).

She has been married to her husband, Jay, for 26 years and they have three children, Austin, Kadin and Alexa.  They live outside of Republic and enjoy camping, traveling, and attending their children’s sporting events.

Michelle is excited to be a part of the CEO Board and to play a role in providing an entrepreneurial opportunity that students in the area wouldn’t otherwise get.

Ted Willman has spent over 30 years in education, all at Calvert High School. For 21 years he has worked in administration – first as Director of Athletics and currently as principal of the Calvert High School and Academy. Ted graduated from Tiffin University with a degree in Business Administration / Sports Management and has a Masters in Education from Heidelberg University.

He is a native of Seneca County, growing up on his family’s farm in Attica. Ted has participated in Leadership Seneca County, has served as a member of the Diocese of Toledo External Accreditation Committee, the National Federation of State High School Association Fundamentals of Coaching / Instructor for the Ohio High School Athletic Association and has been a basketball coach at various levels for over 30 years, Currently he is assistant basketball coach at Terra State Community College.

Ted is also owner of Willman Marketing Ag & Turf working with his family farm and various athletic complexes, volunteers with the SMYL mentorship program and at church. Ted has been married to his wife Michele for 21 years. They have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.

Ann Sergent is the dean of the Liberal Arts, Business and Allied Health division at Terra State Community College.  She started her career at Terra State as an adjunct instructor. She has held several different roels at the college including academic and cadreer advisor and Assistant Dean.  She loves working at a community college because of what it can offer not only students but the community. She is excited to be a part of the CEO Seneca County program and all that it brings to students and the community.