Sky Pettey, Board Chair

Sky Pettey

Board Chair

Sky Pettey is an attorney in private practice with the Athens law firm Lavelle and Associates, which he joined in 2001. He engages in a general practice of law focusing on criminal defense, civil rights, personal injury, and probate matters. Sky earned his B.A. in English from Oberlin College and his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. After law school he went to work as a Staff Attorney for Ohio Legal Rights Service, an independent state agency that was the State of Ohio’s federally-designated protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities.

Sky volunteers his time as the Chairman of the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Continuing ... Read More

Laurie McKnight, Vice Chair

Laurie McKnight

Vice Chair

Laurie McKnight is the Senior Research Manager for 5G Broadband at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Services. Previously she was Director of Area 14 Workforce Development Board which includes Athens, Meigs and Perry counties. She has been doing workforce development for over 10 years. She has over 25 years in public service agencies including My Sister’s Place for victims of domestic violence, Athens County Children Services, and Athens County Job and Family Services. She was Vice President of the Ohio Workforce Association. She serves on the Ohio Workforce Coalition’s board. She has been an ambassador with the Athens Chamber of Commerce starting in 2018 to present and ... Read More

Mollie Fitzgerald, Secretary

Mollie Fitzgerald

Secretary

Mollie Fitzgerald is the Executive Director at the Athens County Economic Development Council where she works to increase economic opportunities for Athens’ businesses, workforce and residents. Prior to this role she served as the Assistant Director of the ACEDC and the Executive Director of the Athens-based nonprofit Live Healthy Appalachia.

Mollie graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Health Communication Studies and has a Masters of Public Administration also from Ohio University. She is deeply invested in the Athens community and serves on several organizational boards including the Area 14 Workforce Development board, Community Food Initiatives board, and the Athens Community Leadership Council for PPGOH. Mollie resides in Athens with ... Read More

Aaron Thomas, Treasurer

Aaron Thomas

Treasurer

Aaron Thomas, owner of A-roc Entertainment, is an entrepreneur and general manager with 20+ years of experience running all aspects of a business. He is also a Pro DJ for Carnival Cruise Line, founded and managed a successful business selling luxury goods and services in Southeast Ohio for 18 years (Class “A” Sounds Car Stereo and Home Theater, Athens, OH ), is an Ohio University Alumni, and has over 5,000 hours of On-Air Radio experience.

In addition to running his own business, Aaron is very involved with the community. He serves on The Dairy Barn Culture Art Center Board of Directors and the Athens City Board of Zoning Appeals. Aaron previously ... Read More

Erin Rennich has spent the last 15 years living and working in Athens County, Ohio. In this time, she has provided critical business support to small businesses, early-stage enterprises, and mission-based organizations as a coach, advisor, and key member of the Ohio University entrepreneurial ecosystem. Erin has a deep understanding of and appreciation for the specific challenges that small businesses, social enterprises, and nonprofits in Appalachia face.

Erin holds two key appointments at Ohio University that support the region’s economic development efforts. As a Senior Executive Coach and Strategic Advisor with the Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE), a program supported by Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, ... Read More

Carrie Arnold started at Tri-County Career Center in July, 2021 as the Workforce and Testing Coordinator. Her main focus is working with area businesses and organizations to provide real world work experience, such has job shadowing, internships, and pre-apprenticeship opportunities for the students at Tri-County Career Center. Carrie also works closely with business partners to provide students employment opportunities after high school. This includes making sure students receive the proper industry recognized credentials to make them as employable as possible.

Prior to starting at Tri-County, Carrie worked at Hocking College for sixteen years, spending the first twelve of those years in the Financial Aid Department and the last four years in ... Read More

Dr. Tara Slingerland is a PrOUd Bobcat Alumni turned Athens local. Upon returning from New York, where she completed her continuing education, Tara started Innovative Wellness Solutions: a wellness facility with a whole health focus for achieving optimal wellness. She is a Clinical Nutritionist and the only female Chiropractic Physician practicing in Athens, OH. Tara works with a variety of other providers and offers services for a well rounded and balanced practice. In addition to her wellness practice, Tara started Butcher’s Bites, a nutritionally focused prepared meal service that operates out of ACEnet’s shared use kitchen facility, with her long time partner in both life and business, Dr. Ian Butcher.

 

Nancy Stotts is a Job Developer at OhioMeansJobs-Meigs County with over 18+ years experience as a Workforce professional. Before Meigs County, Nancy was an Employment Service Counselor at OhioMeansJobs-Athens County. During her time at the OhioMeansJob centers, she has assisted a diverse population with knowing what is in the community. Nancy has conducted a variety of classes and assisted with different programs within the agency. She has also managed, organized, and planned events with over 80 employers and over 100 job seekers.

Prior to her time spent in Workforce Development, Nancy was employed as a Licenses Mortgage Loan Originator for 2 years and a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant at Health Recovery ... Read More

Theressa Kane is a Registered Nurse, Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant, and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. She holds two associate degrees from Hocking College, a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Healthcare and a master’s degree in Public Administration, both from Ohio University.

Theressa has worked for Perry Behavioral Health Choices, Inc. since 1987. She has served the last fifteen years as the Executive Director. In her leadership role, Theressa expanded their programming to include a full continuum of care, which is unheard of in rural settings.

Some of her other accomplishments include two state exemplary prevention awards, two national exemplary prevention awards, a friend of recovery award, the Joyce Smith nursing award, Judith ... Read More

Kate Dunn joined the Buckeye Hills Regional Council in 2022 as the Special Projects Manager for RISE Ohio, and later became a Senior Planner in the Planning Division which has allowed her to work on a number of important projects throughout the Southeast Ohio region. Prior to this, she served as the Project Specialist for the Athens County Economic Development Council from 2020 until early 2022.

Kate is very active in the Southeast Ohio region where she serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for Sunday Creek Associates which works in Community Development initiatives in the Little Cities of Black Diamonds subregion, as a Board of Directors member of ... Read More