Larry Fisher is the Executive Director of ACEnet. Larry initially joined the ACEnet staff in 2002 as the Director of the ACEnet Food Ventures Program, overseeing the operations of the shared-use kitchen. Along with his 20 plus years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Larry has completed numerous food related trainings including HACCP Training, FDA Label Training, and the Better Process Control School. He also received a certificate in Entrepreneurship Center Management from the International Business Innovation Association. Through his efforts in local food systems, Larry has provided facility and operational training in Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and in four communities in Ohio.
Larry is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. He oversees program development and administration, provides leadership in developing programs, organizational and financial plans with the Board of Trustees and staff, and carries out plans and policies authorized by the board. Larry also provides direct technical assistance to a variety of new and existing businesses within the scope of the Business Incubation Program at ACEnet. This assistance generally involves working on business plans, financial management plans, and employment practices.
As the Executive Director, Larry is also focusing his energy in the area of recovery and reentry in the midst of the opioid addiction epidemic, and on the concerns around recovering and returning citizens & their economic participation as they move through various programs and treatment options. He currently serves as a board member and Treasurer of the Ohio Community Development Corporation Association, where he is learning about the effects of housing issues for this same population and how communities need to have a holistic understanding of their situations when it comes employment and small business opportunities. He is also a part of the Athens County Ohio Reentry Task Force where he contributes in an economic and employment capacity.
