Community Conversations

Thursday, November 14th @9:00am

Our third installment of Community Conversations will be held at the Lorain Historical Society on 329 W. 10th St. Lorain, OH 44052. Our group of panelists will start promptly at 9:00am. Doors open at 8:30am and a continental breakfast will be provided for guests.

Our panelists bring years of experience in economic development and community revitalization to the conversation. Each brings a unique perspective, sharing the belief that revitalization is not a “cookie cutter” process, but rather an organic one that draws on the assets of the community and its capacity for growth and development.

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Meet the Panelists

Economic Recovery Corps Fellow

Fund for Our Economic Future

George D. Williams II, Moderator

George D. Williams II brings a global lens to local economic development as an Economic Recovery Corps Fellow with the Fund for Our Economic Future. In addition to founding Diversity Global Institutes and serving in advisory and public engagement roles with the White House and Clinton Global Initiative, among others, George develops residential real estate in the Americas, Europe, and Africa, while partnering with Devland in the venture capital space to support underrepresented startup founders. He leverages this diverse background to drive equitable economic growth in Northeast Ohio, fostering sustainable practices that bridge urban, suburban, and rural communities.

Director of Revitalization

Heritage Ohio

Frances Jo Hamilton

As the director of revitalization, Frances provides program support for Heritage Ohio’s Main Street programs, and works with communities interested in pursuing downtown revitalization. She is a Delaware, Ohio native and has a background in Art, Education, Ministry, Lighting Design and Drafting.

Program Manager of Community & Economic Development, Lorain

Hannah Kiraly-Frilling

Mrs. Kiraly-Frilling is an urban development professional with nearly a decade of experience in community revitalization through data-driven policy solutions. As Program Manager for Lorain’s Building, Housing, and Planning Department, she leads the Community and Economic Development Division, contributing to transformative projects like the Oakwood Park Pool Rehabilitation, Longfellow Skatepark Project, the City of Lorain ARPA Recovery Plan, the Food Forward Lorain Initiative, and HUD’s Choice Neighborhood Initiative Planning Grant.

Chief Operating Officer

Strengthening Stark

Rebecca Kuzma

Strengthening Stark is a community-wide movement of residents, businesses,

government, nonprofits and philanthropists who share a vision for a vibrant, growing county for all. Throughout this second

career with Strengthening Stark, Rebecca has capitalized on skills built in the corporate sector, creating collaborations that think critically about the systemic factors that support economic growth.

Previous Conversations

Learn more about our previous events and guest speakers.

Lorain Historical Society hosts City Club of Cleveland CEO for annual meeting keynote

The Chronicle-Telegram
Carissa Woytach

For his keynote speech of the Lorain Historical Society’s 11th annual meeting, City Club of Cleveland CEO Dan Moulthrop started by talking about the future.

In 2026, the United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial — or 250 years since the Declaration of Independence — but Moulthrop asked the group gathered at Lorain County Community College on Thursday to think about what just 75 years in the future may look like for Lorain, the county and Northeast Ohio.

“It’s kind of an open question,” he said. “What would be the story of the city of Lorain at that point? … What’s the story that we’re going to talk about?”

CEO, The City Club of Cleveland

Dan Moulthrop is CEO of The City Club of Cleveland, one of the nation's great free speech forums. Founded in 1912, The City Club convenes more than 100 programs every year on just about every issue and topic of importance to Northeast Ohio.

Prior to joining the City Club in 2013 he was co-founder of The Civic Commons, a Knight Foundation project creating a social media environment designed for civil civic dialogue. He was also the award-winning host of Sound of Ideas as part of the team at Ideastream Public Media.

A former public high school English teacher, Dan served on the boards of Teach for America in Greater Cleveland and the Teacher Salary Project; he continues to serve on the national advisory board of the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Center for the Humanities at Cuyahoga Community College. He is also the Past President of the boards of the Ohio Debate Commission and Borderlight, Cleveland’s International Theatre Festival. He was a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2014 and a 2019 Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Dan is also co-author, with Dave Eggers and Nínive Calegari, of the best-selling book Teachers Have it Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers (The New Press, 2005), which provided the basis for the 2010 documentary "American Teacher." He was also co-editor, with RA Washington of A Race Anthology: Dispatches and Artifacts from a Segregated City (2016). Dan is a frequent moderator of public conversations and has appeared on stages across the country, including the Aspen Ideas Festival and the Commonwealth Club of California. He received both his BA in English Literature and a Master of Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. He and his family live in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Learn More

Lorain Historical Society hosts conversation with Greater Sandusky Partnership CEO

The Chronicle-Telegram
Carissa Woytach

The key to Lorain’s future economic success may lie in a generation that does not remember its heyday.

The idea was one of several discussed at Lorain Historical Society’s inaugural community conversations Thursday morning. In the first session Eric Wobser, CEO of Greater Sandusky Partnership, answer questions from Historical Society Executive Director Barb Piscopo and others in front of more than 100 people gathered at the Carnegie Center.

Wobser, who previously worked in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood and in Cuyahoga County government, suggested that for legacy cities like Sandusky and Lorain, their economic futures lie in public and private entrepreneurship, and those who may not remember when their cities were in their industrial prime — as those younger generations may not try to hold onto that past so much it stifles development.

Eric Wobser highlights Lorain Historical Society’s first Community Conversations event

The Morning Journal

John Elrod

The Lorain Historical Society hosted its first Community Conversations on March 14 at its Carnegie Center, 329 W. 10th St., which focused on working with others to solve problems in the International City.

Greater Sandusky Partnership CEO Eric Wobser was the guest speaker for this edition of Community Conversations, which was aimed at sparking dialogue and collaboration on issues in Lorain.

Lorain Historical Society Executive Director Barbara Piscopo facilitated the event by asking Wobser questions, largely focusing on how Sandusky’s recent re-development efforts can relate to Lorain’s.

One of the starting points of the discussion focused on how a place like Lorain could attract and keep young people in the city.

“The thing we have to do to resonate with young people, is not to force them to stay, but give them the tools, education and training so that they can go anywhere, but still have pride about where they come from so they choose to come back to their hometown,” Wobser said.

CEO, Greater Sandusky Partnership

Eric Wobser is a seasoned municipal leader and the current CEO of the Greater Sandusky Partnership (GSP). With over a decade of executive experience, Eric has a proven track record of success in program development, strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration, community outreach, team-building, and economic development. As the City Manager of Sandusky, Ohio, since 2014, he has overseen a diverse and historic community of over 25,000 residents with an annual budget exceeding $50 million. Eric's transformative leadership led to significant achievements, including securing the passage of a joint income and admissions tax increase, spearheading the Bicentennial Vision Plan resulting in over $300 million in investment, and revitalizing the waterfront through community planning.

Prior to his role in Sandusky, Eric served as the Executive Director of Ohio City Incorporated in Cleveland, where he doubled the annual budget, attracted over $100 million in public and private investment, and managed the Ohio City Farm – one of the largest urban farms in the country. With a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Ohio University, Eric brings a strong educational background to his civic involvement. His commitment is reflected in various board memberships, including the Destination Cleveland Board of Directors and involvement in organizations like Shores & Islands, Ohio. Eric's leadership extends beyond his professional roles, making him a respected figure in civic engagement and community development.

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