Dignan Named Chair of Ohio Metro Chambers Coalition

Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber President & CEO James Dignan has been named chairman of the Ohio Metro Chambers Coalition, effective Jan. 1, 2019. The Coalition, comprising the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the state’s eight largest metropolitan chambers of commerce (Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown-Warren), has a combined membership of more than 25,000 businesses providing nearly 2 million jobs.

The Coalition meets monthly to discuss issues that are significant and impactful across the entire state and have set public policy priorities for 2019 that include energy, minimum wage, smart cities/transportation, taxes and technology-based economic development.

The Metro Chambers Coalition also aims to advance pro-business messaging and produces strong engagement with local, statewide and federal elected officials. One Valley advocacy issue that will be undertaken by the group under Dignan’s helm is Camp Garfield being named the site of the East Coast Missile Defense Shield.

“Four out of every five Ohioans live within a metropolitan area. Our metro areas connect people to transit, recreation, development and jobs,” said Dignan. “The Metro Chamber Coalition has a unique pulse on the issues facing businesses of all sizes operating across Ohio. In my new role, I serve as a trusted resource, helping to identify and work those issues of shared interest that impact the business community in all four corners of the state.”

In his first order of business as chairman of the group, Dignan and the Coalition hosted an Inaugural Reception on Jan. 14, with more than 120 VIP guests attending and networking with key members of the Ohio House and Senate.