Business View Civil and Municipal | April/May 2022

8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 N GROWTH Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik, and JobsOhio President and CEO JP Nauseef, among others. Introduced by Steve Evans, API Board Member and President of Steve Evans Country Sausage, Governor Mike DeWine addressed the aftermath of the pandemic, the promising impact of Intel’s investment on all of Ohio, the competitive advantage of JobsOhio, infrastructure needs in Appalachian Ohio, and recent investments across the region. “Thank you for what you do. You are all leaders. You do a great job,” Governor DeWine said to the attendees. “Our future is in Southeast Ohio is very, very bright because of you.” Dr. Glenda Bumgarner, CEO of both Appalachian Partnership and Appalachian Growth Capital, shared the progress made during the first year of the organization’s five-year strategic plan, concluding with an invitation to regional leaders and businesses to join API in their efforts to increase prosperity in Appalachian Ohio. Bumgarner then introduced Bryan Stepp, AGC Board Chair and Executive Vice President of Ohio Valley Bank, to speak to Appalachian Growth Capital’s impact over the past year. “We’ve executed 64 loans and deployed $9.3 million in capital to small and middle-sized businesses,” said Stepp. “We provided loans for working capital, real estate, and equipment. And thanks to the numerous partners who trusted us with their resources, we’ve exceeded our goals.” Appalachian Growth Capital recognized S & J Lumber and M & D, LLC with Appreciation Awards, celebrating both businesses’ contributions to the regional economy through job creation and retention and long-term sustainability. Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) Director Lydia Mihalik then took the stage. “AGC has been a great partner to work with,” We’re always looking for those kinds of partnerships and organizations who can take an investment from us, add development, and leverage it into additional private dollars to help support our communities