Our Team

Steve Fritsch leads the deployment of Team NEO’s industry strategy, which includes business development, cluster advancement, and network engagement activities that support growth, innovation, resilience, and competitiveness in targeted industry sectors and the integrated supply chains that serve them. In his more than 18 years at Team NEO, he has been a key part of standing up a network ecosystem towards greater collaboration among industry, institution, and economic development partners in advanced manufacturing, sustainable polymers, energy storage, digital transformation, and water innovation across the 14-county Northeast Ohio Region.

Prior to this role, Steve was Vice President of Marketing and Engagement, leading an inclusive initiative to positively and uniquely position Team NEO and the region, including the Northeast Ohio Region brand currently being utilized by partners throughout the region. He currently leads Northeast Ohio’s Smart Manufacturing Cluster, bringing a sector approach and a network system orientation to his work by engaging partners and stakeholders early, leveraging each’s unique capabilities to lift the collective effort. He is a strategic relator, able to connect and unite to achieve greater impact. Through his teams’ efforts, Team NEO’s Smart Manufacturing Cluster and Industry Advancement Council have emerged as a venue for company leaders to share insights, build alignment, drive performance, and advance inclusion. 

Steve currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and Engage! Cleveland. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Economic Development Association and the Industrial Asset Management Council Demographics Committee. Steve graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences. He is actively involved in the United Methodist Church of Kent and resides with his family in Hudson, Ohio.

As the Managing Director of Global Business Development, Mindy is focused on the recruitment of new business investment to Northeast Ohio, with a dedicated focus on international businesses.

McLaughlin joined Team NEO from JobsOhio where she served as Senior Manager, Global Sales Operations. Previously, she served as Director of Scheduling in the Office of the Governor, as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, and as Associate Director at The White House.

McLaughlin is a graduate of Ashland University with a degree in Political Science with minors in Economics and French.

As the Senior Director of Business Development, Sylvio Mecone supports the core mission of business attraction and expansion by researching and analyzing economic data and trends in Northeast Ohio and competing markets. Sylvio builds Northeast Ohio’s business case for companies and site selectors nationwide. He works closely with the region’s cities, counties, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations to ensure that client needs, confidentiality and timelines are met in an efficient and effective manner.

Sylvio holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and a Master’s of Public Administration from Cleveland State University. Sylvio is also is an alumnus of the Cleveland Bridge Builders program, class of 2014.

Sylvio currently serves on the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority Citizen’s Advisory Board, the Little Italy Redevelopment Corporation Board, and the Master of Public Administration Advisory Board at Cleveland State University.

Director, Business Development

Connect with Mike.

Michael leads Team NEO’s business expansion and attraction efforts with companies in the technology and financial services sectors in Northeast Ohio. In his role, he works collaboratively with business executives and economic development partners to help companies overcome obstacles to growth they are facing and take advantage of resources in the local support ecosystem. He leverages JobsOhio financial and talent programs to incentivize the growth of companies throughout the region.

Prior to his current role at Team NEO, Michael worked on business expansion and tech talent initiatives at Greater Cleveland Partnership, led business attraction efforts at Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor, and was an economic and workforce research analyst at Team NEO.

Michael is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received a master’s degree in urban planning, design, and development from Cleveland State University.

As Director of Business Development for Team NEO covering the Aerospace and Defense sectors, Keri engages with companies to help them explore growth opportunities and address challenges. Prior to joining Team NEO in June of 2020, Keri served as Economic Development Manager for the City of Beachwood, Ohio. She also served the City of Hudson’s Community Development department as a Planning Technician. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marketing from Gannon University and a Masters degree from Cleveland State University in Urban Planning, Design & Development. Keri serves on the Business Advisory Committee for The Employment Collaborative of Cuyahoga County, which places developmentally disabled adults into the workforce and was a member of The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio’s LeadDiversity class of 2021. Most recently she became a “Friend of the Garrett Morgan High School of Engineering and Innovation” where she shares opportunities with manufacturers to connect with the high school students. 

The Aerospace sector is an impressive $3.2 billion cluster in Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Region. Northeast Ohio’s leadership role in the aerospace industry dates back to World War I, when the region produced aircraft engine parts. Today, in addition to being a major hub for aerospace component design, engineering, and production, the Northeast Ohio Region also boasts a strong NASA presence with two locations – NASA’s Glenn Research Center and its Neil Armstrong Test Facility. Supported by R&D, education and training resources, and an end-to-end industry value chain, the Northeast Ohio Region is an ideal location for aerospace businesses to soar. 

Renee leads Team NEO’s engagement strategy to grow and strengthen a more inclusive coordinated regional economic development network. She utilizes her experience as a 24-year business development and sales expert as she collaborates with elected officials, community agencies, municipalities, nonprofits and small to large for-profit organizations. 

Prior to joining Team NEO, Renee was the Regional Director for the Minority Business Assistance Center at the Urban of Greater Cleveland, a program of the Ohio Development Services Agency, where she led a team of professional business advisors in the development of minority, women, disabled, and veteran owned businesses across eight counties in the state of Ohio. Prior to this she served as the Assistant Director of Diversity & Corporate Relations at Case Western Reserve University. 

The cornerstone of Renee’s career started in the financial services industry where she was Vice President, Relationship Manager at JP Morgan Chase Bank.  During her 8-year career with JP Morgan Chase, she managed the financial portfolios for commercial sector nonprofit and municipal clients.   

Her notable and numerous boards of director appointments have included, COMPACT, UNCF of Orlando, and the Citrus Club’s Women’s Executive Exchange.  She is currently a member and class officer for Leadership Cleveland Class of 2020.  

Renee holds a B.A. in Communications from John Carroll University and a M.S in Human Resources Management from Nova Southeastern University. 

Christine Nelson leads Projects and Sites at Team NEO, and believes in the unlimited potential of Northeast Ohio.  Her group works with over 300 companies annually to assist with growth and job creation.  Ms. Nelson brings over 20 years of economic and community development expertise at the city, county and regional levels. She joined Team NEO in 2008, most recently served as vice president, business attraction and aided in the attraction of over 40 companies to the region.

A graduate of Hiram College, Ms. Nelson also received a Master of Public Administration degree from Cleveland State University and is a Certified Economic Developer by The National Development Council. In addition to her responsibilities with Team NEO, Ms. Nelson is the President of the Board of Trustees for the Greater Cleveland Community Improvement Corporation and serves as the Vice-Chair of Arts Cleveland. She resides in Lakewood with her husband and twin sons.

As Managing Director of Project Management, Walt leads Team NEO’s project management group which is focused on growing jobs and investments across our 18 county region.

Walt brings 17 years of economic development experience from the Youngstown/ Warren Regional Chamber, most recently as vice president, economic development, business retention and expansion. He was instrumental in leading local development efforts there from 2004 – 2011 that resulted in 156 projects with almost $2 billion in new investment, 9,200 new jobs and 15,600 retained/maintained positions. Prior to that, Walt worked for the Cafaro Company, one of the nation’s most prominent and successful retail real-estate developers.

Walt is a graduate of Youngstown State University, former vice president and board member of the Ohio Economic Development Association, board member of CASTLO Community Improvement Corporation, president of the Mahoning County Community Improvement Corporation and liaison to the Western Reserve Port Authority.

Camille Billups, Managing Director, leads Team NEO’s site strategy work—developing and executing initiatives to identify, position, and advance commercial and industrial properties that align with market demand. Her work strengthens the region’s pipeline of competitive sites and supports faster, more successful project outcomes. 

Camille is also responsible for closing large, complex projects that lead to the attraction of domestic and international companies to Northeast Ohio. She manages client relationships and executes projects by connecting prospective businesses with a variety of financial and non-financial resources.  In addition, Camille leads Team NEO’s professional service engagement strategy. She works with firms and demonstrates the value the economic development network can bring to their clients.

Camille joined Team NEO with 8 years of deal execution experience in investment banking. While at Bank One (now JPMorgan Chase) and Societe Generale, she structured and helped to sell over $600M in Asset Backed Securitization bonds in a variety of industries.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from Albion College and a Master of Public Administration degree from Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. Camille is civically engaged with a focus on helping children.

As a seasoned economic development professional, Shawn Starlin serves as Team NEO’s Senior Director of Project Management and Site Selection. In coordination with JobsOhio and community partners, Shawn assists companies seeking to locate and expand in Northeast Ohio with the goal of facilitating and supporting job creation and capital investment throughout the region.

Prior to joining Team NEO, Shawn spent six years with the Wayne Economic Development Council where he assisted in projects totaling more than one billion in capital investment, adding 4,600 new jobs to the region. Shawn also served as the first Executive Director of the Holmes County Economic Development Council.

Shawn holds his bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Ohio Wesleyan University.

Stephen works closely with local economic development partners to attract and retain businesses in Northeast Ohio, resulting in job creation and an increase in capital investment. He provides insight into the business case for growing in the Northeast Ohio Region and recommends solutions to help drive investment decisions and location options.

Most recently Stephen served as Program Officer, Workforce & Social Investments for the Cleveland Foundation where he helped develop strategies for its $150 million social impact investment initiative and oversaw an annual $5 million grantmaking budget supporting grantee partners across the workforce development, entrepreneurship, innovation landscape as well as investing in urban, semi-rural and rural geographies.

He holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree in System Management from Baldwin Wallace University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Ecology from The Ohio State University. Stephen is civically engaged through various volunteer roles. He resides in Mayfield Heights with his wife and 2 children.    

As a Project Manager, Erika Roitblat works with companies, JobsOhio and partners to facilitate the project and site selection process for investment, job growth and job creation in Northeast Ohio.

Most recently, Erika was a Graduate Assistant for Education Abroad at Cleveland State University Center for International Services and Programs. She also was University Relations Coordinator for Eastern Midwest at CISabroad (Center for International Studies). Erika holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Ohio University and a Master of Public Administration from Cleveland State University.

Katie Meehan is a Cleveland native committed to driving impactful and sustainable growth across Northeast Ohio. As the Manager of Site Strategies at Team NEO, she collaborates with JobsOhio and community partners across 14 counties to elevate the competitive quality of sites and buildings throughout the region. Her work, with a focus on site and location analysis, helps to strategically position sites for business expansion and attraction projects that drive job growth and stimulate capital investments, positioning Northeast Ohio as an appealing destination for industry and innovation. 

Before joining Team NEO, Katie contributed to strategic economic and community development initiatives in her role at the Mayor’s Office for the City of Lakewood, bringing valuable government-sector insights to her current work. 

Katie holds a dual degree from Ohio University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies. Her focus on intercultural communication and understanding has shaped her collaborative approach to economic development, further enriching her impact throughout the region. 

Mark has over fifteen years’ experience within the marketing and public affairs industry in a variety of operational and managerial positions across several sectors including retail, insurance, financial services, and non-profits. Overseeing all elements of Team NEO’s marketing and communications team, Mark is responsible for creating and accelerating the organization’s marketing strategy and brand recognition across the Northeast Ohio Region and beyond. He is focused on driving the vision of helping promote Northeast Ohio, offering local partners a more powerful platform to share their successes, market their assets, and attract more investment.

Very active in the local community Mark, currently serves as Chair of the Business Advisory Committee at Cuyahoga Community College, President of the Cleveland Irish Business Network and Co-Chairs the Sister Cities Committee at Global Cleveland. He has also served as Chair of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Associate Board and is a past board member of Ohio City Incorporated where he remains involved as a member of the Irishtown Bend Park strategy and development committee.

Mark was appointed as the first ever Honorary Consul of Ireland for Ohio in March 2023. The role an important element of the Irish State’s global engagement, supporting the broader development of economic, business, and cultural relations while providing consular assistance and services to Irish citizens. He joins a network of approximately 100 Irish Honorary Consuls or Honorary Consuls General throughout the world, including 10 in the U.S.

Born in Derry City, Ireland, Mark moved permanently to the US (Cleveland area) in 2001 having previously studied at John Carroll University as part of a scholarship program. Prior to this he studied at Manchester University, where he graduated with a production management degree, and he recently completed his Executive MBA at South East Technological University (SETU), Ireland. Married to his wife Maria, they have two wonderful children, along with two crazy dogs and a bird. They reside in Rocky River on Cleveland’s west side. 

Nina Holliday markets the Cleveland Plus region’s collective value to site selectors, real estate consultants and targeted companies to increase awareness of Northeast Ohio’s business assets in order to increase business opportunities for the region. She has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, event planning, and media relations.

Previously, Nina was regional marketing supervisor for Alltel where she managed public relations, events/sponsorships, sports marketing, crisis management, employee communications, community relations and philanthropic giving for a five-state region. Nina was also a senior account executive with Liggett-Stashower, Inc., which at the time was one of the largest communications companies in the Midwest. She worked with clients such as Cole Vision Corp, Forest City Properties and Motorists Insurance.

Nina holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baldwin-Wallace College. She is on the Board of Trustees for the Substance Abuse Initiative of Greater Cleveland. In addition, she is a marathon runner and member of Women in Sports and Events (WISE) and Friends of the West Side Catholic Center.

Mary Clare is a marketing professional currently completing a Marketing degree at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. With hands-on experience across diverse industries – including economic development at Team NEO, insurance, landscaping, and self-storage – Mary Clare has developed a strong foundation in digital strategy and content creation. Proficient in tools such as WordPress, Hootsuite, MailChimp, Pardot, and Salesforce, she specializes in managing social media, crafting engaging content in Canva, and supporting campaign execution through a variety of digital platforms.

Jacob Duritsky leads strategy, research, and talent for the Northeast Ohio Region’s business development efforts to better serve the information requirements and align strategies among Team NEO’s various partners and communities engaged in targeted and sustainable region-wide economic growth. His primary responsibilities include analyzing the regional economy to provide greater perspective on the challenges and opportunities in Northeast Ohio, developing strategic and coordinated actionable insights to encourage economic growth, and providing a perspective on how the Northeast Ohio economy can better perform. This includes his work in leading Team NEO’s talent strategy and Aligning Opportunities series of reports, the development of the regional Vibrant Economy Index, and regular updates to the community on the evolution and progress of the regional economy with a focus on enabling opportunities for improvement through equity.

Jacob has been with Team NEO since 2008. Previously, Jacob served as an integral part of the organization’s business attraction efforts in leading our national work focused on site selector engagement and the attraction of new companies to the region. He has also led the organization’s proactive renewable energy development efforts. Previously, Jacob has worked for The Center for Public Management, The Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center, and Ohio City Near West Development Corporation.

Jacob holds a Master of Science in Urban Studies from the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. He leads Team NEO’s Talent Development Council and is an engaged Board member for the Cuyahoga County Workforce Sector Partnership and the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium Leadership Board. Jacob has been recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business as a member of 40 Under 40 and is a past member of the 2012 class of Cleveland Bridge Builders. He is a resident of the Kamm’s Corners neighborhood of Cleveland and is married with two daughters.

As Director of Research, Sondra procures, analyzes, and consults with internal and external partners using data to advance Team NEO’s mission in strengthening the Northeast Ohio region. Her main focus has been the development of talent documents under the Aligning Opportunities umbrella, a core piece of the Research Department’s talent work. However, she also works daily with staff and partners on data-related questions, goal development, and other requests for information.

Prior to joining Team NEO, Sondra worked in community engagement, event management, and communications. All of these have shaped her work in research in their own way since joining the team in early 2020.  A Parma native, Sondra holds a Bachelor’s in Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Certificate in Geographic Information Systems from Cleveland State University.

Abigail is a Manager of Research at Team NEO and has been with the organization since July 2021. In her role, she helps lead research and data analysis to communicate the NEO business, equity, and talent landscapes to the organization’s partners and community.

Abigail holds a B.A. in Economics and a Business Administration minor from Ohio University.

As a research associate, Matt analyzes data and provides insights into workforce, sites, industries, as well as the regional economy to help provide the business case for expansion in the Northeast Ohio Region.

Prior to joining Team NEO, Matt worked as a research assistant at the Center for Economic Development on a team conducting applied research and providing technical assistance to government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private industry.

Matt holds a Master of Science in Urban Studies from the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education at Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bowling Green State University.

Julie Szeltner is Team NEO’s Director of Talent Engagement since February 2022. In this role, Julie develops relationships with the region’s 25+ postsecondary institutions, as well as career centers and workforce development organizations, to better coordinate Northeast Ohio’s talent resources to fill in-demand positions. She is passionate about assisting the residents of the region to improve their families’ lives by accessing and thriving in good jobs at supportive businesses.

Julie spent her previous fifteen years working with youth and adults at College Now Greater Cleveland. She is a proud CSU Viking with a B.A. in History and Teacher Licensure, as well as a University of Akron Zip with an M.S. in Adult Teaching and Training. Julie is a lifelong resident of Cleveland.

Nathasha Cresap is the Regional Talent Manager for Team NEO, the JobsOhio network partner representing 14 counties in Northeast Ohio. Working with the regional economic development organization, she is focusing on closing the talent supply/demand gap in the area and assisting with promoting greater strategies for talent development, especially in business attraction, expansion & retention, and building a more equitable Northeast Ohio. She is the sole representative focused on collaborating with businesses to access JobsOhio training programs to equip staff with necessary skills for their roles.

Previously, Nathasha served as an Economic Development Specialist for the Lorain County Community Development Department focusing on business retention & expansion, diversity, equity & inclusion, transportation needs, and workforce transformation. Her efforts extended as she sat on the working group committee for the 2022 NOACA CEDS and the steering committee to help drive the regional efforts for economic development.

She serves as Chair for the Economic Vitality Committee with Main Street Lorain, and serves on the Elyria Community Partnership board where she also is Chair of the Downtown Development Committee. Nathasha is also on the board for MOVE Lorain County, an organization working to improve the transportation system and accessibility in the County.

Nathasha earned her BS in Criminology from Florida State University and her MPA & MBA from Metropolitan College of New York. Originally from New York City, Nathasha now resides in Maple Heights with her husband and enjoys traveling, sporting events, outdoor activities, cooking & hosting, and quality time with her family.

As Vice President for Investor Relations, Dawn is focused on leading Team NEO’s relationship-oriented efforts to elevate support from the business community.

Previously she was chief strategy officer at One Advocate Group in San Antonio. Her most recent posts in Northeast Ohio were vice president of Marketing at The Adcom Group and vice president of Business Development, Sales and Marketing at Goldfarb Weber Creative Studios.

She is a past honoree of Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40 and has earned a variety of awards, including the SME Cleveland Distinguished Marketing & Sales Award and SME-International Akron Distinguished Marketing & Sales Award.

Southard earned an MBA at Western Michigan University and a BBA at Davenport University.

Laura is responsible for overseeing the financial and business operations of Team NEO and supports special assignments including the board of directors and emerging talent initiatives.   Previously, Laura was a senior manager at Deloitte where she focused on information systems and internal controls audits and was instrumental in leading regional HIPPA activities for the healthcare industry as well as a national facilitator of Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. Prior to Deloitte, Laura spent 11 years at Ernst & Young, working in the Cleveland, National and London offices where she focused on financial services, manufacturing and health care industries in both Ohio and Michigan. Laura is a Certified Public Accountant. Laura’s not-for-profit board service includes chairwoman of Holy Name High School and the Alumni Board of the Cleveland Animal Protective League as well as a member of the Unity Catholic Federal Credit Union board. Laura also serves on the board of the privately held company, Cleveland Whiskey. Laura is a proud graduate of Kent State University majoring in accounting, computer science and business management. 

Jackie Fairbanks is responsible for Team NEO’s accounting function and supports the VP, Finance and Administration.

For the previous 17 years, Jackie was self-employed as a CPA, specializing in accounting for not-for-profits.  The work included bookkeeping, tax and advisory services.  Prior to that, Jackie spent 10 years at Ernst & Young, working in the Northeast Ohio offices where she focused on auditing not-for-profits, manufacturing companies and benefit plans.

Jackie is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs and the AICPA.

Eileen McLaughlin serves as a trustworthy partner and liaison to Team NEO’s CEO, Bill Koehler. She ensures that operational functions run smoothly and efficiently, providing a full spectrum of administrative support and professional representation to the CEO and his staff.

Eileen has more than 30 years’ experience, with much of her career being spent in the banking industry. Prior to joining Team NEO, Eileen worked for PNC where she provided project management and high-level administrative support to senior-level executives. She has also worked for Charter One Bank (acquired by Citizens Financial Group) and Women’s Federal Savings Bank (acquired by Charter One Bank).