Developing Opportunities 2024 | Agenda & Details

Speaker Bios

As Chief Executive Officer of Team NEO, Bill Koehler is focused on seeing the Northeast Ohio Region grow and thrive. He’s a collaborative economic development advocate and business leader working to create economic vibrancy in Northeast Ohio by advancing understanding of the talent gap, enhancing site preparedness, building supply chain resilience, accelerating the impact of innovation, and promoting the region as a business destination.

Leveraging more than 25 years’ experience in corporate financial services, for-profit board and private company investor roles, and education-focused not-for-profit boards and committees, Bill engages the economic development network to create coordinated, regional business development strategies to attract new business and help current Northeast Ohio companies grow.

Under Bill’s leadership, Team NEO has a track record of exceeding performance metrics for completed business investment projects in the Northeast Ohio Region. Team NEO has worked on 627 projects that will generate more than 46,000 new jobs, $2.4B in annual payroll and $11.6B in capital investments, related to JobsOhio’s financial incentive programs, since 2015.

Prior to joining Team NEO, Bill served as President of Key Community Bank, where he led 9,000 employees across 14 states. During his banking career, Bill worked with private and public middle market companies. He earned a Master of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from Columbia University’s Business School and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard University.

Bill serves on a number of education-related, non-profit boards and committees including Col­lege Now of Greater Cleveland, Friends of Breakthrough Charter Schools, Urban Community School, and is the former Board Chair of St. Ignatius High School. His accolades include the Northeast Ohio Smart Business Smart 50 Awards and Crain’s Power 150, recognizing the most influential leaders positioned to move the Northeast Ohio Region forward.

Keynote Speaker

Felicia King is Director of Economic Development for FirstEnergy. King joined the company in September 2024 and is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for the Economic Development team whose goal is to support the realization of our communities’ economic visions through the attraction and retention of businesses, job creation and increased capital investment in our service territory.

King comes to FirstEnergy from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) in Virginia, the second-largest distribution cooperative in the United States. She served as the organization’s Director of Economic Development and oversaw both business attraction and business retention, as well as the company’s expansion efforts for all commercial, industrial and government accounts.

Prior to her time at REC, King worked as a local economic developer for Henrico County, Va. She began her career over 20 years ago working with small, family-owned Main Street businesses.

King earned a Bachelor of Arts in international law and diplomacy from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration from Old Dominion University.

Torrence L. Hinton is President of Ohio for FirstEnergy. Hinton joined the company in June 2024 and is accountable for operational excellence, the overall customer experience and profit and loss financial performance, as well as legislative and regulatory strategies and outcomes in the state.

Prior to joining FirstEnergy, Hinton served as President of the Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas companies – located in Chicago and northern Illinois, respectively – for WEC Energy Group. He joined Peoples Gas in 1999, where he progressed through several roles with increasing responsibility before being named to the company’s top leadership team.

Hinton also served as Vice President, Operations, at Peoples Gas, responsible for public and employee safety, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, financial performance and providing top-tier customer service. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Business Administration – with a concentration in strategy and leadership – from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Hinton’s leadership engagement extends into the community as he currently serves on the board of Navy Pier, a nonprofit organization created to maintain and redevelop Chicago’s Navy Pier, an important civic landmark in the United States. He previously served on several other boards in the Chicago area,
including Chicago Commons, Chicago Urban League and United Way of Metro Chicago. Hinton has achieved numerous leadership recognitions and awards, including as a 2023 recipient of Chicago United’s Business Leaders of Color award and the Ada S. McKinley Community Services’ Legacy award

Developing Opportunities Overview

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.

Fireside Chat

Gino Faciana’s roots can be traced back to the start-up of an electrical contracting company in 1976 with his Co-CEO, Barbara Faciana. 

In 1982, they began developing commercial and industrial properties and co-founded Pleasant Valley Construction Company. With continued growth and development, they co-founded Pleasant Valley Corporation which now manages construction and maintenance at over 55,000 facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 2018, they became aligned with the NAI Global Network by establishing NAI Pleasant Valley and NAI Pleasant Valley Property Management. 

Gino Faciana currently sits on several boards including NAI Global, Port Authority, and various Economic Development Committees. 

Outside of the office, Gino is a fitness buff, he’s completed several Pelotonia Charity Bike Rides in Columbus, OH and is never without his family including his 10 Grandchildren and Guardian Angels. 

Christine Nelson leads Projects and Sites at Team NEO and believes in Northeast Ohio’s unlimited potential.  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 of business attraction, and aided in attracting 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. She serves as the Vice-Chair of Arts Cleveland. She resides in Lakewood with her husband and twin sons.

Ben Sio is the Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President of Strategy, Policy & Planning at the
CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity. In this position, he oversees the organization’s long-term strategic planning, consulting, corporate governance, fundraising and
development, land-use planning and government relations.

In his 17 years with the organization, Ben has led or supported many high-profile strategic initiatives, including the creation of the CNY Rising Plan, the launch of the NUAIR Alliance and the region’s UAS strategy, the creation of the Micron-enabled Community Priorities Document, and the recently awarded
NY Smart I Corridor Tech Hub. During his time at CenterState.

Ben has also split time at the Brookings Institution, where he supported communities in developing export and FDI strategies as part of the Global Cities Initiative.

As Managing Director of CRESCO | Cushman & Wakefield, Bryce Sylvester leads with strategic vision, operational excellence, and a commitment to strengthening Northeast Ohio’s real estate landscape. He is responsible for guiding the firm’s market direction and ensuring exceptional client service and effective, results-driven strategies. 

Bryce joined CRESCO with extensive experience in economic and real estate development, having managed significant commercial and industrial projects across Northeast Ohio. Known for his collaborative approach, Bryce builds strong relationships across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. With a proven track record of aligning interests and driving projects forward, he consistently delivers impactful development outcomes. 

Bryce has introduced new real estate products to the market by securing JobsOhio incentives and facilitating local incentives for developers and companies, boosting Northeast Ohio’s site readiness and appeal. He also spearheaded the Developing Opportunities platform, which offers insights into site selection trends and strategic frameworks, enhancing the region’s competitiveness in high-value projects. His extensive network and connections in the public sector and development community position him as a highly effective leader in advancing Northeast Ohio’s growth and putting CRESCO in the best position to serve its clients.