Columbus Chamber of Commerce Announces Elevate Cbus Class Two Graduates

Over 30 Central Ohio professionals named to spring 2021 graduating class

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce is honoring 34 Central Ohio leaders for their participation in its member-exclusive professional development program, Elevate Cbus.

“As the representative of over 2,000 members in our business community, workforce development, specifically through programs like Elevate Cbus, is of high importance to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce,” said Don DePerro, Columbus Chamber president and CEO. “We are proud to recognize the participants of our second class of Elevate Cbus for their dedication and tireless work.”

Elevate Cbus provides an opportunity for business leaders to invest in their associates. The six-session series was designed to teach the art of business communication while providing valuable leadership tips to promote career success.

The program is facilitated by Andrew Kingery of The White Stone Consulting Group, and sessions feature reputable guest speakers who are experts in their respective industries.

Class two participants welcomed Kimberly Blackwell of PMM Agency, Michelle Brown of CoverMyMeds, Bill Jordan of Designer Brands, and Steve Lyons of the Columbus Crew SC as featured speakers.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see individuals from diverse work backgrounds come together over the course of six months and bring new ideas to the table,” said Taylor Exner, program coordinator for Elevate Cbus and senior engagement manager for the Columbus Chamber. “Our attendees learn just as much from each other as they do from our program curriculum.”

Elevate Cbus is now accepting nominations for its third class, which will kick off April 6. For more information regarding Elevate Cbus and a link to access its nomination form, click here.

Kingery shared a congratulatory message with the graduating class of Elevate: “A big congrats to this class for finding a way to grow in spite of the pandemic. In the middle of a rough year, you made time to improve your value creation skills and grow as a leader. I hope you keep climbing. Well done!”

Meet the second graduating class of Elevate Cbus:

Elevate Cbus Graduates
Class 2 – 2021

AEP                                                                              Kellie Rhodebeck
AEP                                                                              Kyle Vanderhoff
BakerHostetler                                                          Marissa Peirsol
Barnes & Thornburg                                                 Kevin O’Donnell Stanek
Buckeye Interactive                                                  Taylor Cochran
Burns & McDonnell                                                  Gabe Smith
City Year                                                                      Zandra Casto
Columbus Chamber                                                   Zakee Bashir
Columbus Chamber                                                   Courtney West
Columbus Urban League                                          Christina Boulding
Columbus Urban League                                           Rhonda Gaines
Columbus Urban League                                           Lorenzo Brent
CoverMyMeds                                                             Meg Moorer
Danis                                                                             Brandon Reese
Event Marketing Strategies                                      Elllie Mruzek
GBQ                                                                               Tobin Perrill
Heartland Bank                                                           Kailyn McComb
Heartland Bank                                                           Michael Amerine
HMB                                                                              Austin Moore
HMB                                                                              John Sohner
KeyBank                                                                       Clay Daney
Messer Construction                                                 Andy Hoh
Miller Valentine Construction                                 Amy Elsea
Motz Engineering                                                       Nora Miller
OhioHealth                                                                  Kelli Robertson
Oswald                                                                          William Grebenc
Palmer-Donavin                                                          Parker Cantwell
Performance Columbus Automotive Group          Madeline Chilton
PNC                                                                               John Flaherty
Sedgwick                                                                       Tracy Harvey
Williams Lea                                                                Dwayne Penceal
Yard Solutions                                                             Quinn Schaller
Harris Atha-Simonton

About the Columbus Chamber

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce is a mission-driven nonprofit organization serving over 2,000 organizations throughout Central Ohio. The Chamber, founded in 1884, is committed to advancing a thriving Columbus Region and provides support in the areas of research, government affairs, marketing, education and workforce development.