JobsOhio Board of Directors Conducted Public Meeting

COLUMBUS, OH – The JobsOhio board of directors held its quarterly public board meeting Thursday, June 22, at The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR). Following an update on JobsOhio’s performance and financial position by John Minor, JobsOhio president and chief investment officer, the meeting included a presentation on autonomous and connected vehicles and Columbus’ Smart City Project.

Minor reviewed the first-quarter results for JobsOhio, noting 62 projects, up 11 percent compared to first quarter 2016, with commitments to create more than 3,400 new jobs and nearly $1.6 billion in capital investment, up 121 percent to 2016. In addition to announced projects, JobsOhio’s project pipeline continues to gain momentum with increases in all stages of the project funnel, from leads to applications. Minor also highlighted a recent milestone for JobsOhio, having committed more than $500 million in project funding through loans and grants since 2013. “It shows that we are putting to work a significant amount of capital and funding to economic development activity in Ohio,” said Minor.

Kristi Tanner, JobsOhio senior managing director, provided an update on Ohio’s automotive sector, focusing on the state’s leading position in autonomous technologies. Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer and The Ohio State University’s Carla Bailo gave a presentation on Smart Columbus, officially launching later this week on the one-year anniversary of winning the U.S. Department of Transportation grant. The combination of federal funding and private sector investments totaling over $500 million has generated global awareness of what’s happening in central Ohio.

Fischer noted that Columbus and Ohio are in the winner’s circle leveraging accomplishments from around the globe. “Smart Cities gives us a platform by which to participate, compete and have conversations about the advancements in electronic and autonomous vehicles ultimately creating jobs, helping people climb economic ladders and making sure Ohio is economically competitive.”

JobsOhio is a private, nonprofit corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion efforts. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, Columbus 2020, Dayton Development Coalition, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

###

For more information, contact:
Matt Englehart, JobsOhio
(614) 300-1152
englehart@jobsohio.com