Ellen Heinz, M.Ed., OhioCED
President & CEO
Ellen Heinz serves as the President & CEO of Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development, leading the organization with a wealth of experience in economic development, collaboration, and community engagement.
Ellen was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and her mother and father started their excavating and contracting business out of their home when she was an infant. She grew up with great memories of her family’s focus on pouring their hearts and souls into growing the company and supporting their employees.
Moving to Ohio in 2001, Ellen has been a catalyst for significant achievements. As the Ohio Economic Development Representative for Ohio and recently added Indiana at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), Ellen earned two national awards in 2023 for her pivotal role in supporting communities and exceptional customer service. Ellen worked with applicants nationwide to help them apply for millions of dollars in public works projects. Before joining EDA, she also received Innovation and Pushing the Envelope awards.
Ellen’s background includes time in the public, non-profit, and private sectors, focusing on economic development, workforce development, and human resources. Most recent non-profit and public positions in addition to EDA include Executive Director for Norwalk Economic Development Corporation and Safety Service Director for the City of Norwalk, overseeing four departments.
Ellen earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Ashland University and was the Workforce Development Director at North Central State College. She was also a teacher in the public school system and in Japan.
Roles in the private sector include Vice President of Corporate Development, HR Manager for U.S. operations, and Vice President of Human Resources at manufacturing companies in Ohio.
Ellen’s extensive experience showcases her ability to drive success across multiple sectors and in diverse capacities.
Ellen enjoys traveling, bowling, attending Dave Matthew’s concerts, pickleball, community service, wallyball, teambuilding, golf, soccer, and video creation. Her diverse interests reflect her well-rounded approach to life and her commitment to fostering a positive and engaging work environment at Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
Angie Cirone
Mansfield-Richland Area Educational Foundation Director
Angie Cirone serves as the Mansfield-Richland Area Educational Foundation Director. She facilitates Leadership Unlimited, Young Leaders Institute, and other programs to meet the needs of our growing region. She enjoys building relationships with leaders and forming partnerships with organizations.
Angie is Microsoft TechSpark Fellow enabling her to develop digital skilling programs for youth and adults. Her Wiley Trained LPI® Coach designation helps her provide deeper insights to leadership program participants.
Before joining the Chamber, Angie worked in revenue-generating leadership roles at Richland Source and Source Brand Solutions. She also worked for Ashland Theological Seminary, Cleveland State University and John Carroll University in fundraising, sales, and programming roles.
Originally from the Cleveland area, Angie moved to north central Ohio in 2014. She serves on the board of directors for the Ashland Symphony Orchestra and United Way of Ashland County.
Angie lives in Ashland with her husband and twin children. They enjoy visiting the many area attractions and outdoor recreation spaces.
Lisa Duckworth
Program & Events Manager
Lisa Duckworth is the Program & Events Manager for the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development. If you attended one of the over 50 events we hosted last year, you might have met Lisa! She says, “I love planning and attending to all of the details that make events special and watching the event unfold from an idea to completion.”
Lisa is a Mansfield native and has lived here most of her life. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Wildlife Management. She lives on a hobby farm in Richland County with her husband and two children. Lisa and her daughter breed and raise registered pygmy goats and travel all over the country showing them.
An employee with the Chamber since 2016, Lisa is also a 2019 graduate of Leadership Unlimited, and an active member of the Mansfield Chapter of Altrusa International.
Angie Fanello
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Angie Fanello is the Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development. In this role, she works with members who are interested in promoting their business through the Chamber, publishes our newsletter, does event marketing and more. She has been with the Chamber on a part-time basis since 2007, which makes her our longest current staff member.
Angie graduated from Shelby High School and started her college education at The Ohio State University – Mansfield where she earned her AA in business. She then transferred to Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk/Virginia Beach where she completed her college education in business. Angie is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Unlimited.
Angie is married with 2 daughters who are graduates of the College Now program at NC State, and are currently furthering their education at the University of Cincinnati and Heidelberg University. She also has a four-legged daughter, a rescue Doberman named Juno. Angie is a huge Cleveland Indians fan and enjoys watching Ohio State Buckeyes football. Go Tribe! O-H!
Kathy Fox
Front Office Coordinator
Born and raised in Shelby, Kathy began her career at Shelby Insurance Company in various positions including Liability Claims Representative and Commercial Lines Underwriting Technician acquiring several insurance designations. When Shelby Insurance closed its doors, she was hired at the Chamber as Office Manager working almost 14 years before retiring. Kathy missed Chamber life, especially interacting with people, so she jumped at the chance to return to the Chamber to work part time as Front Office Coordinator. Kathy answers the phone, greets visitors, and assists Ashley Meyer and fellow workers with various projects. Kathy has volunteered and served on several committees supporting the Richland County community. She is a member of the Shelby Foundation 100 Women.
Kathy is married to her high school sweetheart, Leonard, a bee keeper and retired farmer. They have two married daughters and four grandsons. Besides enjoying nature from their deck, working on projects, traveling (made it to Alaska twice since retired), they like spending time with their family and friends at their lake house and farm.
Jessica Gribben
Economic Development Manager
Jessica Gribben is the Economic Development Manager to the City of Shelby & Northern Richland County. In this role, she focuses on retention and expansion of businesses that currently call the area home, as well as working with city and village leaders to create an optimal environment to attract new development and allow businesses and residents to thrive.
Jessica was born, raised, and educated in Richland County and is proud to call it her home. She attended The Ohio State University Mansfield before she took a job at Richland Bank in management doing mortgage and consumer lending. She left to further her education and began a career in real estate sales. Moving into economic development seemed a natural fit after her career experience in lending and real estate.
Jessica has always been active in her local community serving on several boards and volunteering her time. She is passionate about leaving her world better than she found it. Jessica enjoys spending her free time with her husband Levi, their sons Jacob and Henry, and their dog Flash. They live in Lucas on several wooded acres that keep them busy, but enjoy spending free time out of doors, on renovation projects, and finding new places to explore.
Clint Knight
Director of Workforce Development
Clint J. Knight is the Director of Workforce Development at the Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development. With over 15 years in Management, Recruiting, and Staffing, Clint has a passion for Employee Development and Education as a Pipeline for the Workforce of the Future.
With a degree in Music, Clint has a unique perspective on identifying resources to obtain the necessary skills to be successful in a variety of settings. As a Recruiter and Human Resources Professional in the Software Development, Retail, and Restaurant realms, he has helped employees navigate their careers in a variety of settings. Clint is one of “Richland County’s top 10 Under 40” and a current participant in the U.S. Chamber’s Business Leads Cohort.
Sandy Messner
Marketing & Communications Director
Sandy Messner is the Marketing & Communications Director at the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development. Sandy oversees the marketing and communications efforts at the Chamber, including branding, social media, strategy, advertising, digital marketing, and communications.
Having worked previously as the Marketing Analyst for Gorman-Rupp Pumps, and as Marketing Director for Mad-Fit and Budokai Martial Arts, Sandy is excited to bring her digital marketing love and experience to our team. Sandy earned both her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Master of Business Administration from Franklin University.
Originally from Colorado, Sandy moved to Mansfield in her early 20s, where she fell in love with the area’s history and growth story. When not working, Sandy enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, two sons, and three “bonus” daughters. Sandy’s hobbies include hiking, traveling, martial arts, and working out at Mad-Fit, the local fitness center she and her husband own.
Barrett Thomas
Director of Economic Development
is an experienced communicator, project manager, and strategist. Driven by a passion to improve his community, he takes pride in leveraging the best resources available for local businesses. His goals include seeing local companies grow, attracting new businesses to the area, and actively supporting community projects with significant economic impact.
Barrett has been with RCDG & the Chamber since 2016, has over 8 years of experience in economic development in the areas of entrepreneurship and small business lending programs, and has a variety of international experience. Barrett is an Ohio Certified Economic Developer, is listed on the 2019 top 50 Economic Developers in North America by Consultant Connect, holds an MBA, and a BS in Business Systems from Taylor University.
He lives in Mansfield with his wife and two children.
Evan Stuart
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Evan Stuart is the Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development. In this role, he helps members promote their businesses through sponsored email blasts, as well as other digital marketing, under the mentorship of Marketing & Communications Director Sandy Messner.
Evan was raised on a generational farm in northern Richland County and graduated from Crestview High School. He is working towards his Associate’s Degree in Business Administration-Marketing from North Central State College. After graduating in the spring of 2025, Evan plans to seek a Bachelor’s degree.
Jennifer Wagner
Member Services Manager
Jennifer Wagner is the Member Services Manager at the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development. Jennifer leads the Chamber’s membership program and serves as the primary liaison for both prospective and existing members. She oversees the management of the Chamber benefit plans and nurtures robust relationships with internal and external partners to strengthen support for the Chamber.
Jennifer is a TWIN (Tribute to Women & Industry) honoree and serves on the Board of Directors for the Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center as well as the Advisory Board for the Madison Adult Career Center. She is an active member of the First Congregational Church. In addition, some of Jennifer’s greatest joys and reward come from volunteering with individuals with disabilities. She currently volunteers her time at Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center, where she received the 2015 Volunteer of the Year award.
Jennifer was born and raised in Mansfield and currently resides in Ontario. She and her husband, Blake, have 3 sons, and she enjoys being a dog mom to her four-legged friends. She values spending cherished time with family and friends, traveling adventures, shopping, being involved with church activities, playing pinball, and cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes.