ASHLAND — Economic development hinges, in part, on connections, according to Team NEO CEO Matt Dolan.
Dolan was hired as Team NEO’s CEO in February, and is starting off his job with a listening tour, visiting all 14 counties the organization collaborates with.
Team NEO is a nonprofit organization. It’s a designated JobsOhio partner and works to attract companies, build a skilled workforce and promote the Northeast Ohio region.
Who is Matt Dolan?
Dolan comes to Team NEO after nearly 20 years of service as a state legislator, serving as the finance committee chair in both the state House and Senate. He ran in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate last spring, but Bernie Moreno clinched the party’s nomination. Moreno went on to win the seat, which used to be held by Democrat Sherrod Brown.
Dolan’s family also owns the Cleveland Guardians, and Dolan is a partner at the law firm Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan, located in Cleveland.
“As I investigated (this position), I saw it as a great merge between my public and private sector experience to be able to provide economic development for the Northeast Ohio region,” Dolan said. “I know the region, I know the issues, I know the people.”
Dolan spent Tuesday on his listening tour in Ashland County connecting with partners at Grow Ashland, the county commissioners and local businesses.
As Dolan steps into his role as CEO at Team NEO, he said he hopes to expand outreach in Ashland County, build relationships and increase awareness of opportunities for businesses and employees alike.
Dolan’s goals
Dolan’s listening tour aims to be a first step toward developing and continuing connections in the area.
“In any business, the best way to work together is to create relationships and to make sure that lines of communication are open,” Dolan said.
He added he hoped reaching out to all the counties in the area would reinforce the message that Team NEO is a partner in the realm of economic development.
Part of Team NEO’s work focuses on business expansion, which can’t always be shared thanks to non-disclosure agreements. But Dolan said he feels excited about future opportunities for businesses in Ashland County.
Beyond that, one idea he said he’s excited about is a possibility of expanding Team NEO’s Connections to Careers program.
In its current iteration, the program consists of businesses and college advisors working together to ensure students leave with the connections and skills they need to land jobs.
Team NEO currently offers it at community colleges, but Dolan said he hopes to expand it and offer that type of program at the K-12 level.
State of economic development locally
Workforce
In Dolan’s estimation, one of the most prevalent economic development challenges facing Ashland is fielding a full workforce. He said that challenge — finding, attracting and retaining skilled employees — serves as a struggle in many communities.
It’s a challenge local organizations in Ashland County have raised too.
Dolan said one of Team NEO’s focuses is to retain jobs, expand jobs and attract new jobs. To do that, Team NEO helps provide access to statewide grants and programs that help companies train workers, or individuals find jobs.
That includes connecting businesses with TechCred, which provides help upskilling employees. It also means helping individuals use the state’s IMAP program, which provides funding for them to earn micro-credentials.
read our past coverage of economic development in the area
Beyond retaining employees and expand their skillsets, Dolan said Team NEO also helps companies look for expansion opportunities.
The organization will conduct business retention and expansion visits, where they help a company determine the incentives it needs from local government to grow. Then, Team NEO uses its connections to help the business do so.
Position
Beyond workforce, Dolan said Ashland County serves as a “‘tweener county,” meaning it sits between Cleveland and Columbus. That can be a struggle, because the county is far from the two cities — or, it could be an opportunity.
For Dolan and Team NEO, Ashland’s geographical position is something to capitalize on.
“I think what Ashland has done a great job with over the last few years is really working on preparedness,” Dolan said. “Preparedness not only to capture growth of existing companies, but also to attract new companies as well.”
He pointed to the Amazon development as a recent example of Ashland’s site readiness.
He added the city’s downtown revitalization has also helped with preparedness and attracting potential new employees.
