MANSFIELD, Ohio – The Richland County Development Group recognized 10 of the area’s emerging leaders of business and industry Tuesday morning in the Kobacher Room at Ed Pickens’ Café on Main.
The 10 Under 40 Awards Breakfast began at 8 a.m. and highlighted the young professionals who are younger than 40 years old and have made an impact on their businesses, organizations, and community.
Though the awards ceremony, which is in its second year, is designed to recognize “emerging leaders” in Richland County, RCDG Board of Directors Chairperson and Richland Bank President John Brown said the honorees already are leaders.
“They’re deserving of recognition regardless of their age,” he said. “You had some great stories this morning about the great work that they’re accomplishing.”
To recognize the honorees as a specific demographic, he added, shows others that there are many young people doing tremendous work and choosing to live in Richland County.
“You hear so often that Richland County and Mansfield are losing their young folks or there is no reason for young folks to locate here, but these folks have located here and have embraced it and are very committed to it,” Brown said.
One of the honorees who said he chose to live and work in Richland County was Nathan Masters, a banker at Mechanics Bank.
Growing up in the Village of Lucas, Masters moves away to Toledo after his high school graduation for college.
He said he had always hoped to live somewhere with more stoplights than his hometown, which he said has one.
But after a few years in the northeast Ohio city, Masters chose to move back to his home county and recently purchased a home in Mansfield, which, of course, has more than one stoplight.
“There’s a lot of loyalty among the businesses, and we have common goals to push toward greater things in Mansfield,” he said. “I feel that in a bigger city, you don’t get quite the same relationship you have with coworkers and your fellow compatriots around the community.”
Of his many accomplishments, Masters is responsible for developing and enhancing deposit relationships with business clients and played a critical role in introducing the Mechanics Agriculture Lending program.
He’s also coordinated several Habitat for Humanity volunteer days for his coworkers, two blood drives for the American Red Cross, and has used Mechanics Bank’s Humanitarian Service time to volunteer in Haiti.
His father, Mark Masters, is the president of Mechanics Bank.
“It is a proud moment, and we’re thankful for Nathan’s heart of service and his dedication to the good of the county and our area,” Mark Masters said. “He works hard and has a lot of support from his employer and from his family.”
Another honoree was Tim Hilterman, who is a financial planner at Merrill Lynch.
In the past year, in addition to taking his job, Hilterman donated a kidney to a young girl and organized the Spherion Mid-Ohio 13er, which brought in $25,000 to fund drug abuse prevention resources through the Richland County Foundation.
Of the award, Hilterman said he is humbled.
“My dad taught me that excellence is the things you do when nobody is looking,” he said. “So, I’m honored to receive this, but I know there are a lot more people out there who are doing the right things that don’t get recognized.”
He also said he wanted to thank the Lord, who saved him and gives him all he has.
“There’s a thriving young professional community [in Richland County] that is new,” he said, adding that he is thrilled to be a part of it.
“Also, if you’re married and have kids, this is just an amazing place – this is literally America at its best, the quintessential midtown America.”
Other recipients of the 10 Under 40 award this year were Anthony Chinni, Community Development Coordinator at the North End Community Improvement Collaborative; Brad Downs, Sales and Marketing Manager of MHS Industrial Supply; Crystal Escalera, Professional School Counselor for Pioneer Career and Technology Center; Dr. Melissa Juliano, Director of both the Breast Health and the Women’s Health programs at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital; Brian McConnell, Branch Manager at Key Bank; Jerod Them, Partner and Attorney at Weldon, Huston, and Keyser; Jack Trachtenberg, Relationship Manager at Key Private Bank; and Kevin Van Buskirk, Project Manager at Cooper Enterprises.
10 Under 40 Honorees
Anthony Chinni, Community Development Coordinator at the North End Community Improvement Collaborative
Brad Downs, Sales and Marketing Manager of MHS Industrial Supply
Crystal Escalera, Professional School Counselor for Pioneer Career and Technology Center
Dr. Melissa Juliano, Director of both the Breast Health and the Women’s Health programs at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital
Brian McConnell, Branch Manager at Key Bank
Jerod Them, Partner and Attorney at Weldon, Huston, and Keyser
Jack Trachtenberg, Relationship Manager at Key Private Bank
Kevin Van Buskirk, Project Manager at Cooper Enterprises
Nathan Masters, Banker at Mechanics Bank
Tim Hilterman, Financial Planner at Merrill Lynch
