YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (July 8, 2026) – Lake to River Economic Development has named Melissa Demetra consultant, business development, a role in which she will generate economic development leads for regional expansions and the attraction of new investment across Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
Demetra brings a background in workforce and economic development to the role. She previously served as director of workforce development at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, where she established the Regional Workforce Coalition, now managed by Lake to River, working directly with labor leaders, service providers and educational institutions to align training with employer needs.
Most recently, she managed multimillion-dollar project portfolios as a project engineer for the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, coordinating with America Makes members and manufacturing partners on workforce strategy.
“Melissa knows how to turn relationships into results, and she brings hands-on experience that’s directly relevant to this work,” said Dani Robbins, CEO of Lake to River. “Her addition builds our capacity to meet our mission to advance economic prosperity by engaging businesses and connecting communities across Eastern Ohio.”
Demetra will focus on strategically identifying growth opportunities with regional companies in JobsOhio’s targeted sectors, including advanced manufacturing; aerospace and defense; automotive; food and agriculture; logistics and distribution; finance; healthcare; technology; and energy and chemicals. She will also help build the project pipeline that supports Lake to River’s long-term investment and job creation goals.
In Ashtabula County, Demetra will coordinate her efforts with the Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County, and in Columbiana County, with the Columbiana County Port Authority.
Demetra, a Poland resident, holds the Ohio Certified Economic Developer credential from the Ohio Economic Development Association and a Bachelor of Science degree from Muskingum University.
About Lake to River
Lake to River is the regional JobsOhio network partner for Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. The organization works to attract new business, expand existing industry and develop talent pipelines in support of economic growth across Eastern Ohio. For more information, visit laketoriverohio.org.
