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2020 Speakers

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Mr. John Amato

John Amato is a screen printer at and the founder of Jupmode, a Toledo, Ohio based custom screen printing company and direct to consumer retail clothing brand. John first started selling t-shirts in 2007 after his idea for the Jim Tressel Sweater Vest T-Shirt was approved for licensing by the Ohio State University. He learned how to screen print in 2011 and has grown the business to offer embroidery and promotional products, 20+ employees, and two retail stores.

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Mr. Michael Beazley

Michael J. Beazley has served in leadership positions in public policy, local government, and politics for over 40 years.  Mike is a 1972 graduate of St. Francis, currently serves as the Oregon City Administrator, and as senior policy advisor to the Mayor of Toledo.  He is a former Lucas County Administrator and serves on numerous non-profit boards as well.  In the past, Mike has taught at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in public administration, specializing in local government and political leadership.  He and his wife Juliann have four adult children and nine grandchildren at last count.

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Mr. Mike Bell

Former Mayor of Toledo 2010-2013, Former State Fire Marshall - State of Ohio, Former Toledo Fire Chief and First African American, as well as the youngest person ever to lead the department. Has served multiple community-related civic organizations, volunteering his time and serving on such boards as the Boys & Girls Club, Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, and Salvation Army just to mention a few. 

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Mrs. Sue Dills

Sue Dills has thirty years of experience working in Performance Development and has owned her own consulting firm since 2000.  She has designed and developed multi-disciplined programs tied to business initiatives to help leaders and their teams exceed business goals, as well as programs to help leaders and their teams become more effective in their roles. Her areas of expertise include leadership development, performance consulting, and performance coaching.  Sue holds a Master's Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven, CT.  She and her husband, Matt, have 2 children.  Katie is a graduate of Notre Dame Academy (’15) and Syracuse University (’19) and Matthew is a proud graduate of St. Francis de Sales (’18) and currently studying Chemical Engineering at Tulane University.

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Mr. Chis Gelardi

Chris Gelardi is a New York City-based journalist. He is a frequent contributor to The Nation magazine and The Appeal; his work has also appeared in The Intercept, Vice, Slate, Al Jazeera, Politico Magazine, The Baffler, the Columbia Journalism Review, and other outlets. He writes narrative, investigative, and opinion pieces about state violence and the resistance to it. He has reported on a range of issues, including the 2020 protest movement, ICE and immigration enforcement, US island territories and contemporary colonialism, and the United States' role in the war in Yemen, among others.

Chris was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School in 2011, received a bachelor's degree from Villanova University in 2015, and earned a master's in journalism from Columbia University in 2017.

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Mr. Tim Iorio

Tim Iorio holds a Ph.D. in global leadership/organization management from Indiana Tech University.  He is an adjunct professor and management consultant.  Tim is a 1971 graduate of St. Francis.  He is the father of Nick (1995 graduate), Tim (1998 graduate), and Joe (1999 graduate). 

 

Tim and his wife, Sue, recently published a book: The Penn State Walk-On: Overcoming the Pain and Legacy of Suicide Through Football, Faith, and Family.  They lost their son, Nick, in 1997.  They reside in Scottsdale, Arizona, and have four grandchildren (Tad, Reese, Beckett, and Trent).

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Mr. Mike Koralewski

Michael “Mike” Koralewski was appointed Chief Manufacturing Operations Officer of First Solar in July 2020. In this role Mike has responsibility for the global manufacturing operations strategy, which includes expansion, daily operations, supply chain and purchasing for First Solar’s module technology. Mike provides over twenty years of global operational experience to the executive leadership team. He joined First Solar in 2006, serving in several senior roles in operations and quality management, including senior vice president, global manufacturing; vice president, global site operations and plant manager; and vice president, global quality. In all of these roles Mike has been significantly involved since the beginning of First Solar’s manufacturing scaling and expansion from site selection through sustaining operations. Prior to joining First Solar, Mike worked at Dana Incorporated where he held several positions with global responsibility in operations and quality management. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a Master of Business Administration from Bowling Green State University. He currently serves on the executive boards for Toledo’s Science Center, Imagination Station and Lourdes University. Mike resides in Monclova, OH with his wife Jennifer and their children Katelyn, a junior at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and Collin, a senior at St. Francis de Sales School in Toledo.

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Mrs. Diana Patton

Diana Patton is the CEO of Diana R. Patton Consulting, LLC, and the Founder of RISE. She is a speaker, social justice advocacy coach and consultant, an attorney, and author of her memoir, Inspiration in My Shoes, and This Yogi's Journey.

She consults with schools and organizations, to implement her RISE program, and speaks on leadership, social and emotional learning, diversity, inclusion, equity, empathy, self-care, and trauma-informed care topics. She also works with women leaders to become Rise Advocates with her Pivot and RISE mastermind.

In December 2015, Diana completed her work as the VP/COO/General Counsel for the Toledo Fair Housing Center. Before her work at fair housing, she worked on staff at CedarCreek Church. She also co-owned a health-based company, FITatudes, LLC, and was trained and certified as a health coach at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in Manhattan, New York. After graduating from IIN, Diana returned as a guest lecturer.

Prior to becoming a health coach, Diana held law firm and high-level corporate positions, including global director-level positions, at Fortune 500 companies. She earned her bachelor and law degree at the University of Toledo, where she also ran track. Diana is licensed to practice law in Ohio.

Diana has conducted corporate diversity trainings and has taught various business courses at Owens Community College in Toledo, and taught health and wellness courses and the now closed Polly Fox Academy high school for pregnant and mother teens.

Diana currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of Toledo College of Health and Human Services, is a mentor to the Talented Aspiring Women Leaders (TAWL), under the University of Toledo’s African American Initiatives, and previously served on the Toledo Public Schools' Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council.

To remain grounded and purposeful, Diana stays true to her daily practice that consists of journaling, praying, practicing yoga, reading her bible and leadership books, and spending a lot of time with friends, and with extended and immediate family, that includes her husband, David and their two children.

Follow her on social media at #dpinspires

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Mr. Keon Pearson

Keon Pearson, MD, MBA is a resident physician at Stanford. A proud Knight in the class of 2011, he was the first African American valedictorian in St. Francis de Sales history and was also a National Merit Scholar, a National AP Scholar, a Ron Brown Scholar, a Gates Millennium Scholar, an Elks National Scholar, and BCSN Student of the Year. While at St. Francis, he was involved in band, chess, quiz bowl, Junior State of America, Afro Club, mock trial, and Singing Blue. He went on to Harvard College, where he served as president of the Harvard Glee Club. He graduated magna cum laude in Human Evolutionary Biology and then entered the medical and business schools at Stanford University. He has published numerous studies on topics including health economics, telemedicine, and cardiovascular health disparities among ethnic and racial minorities. In addition to his interest in direct patient care, he works in venture capital as an investor in the health tech and digital health spaces. 

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Mr. Matt Sapara

I was born and raised in the suburban Cleveland area.  I attended high school at Jonathon Dayton Regional High School in Springfield, New Jersey.  I attended the University of Toledo where I earned a Bachelor of Art and Law Degree.  I have been a member of the BAR since November 1999.


I served as the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s Chief Operating Officer for 11 years.  During that time, I over saw the expansion of the Port Authority’s development division.  The most notable project in that portfolio was the redevelopment of Overland Park, the original location for the production of the Jeep.  That site sat idle for many years.  Today, more than 1,500 people work at this location!


Following this work at the Port Authority, I served as Mayor Collins’ Director of Development for the City of Toledo.  Prior to his death, this development team worked on many projects including the relocation of Promedica’s headquarters.


Since 2015, I have worked for Mercy Health.  As the Vice President of Regional Development and Operations, I oversee several departments including real estate and several non clinical departments at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and Mercy’s Perrsyburg Hospital.  I’m also the Liaison Officer that interacts with Mercy Health and all external organizations.


I live in Oregon and have been married to Beth since 1998.  We have two sons.  Our youngest son Michael is currently a Junior at St. Francis.

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Mr. Ty Silberhorn

For over 110 years 3M and its 96,000 employees have been dedicated to science and exploration – driving to understand our customers’ needs which has driven us to over $30 billion in sales. We create a more positive world through science by delivering innovative solutions and today you are never more than 10 feet away from 3M Technology working to improve your life. 

Ty Silberhorn is currently the senior vice president for Transformation, Technologies and Services at 3M, a corporate officer and a direct report to the CEO.  His organization works to enable growth for 3M and its business partners through a more connected enterprise, transforming processes, enabling strategies, and increasing productivity.

With over 20 years at 3M, Ty has led global divisions in Safety & Industrial, Transportation & Electronics, the Consumer business and was a Six Sigma group director.  He has spent significant time in Asia Pacific, and his vice president roles required extensive global travel.

He left 3M from 2000-2001 to run his own startup company in Chicago.  Prior to 3M, he held sales positions at Ashland, Inc. 

 

While Ty has demonstrated his operational and financial capabilities in managing, turning around or even starting up a business, his passion is building transformational strategies to drive long term, profitable growth.  He believes clear, committed prioritization and building a strong, empowered team are paramount to that success.  

 

Ty has been recognized for his business leadership within 3M, being a member of the company’s Executive Conference since 2009 and selected to participate and teach in several leadership development programs. 

 

Ty received his MBA from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management in 1995 with dual concentrations in Marketing and Operations Management.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in business from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business in 1990 with a Marketing concentration. 

 

Ty resides in Saint Paul with his wife of 30 years and their three daughters.  He is active in several charities and alumni associations, serves on the board for the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Indiana’s Kelley School of Business.

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Mr. James Starks

James Starks is the morning news anchor at WZZM13 in Grand Rapids, MI. Prior to moving back to the Midwest, James served as a sports anchor in Houston, TX. He has covered the World Series, NBA Playoffs, NFL Draft and many other major sporting events as a sports anchor and reporter for KPRC in the Houston, Texas area. Before to moving to Houston, Starks covered the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference extensively WLTX in Columbia, SC.


Starks is Toledo, Ohio, born and raised. He was a former two-sport athlete at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and two-time All-American and captain of the football team. He then signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals before going overseas to continue his career with the Ancona (Italy) Dolphins.


Starks has a B.A. in radio-TV-film from Capital University and a M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Kent State University.

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Mr. Jordan Strack

Jordan Strack is the Sports Director at WTOL 11 and has been with the station since 2008. He is a northwest Ohio native. He went to Maumee High School and is a graduate of Bowling Green State University.

Growing up in northwest Ohio, Jordan fell in love with sports from an early age. Some of his earliest memories include attending Toledo Storm games with his dad. That’s where he developed his love for hockey. He was on skates starting at 5 years old and still enjoys playing today. He’s been able to travel the world and has covered the Toledo Men’s and Women’s Basketball trips to Italy, Spain and London. He’s also traveled with the Rockets football team to the Bahamas.

On top of traveling with the Rockets, some of the highlights of his time with WTOL include covering the Walleye in the Kelly Cup Finals in Newfoundland, and following the Walleye during playoff runs to Colorado and South Carolina.

He’s won three AP awards for his sports feature stories. He won the 2019 Lower Great Lakes Regional Emmy for his work on Jonah’s Journey, a story about a local soccer who was born addicted to drugs. In 2019, Strack was named the ECHL Broadcaster of the Year. He’s also won a Touchstone Award from the Toledo Press Club.

He currently lives in Waterville with his daughter and their two dogs, Cabrera and Eve.

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Mr. Steve Taylor

The man behind the brightest smile in Toledo is Stephen Taylor II. Steve owns and operates seven of northwestern Ohio’s leading dealerships, where he prides himself on being a dealer for the people for his customers, coworkers and community. He graduated from St. Johns Jesuit High School in 1994 and
Wittenberg University in 1998 where he met his wife, Allison. Together they reside in Perrysburg, Ohio and are raising three exceptional children. Stephen has earned the respect and admiration from those in the communities he serves through an established track record of achievement. Stephen led his Kia store to become the number one Kia dealership in the country, only to then become the International Kia Dealer of the Year in 2009! His consistent, high achievement in the dealership is evidenced by earning the prestigious Kia President’s Club award 8 times! The Better Business Bureau has honored Stephen with the Torch Award for his business ethics! Yet Stephen’s accolades extend beyond the dealership lots and drive deep into the community. Stephen has used his business as a way to give to countless, local charities while taking an active role in serving others. Because of his extensive care and charitable giving in his community, Stephen has also won the Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist Award, the 20 under 40 Leadership Award and was a finalist for the Jefferson Award! Stephen Taylor has the brightest smile because he gets to live-out his mission of being a difference maker in the lives of his customers, coworkers and community!

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Mr. Matt Zmuda

Matthew Zmuda, Detroit Tigers Area Scout, is a 2013 SFS graduate. Matthew is a proud alumni of the highly successful Knight Baseball program. Matthew then went on to attend Denison University, playing four years of collegiate baseball and graduating in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. While At Denison University, Matthew was a left handed relief pitcher for the Big Red baseball team. His goal throughout his playing career was to work toward a career in the front office of an MLB team. Matthew has gone on to work in a number of different roles within Major League Baseball since 2017. His career in baseball began as a scouting intern in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the country’s premier collegiate summer league. Following his time in Massachusetts, Matthew went out west to Peoria, Arizona to take his first role in professional baseball, working with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Fall League as a Stadium Operations Supervisor. In January of 2018, Zmuda was hired by the Detroit Tigers Amateur Scouting Department in their Lakeland, Florida office. While in Lakeland, he had a number of responsibilities assisting the front office and 17 area scouts throughout the country in preparation for the 2018 MLB draft. In August of 2018, Matthew was hired as a Major League Baseball Scout for the Detroit Tigers. As a scout for the Detroit Tigers, he currently evaluates and ranks high school and collegiate baseball players from programs across North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and DC, preparing reports and recommendations for the MLB draft. Matthew currently resides in Raleigh, NC.

Past Speakers
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