The Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber named nine new members to its Board of Directors Friday.

Appointed to the Board are:

  • Chris Colella, Senior Vice President at First National Bank 
  • Lena Esmail, CEO of Quick Med Urgent Care 
  • Bill Johnson, President, Youngstown State University 
  • Jihoon Kang, CEO, Trumbull Asset Management/Trumbull Energy Center 
  • Col. Michael Maloney, Commander, Youngstown Air Reserve Station 
  • Dawn Ochman, President & CEO, Dawn Inc.
  • Tim Reardon, Attorney, Brouse McDowell 
  • Cindy Russo, CEO, Trumbull Regional Medical Center/Steward Health 
  • Eric Ryan, President, JAC Entertainment

21 News reached out to the Chamber for comment on the appointment of Lena Esmail, whose business and home were raided in mid-Janaury as part of an ongoing FBI investigation looking at contracts between Esmail's company and the Youngstown City School District. 

Guy Coviello, the Regional Chamber's President and CEO, responded with a statement saying: 

"We believe in due process and the American system of innocence until proven guilty."

Esmail has not been accused of or charged with any crime in this ongoing investigation, and it is not clear exactly what federal agents may be looking for with regard to QuickMed. 

Raids were conducted on the same day at the Youngstown City School district and the FBI set up a tipline following those searches seeking information about anyone who had received "kickbacks" in relation to then-CEO Justin Jennings' use of federal Covid relief money. 

Colella has worked in the banking industry since 1988, while Johnson was the former 6th District Representative from 2011 until early 2024. Maloney has nearly 21 years with the US Air Force; while Ochman started her company for 30 years in Warren. Reardon serves as Partner-in charge of the Youngstown office of Browse McDowell; Russo was named president at the Steward's Trumbull Regional Medical Center and has more than 20 years of hospital experience; amd Eric Ryan runs JAC Management Group.