Spanning the Need, Youngstown, OH (2026)

Name: Spanning the Need
Address: Youngstown, OH, US
Telephone: +13303338550

The stories of creators. The stories of visionaries. The stories of everyday people doing the extraordinary. The stories of our great community. | is a podcast and good feel news story website of thoughtfully curated experiences, news, advice, and culture. in a way that truly “spans the need” of others in our community by giving the community a voice. Whether it’s sports, pol

itics, news, food, or events; there is a story to be told and a need to be met—welcome to that venue.

05/22/2026

A great eye for all: Most mornings, Rebecca Nieminen. Storyteller Photography: Images by Rebecca rises before dawn. In fact, it’s essential that she beats the sunrise.

Grabbing her Canon Mark IV digital camera, she’s out the door and on the road, usually with just minutes to get to her destination, which changes daily but is always a vantage spot for her view of her chosen subject.

The first fingers of light creep over the horizon, and Nieminen’s camera responds, catching whatever Nature’s offering that day: stabbing rays of sunlight, floating puffs of clouds, snowflakes drifting over still-dark churchyards, gale-driven rain slashing the surface of Lake Erie. The results will be images sought by admiring collectors.

Almost no subject is uninteresting for this writer-cum-photographer who’s based in Kinsman, Ohio. She loves cold and violent weather, and that’s evident in her landscapes of barns in winter and storms on the lake, but no season, and no subject, escapes her attention. Her summertime depictions of country roads, portraits of children in nostalgic settings, graduation portraits and even animals in motion all convey something beyond “just a picture.” Many of them have brought her recognition in the form of awards.

Nieminen, 51, is a classic example of a woman whose independence was forged in circumstance. Raised in nearby Andover, she spent her childhood dreaming about and drawing horses. From an early age, she knew she could write, and so took a bachelor’s degree in professional writing and editing at Youngstown State University, with a minor in photography. She went on to earn a master’s degree in English and put it to work on a full-time job at the Vindicator for three years, until she was expecting her first child. Dropping back into free-lance status, she continued working for the newspaper until it closed, more than three years ago.

In that time, a second child was born. But her marriage was ending, and Nieminen knew she had to find a path to permanent employment. Up until that time, photography had been a hobby. Now, she got serious. So, armed with her writing skills on one hand and her photography interest on the other, she got busy.City & Local Guides

First, she wrote a book. Inspired by the well-known real-life murder of a young woman in the early days of Gustavus Township, she wrote a 600-page story that told not only of lechery, lies, and murder but also addressed the historic hardship of life for women. The book became a finalist for a national first -time book award. But it didn’t win, and Nieminen had no time for almost-winners, so she set it aside and turned to her camera instead.

Busily earning recognition in her new field, she had set aside thoughts of the book until her son was approaching his 17th birthday. For his gift, he said, he wanted her to publish her book.

So she separated the manuscript into two sections, did a little editing and sent it off to Amazon in August of 2022. A few days later, she was a published author. Some publicity on her page sent her off on the path of book signings and book club meetings, and soon The Dance of the White Deer gained warm reviews and climbing sales. It was so well-received that she plans to publish the last half of the manuscript as a sequel.

Also on her publishing agenda is a series of photography books, separated by subject, that will display those photos that she collects as she chases the sun – and the rain, and the snow, and the wind – on her early morning jaunts.

And there is the upcoming graduation of her daughter, Samantha Sloan, from YSU this year. A busy schedule indeed, and there’s absolutely no doubt she’ll get it all done.

Originally Posted March 30, 2023 on STN. By Emily Love. Here are some of her pictures from the original post on STN.

05/18/2026

Meet Dave Dravecky, Baseball. He was one of several individuals being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this past Spring. Boardman Athletics

When Boardman native Dave Dravecky received the call regarding his induction into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame, his first reaction was that everything he has accomplished in his life is a direct result of growing up in the Mahoning Valley, having faith, playing sports at both Boardman High and Youngstown State University while learning about life and his blue collar work ethic from his family and those comprising his inner circle.

Born on Valentine’s Day in 1956, he has long been considered one of the best all around athletes ever to hail from the Mahoning Valley.

He earned three letters in both basketball and baseball, learning the hardwood game under the tutelage of head coach Alan Burns where he was a key member of their 1971-72 (sophomore year) and 1973-74 (senior season) Steel Valley Conference championship squads.

He played baseball for the Spartans under head coach Tom Ferrara and Jack Jones, missing his junior season due to injury.

Upon graduation, the late legendary YSU baseball coach, Dom Rosselli, spotted something in Dravecky while scouting the Spartans and offered him a scholarship to play for the Penguins.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Dravecky did not disappoint as he went on to a stellar four-year career for the Penguins, posting a 21-7 overall slate while setting or tying six pitching records from 1975-78.

His 21 wins and 20 complete games still rank second all-time while his five career shutouts – he tossed four shutouts in 1976, which remains tops all-time for a single season – is still the high water mark for the program.

His 1.85 earned run average remains second best for a career while his 251 career strikeouts – he averaged 12.99 strikeouts per seven innings in 1976 and 11.36 in 1977 – is still fourth all-time.

In 1976, he set the new standard by which future Penguin twirlers would be judged when he posted a 0.51 earned run average in 53.1 innings pitched, a mark that has withstood the test of time 50 years after this year’s inductee established it.

Dravecky tossed a no-hitter and two one-hitters in his four seasons with YSU, all coming against the arch-rival Akron Zips.

He threw his no-hitter on May 17, 1977, a 7-0 victory by the Penguins while his two one-hitters came on May 8, 1976 (a 1-0 YSU victory) and May 22, 1976 (a 3-0 Penguin win), a mere 14 days apart.

In his four seasons under Rosselli, he was an integral part of the Penguins’ staff that posted an 81-46 (.639) overall mark with three, 20-win seasons, 22 shutouts and an unheard of 70 complete games.

His baseball career was just getting started.

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates (21st round, 531st overall selection) in the 1978 June MLB Amateur Draft, reporting to Charleston (S.C.) of the Class A Western Carolina League to begin his professional career.

He played Minor League Baseball for three seasons in the Pirates’ organization, was traded to San Diego in 1981 and after spending two seasons in the Padres’ system, was called up to the parent club, making his MLB debut on June 15, 1982, against Los Angeles, working an inning in relief and allowing two hits in their 3-0 loss to the Dodgers.

In seven Minor League seasons, he posted a 45-23 overall mark with a 3.34 earned run average, registering 24 complete games and six shutouts.

Named to the 1983 MLB All-Star game, he helped the Padres to the 1984 World Series – they fell to the Tigers in five games – and after he was traded to San Francisco on July 4, 1987, he helped the Giants to the NL West title before losing to St. Louis in the National League Championship Series.

He was the Giants’ opening day starter in 1988, defeating the Dodgers, 5-1.

Shortly thereafter, he noticed stiffness in his pitching arm and was placed on the disabled list.

A lifelong man of faith with strong Christian beliefs, he was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor in his left (pitching) arm and on October 7 of that year, underwent a surgical procedure in which half of the deltoid muscle in his left arm was removed and his humerus bone frozen in an effort to eliminate all of the cancerous cells.

By July of 1989, he was back pitching in the Minors and on August 10, made a highly publicized return to the Majors, throwing eight innings (92 total pitches) at Candlestick Park and defeating manager Pete Rose’s Cincinnati Reds, 4-3

In his following start, August 15, he faced the Montreal Expos and in the sixth inning broke his arm on a fast ball thrown to Tim Raines.

He underwent arm surgeries in January and May of 1990, after which his cancer was found to have returned.

On June 18, 1991, less than two years after his comeback with the Giants, his left arm and shoulder was amputated.

He finished his Major League career with a 64-57 overall mark, 3.13 E.R.A., completed 29 games and tossed shutouts.

“Little did we know at that time, but it set the stage for my wife, Jan, and I as to what we were being called to do in life, which was helping others deal with cancer, amputation or depression with our Ministry,” he stated.

The Ministry is known as ‘Endurance with Jan and Dave Dravecky’ and it has made a positive impact with those from all levels of society since it began 33 years ago.

Dravecky has written two books about his battles with cancer and his comeback attempt: Comeback (1990), written with Tim Stafford and When You Can't Come Back (1992), co-authored with Jan and Ken Gire.

In 2021, indie-folk artist Cousin Wolf released a song entitled "Dave Dravecky" as part of an album called "Nine Innings.”

Along with his wife of 47 years, the former Jan Roh, they are the proud parents of two children, daughter Tiffany (Adam) Vartanyan and son Jonathan (Joy).

They have four grandchildren, Francesca and Georgia Vartanyan, and Jude and Asher Dravecky.

He currently serves as an ambassador with the San Francisco Giants and remains a highly sought after motivational speaker.

He resides in Mesa, Arizona.

05/13/2026

Meet John Greene, Sr, Football. He was one of several individuals being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this past Spring. Ursuline High School

The Ursuline Fighting Irish have a long storied grid history and tonight’s football inductee is a big reason they enjoyed the success that they did in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.

Born March 23, 1945, he starred athletically for UHS where he earned four letters in football and another three in basketball for the Fighting Irish.

He started his football career at St. Brendan’s Grade School where he was teammates with future Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame honorees Dennis Killiany (Class of 2011) and Dick Angle (Class of 2009).

His freshman year, the Fighting Irish went 8-2 overall, winning their first four games by shutout while outscoring opponents by a 99-0 count.

After a loss to Hubbard (28-20), they reeled off three more victories, lost to South (24-13) then defeated Campbell Memorial in their season finale, 26-8 to finish 6-1 in the always tough City Series Conference.

As a sophomore running back on offense, he played safety defensively and helped his alma mater to a repeat of the previous year as the team once again finished 8-2 overall. Going 6-1 in the City Series with their lone league loss coming at the hands of the Rayen Tigers, 14-6 in the sixth game of the year.

They reeled off four consecutive wins to end the season with victories over East (32-14), Woodrow Wilson (30-6), arch-rival Cardinal Mooney (22-16) and Campbell Memorial (33-8) in their season finale.

His junior campaign, when head coach Tom Carey stepped aside, Jerry Hanlon moved in as head coach and the team responded by winning their final six games of the season – they started 0-3 with losses to Canton Central Catholic (30-0), Cardinal Mooney (32-14) and South (20-12), then finished with wins over Chaney (22-0), Erie Cathedral Prep (28-8), North (32-6), Rayen (26-8), Woodrow Wilson (56-8) and East (40-8) – going 6-3 overall and 5-2 in the City Series.

They held their last six opponents to eight points or less in five games with one shutout while outscoring the opposition by a 204-38 count.

His star began to shine brightest that junior campaign when he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns, his best effort coming against the Rayen Tigers when he carried the ball for 212 yards – he had 296 total offensive yards with the team accumulating just 60 more, 356 – with a 55-yard touchdown scamper, also returning a kick-off 84 yards en route to second-team all-City and first-team all-Diocesan honors.

For his efforts, he was named the team’s “Offensive Back of the Year.”

As a senior in 1962, area sportswriters and members of the media repeatedly noted that he was keyed on by the opposition yet he answered the call by rushing for 725 yards and eight touchdowns – he averaged 6.5 yards per carry – also hauling in eight aerials for another 90 yards.

The team finished 5-2-2 overall, 4-1-2 in the City Series as he was named the team’s “Offensive Back of the Year” for a second straight season, was a first-team all-City Series and all-Diocesan pick, honorable mention all-State and selected as an alternate for the North team in the prestigious North-South All-Star game.

During his stellar scholastic career, he helped the team to a 27-9-2 overall mark, a 2-2 ledger against arch-rival Cardinal Mooney and a 21-5-2 mark in the City Series with seven shutouts, leading a staunch UHS defense that held opponents to single digit scoring in 22 of 38 overall contests.

Upon his graduation in 1963, he was a sought after talent by multiple NCAA grid powers and after visiting Penn State, Michigan State, Alabama and Syracuse, he chose the University of Georgia, his decision influenced by his father and a chance meeting with former Youngstown natives and past Bulldog grid stars, Anthony “Zippy” Morrocco and George Poschner.

He played both offense and defense under UGA head coaches Johnny Griffith (freshman) first, then a little-known first-year head coach Vince Dooley (sophomore) and as a member of the freshman team, rushed for 63 yards versus Clemson.

For his efforts, he was named to the all-Southeastern Conference freshman team at linebacker then as a sophomore, a back injury would cut short his promising collegiate career.

He returned to Youngtown and furthered his education in business at then Youngstown University.

He was inducted into the Ursuline H.S. Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.

An avid golfer and bowler, he can boast of a hole-in-one on the No. 18 hole at Mahoning Country Club, also recording an 815 series (259-277-279) in bowling at the age of 77.

He was in the automobile business for over 30 years and along with his late wife, Candy, they are the parents of two sons, John, Jr. (Carrie) and Richard (Alycia).

They have two grandchildren, John and Lauryn.

He resides in Girard with his wife, the former Gail Arneson.

05/09/2026

Meet Sonny Vaccaro, Contribution to Sports. He was one of several individuals being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this past Spring. Youngstown State Penguins

Notable among this year’s group of honorees is the man instrumental in signing Michael Jordan to Nike and one of the nation's most revered sports marketing executives.

Now 86 years old, Sonny Vaccaro's visionary promotional innovations, which began with the signing of college coaches and culminated in the landscape-altering deal that brought Michael Jordan to Nike, revolutionized the sports marketing genre with shoe contracts, collegiate team affiliations and other ground-breaking promotional partnerships.

Those partnerships have helped propel the fortunes of countless athletes, collegiate programs and professional teams.

During his 50-year plus career in the shoe industry, he brought his marketing and player development acumen to basketball programs at the world’s three largest shoe and apparel companies – Nike, Adidas and Reebok.

A native of Trafford, Pennsylvania, Vaccaro was a football and baseball star during his high school years. Upon graduation, he enrolled at then-Youngstown University to play football for legendary Penguin head coach Dwight "D**e" Beede. Lower back injuries cut his promising collegiate career short, but as the old adage goes, “when one door closes, another opens…”

The late Dom Rosselli, legendary YSU basketball coach, recognized Vaccaro's enthusiasm and natural ability to connect with athletes and kept him on scholarship as his top basketball recruiter in the Western Pennsylvania and Ohio region.

In the early 1960s, Vaccaro began scouting talent and organizing teams to compete in basketball tournaments across Pennsylvania and Ohio where his Trafford Mintos won the Sharon-Hoyle Tournament. The best of his recruits were introduced to Rosselli for scholarship consideration.

Beginning in 1965, Vaccaro founded what are still regarded as the seminal events in grassroots basketball. The Roundball Classic, America’s original high school All-Star showcase, was his first major event. He teamed up with friend and local talent promoter Pat DiCesare, also a YSU alum, to organize an all-star game in Pittsburgh featuring the best prep basketball players in the country – the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic.

That first Roundball Classic basketball showcase took place on March 26, 1965, at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh and drew a sellout crowd.

The most widely imitated event in prep basketball by the likes of McDonald's, Michael Jordan and others, the event annually brought together 22 of the most gifted high school stars in the country and to this day still holds the all-time attendance record for a scholastic all-star event.

In 1977, Vaccaro briefly dabbled in athletic shoe design after a camper asked him why there were no stylish basketball shoes kids could wear anywhere, not just on the court.

In Trafford, he collaborated with master shoemaker Bobby DiRinaldo to assemble six prototype basketball shoes, then sought a manufacturing partner. A high power agent arranged a meeting at Nike's headquarters in Oregon, at the time a $28 million regional-running shoe company. Though Vaccaro enthusiastically pitched his novel ideas (a disco shoe with colorful bedazzles and Velcro straps in place of laces among them), Nike's executives quickly turned the conversation to a bigger opportunity and how Vaccaro, whose whole career was built on emerging players, could expand Nike's presence in the U.S. high school and college basketball markets.

His idea of paying coaches to outfit their athletes in Nike shoes was so simple — and so successful — that it sent Nike's basketball business soaring. In less than a decade, riding Jordan's slam dunks to category leadership, Nike became the dominant force in athletic footwear with their Air Jordan brand establishing the company as the unquestioned industry leader.

Following the success of the Roundball Classic, Vaccaro brought the ABCD Camp to Nike. Held every July from 1984 to 2006, ABCD was a “must-be-there” week for college coaches from leading D-1 and D-2 programs across America. For nearly a quarter-century, the camp annually highlighted 160 to 175 of the nation's premier high school athletes for coaches and NBA scouts to evaluate with the likes of Mike Krzyzewski, John Calipari, Rick Pitino and Roy Williams taking notes from the stands.

Among the future stars who came through ABCD were Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Love, James Harden and dozens of others. His Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas became the largest summer basketball tournament in the world, featuring over 600 teams and 7,000 players from across America and internationally.

Continuing a charitable tradition begun with the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic in 1965, Vaccaro later established the non-profit Hoops that Help program in 1990, a charitable partnership with Comic Relief (founded by Billy Crystal, Whoopie Goldberg, and Robin Williams). The inaugural game at the Superdome in New Orleans featured a match-up between LSU and Notre Dame which drew a crowd of 68,000 fans for a regular season game.

Contributions surpassed $4 million over the years for programs benefitting the homeless, AIDS education and Boys and Girls Clubs, among other noteworthy charities. Also, in collaboration with Comic Relief, he served as executive producer on the highly rated NBC special “A Comedy Salute to Michael Jordan” in 1991.

In 2007, Vaccaro "closed the door," as he puts it, on his events to focus on a coast-to-coast speaking tour advocating for athletes' right to just compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL) use in promotional and marketing campaigns.

His speaking engagements have included appearances at Wharton School of Business, Duke, UCLA, Harvard, Yale, MIT, NYU, Columbia, Georgetown, Howard University and the University of Virginia, among others.

Widely quoted and reported over the years in books, newspaper articles and documentaries, his efforts have had an unmistakable impact in college sports and causes supporting college athletes’ empowerment.

His advocacy later contributed to the landmark O'Bannon v. NCAA federal class action antitrust lawsuit, in which he was recognized as the catalyst in litigation brought to uphold players' NIL rights. Serving as an unpaid consultant to lead counsel Hausfeld, LLP, he continued to serve as a vocal advocate for the players to anyone who would listen.

In 2014, the court ruled in favor of the players. The New York Times said the victory in the O’Bannon case ranked Sonny “with the greatest reformers in sports history.”

Vaccaro continues to speak truth to power on critical issues in contemporary sports matters, appearing regularly on television, sports talk radio and podcasts including such programs as 60 Minutes, Good Morning America and PBS Frontline, among others.

He was featured in "Sole Man," an ESPN original film in the network's "30 for 30" documentary series.

His memoir, Legends and Soles, published by HarperOne, chronicles his influential role in sports marketing and athlete advocacy, detailing personal relationships with basketball legends, the "Shoe Wars" and the seven-year O'Bannon v. NCAA federal case that finally broke the NCAA's stranglehold over athletes' right to share in the billions in revenue they help generate (a paperback edition releases the week of the banquet.)

Not long before the book's initial release, Vaccaro was portrayed as a central character in the major studio release "Air" (2023), depicting the two-month period leading up to Jordan's signing at Nike. Matt Damon portrayed Vaccaro opposite Ben Affleck as Nike founder Phil Knight.

As Vaccaro tells it, he ran into Affleck at the NBA All-Star Game just as the film was being released. Affleck leaned over and said, "You've led a fascinating life."

“No truer words have ever been spoken,” Vaccaro laughed.

Sonny lives in Pacific Grove, California with his wife, Pamela (Monakee) from Boardman.

05/06/2026

Meet Richard Martinko, Baseball. He was one of several individuals being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this Spring. Campbell City Schools

Born June 22, 1951, he is a native of Campbell and one of three area diamond standouts that will be honored tonight in this year’s class.

He is a 1969 graduate of Memorial High School where he was a member of the school’s National Honor Society, Math Club and History Club, ranking 12th in his class of 215.

He was a three-sport standout for the Red Devils, earning multiple letters in baseball, football and basketball.

In baseball, he was a standout pitcher-outfielder under the watchful eye of former head coaches Al Centofante and Johnny Knapick.

A four-year starter for CMHS, he consistently led the team in both pitching and hitting with one of his noteworthy achievements tossing a no-hitter against the Poland Bulldogs in the OHSAA, Northeast Ohio Class AA tournament.

During the summer months, his star shone brightest as a member of the Campbell A.C. squad (1966-69) in the local Class B sandlot circuit, becoming a starter as a 15 year-old with the late Steve “Sheenie” Krivonak at the coaching helm.

In 1968, he finished fifth in the league with a .350 batting average and in 1969, led all Class B pitchers with a 0.94 earned run average, averaging 14 strikeouts per contest while disposing of 102 enemy batters in just 66 innings of work.

A fond moment came when he struck out 19 batters in a single game against Excel Auto Glass.

Due to league rule changes that now permitted a player to play in both the NABF (National Amateur Baseball Federation) and ABC (American Baseball Congress) post-season tournaments, he became the first player selected for a team representing the league in both tournaments, joining McAuley Awnings for the NABF Tourney and Excel Auto Glass during their run the ABC Tourney.

While in the ABC tournament in Toledo, he pitched the most innings of any Excel player, posted a 0.50 e.r.a., struck out 12 and batted .375.

That overall performance led to his selection on the all-tournament team and ultimately a baseball scholarship to the University of Toledo.

As a starting quarterback, defensive back and punter-kicker for Red Devils head coach Tony Cougras, he earned “Player of the Week” laurels three times while on the Nicholas A. D’Amato hardwood, he played for head coach Eli Danilov first, then John Georges where he was the team’s second-leading scorer, led the squad in rebounds and shot 45.0 percent from the field.

A highlight was scoring a career-high 26 points against the powerful Boardman Spartans unit.

From 1970-73, he played collegiately for the Rockets, earning multiple letters as a pitcher-outfielder which resulted in membership in Toledo University’s famed Varsity “T” Club.

A shining moment came when he stepped into the batter’s box for his first ever collegiate at-bat and homered against Yale, setting a positive tone for his career as a Rocket.

In 1971, he traveled internationally with the Rockets’ diamond squad, participating in their games when they played Italian national teams as they prepared for the upcoming 1972 Olympics, which were held in Munich, West Germany.

That experience highlighted the growing global interest in baseball and highlighted the strength of both the Rockets and its Mid-American Conference programs.

During a stellar collegiate career, his level of play seemed to elevate as he competed with and against future MAC Major Leaguers Mike Schmidt (Ohio University), Doug Bair (Bowling Green State), Steve Swisher (Ohio U.), John Knox (BGSU), Jack Kucek (Miami ‘O.), Bob Welch (Eastern Michigan), Bob Owchinko (EMU), Buddy Schultz (Miami ‘O.), Len Matusczek (Toledo) and Bob Brenly (Ohio U.).

While in college, he played summer ball in the local Class AA League, first with Ben Bassetti’s Home Club entry then as a member of slugger Clarence Brewer’s Buckeye Elks unit.

In 1971, he led the league in home runs and was selected to the NABF Sr. National Tournament all-star team in Detroit after batting .474 in tourney play.

He earned his BS degree in civil engineering from the University of Toledo (1974) and spent 50-plus years in transportation engineering, operations and strategic planning.

Beyond his education and professional careers, he has actively competed in tennis, pursuing excellence in the sport where he has won several tournaments in Toledo, achieving third-place nationally at the 1991 USTA 4.5 Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to personal development.

Athletics is a family tradition as both of his brothers, Bob and Tom, excelled in sports during high school and at the university level while both of his children have achieved success in athletics, reflecting his family’s dedication to achievement and sportsmanship.

His experiences have instilled a commitment to discipline, hard work, integrity, and giving back, which guide both his life and career. He continues to mentor students at the University of Toledo and has served on professional boards, including the Northwest Ohio Society of Professional Engineers, where he served as past president.

He currently serves as president of Richard Martinko Consulting, LLC.

His professional awards include, but are not limited to, being named the University of Toledo’s ‘Outstanding Alumnus’ (2002), Northwest Ohio ‘Engineer of the Year’ (2018) and in 2025, was inducted into the UT Civil Engineering Hall of Fame.

He and his wife, Suzanne, have been married for 52 years and are the proud parents of two children, Lindsay and Stephen.

They have four grandchildren, twins Richard and Jeffry, and twins Rowan and Quinn and reside in Maumee.

05/02/2026

Meet President Bill Johnson, Contribution to Sports. He was one of several individuals being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this Spring. Youngstown State University Youngstown State Penguins

A gifted baseball player during his formative years, Bill Johnson, current Youngstown State University president, has been a vocal supporter of all men’s and women’s athletics programs, not just at YSU but throughout the state from his time as a player, throughout his political career and now and as the President of one of the state’s most visible universities.

Born November 10, 1954, he began his tenure as the 10th President of Youngstown State University in January of 2024.

He was born and raised on family farms where he learned early the values of hard work, honesty and sacrifice.

After graduating from high school in Columbus, MS, where his stepfather was stationed in the U.S. Air Force, he enlisted in the Air Force as an Airman Basic in 1973 and retired in 1999 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Troy University in Troy, Alabama in 1979 and earned his MA degree from Georgia Tech in 1984.

During his tenure in the U.S. Air Force, he was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Squadron Officers School, and Air Command and Staff College, and is a graduate of the Air War College and Armed Forces Staff College.

Our inductee is also a proud recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

During his career, he has held various senior leadership positions, including serving as program manager for several large scale, multi-million dollar information technology (IT) acquisition programs and commanding one of the Air Force's largest communications squadrons in the world at Elgin Air Force Base, Florida.

As Director of the Air Force’s Chief Information Officer Staff at U.S. Special Operations Command, Johnson worked directly with senior congressional and Secretary of Defense representatives, as well as top leaders within the various U.S. intelligence communities to ensure America’s Special Operations forces were adequately equipped to carry out critical national security missions.

Following his retirement from military service, Johnson turned to creating and building high technology businesses.

An experienced innovator and patent holder, he co-founded Johnson-Schley Management Group, Inc., an IT consulting company that doubled revenues in just three years under his leadership.

In 2003. he left Johnson-Schley to form J2 Business Solutions, Inc., where he focused on providing executive level IT support as a defense contractor to the U.S. military.

From 2006 through 2010, he served as Chief Information Officer of a global manufacturer of highly engineered electronic components for the transportation industry, which was headquartered in nearby Warren.

As a member of the executive leadership team, he managed a multi-million-dollar departmental budget and was recognized by industry leaders for his innovative application of virtual computing technologies to significantly lower operating costs and improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of his company's global information technology architecture.

In 2010, he was elected to his first term to represent the people of Ohio’s 6th U.S. Congressional District.

Once he took office, he immediately began providing his constituents world-class constituent services to break through the bureaucratic red tape of federal agencies; pushing back against burdensome federal regulations to create jobs in Eastern and Southeastern Ohio; improving services to our nation's heroes – our veterans; providing economic and academic growth opportunities and improving the quality of life for those he represents and to make our federal government more effective, efficient and accountable to the American people.

As Chairman of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs from 2011-2012, his hearings and investigations revealed many of the VA's systemic problems and scandals reported by the national media that left millions of veterans waiting in long lines to receive their hard-earned benefits and healthcare.

He led the way on legislation to construct much needed medical facilities for our veterans, to eliminate fraud and criminal activity in the VA's fiduciary program and has been a leading advocate for a single, integrated electronic health record for our veterans, an effort that would significantly reduce the confusion and complexity of handling veteran healthcare claims.

Our honoree led efforts to ensure that our children and grandchildren are blessed with the same opportunities of previous generations, leading the effort in the House of Representatives to defend the coal industry from federal overreach, to secure American energy independence and to re-shore and restore America’s vital supply chains and break independence on foreign actors for critical materials.

Approximately 30 bills authored by President Johnson were signed into law during his time serving in Congress.

In November of 2022, he was elected to a seventh term and was selected to chair the influential Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee where he worked to hold Executive Branch agencies accountable to the law and improve major energy, mining and construction project permitting in order to enhance America’s global leadership and create jobs here at home.

In addition to the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee, Johnson also served on the House Budget Committee, the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee during his time in Congress.

As president of Youngstown State University – he was named to the post on November 21, 2023 – he brings a wealth of leadership, business acumen and strategic visionary planning and ex*****on experience spanning impactful roles in various industry sectors to lead the anchor university serving a vast region in Northeast Ohio and far beyond.

His commitment to service, strategic vision and collaborative leadership aligns with the transformative needs of Youngstown State University while his support for the Penguins’ men’s and women’s athletics teams is unwavering.

President Johnson and his wife, LeeAnn, currently reside in Youngstown with son, Nathan, who is a graduate student at Youngstown State University.

He is also the proud parent of three grown children - Joshua, Julie and Jessica, and is a grandfather of six.

Address

Youngstown, OH

Telephone

+13303338550

Website

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