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Jay helps businesses discover exciting growth opportunities in the Cleveland Plus region. He works with corporate clients and site consultants and helps them navigate through the regional economic development framework, connecting them with state and local resources and emerging technologies.

Prior to joining Team NEO, Jay was Vice President, Business Development for The Lake West Group LLC, a management consulting firm. Jay also served in a variety of key leadership positions with Procter & Gamble during a lengthy and distinguished career where he was responsible for a variety of business building initiatives that have been emulated throughout the consumer products industry.

Jay has an impressive record of leadership in enabling successful civic advocacy organizations, private and public campaigns, and assessments to support community sustainability. He currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Three Arches Foundation and is a founder of LakewoodAlive, a local community development corporation. He also serves on the Ohio Aerospace & Aviation Advisory Council. In 2015, Jay was named one of America’s Top 50 Economic Development Professionals by Consultant Connect.

As Vice President for Investor Relations, Dawn is focused on leading Team NEO’s relationship-oriented efforts to elevate support from the business community.

Previously she was chief strategy officer at One Advocate Group in San Antonio. Her most recent posts in Northeast Ohio were vice president of Marketing at The Adcom Group and vice president of Business Development, Sales and Marketing at Goldfarb Weber Creative Studios.

She is a past honoree of Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40 and has earned a variety of awards, including the SME Cleveland Distinguished Marketing & Sales Award and SME-International Akron Distinguished Marketing & Sales Award.

Southard earned an MBA at Western Michigan University and a BBA at Davenport University.

Renee leads Team NEO’s engagement strategy to grow and strengthen a more inclusive coordinated regional economic development network. She utilizes her experience as a 24-year business development and sales expert as she collaborates with elected officials, community agencies, municipalities, nonprofits and small to large for-profit organizations. 

Prior to joining Team NEO, Renee was the Regional Director for the Minority Business Assistance Center at the Urban of Greater Cleveland, a program of the Ohio Development Services Agency, where she led a team of professional business advisors in the development of minority, women, disabled, and veteran owned businesses across eight counties in the state of Ohio. Prior to this she served as the Assistant Director of Diversity & Corporate Relations at Case Western Reserve University. 

The cornerstone of Renee’s career started in the financial services industry where she was Vice President, Relationship Manager at JP Morgan Chase Bank.  During her 8-year career with JP Morgan Chase, she managed the financial portfolios for commercial sector nonprofit and municipal clients.   

Her notable and numerous boards of director appointments have included, COMPACT, UNCF of Orlando, and the Citrus Club’s Women’s Executive Exchange.  She is currently a member and class officer for Leadership Cleveland Class of 2020.  

Renee holds a B.A. in Communications from John Carroll University and a M.S in Human Resources Management from Nova Southeastern University.