April has come, and spring alongside it! As the Toledo Region continues to defrost, we also prepare for some of our favorite events of the year, not just here at the Toledo Chamber but throughout the region. Whether you're a baseball fan ready for the Toledo Mud Hens' opening day, gearing up for our Annual Meeting presented by Fifth Third Bank in just a month or preparing to meet our legislators during our Capitol Conversations in Columbus event after that, we look forward to seeing you around our region and state. Before we discuss what we have planned for the coming weeks, however, let's take a look back at our newest members who joined the Chamber in March 2022!

The Toledo Region business community is rife with varied and unique talent, and we're proud to serve such an accomplished and dedicated community of leaders. During our last week of Women's History Month, we're featuring Erin Curley, CEO and architect at Engage Studio Architects. Check out this Q&A with Curley to learn how she founded her business, what she loves about being a business leader in Toledo and more!

In all stages of your life, you can do business here in the Toledo Region. As Women's History Month continues, get to know a little more about Megan M. Coyle of Coyle Funeral Home and Cremation Services! In any industry, finding businesses and business leaders who align with who you are and what you believe in is of vital importance, and that is especially true when selecting a funeral home or cremation service for a loved one. Learn what makes Megan tick in this blog in celebration of Women's History Month!

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce congratulates the 32 individuals who recently completed their public service leadership training as part of the 2022 Institute for Leadership & Advocacy, the longest-running program of its kind in the state. Graduates were recognized for their accomplishment at a ceremony on March 21 at Glass City Metropark featuring an address by The Honorable Myron Duhart, Presiding Judge for the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals. The graduates are among the more than 460 leaders to date that have completed this course.

Toledo City Council is expected to review at its meeting on Tuesday, March 22, a proposal that would repeal requiring a Special Use Permit (SUP) in order to operate a convenience store as well as the prohibition on placing a convenience store within 2,000 feet of an existing location. The proposal is aimed at avoiding over-regulation of these stores following City Council adopting licensing requirements that are effective May 1.

​At a public hearing at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23, Toledo City Council will review comprehensive updates to the city sign code which include banning placement of new billboards. The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce opposes this proposed prohibition due to the negative impact it would have on our businesses and Toledo’s economy.

As we enter the final full week in March 2022, we are excited to continue to celebrate Women's History Month and the incredible woman business leaders throughout our region. Here in Toledo, we have a strong history that would look very different without our woman-owned businesses and the example they set here in northwest Ohio. Today, we are highlighting Veronica Casper, CEO of A Step Beyond, a business that provides mental health therapy services to our region. Please enjoy!

Here in the Toledo Region, family businesses are a cornerstone of our community, and Designetics is one such business. Designetics, a fluid application systems and solutions company, was founded here in northwest Ohio 35 years ago, and it's still family-owned and -operated. Our celebration of Women's History Month continues with a Q&A with Sydney Spraw, president of Designetics! Read about what Women's History Month means to Sydney, what she loves most about her job and how she got to where she is now. Enjoy!

​​​​​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

At its session at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8, Toledo City Council will review proposed funding for programs under the City’s Vibrancy Initiative to assist renovating business properties in low to moderate income locations, and the replacement of private lead water lines. Most of the proposed funding falls under Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz’s spending framework for Toledo’s allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars that was previously approved by City Council.