Meet Our Board

Donald Chaplin has been the President of Grand River Rubber & Plastics, a 100% Employee Owned Company located in Ashtabula, since 2015. Prior, he held several key positions at the company including Senior Vice President and Director of Sales. Chaplin earned his Executive Masters in Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace in 2015. Chaplin has served the non-profit endeavors of the Ashtabula County area by volunteering with the United Way, American Heart Association (he was Chair of the Ashtabula Heart Walk in 2021),  Ashtabula Area College Committee, ARCMC Foundation Board and Ashtabula Regional Medical Center Board of Directors.

As Corporate Secretary and General Counsel for Molded Fiberglass Companies, Jeffrey brings a wealth of expertise in corporate governance, legal strategy, and compliance. In this dual role, Jeffrey oversees all legal matters for the company, providing counsel on regulatory compliance, risk management, and strategic initiatives. He also serves as a key advisor to the CDC board of directors, ensuring alignment with corporate policies and fostering sound decision-making practices. Jeffrey joined the CDC board in November 2023.

Denise DiDonato, MBA, CRHCP is Director of Operations and Clinical Services for University Hospitals
Conneaut and Geneva Medical Centers and has been with UH for over 11 years. Her scope of
responsibility expands through daily operations, strategy, physician alignment, and community health
initiatives at these hospitals and has facilitated the expansion of two cancer centers, telehealth, and
wound care services with over $14 million of additional capital improvement projects during her tenure.
In her previous role, Denise served as the Manager of Community Outreach/ Business Development,
overseeing the alignment of UH’s community health initiatives with Ashtabula County’s CHNA.

Denise’s Board volunteerism began in 2001 when her daughter was in pre-school. She has served on the
Executive Committee of multiple boards including Leadership Ashtabula County, Ohio Rural Health
Association, Conneaut Rotary Club, Buckeye Athletic Boosters and Ashtabula YMCA. She is currently
Chairman of the Board for the Greater Ashtabula County Chamber of Commerce and a new member of
the Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County Board. She is an inaugural member (2018) of the Community
Host Group for the Remote Area Medical clinic.

Denise received her bachelor’s degree from The University of Akron in 1992 and master’s in business
administration from The University of St. Mary in 2018. She is a lifelong resident of Ashtabula County,
married to her high school sweetheart, Jim DiDonato, Plant Manager at Molded Fiber Glass. Her children
both graduated from Edgewood High School; her daughter is married and will graduate from medical
school this May and begin her Internal Medicine Residency at Ohio Health Riverside in Columbus and
her son Matthew, is a Senior Accountant at the Spire in Geneva and engaged to be married in 2027.

Brian is co-owner of Brant’s Apple Orchard with his wife Jennifer.  He graduated from the University of Toledo in 1998 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and moved back to the area after completing school.  He has worked in various engineering and management roles at Millennium / Cristal from 2002 – 2018 and retired from Cristal in 2018 to manage the orchard full time.

He was elected to Jefferson Village Council in 2009 and continues to serve the Village of Jefferson; Brian was elected Jefferson Mayor in December 2021.   In addition, he serves on the OSU Extension Advisory Committee and was a 2009 graduate of LEADERship Ashtabula.

Brian joined the CDC board in 2016 and served as Chair of Campaign 2020- Shared Vision: A Community Blueprint. He resides in Jefferson with his wife Jennifer, and two children Nicholas and Joshua.

Stanley Glasky is Vice President of JCI Contractors, a commercial/industrial general contractor headquartered in Ashtabula.

He has over 20 years experience in the construction industry and has held a number of different positions in management as well as in the field. Along with helping complete construction projects in the area and  throughout Northeast Ohio, Stanley is a member at Renew Partners, a real estate development group that is making an impact to improve Ashtabula County and its surrounding areas.

Glasky graduated from the signature class of LEADERship Ashtabula County in 2018. As well as spending time with his family, he enjoys coaching soccer and playing guitar. Stanley resides in Austinburg with his wife Sarah, and two daughters Bernadette and Rosalind.

Cheryl Hellmer is currently employed with Grand River Rubber in Ashtabula, OH as an Accounts Payable Specialist. She has been with GRRP for over 17 years beginning as an Assistant Payroll Clerk. Over the years she has organized and administrated the employee campaign and community involvement for Grand River Rubber with American Heart Association, Civic Development Corporation and United Way of Ashtabula County.  In the spring of 2017, she was appointed Secretary for the CDC.

Dr. Herpen has been on the board of the Civic Development Corporation since 1998 and is currently the President. She also served not only as Vice President, but as the Chairperson of the 2005 CDC Campaign.

Dr. Herpen is a practicing Podiatrist (specialist in medicine and surgery of the foot and ankle.) Dr.Herpen has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree for West Chester University and a Doctor ofPodiatric Medicine for Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine formerly Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine. She completed a two-year residency in medicine and surgery at MillcreekCommunity Hospital in Erie, PA in 1995 and is Board Certified in the American Board Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Herpen is an associate at Dr. John E DeCato, DPM, Inc. with offices in Ashtabula and Conneaut.

Dr. Herpen is married to Dr. John E. DeCato and currently resides in Saybrook with their three daughters, Reilly, Natale, and Giana.

Since relocating to Ashtabula, Dr. Herpen has been involved with the following organizations: Ashtabula Arts Center – former board member; Ashtabula Rotary Club – Past President and former member;Community Counseling Center – former board member; Ashtabula Area City Schools – PTO Past President for Lakeside Intermediate and Superior Intermediate; St. John School – current board member, Our Lady of Peace Church; Zonta International; Remote Area Medical RAM Co-Chair 2018 and 2019.

An Ashtabula County resident for over 25 years, Jim Janson currently resides in Geauga County with his wife Laura and 3 children but maintains a close relationship with Ashtabula County.  He began working the title insurance industry in 1992 and has held a variety of positions at both local agencies and a major underwriter.  Since 2005 he has been President of Chicago Title Agency of Northeast Ohio, and is a founding partner of Venture Land Title Agency, both of which are located in Jefferson.  He is also a partner in various other Northeast Ohio title insurance agencies, real estate investment groups and other ventures, as well as a member of the Ashtabula County, Lake Geauga, and Warren Area Boards of Realtors.  He is currently a Trustee of the Metzenbaum Foundation, an organization that provides grants to individuals with developmental disabilities and the entities or people that assist them.  He is a past member of the Henderson Memorial Public Library Board of Trustees.  Jim graduated from Tiffin University with a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Management.

Ken Kister is an Ashtabula-area businessman and real estate professional who has been involved in commercial property management and development in Northeast Ohio. He has been associated with Ashtabula Towne Square and other local business ventures, and has served on the Board of Directors for Civic Development Corporation of Ashtabula County through several of their campaigns.

Tim Leehan is the Manager and Partner at Venture Land Title Agency LLC in Jefferson, OH and a partner at Lawyer’s Title Agency of Chardon, OH.  Mr. Leehan is also an avid real estate investor, jogger, and father to his two children (Emma and Jack).  He serves the community on several area Board of Directors, including the Ashtabula County Board of Realtors, Lift Bridge Community Association, and the Paul A. Demshar Foundation and Scholarship Fund. Tim started as a Board Member for CDC in 2016 and became vice president in 2024.

Diana joined CDC in December 2021. She earned her CPA licensure in 1991 and has been working in the accounting field since 1989. Diana’s market niche is providing controller services, payroll services, tax and accounting services for small nonprofit organizations, veteran and fraternal organizations with some small business accounting included. She also taught accounting at Kent State University at Ashtabula for 15 years; she also taught in the KSU outreach program at the Lake Erie Correctional Institute. Diana thoroughly enjoyed working with the accounting students and developing new ways to teach including a general ledger game that helped the students prepare financials.

Her most delightful privilege was to care for her two sons. Diana made it a priority to share with her children that there was always some charity fundraiser that needed volunteer time. That life lesson has carried into their adult lives.

In Diana’s spare time she enjoys family time as well as getting involved in many projects.

Amanda Tirotta became executive director of Civic Development Corporation in October 2016 following a career in banking. She is a 2001 graduate of Kent State University with her Bachelor of Business Administration. She graduated from the signature class of LEADERship Ashtabula County in 2018.

Tirotta is responsible for administrative and day-to-day oversight for the organization, and manages grantee, donor and public relations as well as organize and execute CDC’s capital campaigns.

As well as representing CDC in the community, Amanda has served on several committees throughout the county including the YMCA capital task force and St. John School advancement group. She currently serves on the Ashtabula  Area College Committee. Tirotta also serves on the Ashtabula Area College Committee and is a board member of the Ashtabula County Visitor’s Bureau as well.

She lives in Saybrook Township with her husband, Jason, and children Delaney and Liam. She enjoys spending time reading and playing with her children and gardening.