PBS Western Reserve

Derrick wears many hats in the Youngstown community. He is the founder of the Youngstown Flea, community engagement, and inclusion coordinator for the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, assistant director of the Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past, Thought Leader, and general lover of Youngstown.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, with some Alabama roots, Derrick has successfully navigated the inner cities and corporate America. Derrick la...

Sharon Letson was hired as the first Executive Director of Youngstown Cityscape in 2005. Youngstown Cityscape is a non-profit community development organization dedicated to revitalizing and beautifying the greater downtown Youngstown area. The mission is strengthening Youngstown’s revitalized urban core that connects downtown, the YSU campus, and adjacent neighborhoods and gateways through strategic partnerships.

Under Sharon’s ...

Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki is the Co-Owner of Penguin City Brewing Company. She is the founder of Penguin City, the content creator and manager, and works in sales & distribution and taproom.

Penguin City Brewing Company was created in 2017 with her husband and head brewer, Richard Bernacki, in 2017. They released Penguin City Beer, their flagship, in August 2018 and quickly learned the ins and outs of distribution.

it was the fast...

Samantha Turner is a Youngstown City Councilperson serving Youngstown’s 3rd Ward. Born in Youngstown, Ohio she has been dedicated to public service as she begins her second term as councilwoman. She serves on the public health, public utilities, parking, and zoning committees.

Miss Turner is a University of Florida graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising with a concentration in Business Administration.

In the community, ...

The City of Youngstown is considered a home to many, including the local band, The Vindys. The sound of The Vindys can be attributed to vocalist, singer-songwriter, and guitarist Jackie Popovec, accompanied by guitarists John Anthony and Rick Deak.

At age 14, Popovec fell in love with music with the help of her father, who pushed her to pursue music professionally. From then on, she started writing songs and performing at local ven...

Mike Beder, a New England native, and his family moved around Massachusetts before moving to Ohio because of his father's work in the medical equipment industry. His family eventually moved to Ohio and settled in Westlake. Beder graduated from high school in Westlake, where his parents still reside.

Beder attended Kent State University. He participated in student government activities including student body president his senior yea...

Candace Curtis, Executive Director of the Ben Curtis Family Foundation (BCFF) is dedicated to community empowerment and family support. Both she and her husband Ben, accomplished golfers on Kent State's men's and women's teams, back during their university years. Their life took them across the globe as Ben competed on the PGA Tour, with Candace adeptly managing their life on the road and supporting Ben's career with unwavering dev...

Taking a summer job as a teenager at a restoration company is how Steve Coon started in this industry. It helped him discover his passion for restoring buildings.

Today, Steve is the Founder and President of Coon Restoration & Sealants. In 1983, a few years after marrying his wife Jenny, they formed Coon Caulking and Sealants.

The first 10 employees hired by Steve and Jenny remain with the company today, which has flourished ...

Kyle L. Stone has deep roots in the Stark County community. He is a Canton native and a 2001 Canton McKinley Senior High School graduate. He obtained a BA in Law & Liberal Arts from The University of Findlay and, shortly thereafter, obtained a Masters in Public Administration from The University of Akron.

He is also an ordained pastor and holds a Master's degree in Ministry from Temple Baptist Seminary. Stone was elected as S...

John Hampu is from Alliance, Ohio. He graduated from Alliance High School and played in The Nationally Known Alliance High School Marching Band and in the State Champion “Battle of The Bands” group The Far End, which finished 5th nationally in 1967! John has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Union College and a Master of Education degree from Kent State University.

John worked for the Alliance City Schools for over 37 years as ...

A city and community is made of its people. There are many that cherish their city from childhood experiences to things the city has to offer. How many actually cherishes the city's history? How many attempt to revitalize their city by maintaining its history? Meet Ed Albert, owner of Pocket Change Thrift & Antiques.

Take a listen to this interview with Ed Albert and learn about revitalization of a city through its history.

Raymont is a motivational teacher and speaker with an extensive leadership, management, and educational background. He has spent over 40 years in corporate management and is a retired veteran of the United States Air Force.

After retirement from the Air Force, Raymont spent seven years as a JROTC Instructor in Maryland. Raymont is the president and founder of Family Empowerment Ministries Inc (FEMI), and senior pastor of the Spiri...

Joe Mazzola is a development and planning professional deeply versed in nonprofit, for-profit, and public environments.

Joe Mazzola has served as the Community Development Director with the City of East Cleveland, where he was responsible for nearly $10 million in federal entitlement funds in conjunction with the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and others.

He has been a special p...

The City Centric podcast: An interview with Akron’s Tony Troppe

Tony is an Akron entrepreneur and preservationist. A student of the classics and architecture, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the College of Wooster.

Land planning, place building, and managing real estate development projects have been his primary focus for over 3 decades.

Tony has rehabilitated more the 300,00 square feet of Akron’s historic...

The City Centric podcast kicks off with our City Centric host, Sthephanie Marie.

Sthephanie Marie was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2018, she graduated from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH, with a bachelor’s in communications complemented by her minor in theater.

In 2004, her grandmother, Maria, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Sthephanie saw how much this disease affected Maria and decided she would help raise aw...

The City Centric podcast: An interview with Akron’s Bronlynn Thurman

Bronlynn Thurman is a creative and nonprofit professional in the Akron area. In her role at GAR Foundation, she focuses on equitable community development and arts in education.

In 2021, Bronlynn co-founded Black Women Explore, a Northeast Ohio outdoor recreation group for Black, Brown, Asian, and other women and fem-identifying folks of color.

An Akron Native, Br...

The City Centric podcast: An interview with Akron's Jenn Kidd

Jenn Kidd is a highly accomplished arts advocate and Executive Director of The Nightlight, Akron's nonprofit Arthouse Cinema.

With her exceptional eye for artistic expression and unwavering dedication to fostering cultural growth, she leads the forward vision for one of Akron's most exciting and influential cultural institutions.

Jenn is actively leading an ambitious Ca...

Best Practices in Closing the Pandemic Learning Gap Podcast Series

PBS Western Reserve in collaboration with the Broadcast Educational Media Commission and the Ohio Department of Education is producing a series of webinars and audio podcasts that focus on the subject of “Best Practices in Closing the Pandemic Learning Gap in Ohio’s Schools.”