Oregon Economic Development Foundation

There’s something special about spending the day surrounded by generations of people who have all played a role in shaping a community.

Today wasn’t just a company anniversary celebration — it was a reminder of how deeply Toledo Refining Company and PBF Energy are woven into the story of Northwest Ohio. From longtime retirees sharing memories, to current leadership talking about the future, to community partners reconnecting across industries — the day was full of pride, history, and momentum.

One of my favorite parts was seeing leaders from all corners of this region together in one space simply celebrating each other and the impact this community continues to make.

Congratulations on 15 years with PBF Energy and thank you for continuing to invest in Oregon and Northwest Ohio. 👏

🎟️ SUPPORT LOCAL VETERANS & FAMILIES + WIN SOME INCREDIBLE PRIZES 🎟️

The OEDF America 250 Summer Mixer raffle is officially LIVE — and this year’s prizes are honestly amazing. 👏

Just a few featured experiences include:

✈️ Two roundtrip Allegiant airline tickets out of Toledo Express Airport
🎣 A 7-hour Reel Therapy Sportfishing charter on Lake Erie
🏨 An overnight stay at Hilton Garden Inn Toledo Downtown
🧘 A private group yoga class at Toledo Mindfulness Institute
🏀 A Glass City Wranglers content + courtside ticket experience valued around $2,000
⚓ PLUS complimentary admission passes to the National Museum of the Great Lakes with every raffle ticket purchase

And the best part — every ticket purchased helps support local veterans and families throughout Northwest Ohio through the OEDF America 250 Summer Mixer initiative. 🇺🇸

Huge thank you to all of our community partners, sponsors, and businesses donating experiences and helping make this event something special for the region.

Scroll through the photos to check out all the raffle prizes and enter to win here: https://connect.intuit.com/t/scs-v1-f065f53680184add880399f3bdc81d18827bfcc045d54d199ef70bcb5cd7ffd5ba2c5dee15a3453b9691365fcf8447c7?locale=EN_US&cta=saveandcopylink&utm_source=chatgpt&fbclid=IwdGRjcASH8tJleHRuA2FlbQExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6J4PaG8kSx8VjAuk95Kd_jNMeT1ANY-hhCKAhZm6BLV-R5JDIPSs2hya8McA_aem_O3DLuTUBZvx4U_TAguca5Q

Still reflecting on yesterday’s OEDF 2026 Annual Meeting and feeling incredibly grateful for the people and organizations that continue showing up for this community.

A huge thank you to Industrial Power Systems for hosting and to our sponsors — Toledo Refining Company, Cenovus Energy, Jeffers Crane Service, Inc., Mannik & Smith Group, and Danny’s Café in Rossford — for helping make the day such a success.

Thank you as well to our Energy Panel speakers:
Scott Hayes, Hans Rosebrock, Heidi Hurst, Tom Susor, and Tommy Young for sharing your insight and perspective on the future of energy, infrastructure, and growth across Northwest Ohio.

We were also grateful to hear from Brody Walters, the City of Oregon’s new City Administrator, Jeff Straka, incoming Superintendent of Oregon City Schools, and Scott Sands from Auditor Keith Faber’s office. Having leaders from government, education, and regional organizations all part of the conversation is exactly what strengthens communities long-term.

Danny’s put together an amazing spread for the networking reception, and The Chocolate Cart added such thoughtful touches that made the evening feel even more special.

And to Lindsey, Nate, Ian, and Kyla at IPS — thank you for every detail, every conversation, and the care you put into making this event happen. Your support, professionalism, and belief in this organization never go unnoticed, and I’m forever grateful for all of you.

At a time where division can feel like the easier path, yesterday was a reminder that there are still people willing to sit at the same table, have real conversations, support each other’s work, and keep building anyway.

That’s what stood out most to me.

Not the stage.
Not the presentations.
Not the attendance numbers.

It was the feeling in the room.

A room full of people from different industries, backgrounds, organizations, and perspectives — all choosing to invest their time, energy, ideas, and belief into something bigger than themselves.

And honestly, communities do not move forward without that.