Movers & Shakers

Former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Grady L. Pettigrew Jr. has joined the law firm of Cox & Stein Co. LPA as a shareholder and principal. The firm has changed its name to Cox, Stein & Pettigrew Co. LPA. Prior to joining the firm, Pettigrew was an equity partner in the Columbus office of Arter & Hadden for 12 years. Earlier in his career, he served as a judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio, was a member of the bankruptcy faculty at the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C., and worked as an adjunct professor at the Law School of Capital University and The Ohio State University College of Law.

New officers for the Columbus Chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives include Dan Pealer, chairman; John Boyers, vice-chairman; Barry Turner, secretary; and Lowell Masten, treasurer.

George W. Smith, vice chairman of the board for HER Inc., Realtors, has been elected as the year 2000 president of the Ohio Association of Realtors. Smith was president of the Columbus Board of Realtors in 1993. Currently he serves as a director of the National Association of Realtors.

Columbus Countywide Development Corp. has honored Leslie Weilbacher, director of the Central Ohio Small Business Development Center, as the Economic Development Professional of the Year. Columbus Countywide also recognized six Central Ohio lenders for their contribution to small business job creation and community development in 1999. The Lenders of the Year include Scott Green, Fifth Third Bank; Robert Halley, Heartland Bank; Ryan Henson, Key Bank; Dave Entsminger, Firstar Bank; Laura Frum, The Huntington National Bank; and Roger File, Champaign Bank.

Thomas C. Sawyer, co-founder and president of Opinion Strategies, has received the Ralph Davenport Mershon award from The Ohio State University Alumni Association Inc. for demonstrating exceptional leadership and service to the university. Sawyer has served three terms on the President’s Alumni Council and was elected to the alumni association’s board of directors, also serving as its chair. He also was president of the Ohio State Student Loan Foundation and served on the campaign committee for the Longaberger Alumni House.

Dennis Dowdell Jr. has joined The Longaberger Co. as vice president of human resources. Dowdell joins the company after nine years as corporate vice president of human resources with Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.