51. Nancy Kramer
Founder and CEO,
Resource Interactive (55)
The company expanded its R&D department and was a fixture on local Best
Place to Work lists, a long-standing trend
at the company.
52. Michael Morris
Chairman, president and CEO, AEP (57)
While keeping his position on numerous
boards this year, Morris was also elected
to two new boards: Battelle and Alcoa.
Morris’ experience will serve him well as
he serves on both of these boards.
53. Craig Marshall
Managing partner,
Ernst & Young, Columbus office (new)
Marshall made the short move up I-70
from the firm’s Dayton office to become
E&Y’s new leader last June. The firm has
grown by a third this decade, and Marshall
wants to continue that trend, so look to
see what he is able to accomplish.
54. Michael Petrecca
Managing partner, Columbus office,
PricewaterhouseCoopers (54)
Petrecca serves on many boards while still effectively serving as the managing partner of the company’s Columbus office.
55. Gene Smith
Director of athletics,
The Ohio State University (58)
There have been a few bumps in the road in national championship games, but the school’s athletic program is still one of that nation’s power-houses. Smith has a budget of more than $100 million, and his contract was extended through 2016.
56. Jane Grote Abell
President and COO,
Donatos Pizzeria (new)
The daughter of founder Jim Grote, Grote Abell is
the top dog at the pizza chain these days, and business is piping hot again. The company added about
10 restaurants this year and reinvigorated its image
with a new look.
57. David Meuse
Principal, Stonehenge Financial Holdings
(Stonehenge Partners) (51)
Meuse continues to be a steady hand at the company while also serving as nonexecutive chairman
of the board of the Diamond Hill Investment Group,
chairman of The Columbus Foundation and on several other boards.
58. Daniel Rosenthal
Executive director, NetJets Inc. (new)
Most years, NetJets keeps a fairly low local profile.
But it was hard to ignore it this year, as out-oftowners courted the company before it decided to
stay put. Rosenthal was the company’s voice as it
announced expanded local operations and made a
$12.5 million gift to charity.
59. Robert M. Eversole
Principal, Stonehenge Partners Inc. (52)
Eversole continues to serve the company while
also serving as a board member of Advanced
Drainage Systems, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Foundation, The Columbus Partnership, Greater
Columbus Chamber of Commerce and others.
60. Tami Longaberger
Chair and CEO,
The Longaberger Co. (45)
A longtime Central Ohio power player, Longaberger
had to cut 225 jobs in February, which dropped her
on our list.
61. Pat Dugan
Partner, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP (62)
Dugan continues to move up the list, after being
named to The Best Lawyers in America for the third
year in a row.
62. Phil Urban
President and CEO,
Grange Insurance (65)
Overseeing the insurance company’s expansion
into Pennsylvania in 2008 keeps Urban firmly on
the list.
63. Cheryl Krueger
President and CEO, Cheryl&Co. (63)
Krueger sold her company in 2005, but remains active in many civic organizations and sits on several
boards. She was also named to the Bowling Green
State University Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.
64. Dick Emens
Partner, Chester, Wilcox & Saxbe LLP; and executive director, Conway Family Business
Center of Ohio (64)
Emens continues his work in his roles at the law
firm and resource organization for family-owned
businesses.
65. Brian Ellis
President and COO,
Nationwide Realty Investors (67)
Under Ellis’ leadership, the company continues its
development of the Arena District and began demolition in August on the Grandview Heights project.
66. Bill Ingram
CEO, White Castle Systems Inc. (66)
Ingram and his company continue to have a strong
presence in the community. The company celebrated its 87th year in 2008 and now has 400 locations.
67. Dr. Wiley W. Souba Jr.
Dean, The Ohio State University
College of Medicine (69)
Under his leadership, more than 170 doctors have
earned mention on Best Doctors in America lists.
He is leading the college through a 15-year construction program that will develop new academic
centers.
68. Ted Ford
President and CEO, TechColumbus (68)
Ford is nearly halfway to his goal of 700-plus members by 2010. The organization also opened two
new offices in Dublin and New Albany and provided $1.2 million in funding for five start-up businesses.
69. Robert Schottenstein
Chairman, president and CEO,
M/I Homes Inc. (70)
Despite the housing slump, M/I continued to grow
by expanding to Chicago. It also received top honors in the J.D. Power satisfaction survey. Schottenstein was also named Builder 100 Executive of
the Year.
70. Elaine Roberts
President and CEO,
Port Columbus International Airport (61)
It was a tough year: Traffic was down during the
summer and the airport lost two of its major carriers, Skybus and JetBlue. But with the addition of
AirTran in November, Roberts is helping the airport
pick up steam again.
71. Michael Glimcher
Chairman and CEO,
Glimcher Realty Trust (73)
Glimcher posted a 3.3 percent increase in revenue
in 2007 and expects more via the acquisition of
several retail properties. Glimcher also serves on
several boards, including the United Way of Central
Ohio.
72. Sandy Harbrecht
President, Paul Werth Associates (74)
Harbrecht’s PR firm continues to get the word out
about its clients, most of it from a new office. In
2008, she added The Davey Tree Co. to her slate of
board seats.
73. Robert Trafford
Managing partner,
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP (77)
Trafford moves up this year after being named on
The Best Lawyers in America list. A go-to lawyer in
Ohio for commercial litigation, he chairs the
Columbus Symphony and is a director of the
chamber.
74. Joe Alutto
Executive vice president and provost, The Ohio
State University (79)
In his position for more than a year now, Alutto is
making administrative changes to the school’s arts
and science colleges. He was also tapped in 2008
to serve on the board of The Children’s Place and
the city’s economic advisory committee.
75. Frank Kass
Chairman,
Continental Real Estate Cos. (71)
The slumping real estate market and economy kept
Kass and his company from building up much momentum this year.
