Pickerington’s new Economic Development Director is championing the City as the place for businesses to make their mark in central Ohio.
Liberty Schindel took the helm as Pickerington’s point person for positioning the City on April 5 after Joe Henderson accepted a similar job with the City of Upper Arlington.
Schindel, a native of the Cleveland area, knows business.
Prior to accepting the Pickerington position, she served for three years as the Economic Development Specialist for the city of Independence.
Her primary role was to “administer the business retention and expansion program,” she said. She also assisted the Independence mayor’s office with special projects and managed the city’s website and her department’s social media.
Schindel brings a wealth of knowledge of government and experience with constituents to the Pickerington job.
For three years, she served as the District Outreach Representative for U.S. Rep. Steven LaTourette and, later, U.S. Rep. David Joyce.
“The work included representing the members in a seven-county district and responding to correspondence and case work inquiries from constituents and businesses, presenting to local groups and stakeholders, and serving as the liaison with federal, state and local agencies for the member’s constituents,” Schindel said.
Schindel graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s degree in political science and obtained her master’s in public administration with a concentration in city management from Cleveland State University.
Pickerington City Manager Bill Vance said Schindel was “by far the most qualified applicant” for the job.
“As Pickerington’s City Manager, I felt professionally blessed to have been in the position to hire Ms. Schindel and make her professional talents, experiences and local government supporting state and federal connections available to our community and our region,” Vance said.
Schindel said everyone she has met has been very warm and welcoming as she learns the region and everything it has to offer in an effort to promote Pickerington, retain existing businesses and attract new ones.
“Central Ohio is a thriving market,” she said. “The prospect for future economic development in the City of Pickerington is bright, as demonstrated by the number of inquiries the City receives and the projects that are underway.”
