Ty Graham and John Yenges, 52, who also has military experience, are running for the first time while incumbents Richard “Skip” Liston and Dan Dattilio are hoping to retain their seats in the Nov. 7 election.

There are three seats available.

Graham said he believes the current council and past councils have done a great job, but that he feels a younger perspective is beneficial for all government levels.

“As a young resident who is firmly planted in the community, I have a vested interest in seeing that trend continue. I believe in order to see that goal through, my generation needs to step into leadership roles now to help ensure the long-term success of our community. To that end, my candidacy is motivated by what I see as the need for a movement towards younger representatives in government at all levels and the desire to continue in the conservative traditions that have shaped small towns and cities across Ohio for generations,” Graham said.

Graham

Graham lives on Manor Drive and is not running as a “change candidate” as he feels the current council is doing an “exemplary job,” he said, but he does believe he brings a unique opportunity by bringing a different perspective to the table.

His work history includes six years as a member of the Ohio Army National Guard with one tour to the Middle East in 2017; five years as a social studies educator at Salem High School, and three years as a track and field and football coach for Salem schools.

He is a 2012 graduate of Crestview High School and holds an associate’s degree in political science, a bachelor’s degree in education and a masters degree in history all from the Youngstown State University.

He is a member of Abundant Life Fellowship in New Waterford and is married to Allison.

This is his first time running for political office.

Dattilio

Graham said his qualifications include six years of military experience demonstrating commitment to service above self, graduating with Honors during a master’s program in liberal arts demonstrating creative and critical thinking abilities, and experience teaching government and politics at the highest level in secondary education demonstrating deep knowledge of fundamental governmental principles and mechanisms.

He said voters should consider him because his generation is the “future of Columbiana” and that if the town is going to continue to thrive it will be in the “hands of millennials who choose to stay here and plant roots or move here from the surrounding area.”

Furthermore, he pointed out that he would be the only elected member of city council living on the west side of Main Street.

“Since Columbiana’s city council are not elected to represent specific wards, there has been a trend of our government officials largely coming from the same developments and parts of the city. I think it is important to have voices from all the corners of Columbiana representing us on the city council,” Graham said.

New candidate John Yenges, of Canterbury Court, also has military experience, with four years of active duty in the Marines as an engineer before being honorably discharged.

He is a Lisbon David Anderson graduate and attended the Youngstown State University where he studied business.

His work history includes serving as project executive in the commercial development and construction industries.

“Since being honorably discharged, my professional career consists of building and developing over 5 million square feet of commercial projects, totaling over $400 million, in over 31 states, Canada, Trinidad, and Antigua, spanning over 25 years. I have been in senior executive positions with developers and contractors alike and I have dealt with multiple government agencies across the country with proven results. This is the experience I will tap into to help guide and grow Columbiana in the controlled and sustained growth plan,” Yenges said.

He currently serves on the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals and served as the zoning officer for the Village of Lisbon in 2012.

If elected he said he wants to use his experience to help Columbiana continue to grow in a steady and sustainable manner.

He also said he will support local businesses and help drive economic growth to the downtown area.

“I will work with city leaders to provide our police, fire, and EMS with the resources they need to protect and serve Columbiana. I will work with (police) Chief Bill Myers as his department navigates growth and keeping our schools safe,” he said.

He is currently serving his third year as president of Columbiana Youth Baseball, third year as member of the Homeowners Association Steering Committee at Firestone Farms and is a member of the Negley Methodist Church.

He is married to Shalynn and has three sons, Noah, Finn, and Hudson, and daughter, Piper.

He would like the public to know that he has conservative values and will listen to every citizen, ask the right questions, and make informed decisions.

” I treat everyone with respect, and I genuinely care about the well-being of every citizen that makes up our city and the city itself. I am a husband, a dad, a son, a neighbor. I’m part of this community and I will be in the trenches and serve Columbiana with integrity and dedication. You will usually see me with my sleeves rolled up, my work boots on, and I will go the extra mile to honor those that came before me in continuing to keep Columbiana the Nicest Place In America,” Yenges said.

Incumbents Richard “Skip” Liston and Dan Dattilio are also running for re-election.

Liston, 77, of Radcliffe Pass, has served two full terms on council.

“Over the past eight years so many great accomplishments have been made in and for our great city including improving the lives of our citizens,” Liston said. “I have the experience, desire and drive to continue to work for our city. If the voters are happy with the city they should keep the council members in place.”

Liston outlined some of the city’s accomplishments as the improvement of the Columbiana Corridor (which is currently under way), improvements to the city streets and storm water problems, and being selected as “Nicest City in America” by Reader’s Digest in 2019.

Liston feels he is qualified to continue serving since he has been in management positions for most of his adult life and that those positions included budget and schedule responsibilities and serving in a leadership role to others involved in the program.

He is currently retired but his past work history includes being a program manager of multi-million-dollar contracts for both government and commercial customers.

He also worked independently with a government agency on several different satellite programs and served as vice president/general manager of a communications division for a publicly traded company.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. and has leadership certifications from the United States Air Force.

He has served on the Columbiana Restoration and Beautification committee, Community Reinvestment Area negotiating committee, progress committee, city insurance committee, and as a volunteer for the Joy of Christmas annual event.

“Columbiana is a vibrant, well positioned city that is exciting and fun to be associated with. The city manager and council continue to upgrade our city and have even bigger plans still to be implemented,” Liston said. “I want to continue making improvements to our city and making life better for our citizens.”

He and his wife have two grown children and four grandchildren.

incumbent Dan Dattilio, 55, of Pueblo Lane, is currently fulfilling his first term on council and said he is seeking re-election to continue to serve the residents of Columbiana.

“Our city is doing great, and I want to remain part of the team that keeps it that way,” he said.

During the last four years Dattilio said he has helped guide the city through the pandemic, helped in the development of the joint Commercial Building Department with the city of Salem, and improved accessibility and frequency of city information with the residents.

His work history includes being a computer hardware and software project manager for 20 years and a software and marketing program manger for three years.

He is a Leetonia High School graduate and completed his post-secondary education at Fullerton Community College and California State in Long Beach.

“For four years, I have been honored to serve the residents of Columbiana. I believe that I have been nothing but a positive influence in the operations of the city and the workings of our council,” he said.

During that time he has served on the city’s technology and communication committee–which was responsible for the interactive live-streaming of city meetings– the Community Reinvestment Area negotiating committee, and the committee that identified how pandemic relief money would be spent.

His community service involvement includes serving as committee member for Boy Scout Troop 22 and the Columbiana Music Boosters.

He and his wife have been married for 21 years and have three children.