Staff report

CANFIELD – The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce honored four people Thursday at its Annual Meeting held at Waypoint 4180.

They influenced audiences, co-workers, companies, agencies and education. Following is a recap of those saluted.

Dan Rivers

Spirit of the Valley Award

“The Voice of the Valley,” the northwest Ohio native is the retired longtime host of “The Dan Rivers Show” on News Radio 570 WKBN.

He spent two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Naval Seabees constructing bridges and housing. Upon returning home, Rivers followed his dream of broadcasting.

After graduating from Youngstown State University in 1981, he joined WKBN, where he remained until stepping away in November.

Here are some highlights of his speech.

“I never thought I had the ability to be a talk show host because I was always the program manager of an icon named Dan Ryan. As I started to do the programming after he passed on, I realized what I didn’t know.

“I could not have done it without my wife Cheryl Sturbi, who was my partner each night as I prepared the show.

“Thanks to my predecessor Dan Ryan, who pioneered the art form in the market.”

Shelley Murray

Spirit of the Chamber Award

An educator whose career path steered into nonprofit work, Murray is chief executive of Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries.

The lifelong Valley resident and Youngstown State University graduate worked for more than 20 years in education in leadership roles, including principal, vice president and head of schools at Valley Christian Schools. She came to Goodwill Industries in October 2023 as interim CEO and was asked to stay permanently.

Murray taught adult GED classes at a community corrections facility in Youngstown and served two terms on the Youngstown City School District board of education.

Here are a few of her comments at Thursday’s ceremony.

“We are more than a store. If you drop off any donated items, we put those out on the sales floor and that creates jobs within our stores. Someone’s collecting those items; someone’s sorting those items. Pricing them.

“Everything about Goodwill is based on serving underserved, marginalized communities. Giving a voice to those that don’t have a voice.”

Wally King

Valley Champion Award

A military hero and an example of the “Greatest Generation,” the Cortland native is co-founder of HBK CPAs and Consultants.

“He fought in World War II, and came home and built the country postwar,” said Jim Dascenzo, CPA, who is HBK’s principal, national director, marketing solutions.

“He reenrolled at what was then Youngstown College and taking accounting classes. … He found out about a program that was offered to veterans, sort of on-the-job training.

Under his direction, HBK has grown into a business consulting and accounting firm with 17 offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Delhi, India.

“Wally and his generation have helped build HBK into what it is today,” Dascenzo said. “We are now one of the top 50 accounting firms in the country.”

A World War II combat pilot, King flew 74 missions before he was shot down over Germany and captured. He spent his final weeks of the war injured and in captivity before he was reunited with Allied forces.

Retiring in 1983, King will mark his 102nd birthday in October. HBK is celebrating 75 years of service.

Gary Wagner

Valley Champion Award

Growing up on Warren’s west side, Wagner is a professor of Economics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, while serving as editor-in-chief of the Public Finance Review. He served as vice president and senior regional officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland from 2016 through 2018.

He is a YSU graduate, where professors noticed his aptitude in economics and fostered his growth.

“Gary has made significant contributions to the field,” said Mike McGiffin, vice president of engagement and investor relations for Lake to River Ohio. “He has been sought after numerous times by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and CNN for his opinions.”