Clevelander Dawn Southard appointed to newly created role
CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 14, 2019 – Team NEO has hired Dawn Southard as Vice President, Investor Relations — a new role for the business development organization. Southard, who built a 15-year reputation in Cleveland and spent the last four years in San Antonio, Texas has returned to Northeast Ohio to lead Team NEO’s relationship-oriented efforts to elevate support from the business community. As a member of the senior management team, she will also contribute to developing and implementing strategies to advance the economy of the 18-county region.
Most recently chief strategy officer at One Advocate Group in San Antonio, Southard brings more than two decades of business development, marketing and leadership experience to Team NEO, along with a genuine passion for helping Northeast Ohio communities and companies thrive. Her civic involvement in the region has been pivotal to a variety of initiatives as she served in positions including president of Sales and Marketing Executives (SME) Cleveland and SME Cleveland Education Foundation, vice chair of the Broadview Heights City Planning Commission, board member of the Julie Billiart School, member of the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) ambassador committee and the United Way of Greater Cleveland marketing committee.
“We are excited to welcome Dawn back to Northeast Ohio and appreciate the talents and enthusiasm she brings to our team,” said CEO Bill Koehler. “She knows our region well and has a bright, bold vision for its future. We look forward to working with her in strengthening and broadening our relationships with corporate executives, investors and other stakeholders.”
Southard led strategic outreach initiatives and developed new revenue opportunities for several organizations while in San Antonio. Her most recent posts in Northeast Ohio were vice president of Marketing at The Adcom Group and vice president of Business Development, Sales and Marketing at Goldfarb Weber Creative Studios. She is a past honoree of Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40 and has earned a variety of awards, including the SME Cleveland Distinguished Marketing & Sales Award and SME-International Akron Distinguished Marketing & Sales Award.
Southard earned an MBA at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and a BBA at Davenport University in Grand Rapids.
Dawn Southard can be reached at dsouthard@teamneo.org or 216-363-5425
About Team NEO
Team NEO is a business development organization focused on creating jobs for Northeast Ohio’s residents. In collaboration with our partners, it leads the region’s business attraction efforts, supports business retention and expansion work as Northeast Ohio’s JobsOhio affiliate, accelerates the impact of innovation in the region, and aligns strategies and resources within the economic development network to maximize its impact. In addition, Team NEO provides tools to assist employers in attracting talent to the region.
Team NEO is part of the Northeast Ohio Economic Development network, providing business decision-makers with access to customized solutions that accelerate growth, foster innovation, and mitigate risk through a connected and collaborative ecosystem. For more information, visit teamneo.org.