Hylant Chief Operating Officer, Property & Casualty to lead organization’s strategy to build a vibrant economy
Team NEO announces the election of Kimberly L. Riley, Chief Operating Officer, Property and Casualty, of Hylant, as Chairwoman of the regional economic development organization’s Board of Directors. She succeeds Peter W. Broer, President and CEO of Lumitex Inc., who has served as Chairman since 2021. The organization also appoints Jay Nordholt, Vice President, Corporate Engineering at Swagelok, and Tom Partridge, Regional President of Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Northern Ohio) to its board. In their new roles, Riley, Nordholt and Partridge join regional business and civic leaders dedicated to building a vibrant economy for the Northeast Ohio Region.
“With four decades of experience as a business leader in the insurance and risk management fields, Kim has built and turned around businesses, driven revenue and client profitability, and pioneered technology solutions that transformed the insurance industry,” said Team NEO CEO Bill Koehler. “Kim’s experience—paired with her strong business relationships and passion for advancing the Northeast Ohio Region—will help Team NEO drive business attraction, innovation, and economic vibrancy.”
As Riley transitions to Board Chairwoman, Broer will remain as Chair Emeritus. “Team NEO is grateful for Peter’s incredible commitment to Team NEO and to the Northeast Ohio Region,” said Koehler. “Peter’s leadership experience as CEO of a successful Northeast Ohio-based technology and manufacturing company, and his perspectives as a long-time board member for Team NEO and MAGNET, informed development of new strategies for growth and innovation over the past two years.”
Riley added, “Peter has been a strong advocate for the importance of building a cohesive, aligned network of economic development partners while harnessing the collective might of the region to drive growth and vibrancy. I’m excited to further this important work alongside our talented board—including our two new members—and our in-region partners to create a more vibrant economy.”
With 20-plus years at Swagelok, Nordholt brings experience and leadership in advanced manufacturing and quality, Lean and continuous improvement, and engineering and operations.
Partridge brings 34 years of banking experience and leadership, including specialty lending in commercial real estate and capital markets, to the Team NEO board.
“Jay’s and Tom’s leadership, business acumen, related industry experience, and relationships will be a tremendous asset to us and our mission to accelerate growth and prosperity throughout the 18 counties of Northeast Ohio,” said Koehler. “We are grateful to tap into their expertise to help drive strategies to advance the region.”
Riley, Nordholt and Partridge were voted into their positions at today’s Team NEO board meeting.
About Kimberly L. Riley
Kimberly (Kim) L. Riley joined Hylant, one of the largest privately held insurance brokers in the U.S., in 2011 with over 35 years in the insurance industry. Her passion for leading evolved during her 20+ years on the insurance carrier side and 15 years in property and casualty and employee benefits brokerage. In her role, she is responsible for the overall leadership, direction, growth, and success of Property & Casualty for the organization. Kim focuses on leveraging the strengths of her teams by building on their talents, expertise, and industry specialization. Before joining Hylant, she served as the president of First Horizon Insurance Group’s property and casualty agencies and is a past vice president serving in various capacities for CNA Insurance Company.
A visible member of the communities in which she lives and serves, Kim is an active member of the Northeast Ohio Advisory Board for the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank, Destination Cleveland, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She previously served as Chairwoman of the Board for the American Red Cross, vice chair of Team NEO’s Board of Directors and was Team NEO’s Regional Economic Development Champion (business leader) in 2021. Kim was the recipient of the 2023 Prevent Blindness People of Vison award, the 2020 Women to Watch award from Business Insurance, and the 2017 Smart Business Smart Women’s Award. She was also recognized as Business Journal’s Women of Influence and was an Athena Award nominee in 2014.
Kim graduated from Clark State Community in Springfield, Ohio with an Associate’s Degree in Accounting and received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Human Resources from Trevecca University in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a graduate of Belmont University’s Scarlett Leadership Program and is certified in Harvard’s Negotiation Techniques. Kim also is a Fellow in the Life Management Institute, and holds insurance licenses in multiple states for life, health, property and casualty. Kim is also a member of Leadership Cleveland, class of 2017.
About Jay Nordholt
Jay Nordholt, vice president of corporate engineering, Swagelok, works with his team to create products and solutions that address customers’ fluid system needs and help solve their toughest fluid system challenges. Throughout his Swagelok career, Jay has gained broad experience across the organization bringing value to the
business through his deep understanding of different areas and how they work together. He joined Swagelok in 2000 as a site manager and later dove deep into Lean and continuous improvement as manufacturing strategies manager. In this role, he led efforts to define the way the company justifies and purchases equipment, created the organization’s first Lean cells, and managed the due diligence and integration of an acquisition. He progressed to leadership roles in continuous improvement and quality, as well as operations, before being named vice president, continuous improvement and quality, in 2019. Later as vice president, advanced manufacturing and quality, Jay focused on automation initiatives and maximizing Swagelok’s manufacturing operations. Prior to joining Swagelok, Jay worked at Royal Appliance, Ford Motor Company, and Western Enterprises. He serves on the board of Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Jay holds a degree in political science and constitutional law from Kent State University and an M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University.
About Tom Partridge
Tom Partridge serves as regional president of Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Northern Ohio), which has nearly $13 billion in assets. He is responsible for growth and strategic alignment of Business, Commercial, Wealth & Asset Management and Consumer businesses to deliver distinctive value to customers and community impact in the region. Tom has spent 34 years in banking, 25 of them with Fifth Third. He has held various leadership roles, including serving as region president in Northeast Ohio and Kentucky along with corporate management positions leading middle market lending and commercial real estate. Most recently he served as executive vice president and head of commercial specialty products. He has extensive experience in specialty lending, including equipment finance, asset-based lending and asset securitization as well as in commercial real estate and capital markets. Tom is active on the Xavier University President’s Advisory Council and supports organizations focused on improving education access and affordability. Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Xavier University in Cincinnati and a master’s in business administration from Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
About Team NEO
Team NEO is a private, nonprofit economic development organization accelerating business growth and job creation throughout the 18 counties of the Northeast Ohio Region. As the designated JobsOhio Network Partner, we align and amplify local economic development efforts in the region’s 18 counties; we conduct research and data analysis to inform local conversations and influence solutions; we market the Northeast Ohio Region; and we work to increase access to jobs, education and training for the region’s 4.3 million people. We do this to build a more vibrant regional economy—one that is more talented, equitable, competitive, innovative, resilient, and prosperous. For more information, visit teamneo.org.