The Hilliard Beacon Podcast

This week on the Beacon, I sat down with three people doing big work behind the scenes to put home ownership in reach for working families right here in Hilliard and across Central Ohio. I was joined by Hope Paxson and Curtiss Williams from the Central Ohio Community Land Trust and Improvement Corporation (COCLT, COCIC) , and Hilliard’s Assistant City Manager Dan Ralley. We’d been working to bring...

In this fast moving conversation the Beacon hosted sitting Council members Andy Teater and President Tina Cottone to discuss their latest Democratic primary campaign. (links direct to candidate web pages) Editor’s Note: Both candidates made clear prior to the April 10th interview they felt that they could not make any statement or answer questions pertaining to the ongoing litigation involving the...

Welcome to The Hilliard Beacon’s 2025 City Election Coverage. By the time of the May 6th election we will have interviewed and published material with every candidate for Council and we hope to continue that streak with full coverage of the November Election as well. We were pleased to kick off the Beacon’s election cycle by meeting Dr. Dorothy Hassan at the Franklin Street Studio for a discussion...

For this sequel we re-engage with Letty on projects old and new * Ongoing engagement with the larger municipal development community on roundabouts and other traffic mitigation systems. * Major Leap Road project south of Cemetery. The wide scope and lengthy timeline. * Respecting neighborhoods with design that encourages the right kind of traffic behavior. The Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported...

Jordan, Kevin and Tim convene for an update-heavy episode, covering city council developments, school funding concerns at the state level, and reflections on recent interviews with Jay Timmons (National Association of Manufacturers) and John Bair (Converge Technologies). City Council Updates Kevin recaps a lengthy Monday (3/10) night city council meeting focused on zoning, annexation, and infrastr...

In our 100th outing, the Beacon brought together the usual crew of Tim, Kevin, and Jordan with manufacturing heavyweight Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, for an in‐depth conversation about the past, present, and future of American (and Ohio) manufacturing. The discussion, which started with Jay’s Hilliard stop at Armstrong World Industries and continues...

In this episode of the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion , Jordan, Kevin and Tim sit down with John Bair, CEO and CTO of Converge Technologies, to explore the cutting edge of Ohio’s growing tech sector. Bair shares his journey from learning circuit board manufacturing in Mentor, Ohio, founding and selling a successful tech company, and now overseeing Converge Technologies. The discussion primarily c...

In the latest episode of the Hilliard Beacon podcast, the guys sit down with attorney Chris Burch of Bailey Cavalieri to try to better understand the ongoing legal proceedings between the Noor Islamic Cultural Center (dba Britton Parkway Holdings, Inc) and the City of Hilliard over the former BMW office building. As you’ll hear in the discussion, at the heart of the dispute appears to be the shape...

(The email version of this post incorrectly stated The Well would be opening in its entirety on April 9th. The piece has been updated to reflect more complete information -eds) The Well Sets Partial Opening Date & Memberships Go Live Soon Hilliard’s much-anticipated community center, The Well , is officially opening some of its doors on April 9th as the Athletic Complex element of the facility goe...

In this week’s Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion, Kevin, Jordan and Tim tackle a mix of local and big-picture topics. Local Election Countdown With the February 5th filing deadline behind us, the race for Hilliard’s next round of elected officials is shaping up. Since recording just a few days ago here is the state of both parties heading into primaries. Candidates seeking reelection will be denoted...

In this edition of the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion , Jordan, Tim and Kevin Corvo run through a lively discussion covering local recreation, community engagement, and major economic shifts in Ohio. First Test of Franklin Street Creative as a Performance Space The team reflects on the recent live screening and test event at the warehouse where fellow Franklin Streeter Don and his band, the Buddh...

Hello and Welcome to the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion #94! First up we have a series of updates from two Hilliard City Council Members about major decisions both have made related to this election cycle. Hale, a physician, said while she has loved serving on City Council, it is time “for the next phase of my life.” Hale said “it was the perfect time” for her to join City Council in 2022 as she...

We’re kicking off the New Year with a celebration of the Hilliard Arts Council's 50th anniversary! Joining us is return guest and Artistic Director Robin Brenneman, who reflects on the organization’s origins, starting with a 1975 performance of Handel’s Messiah. Robin shares the council’s evolution from hosting just two annual events to becoming a vibrant hub for arts in Hilliard, complete with it...

In another year of covering our city-these were our most read articles of 2024 Number 10 In our first entry we took a detailed look at the City Council during their annual work retreat and got a better sense of the city’s online infrastructure. https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com/p/hilliard-city-council-advance-and Number 9 Hilliard Council showed international interest by working with local resid...

(Stay Tuned After our Outro Music to hear Jackson and JiJi cut loose!) We had a great time sitting down with just a couple of the talented Hilliard kids working within the ILC’s Academy Vibe program! Phil Nagy is the Hilliard Teacher who has been working to bring these ideas and concepts to fruition over the last decade and shares here some of the ways the program helps homegrown artists take the...

In a sharp and timely conversation for the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion , Neal Semel—a veteran educator on combating racial hatred—shared his insights into fostering positive cultural change and addressing hate in the workplace and society. For over 25 years , Neal has focused on creating effective tools and a framework that can emphasize collaboration, empathy, and practicality. His approach c...

In this discussion, hosts Jordan Smith, Kevin Corvo and Tim Hofmann are joined by Noor Islamic Cultural Center representative Fadi Suleiman and his attorney, a former Hilliard council member himself, Nathan Painter, to address the hurdles faced during Noor's acquisition and proposed multi-use development of the former BMW building on Britton Parkway. Fadi Suleiman shared Noor's overall trajectory,...

In this week's supersize Hilliard Beacon episode, we opened the show with a discussion of the recent election results impacting local school funding and development. Does the narrow passage of Issue 39 (Hilliard City Schools' combined bond and levy, which secured a critical 53% vote to move forward) indicate a weakening base of support or does it hint at larger economic realities? The voted suppor...

In this episode of the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion, hosts Jordan Smith, Tim Hofmann, and Kevin Corvo sit down with Asheesh Agarwal , a seasoned government lawyer who has served in senior roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Currently an advisor for the American Edge Project , Agarwal brings insights on cybersecurity threats, the importance of technolo...

In the latest episode of the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion, hosts Jordan Smith, kevin Corvo and Tim Hofmann bring us an inspiring conversation with three recipients of the prestigious Lashutka Award, celebrating their contributions and resilience ahead of the Nationwide Children’s Columbus Marathon and Half Marathon. Heidi Baxter, known for her unique blend of support as both a marathon voluntee...

Opening things up, Kevin recaps his recent trip to see the Oakland A’s final game at the Oakland Coliseum and reflects on the team’s legacy and upcoming move to Las Vegas. Tim shares a bit about Detroit’s latest work trip related food excursion (Corn Beef Egg Rolls everyone), and the group discusses the latest news from the Coffee Fest event in Hilliard, featuring the best of the local scene and t...

In this week's Hilliard Beacon Podcast, we sat down with Letty Schamp, Hilliard’s Director of Transportation and Mobility, to dive deep into the city’s ambitious transportation projects. Letty shared insights on her work with roundabouts—specifically Hilliard’s 19th roundabout—and how she has become a nationally recognized expert, even collaborating internationally on new designs like turbo rounda...

If you'd like to be considered for a weekend business spotlight - get in touch with us at hilliardbeacon@substack.com Jodi Liscio is the driving force behind Unlimited Pawsibilities, a new local business in Mill Run dedicated to improving the lives of both pets and their owners. With a deep passion for animal behavior and a commitment to compassionate care, Jodi has built a reputation as a trusted...

Interview with David Stewart - Superintendent of Hilliard City Schools From https://www.hilliardschools.org/departments/superintendent/# In this episode, we sit down with David Stewart to discuss the ongoing challenges facing public education today. We begin with a somber reflection on the latest mass shooting in Georgia, using it as a starting point to explore how Hilliard City Schools respond to...

Kevin is getting comfortable with his new teaching schedule - his written pieces will return next week! William Lutz has been a contributing columnist for the Troy (OH) Daily News and the Piqua (OH) Daily Call. He is a non-profit executive director and a lauded veteran of local government . He is also a graduate of Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio earning a Bachelor of Science in Urban Affa...