Empowerment Panel | Local Government
(Followed by Mid-Month Mingle)
Wednesday, February 19
Empowerment Panel 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Mingle | 5:30 – 7 pm
Have you wondered how the local government works and what you can do to get involved and make a difference? This panel is for you!
Join us for the mentoring panel and stay for the casual after-hours at our Mid-Month-Mingle. The panel is 4:30-5:30; drop in at your convenience and stay for as long as you like for the mingle. We buy the appetizers; you buy your own beverage. As always, guests are welcome.
Panelists:
Moderator: Pam Lung
Honorable Michelle L. Cordova: Prior to taking the Family Court bench in January 2023, Judge Michelle Cordova served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for 26 years in Stark and Summit Counties, including 16 years as Chief Juvenile Prosecutor in Stark County Family Court. She also served as a General Felony Courtroom Prosecutor, Child Sexual Assault Specialist, and a Civil Prosecutor. In her role as Chief Juvenile Prosecutor, she assisted in designing and overseeing the Stark County Juvenile Drug Court program, and she initiated the Traffic Offender Diversion Program.
Judge Cordova grew up in Stark County. She is a graduate of Perry High School, Ohio University, and the University of Akron School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the Supreme Court of Ohio, the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Judge Cordova is a member of the Stark County Bar Association, the Ohio Bar Association, Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges, and the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges.
Judge Cordova is President of the Board of Directors of Refuge of Hope Ministries, and serves meals there on weekends. She serves on the Stark County Opiate and Addiction Task Force and the Stark County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition. She is an active member of Women’s Impact Inc and the Junior League of Stark County. She and her husband Andrew have four adult children, one grandchild, and two dogs.
Kathy Catazaro Perry is the executive director for Community Building Partnership. Kathy served as Mayor of Massillon from 2012-2023. Prior to serving as Mayor, Kathy served as the council representative for Massillon’s Third Ward for eight years.
Catazaro-Perry holds a master’s degree in business administration from Walsh University, a bachelor’s degree in business management from Malone University, and an associate degree in science, (RN) from Stark State College. Kathy is also a graduate of Leadership Stark County 23rd class, as well as the Leadership Stark County Local Government Academy.
Kathy is currently a board member of Stark Mental Health and Addiction Recovery. She is a member of Massillon Woman’s Club, Massillon Quota International, Stop Heroin from Killing Committee, Aultman’s Woman’s Board, Walsh University Women’s Committee, and board President of the Rolling Panthers. Mayor Catazaro Perry is past Chairperson of both the Community Health Foundation of Massillon, and the Stark County Library Foundation. She is a past member of the Stark Development Board of trustees, past member of Strengthening Stark Governance Board, past member of Massillon Homeless Task Force, as well as a past board member of the Massillon Boys & Girls Club. Mayor Catazaro-Perry is the past-vice president of the local board for the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, an Ohio non-profit corporation that governs the state and local government’s use of the allocation of Ohio’s share of the opioid settlement proceeds.
Kathy has received numerous honors for her community and public service including, the Gaetano Mattioli Cecchini Humanitarian Award, the Ohio Public Image Award, which recognizes individuals who create positive public awareness for those with disabilities, Rotarian of the Year Mayor Catazaro-Perry was inducted into the Stark State University Alumni Hall of Fame and the YWCA Woman’s Hall of Fame in 2014 for Community Service. She received the 2014 VFW Post 3124 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Special Recognition for Exceptional Service, the prestigious 2014 Athena Leadership Award, the 2014 Malone University Leadership Excellence Award, the 2022 NSME National Sales and Marketing Accent on Excellence award, the MDF Harold Bostic Award for 2022 from the Massillon WestStark Chamber of Commerce, the Rabbi John Spitzer Leadership Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities in 2023 for her long-time dedication and advocacy for people with special needs. Mayor Catazaro-Perry was recognized as the 2020 Person of the Year, About Magazine.
Catherine Farina-Molnar is a dedicated public administrator with a wealth of experience in local government operations and community development. Mayor Stephan B. Wilder appointed Catherine to Director of Administration for the City of North Canton in 2024. She is the first woman to hold the Chief Administrative role since the city adopted its charter in 1962. In her role, Catherine leads initiatives to improve municipal services, foster economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for North Canton’s 18,000 residents.
Prior to being appointed to her current role, Catherine served as Deputy Director of Administration for 7 years and a project manager. Her diverse background includes over 20 years of experience in human resource management across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Catherine serves as Secretary of the North Canton Community Improvement Corporation, is on the North Canton Housing Council, serves on the board of the North Canton Chamber of Commerce and the North Canton YMCA. She is a non-voting member on the city planning commission and zoning board of appeals. She is a former Canton Jaycee and a founding member of the Stark County Autism Awareness Network. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in transparency, innovation, and a commitment to inclusive community growth. Her proudest accomplishment is the creation of the North Canton Possibility Playground at Dogwood Park. The first fully inclusive, adaptive playground in the city, which won the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association’s Governor’s Award for the best Playground Development in the State of Ohio in 2022.