Columbus Partnership Welcomes Jason Hall as New CEO

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Columbus, OH – The Columbus Partnership governing board is pleased to announce that Jason Hall has been appointed as its next CEO following a national search. Hall hails from St. Louis, Missouri, most recently serving as CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. (GSL), the St. Louis metro’s business leadership organization. Jason has led many high-profile and transformative initiatives to promote inclusive regional prosperity, aligning closely with the Columbus Partnership’s mission.

“We spoke with many exceptional candidates throughout the search process,” said Steve Steinour, Columbus Partnership co-chair and chairman, president, and CEO of Huntington Bank. “Jason’s track record of establishing a strategic vision, bringing together diverse stakeholders and driving measurable growth and development stood out. We believe Jason is the ideal leader to build on the Partnership’s strong foundation as a national frontrunner in economic development, innovation and championing equitable, sustainable growth.”

Hall’s background spans the private and public sectors. His executive roles include serving as co-founder and CEO of Arch to Park, Vice President and General Counsel for the St. Louis Regional Chamber, and leading the Missouri Department of Economic Development as a member of former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s cabinet.

Hall was a key architect of a civic merger of five legacy St. Louis-focused business organizations, including Arch to Park, to create GSL as a unified metropolitan business-led civic platform. Through GSL, Hall oversaw the development of the metro’s first plan for inclusive prosperity in over a decade, which has been recognized nationally for its focus on inclusion. Since the launch of GSL in 2021, St. Louis has surged to a top-5 metro for job growth for the first time since 1990 and is now the 16^th-fastest growing metro GDP in the country. St. Louis is the nation’s 23rd-largest metropolitan area. Columbus, Ohio, ranks number 32 (source: Census.gov).

Through his work in St. Louis over the past eight years with Arch to Park and GSL, Hall has expanded CEO and stakeholder engagement in metropolitan civic affairs; helped secure record-breaking business attraction deals for the metro; organized industry sector growth initiatives in geospatial technology (GeoFutures) and advanced manufacturing; organized a nearly $200 million patient capital real estate fund to accelerate urban real estate transformation; secured major public policy wins spanning public safety, infrastructure and talent; and helped form the public-private partnership that restored non-stop air service from St. Louis to continental Europe for the first time in 20 years; catalyzed major Downtown and urban core revitalizations; and secured St. Louis’ nationally recognized winning proposal to the federal Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

“Jason thinks boldly, bringing an innovative, entrepreneurial leadership with a focus on inclusivity and collaboration to advance our shared vision of being the most prosperous metropolitan region in the U.S.,” said Kirt Walker, Columbus Partnership co-chair and CEO of Nationwide. “We’re extremely confident in his ability to advance regional priorities and growth through the collaborative public and private partnerships that the Columbus Partnership is known for.”

“I’m honored to join the Columbus Partnership at such a pivotal moment in its journey and look forward to continuing the tremendous momentum of working together for the greater good of our region, and the people and the businesses who call it home,” said Hall. “The region has incredible potential driven by the values of The Columbus Way – a commitment to collaboration, innovation, and equitable growth.”

Hall will officially start in his role in early January.

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About the Columbus Partnership

The Columbus Partnership is a CEO-led nonprofit organization of over 80 top-ranking executives from Columbus’ leading businesses and institutions, each committed to improving economic opportunity and quality of life across the Columbus Region. Through its membership and other ally organizations across Central Ohio, the Columbus Partnership upholds a shared vision to make Columbus the most prosperous region in the United States. Learn more at columbusregion.com.

About the One Columbus

As the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region, One Columbus’ mission is to lead a comprehensive regional growth strategy that develops and attracts the world’s most competitive companies, grows a highly adaptive workforce, prepares our communities for the future and inspires corporate, academic and public innovation throughout the Columbus Region. One Columbus expertly guides companies through the location decision process. Through strategic business outreach and customized research, the One Columbus team leverages public, private and institutional partnerships to grow the Columbus Region’s economy and strengthen its national and international competitiveness. Funding is received from more than 300 private organizations, local governments, academic institutions and JobsOhio. Learn more at columbusregion.com.

For immediate release:
Dec. 2, 2024

Media contact
Ryan Ankrom
Email: ryan.ankrom@nationwide.com
Cell: 740-974-1918