The Ohio Employee Ownership Center, an outreach center of Kent State University, supports the development of business across Ohio and around the world by its efforts that are proven to save jobs, create wealth, and grow the economy. The OEOC's work rests on a simple philosophy: broader ownership of productive assets is a good thing for employees, communities, and our country.
The OEOC engages in a variety of outreach activities and provides educational and consulting services that support its mission to broaden capital ownership. By sharing equity with their workers, the OEOC helps businesses make a positive impact on job retention, wealth creation, and economic development.
Provides initial technical assistance to business owners looking to exit their business or sell to their employees.
Learn MoreProvides research and support to employee groups, local governments, and community groups.
Learn More
Chris Cooper is the Director of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC) at Kent State University. In his 20-plus years at the OEOC, he has done almost everything at one point or another, but now focuses primarily on ownership culture education and coordinating Ohio's Employee-Owned Network, working with business owners on succession planning and sales to employees, and business development and employee-owned start-ups.
He was formerly a contributor on the COSE Mindspring website (an online resource for small business in NE Ohio), the Small Business Advocacy Blog of the Small Business Advocacy Council in Chicago, and formerly to Slate.com's BizBox small business blog. In 2020, Chris was designated a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) from the Exit Planning Institute (EPI).
EMAIL: ccooper1@kent.edu
PHONE: (330) 672-0338
EXPERTISE: Succession Planning, Ohio's EON, Cooperative Development, Employee Ownership Training
CONNECT ON LINKEDIN
After relocating from New Jersey to Ohio, Michael started working at the OEOC in 2019 where he serves as the Program Coordinator. He recently completed his PhD in Political Science and wrote his dissertation on "The Politics of Employee Ownership: Organizational & Individual level dynamics."
At the OEOC, he helps conduct research on the ways employee-ownership can be used as a local economic development Strategy to create individual and community wealth and lessen economic and political inequality. His work can be found in the 2019 Owners at Work Newsletter, FiftybyFifty, and the IEDC Economic Development Journal.
Michael also helps manage and develop the OEOC's year-round education and training programs and oversees the technical operations of the center, including the website. In addition, he produces and edits the OEOC's podcast Owners at Work, which he co-hosts with Chris Cooper and manages student interns at the center.
EMAIL: mpalmie2@kent.edu
Phone: (330) 672-0338
Expertise: Succession Planning, Ohio's EON, Cooperative Development, Employee Ownership Training
CONNECT ON LINKEDIN
Kelley is the Office Manager at the OEOC and has been with the Center since January 2002. She oversees the daily financial operation and human resource functions of the Center and is the lead day-to-day contact between the OEOC and Kent State University. She provides administrative support to achieve department goals through liaison activities, coordination of daily business functions, and implementation of program/projects.
EMAIL kfitts@kent.edu
PHONE: (330)672-0336
EXPERTISE: Professional Member & Network Member Renewal, Billing, Conference Logistics
Dawn joined the Ohio Employee Ownership Center in early 2026, bringing more than 20 years of experience in creative leadership, graphic design, brand strategy, and visual communications. Throughout her career, she has helped organizations strengthen their brands and connect with their audiences through thoughtful design, strategic marketing, and compelling visual storytelling.
At the OEOC, Dawn leads the Center's marketing and communications efforts by developing creative campaigns and designing print and digital materials that support its mission. She manages social media, email marketing, website content, and promotional resources. Her work focuses on increasing awareness, engaging diverse audiences, and creating meaningful connections between the OEOC and the businesses, organizations, and communities it serves.
EMAIL: debert6@kent.edu
PHONE: (330) 672-0338
EXPERTISE: Marketing Strategy, Brand + Creative Development, Visual Storytelling, and Audience Engagement
CONNECT ON LINKEDIN
Kasen is a graduate student studying Economics at Kent State University and a Student Staff Member at the OEOC, where he provides analytical support for the Center's research projects, helps gather, organize, and prepare information used in the Center's ongoing work on employee ownership, and assists with the creation of resources for the employee ownership community. He also assists with outreach for the OEOC's events and programs, helping connect the Center with businesses, employees, and partners across Ohio and beyond.
EMAIL: kneely4_stu@kent.edu
PHONE: (330) 672-0338
EXPERTISE: Analytics, Program Outreach, Research and Writing
CONNECT ON LINKEDIN
On December 9th, John Logue, the OEOC's founder and director of 23 years passed away, about a week after being diagnosed with cancer.
We counted him rich for his intellect, honesty, persistence, justice, generosity, and and absolute inability to be mean. Of most of these gifts, he was aware, but never boasted of them. Not a month before he died, before he knew of his terminal illness, he counted himself fortunate to have "a good wife, good children, good colleagues, and a good job."
He was not born a wealthy man, not did he die as one, contented instead with the modest security of a professor's life as he sought to help others create a similiar security of themselves.
To staunch Ohio's job losses from deindustrialization, in 1987 he founded the OEOC, which helped tens of thousands to share in the ownership of the companies where they worked. A great egalitarian, he was no admirer of state socialism, but advocated bringing willing sellers, mostly retiring owners of small businesses, together with willing buyers, their employees, in a market approach that kept those viable companies in business.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20.png)
.jpeg)
.png)
.jpeg)
-Slider%20300x200.png)
