Julius Oliver
Chairperson (Term ending 12/10/17)
Julius Oliver is currently the 1st Ward Council Member and is the founder and chief operating officer of Kingly Hand Wash and Wax, as well as, a six-year veteran of the United States Army. A graduate of Youngstown Chaney High School (1999), Mr. Oliver will focus on the commission’s small business initiatives, as well as youth programming.
Porfirio Esparra, Jr.
Vice-Chairperson (Term ending 12/8/17)
Mr. Esparra is the Director of Employee Relations with Humility of Mary Health Partners St. Elizabeth Health Center. He is a trained Facilitator, having certifications in Effective Communications, Equal Employment Opportunity and Quality Improvement. Mr. Esparra attended Youngstown State University where he received a dual degree in Social Work & Spanish. He belongs to numerous civic community organizations and currently sits on the Board of Turning Point Counseling, Ohio Society of Health Care Human Resources Administrators, Mollie Kessler Community School, YSU Partners for work Place Diversity, Villa Maria Residential Services, Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center Advisory Board, and is an active member of St. Rose of Lima Parish. Mr. Esparra is a resident of Youngstown and enjoys spending time with family, playing guitar and congas, listening and dancing to Salsa music, fishing, hunting, and gardening.
Hannah N. Ferguson
Member (Term ending 6/3/19)
Hannah Ferguson is a native of Youngstown, OH. She graduated from Chaney High School in 2000, received her Bachelor of Science from Kent State University in 2004, and graduated from Keller Graduate School of Management with her MBA in 2011. Currently working as an Academic Advisor at Eastern Gateway Community College, she is also an entrepreneur, a member with two nonprofit organizations, and volunteers at the Central YMCA with the Youth department.
Lynn Hart Bilal
Member (Term ending 6/3/19)
Lynn Hart Bilal is a native of Youngstown, Ohio where she received her Master in Education-Counseling and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Youngstown State University. Since 1990, Lynn has dedicated her services to the anti-violence movement in various capacities. In addition to spending 25 years providing direct service to victims of sexual assault, she has worked as a Standardized Patient, a Social Worker for a domestic violence shelter, a Caseworker for abused and neglected children, a Job Coach for adults with disabilities, a Counselor for a driver intervention program, a part-time Instructor at Youngstown State University, and, most recently, a Community Organizer.
Her vast experiences and lessons learned from years of outreach, collaboration with local agencies, and advocacy with survivors has inspired her powerful mission to assist in ending sexual violence.
In her free time, Lynn enjoys traveling with her husband Kelan, spending time at home relaxing with their American Staffordshire Terrier, and exercising at the YMCA, where she is also a member of the Advisory Board.
Jacob Harver
Member (Term ending 5/3/19)
Jacob Harver is a lifelong resident of Youngstown. He attended Ursuline High School and in 2005 graduated Magna Cum Laude from Youngstown State University, majoring in History with a minor in Africana Studies. Mr. Harver is involved in multiple projects and organizations. His focus is on economic, political, and cultural development, environmental justice, and the arts.