Baumgartner tapped as keynote speaker

FREMONT — Mark your calendar for the Sandusky County Economic Development Corp.'s annual meeting of investors. It's scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23. Our keynote speaker this year is Dave Baumgartner, who will talk about retaining employees in a post-pandemic world. Baumgartner is the owner-operator of the Chick-fil-A franchise in Sandusky. The restaurant opened in January 2020. The location has successfully navigated the COVID challenges and has consistently grown through the past few years because of its focus on serving its team, its guests and the community. Baumgartner began his career with nine years in management with The Sherwin Williams Co. He then spent many years leading teams and organizations in the digital media field working with local businesses, including the Register, helping them grow by creating a strong online presence. He is a graduate of John Carroll University and has earned a master's degree in business administration from Cleveland State University. Baumgartner is active in the Erie County community. He currently serves on the board of the Erie County Chamber of Commerce. He coaches track and softball with the Erie County Special Olympics as well as serving on their board. For the past 15 years, he has been teaching fourth- and fifth-graders at The Chapel in Sandusky. He serves on its elder board as well as several committees there. In addition, he helps to lead Impact Leadership, a program teaching leadership to seventh-grade students from nine area school districts. Baumgartner has been married to his wife, Becky, for more than 30 years. Their daughter, Brittany, is currently a student at Bowling Green State University. They enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family. People can visit sanduskycountyedc.net/contact to sign up or learn more about the event.