2026 Winter General Assembly

The keynote conversation will highlight Lake Erie’s powerful economic impact on Northwest Ohio & Southeast Michigan. In September 2025, mayors from around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region launched an historic Economic Transformation Action Plan to build a world-renowned Fresh Coast Economic Corridor. The Action Plan positions the fresh coast to unlock opportunities for 18 million new jobs while protecting our precious water.  

Jon Altenberg, President and CEO of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, and Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County Executive, will join TMACOG’s Executive Director Sandy Spang for a dynamic conversation highlighting the important economic role of the Great Lakes Region, and how Cuyahoga County has leveraged its Lake Erie coastline to bring new economic vitality to northeast Ohio. 

Mr. Altenberg’s extensive background in public service, communications, and binational collaboration strengthens efforts to support Great Lakes communities, and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative recently launched a major Economic Transformation Action Plan, a 10-year blueprint for building a Fresh Coast Economic Corridor across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region. The 2025 Action Plan positions the region as one of North America’s fastest growing economic corridors. 

As Chair of the National Association of Counties Great Lakes Regional Forum, Executive Ronayne convenes county leaders to advance shared water protection and economic development priorities. These efforts bolster the local work led by Cuyahoga County's Fresh Water Institute.

Registration is open through January 25.

If you require accommodations to fully participate in this event, contact Jennifer Allen: allen@tmacog.org or 419-820-4502.

Agenda

8:00 a.m.	Registration / Vendor Exhibits Open
8:30 a.m.	Breakfast / Registration / Vendor Exhibits
9 a.m.	Caucus Sessions / Appointment of Governing Board members
10:30 a.m.	Networking / Break
10:45 a.m.	Business Meeting / Caucus Reports / Election of TMACOG Leadership
Noon	Lunch and Keynote Presentation: Lake Erie’s powerful economic impact on Northwest Ohio & Southeast Michigan Jon Altenberg, President and CEO of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County Executive

Keynote Biographies

Jon Altenberg
Executive Director,
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

Jonathan Altenberg joined the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative in January of 2020. He has over 20 years of experience in the fields of politics, communications, and marketing. Since joining the Cities Initiative, he has grown the organization from 87 members to over 400 members and has quadrupled the operating budget of the organization. The Cities Initiative has become a major influencer in both Ottawa and Washington D.C. on major legislation and policies impacting basin communities under his direction. The organization was awarded the prestigious U.S. Water Prize for Outstanding Non-Profits in July of 2025. The Cities Initiative has also worked with partners to achieve several major accomplishments during his tenure including obtaining:

$15 billion in lead service line replacement funds.
$55 billion in water infrastructure improvement funds as part of the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The creation of a Canadian Water Agency focused solely on Canadian water issues.
Securing funding for the Brandon Road Invasive Carp Project in Illinois in 2024.

The Cities Initiative has also directly supported over 125 communities by offering them assistance in moving green infrastructure programs from concept to implementation through its Community Resilient Coastal Project Initiative.

Before joining the organization, Mr. Altenberg served as a legislative staffer for a Congressman from Wisconsin where he focused on environmental, transportation and foreign affairs issues.

Altenberg also spent a good part of his career in the private sector working in global upper management positions for fortune 100 companies like: JohnsonDiversey, Fellowes Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Chamberlain Group.

Mr. Altenberg also served as an elected official for close to a decade serving as a township supervisor for an Illinois community.

Chris Ronayne
County Executive,
Cuyahoga County

On January 1, 2023, Chris became the third Cuyahoga County Executive with a vision for a Healthy Cuyahoga County with safe communities, good jobs, a fair justice system, and quality services. Since taking office, Chris launched the Fresh Water Institute, the Cuyahoga County Women’s Health Commission, Cuyahoga Live – a live entertainment task force, the Cuyahoga Welcome Center – serving immigrants and newcomers, as well as the County’s first housing department and a child wellness center at the H.O.P.E. Campus in Cleveland.

A dedicated public servant, Chris began his career in public service with the County Planning Commission and Cuyahoga County government. In 2001, he was campaign manager for Jane Campbell, the first woman elected mayor in Cleveland’s history. At the City of Cleveland, he became Planning Director, where he led initiatives like the Cleveland Lakefront Plan and the Euclid Corridor. As chief architect of the Cleveland Lakefront Plan, he and his team engaged with 5,000 residents in the visioning process, secured tens of millions of dollars in state and federal funds, and laid the groundwork for projects that have received hundreds of millions in investment. Chris then served as Chief of Staff and Chief Development Officer in Cleveland where he oversaw over 5,000 employees and managed a budget of $1.5 billion. Chris went on to serve for 16 years as the President of University Circle Inc., a non-profit community service corporation where he achieved measurable results, transforming this education, medical, and cultural district into a thriving complete community. He delivered more than 2,500 new and renovated neighborhood homes to the area, developed after-school and summer programs that engaged more than 10,000 students each year, helped bring a grocery store to a food desert and connected small businesses to Cleveland’s arts, education and healthcare institutions.

Climate and Energy are a top priority for Executive Ronayne and under his leadership, Cuyahoga County is tackling climate issues, advancing sustainable energy solutions, and stewarding our region’s freshwater resources. His initiatives emphasize a commitment to environmental responsibility, striving to create resilient communities for both present and future generations. Under his leadership, the County has added nearly 9,500 MWh of new, renewable energy to the local electricity grid, planted more than 14,000 trees where they are needed most and created greenhouse gas inventories for all 59 jurisdictions within Cuyahoga County to help spur local climate action. In addition to founding the Fresh Water Institute, Chris serves as the inaugural Chair of the National Association Great Lakes Regional Forum which convenes county leaders to advance shared water protection and economic development priorities.