Biographical Sketch for PATRICK L. CROW

A native of Danville, Ohio, Pat Crow received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Physics from Ohio State University. In 1973, Crow was employed by MCI Telecommunications Corporation.  After almost 8 years with MCI in various management positions in Chicago, Omaha, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., Crow returned to his native Knox County, Ohio to operate and purchase the family mechanical contracting business.  For the next 12 years Pat and his wife Sandy operated the mechanical contracting and a wholesale distributorship. 

In 1993, after 1 ½ years of service on the Board of Trustees for the Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Crow was named the Executive Director.  In addition to his duties at the Bureau, Crow was named the Downtown Development Project Manager for the City of Mount Vernon (pop. 15,000).  During his tenure as Downtown Manager, Crow was responsible for acquiring three $400,000 Downtown Revitalization Community Development Block Grants for Mount Vernon.  He directed the first two programs to completely rehabilitate and create a new landscaped parking lot area, developed and implemented a streetscape project on the first block of West High St., and has worked on the rehabilitation of over 50 buildings in downtown Mount Vernon.  As a result of these and other community efforts, almost $6 million dollars of additional development in the Central Business District has been achieved, including the construction of a new 62 room hotel and 11,000 sf conference center.  The third CDBG project is currently underway with Crow serving as the Project Manager.  Crow was instrumental in acquiring $800,000 in grant commitments from the State Capital Budget and $898,000 form the Save America’s Treasures program to begin the development and restoration of the Woodward Opera House, America’s Oldest Authentic 19th Century Theater in downtown Mount Vernon.  Since Crow took the lead of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Knox County (pop. 50,000) has experienced over a 100% growth in lodging revenues.  Crow is a past member of the Boards of Trustees for the Ohio Travel Association and currently serves on the Board for the Ohio Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.

Beyond his work for the CVB and City of Mount Vernon, Crow has also served as the Mayor of the Village of Danville for 12 years and on Village Council for 2 years.  Other community duties have included serving on the Board of Directors for the Knox County Area Development Foundation, a member and chair of the Knox County Village Mayor’s Association, and a member of the Knox County Regional Planning Commission.  While Mayor, Crow has been responsible for acquiring over $1.2 million in grants and over $1.7 million in low interest loans for his village.  Projects in Danville have included a major upgrade of a waste water treatment facility, recurbing and streetscaping of South Market Street, creating a new safe sidewalk and crosswalk between school buildings, upgrading of the Village park facilities with new playground equipment and several new picnic pavilions.  In addition, he served one year as a District Governor for the International Association of Lions Clubs in Multiple District 13 of Ohio.  There he has served as a 10 year member State Finance and Planning Committee for the Ohio Lions, Inc. where he created a statewide strategic planning process, program, and organization within the Association.