About Us

Chairman's Bio

Mr. James Seney, Chairman of Road to Work Ohio, is the former Executive Director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

While at the Ohio Rail Development Commission, Mr. Seney oversaw the management and operation of three state-owned railroad lines, including the Panhandle Line between Columbus and the Ohio River at Mingo Junction. In his six years as ORDC Executive Director, Mr. Seney has been involved in rail-related economic development projects throughout the state, including representing Ohio on the Heartland Corridor Project Development Committee with Norfolk Southern, West Virginia, and Virginia.

Prior to serving as ORDC’s Executive Director, Mr. Seney boasts an extensive and productive career in Ohio government.

During the administration of the Governor George Voinovich, he served as a statewide and regional business development representative for the Ohio Department of Development and as the Department’s liaison on transportation issues.

During the administration of Governor Bob Taft, he served as Northwest Ohio Regional Representative for the Ohio Department of Development, implementing the state’s incentive package for Daimler-Chrysler’s Jeep Plant in Toledo. He also brought a major engineering firm headquarters to Downtown Toledo, and helped initiate the State of Ohio’s purchase and preservation of Middle Bass Island on Lake Erie.

Mr. Seney is also a founder of the Ohio Port Authorities Council and served as co-chairman of the modernization of the Ohio Port Authorities Act, which granted sweeping economic development powers to Ohio’s port authorities and was signed into law by Governor Taft. He has also served on the Executive Committee of D.I.N.A.M.O., an organization promoting economic development and navigation along the Ohio River.

Prior to his service with the State of Ohio, Mr. Seney was Mayor of Sylvania, Ohio for 19 years. He also served with and was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps Reserve.