Special to The Truth
Each year since 1996, 20 young community leaders receive the prestigious 20 Under 40 Award. A Leadership Recognition Program, 20 Under 40 showcases dynamic leaders from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan who are under the age of 40. The program recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in their careers and/or in the community.
In addition to honoring the recipients, the program is intended to help motivate young people throughout our area to become community leaders.
Each spring, we solicit nominations for potential candidates. All nominated individuals are asked to submit a profile. From these candidates, an independent panel of judges selects 20 leaders to receive the award at a fall recognition program. Judges consist of past honorees and community leaders.
The 2024 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Awards were held on Monday, October 28 at the 29th annual 20 Under 40 awards ceremony. These six honorees were among the 20 selected from a field of 187 candidates.
Shayla Bell Moriarty
Moriarty joined the Zoo in 2016 following a successful campaign to elect a Toledo mayor and a pivotal role at Hollywood Casino. In 2018, she took over park operations, food and beverage, and membership teams. Membership is at 75,000 households, up from 50,000 in 2018 and the highest per capita in the U. S. The “access for all” initiative provides 5000 memberships to underrepresented communities through partnerships with 80+ agencies. She has focused on building new and exciting experiences to attract new crowds outside of the typical family visitors.
In the community, Moriarty serves on the boards of Notre Dame Academy and Hope Toledo. She is an active member of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Ohio Tourism steering committee. Her work at the state level on policies and planning enhances Ohio as a destination and advances Ohio’s travel and tourism industry.
In college at John Carroll University, she was one of the youngest basketball players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, holding over 20 records.
Andrea Gwyn
Under her leadership at St. Anne’s, surgical volumes have increased 22 percent and patient satisfaction earned consecutive Press Ganey Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Awards. As the first President of Mercy Health Perrysburg Hospital, she successfully positioned the hospital to manage increased patient volumes following a competitor’s closure. Gwyn spearheaded the first cardiac catheterization lab in Wood County and achieved a 27 percent growth in ER volume. As founder of Gwyn Global Consulting, she provided strategic advisory services that included achieving $6 million in staffing savings for a major Washington D.C hospital.
Under her leadership, St. Anne and Sylvania Meical Center were highlighted last year for Highest Performing Emergency Room, Most Improved Emergency room and Most Improved Inpatient Scores.
Gwyn earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The University of Richmond and a Master of Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. Locally, she participated in the Leadership Toledo Signature program.
Rob Pasker
One of the youngest independent brokers in the region, Pasker founded Pasker Real Estate in 2017, facilitating over $20 million in transactions to date by focusing on families of color. He also leads the NID Housing Counseling Agency–Lucas County, a HUD approved national network of housing consultants and community development consultants. Pasker is President elect of the Ohio Realtist Association, a state chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), and was founding President of the local chapter, Greater Toledo Realtist Association (GTRA). Since its chartering in 2019, membership has increased to 60 professionals.
Pasker serves as a director-at-large of the NAREB, chairing the National Millennial Committee and serving on the mentorship committee. He is a past Treasurer of the Young Realtist Division and created and co-hosts The Realtist Real Talk podcast that educates youth in financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Pasker was recognized by the University of Toledo’s Minority Business Development Center in 2017 with the “Emerging Business Award.” From 2018-2024 he was the recipient of Ohio Association of Realtors President’s Sales Club Award for over $1 million in sales volume. He earned the “Top Producer” award in 2022, and the “Emerging Leader” Award in 2020 and 2021 from the NAREB. He was the recipient of the Appraiser Diversity Initiative Scholarship in 2023. The Fair Housing Center honored him in 2024 with the “Homes and Dreams Award” for his dedication to advancing fair housing.
A graduate of Franklin University, he is also a graduate of NW Ohio Realtors Leadership Academy.
Lance Self
Self has worked for Taylor Automotive Family for ten years and has had sales certification for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis since 2012. He has sold and delivered over 1900 units valued at $53 million. He is a seven-year recipient of the “Salesman of the Year” award and was the initial inductee into the Sales Elite Club. Ninety-five percent of his business is generated from his personal marketing plans, which include 6 personal car giveaways (he promoted, funded, and selected families) and a Christmas giveaway. He is the co-creator of R & B Park Jam at Prominade Park beginning in 2019. He hosted a garage maintenance event for 50 boys ages 13-17 to teach them how to care for a vehicle.
Self was awarded the “Community Star Award” in 2020, 2021, and 2023 and he was the first salesman awarded the “Community People Oriented Award” in 2020 and again 2021. He was among the 25 Under 45 to receive the “Black Lives Matter Award” in 2019. In 2016, Toledo City Paper recognized him as a Men’s Style Guy. Since 2016, he has provided car buying tips in the Toledo Journal. He is a supporting member of the Dallas Cowboys Toledo Club.
Self earned a degree in Professional Business Sales and Marketing from the University of Toledo.
Kenny Farrar
Farrer is the founder and Managing Director of Yellow Beet, which provides free business assistance and resources to Toledoans. To date in 2024, they have served over 100 local businesses. He currently runs the Small Business Administration’ s THRIVE program which launched in 2024 and is a six- month course for high potential businesses. His Balancing the Books program connects small businesses to free accounting services. He spent five years as the lead administrator of the Impact program, a 12-week educational program for business owners that connects them with funding. As a local business advisor, he has worked one-on-one with over 900 small business owners in northwest Ohio. Since 2019, he has connected over 750 businesses to resources and capital, with 85 percent of them women and minority owned, and played a significant role in creating over 400 jobs.
In the community, Farrar sits on the board for the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Bowling Green State University; and participated on the Forward Toledo committee to promote Toledo to young professionals. He a is baseball and basketball coach for Ottawa Hills schools. Committed to anti-racism education, Farrar is a co-creator of an anti-racism flash card tool called “Dinner with Racists” which has gained national and international attention.
Farrar earned a degree in Urban Planning from Cleveland State University.
Kaleb Brown
In his manager role at United Way and as a professor at the University of Findlay, Brown aspires to strengthen social determinants of health initiatives by addressing community issues and improving health outcomes to empower individuals to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. At United Way, he secured grant funding to support food insecurity and oversaw the allocation of $2 million to community agencies. After completing five international service programs, he will lead a university student service group to India this fall. Brown served in the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa and spent a year in Beijing, China teaching English to children. During the pandemic, he was an administrator and trainer for Covid contact tracing and served at FEMA’s Community Vaccination Centers in New York.
In the community, Brown is a member of the University of Findlay Health Informatics Advisory Board; Findlay Young Professionals Board at the Findlay Hancock Chamber of Commerce; Hancock County Cultural Humility and Health Equity Delegation; the Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services Opioid and Addiction task force; City of Findlay Immigration task force; the Hancock County Community Partnership Prevention Coalition; and the Affordable Housing Alliance.
Brown graduated with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Findlay and received the Founders’ Son Award, the highest University honor, while a student at UF. He is an Eagle Scout, certified scuba diver, 2nd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and an alumnus of the 100 Bleck Men of Indianapolis.
The 20 Under 40 program focuses on individuals in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their career and/or in the community. An independent panel selects the 20 candidates for recognition. It is intended that the program will further motivate young leaders in our area. Since 1996, 580 young community leaders have been recognized through the 20 Under 40 program.