Cincinnati-Based CEO Selected for Prestigious Statewide Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Welsh Schlueter (513) 378-8370 cell. mary@piemedia.org
Ohio Excels Names Welsh Schlueter to Fellows Program
CINCINNATI – (August 26, 2026) — Partnership for Innovation in Education (PIE) announced its CEO Mary Welsh Schlueter has been selected for the Ohio Excels Education & Workforce Policy Fellowship, a statewide program bringing together leaders committed to strengthening Ohio’s education-to-workforce pipeline.
The fellowship begins in September 2026 and continues through May 2027. The cohort includes leaders from business, nonprofit and community organizations, as well as economic development professionals, government affairs representatives, business association leaders and employers engaged in education and workforce initiatives across Ohio.
Through a curated series of in-person learning sessions, site visits, conversations with policymakers and practitioners, and a capstone project, fellows will examine issues spanning early childhood, K–12 education, higher education and workforce development.
“I am honored to join Ohio’s transformative leaders who share a commitment to building stronger collaboration and meaningful workforce impact across our stakeholder networks,” Welsh Schlueter said. “I look forward to developing best-practice models informed by emerging, in-demand occupational needs, while building partnerships that bridge perspectives across education, business and community sectors.”
The fellowship is hosted by Ohio Excels, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and transforming Ohio’s education system. Created in 2018 by the Ohio Business Roundtable, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cincinnati Business Committee and Columbus Partnership, Ohio Excels works to elevate, engage and unite Ohio’s business community around education issues across the entire education-to-workforce pipeline.
The organization helps shape critical policies, convene stakeholders and coalitions, and develop innovative, data-driven solutions designed to improve educational outcomes for students while strengthening Ohio’s workforce.
About Partnership for Innovation in Education (PIE)
Established in 2009 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Partnership for Innovation in Education (PIE) develops educational and industry skill-certification tools that prepare students for the 21st-century workforce. As a career-readiness, talent-pipeline and statewide workforce-development partner with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, PIE provides career simulation, industry credentialing, mentoring and connections to in-demand, high-quality employment opportunities through partnerships among business, education and community organizations.
PIE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Candid Platinum-ranked organization, and Ohio school district state partner and contractor. In Southwest Ohio, PIE serves as Fiscal Agent and Director of the Cincinnati Public Schools 21st Century Community Learning Center at Aiken New Tech High School, and PIE’s CEO serves on the Cincinnati Public Schools Business Advisory Council.
Since 2022, PIE has launched the K–16 DriveOhio Tool Kit (2024), Campus Collections Advanced Mobility Tool Kit (2025), FormulatE® Electric Vehicle Engineering & Manufacturing Tool Kit (2025), AutomatE Delivery Robot Systems (2026), and SimulatE Capstones (2026). Distributed statewide, these immersive systems are accessible to 75,000 educators and 1.6 million students.
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