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Debra Weaver identifies Mahoning Valley's people as its greatest strengths

Local attorney Debra Weaver has left the Mahoning Valley a few times in her life, but she says she always felt compelled to return.

 She has little trouble identifying why the area has had such appeal for her. "The greatest asset we have in Youngstown is our people.  I have a profound respect for those who have remained in the city though thick and thin.  They have an uncommon degree of resiliency," she said.

 Weaver, a member of The Raymond John Wean Foundation's Youngstown Grant Making Committee, said she is happy to donate time to community causes because she believes the area can change.

 "Two of my sons now live elsewhere, and I volunteer a great deal of my time to improving the quality of life in Youngstown in hopes that they, too, will be compelled to come back, and will be able to find employment when they do," she said.

 Weaver said she believes Youngstown can serve as a model for its current work with new urbanism and environmentalism.

 Yet, Weaver also recognizes that the Mahoning Valley has challenges, with poverty ranking as the biggest problem.

 "It is difficult to build new things, rehab your home or even do basic maintenance if you lack the capital to do it.  All the housing code enforcement and new laws will not help if people do not have the wherewithal to comply," she said.

 Weaver said the Mahoning Valley cannot hope to attract new business until it addresses other fundamental problems.

 "We need to clean-up and beautify our city and then more companies will put their investment dollars here," she said.