People

Opportunities in Marion gave Emma Fitzpatrick the launchpad she needed in her career. Fitzpatrick, now located in Nashville, has traveled around the globe leaving her mark in the film, television, and music industries. “I felt like growing up the arts were encouraged and valued,” Fitzpatrick says. Fitzpatrick began school at River Valley and transitioned to […]

James Elswick has lived in Marion since he was two years old. One interesting point about Elswick is his over 50 years of service to the community through Whirlpool. He is full of stories and memories of contributions to Marion. “I was the quintessential kid,” Elswick says of his childhood, “but a few oddball things […]

Jessica Coleman, the founder of Leading Ladies, is passionate about youth. “I hope I don’t ever forget what it’s like to be a child. I think that’s why I’m so great at interacting with them. I remember. I remember feeling unheard. I remember feeling like high school would never end or like middle school was […]

Since kindergarten, B.J. Gruber knew he wanted to be a police officer or a baseball player. After he was not picked up by any professional teams, his choice was clear.  Following graduation from Marion Harding High School in 1993, Gruber briefly started college until he got a call from the Marion City Police Department (MPD) […]

Though not originally from Marion, has not been far. Coming from Bucyrus and a graduate of Colonel Crawford, Schifer attended The Ohio State University at Marion. She graduated as an Economics major with a minor in Finance. Schifer started selling Mary Kay in 2015 part-time. “If I sold one mascara a week, it would pay […]

Dr. Coleen Denton-Prater didn’t always know she wanted to go into the family business. Denton-Prater says her father knew since the eighth grade that he would be a chiropractic physician, but it wasn’t until she was finishing her undergraduate degree that she realized she could pursue her passion as a chiropractor. Denton-Prater, a Pleasant grad […]