Lou Gentile

Former Ohio State Senator Lou Gentile (D) is a principal for Vorys Advisors LLC, a wholly owned affiliate of the law firm, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP.  He focuses his work on providing strategic counsel to businesses and organizations throughout Ohio, with an emphasis on economic development.  Lou works closely with the law firm’s economic development incentive practice group, guiding clients seeking to utilize federal, state and local incentives.

Notable experience includes: 

• Helping secure millions in economic development incentives for a large scale development in eastern Ohio revitalizing a former industrial site.  This work has led to the creation of hundreds of jobs. 
• Playing a critical role in helping a higher education institution secure millions in state capital budget appropriations and federal grant funding for workforce development projects, supporting workers in communities impacted by the loss of jobs in Appalachia Ohio. 
• Working on highly visible economic development projects all across Ohio, including efforts to secure economic development incentives for a fortune 50 company in Northeast Ohio.
• Providing business development and procurement services for a global health care company servicing labor unions and local governments.  

Prior to joining Vorys Advisors, Lou spent 15 years working in government and politics.  Elected to the Ohio House and Senate, Lou served in the Ohio legislature from 2011-2017.  In the Senate, Lou was selected by his peers as the assistant minority whip for the Senate Democrats and as the ranking democrat on the Senate Energy Committee.  He also served on the influential Senate Finance Committee and Public Utilities Committee.

Before being elected to the Ohio legislature, Lou served as Governor Strickland’s deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia.  In this office, he managed a $10 million grant program focused on investing in infrastructure, workforce development and job creation programs in the region.  In addition, Lou worked with both the private sector and local governments to grow and attract jobs.

Lou is a frequent contributor on the Columbus Sunday morning television show NBC4's The Spectrum. 

A native of Steubenville, Lou graduated in 2001 from West Virginia University with a B.A. in political science.

Lou is not licensed to practice law in any state and does not provide legal services.

Honors & Recognitions

Upper Ohio Valley Italian American of the Year, 2017