Jeff Dafler earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in International Studies and French. For 8.5 years, Jeff served as a Foreign Service Officer for the US Dept of State. He served in Melbourne, Australia, Warsaw, Poland and Milan, Italy.
For five years, Jeff worked as a manager in corporate relations for NCR Corporation in Dayton, OH. During this time, he earned a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Dayton.
Jeff worked for the Timken Company for 12.5 years. He served as Vice President for Government Affairs, and Director of International Government Relations.
For 11 months, Jeff has served as a Vice President for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce with the primary responsibility of Economic Development & Public Policy. For 9 months, Jeff has served as the President of the Downtown Canton Land Bank. Within the past week, Jeff has been selected to provide oversight of activities related to the downtown Canton innovation and redevelopment districts.
The Innovation District was established by Canton City Council in 2017 and encompasses 12 blocks from Second to Sixth streets and Cleveland Avenue NW to Piedmont Avenue NE. Its headquarters and technology-focused business incubator opened in February 2019 at 309 Court Ave. NW.
The Downtown Redevelopment District was created simultaneously and with the same boundaries. It encourages revitalization of historic buildings by providing a 10 year tax exemption for up to 70% of the increased property value.
For nearly 3 years, Jeff has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Communications Department for Walsh University.