Stephen White

Mr. White is the Vice President of External Affairs, Strategic Initiatives, and Business Development, and serves as In-House Counsel at the Center for Science and Industry (COSI). Mr. White began his tenure at COSI in February 2018 to contribute to COSI’s strategic vision, mission, and leadership.

In his position as Vice President, Mr. White is directly responsible for: (1) creating and implementing a global strategy for government relations at the city, state, and federal levels; (2) leading the development and execution of COSI’s Strategic Plan; (3) developing and optimizing an entrepreneurial business model for current and novel COSI opportunities, including leveraging the corporate landscape; (4) serving as the Executive Leadership Team for the COSI Science Festival; and (5) serving as COSI’s general legal counsel. In this role, Mr. White works across the institution and with all departments.

Mr. White is a well-known and respected figure in the local, state, and federal civic communities with over a decade of experience in navigating the political and policy landscape towards effective partnerships and positive outcomes. He previously served as the General Counsel and the Central Ohio Director for U.S. Senator Rob Portman where he was instrumental in establishing and cultivating critical relationships that positively impacted several key areas, including workforce development, K-12 education, career technical education, college attainment, and public-private partnerships in Ohio. He also previously worked at the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Senate, and the law firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. Mr. White’s acumen for creating strategies with bold, sustainable, and effective collaborations are examples of his ability to deliver results. He was instrumental in the creation of the Ohio Advanced STEM-CTE Leadership Caucus, working with the City of Columbus to win the Smart City Challenge in 2016, helping to attract and retain key businesses to the Columbus Region, such as Avnet Inc., and creating a statewide framework for funding to combat the opioid crisis.

Moreover, Mr. White has a strong passion and career-long dedication to serving our community, helping those in poverty, and employing “The Columbus Way” model of collaboration to advance the needs of the region and state. He serves on a number of boards, including the state of Ohio STEM Committee, the Columbus Metropolitan Club, the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, the Ohio Supreme Court Moyer Commission, the Public Policy Committee for the Association of Science and Technology Centers and more.

Mr. White has won numerous professional awards and has been recognized for his commitment to community service, including being

named as Columbus Business First’s 40 Under 40, Columbus CEO Magazine’s Future50, and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs’ Young Alumni Achievement Award. He also serves as a recognized voice on critical STEM public policy matters, with previous talks at national conferences, TEDx, testimony to the State of Ohio General Assembly, and more.

As a first generation student, Mr. White earned three degrees, all from The Ohio State University, including his B.A. in English and Political Science, J.D. from the OSU Moritz College of Law, and his M.A. in Public Policy and Management from the OSU John Glenn College of Public Affairs.