The Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Parade will celebrate its 42nd anniversary when it travels down Market St. on Sun., Mar. 15, from Roche Way to Southwoods Dr. Theme of this year’s parade “Irish Heritage...Rooted Deep in the Valley.”
      Grand marshal this year will be H. William ‘Bill’ Lawson, executive director of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. Serving as Lord Mayor of Kilkenny will be noted Mahoning County Court Judge Scott Hunter, a veteran of more than 20 years on the bench. Named for the Ockerman Award is Kurt Hilderbrand, who has served as a parade marshal for the annual St. Pat’s celebration since 2004.
      The parade committee is led by venerable local radio and television personality Casey Malone as president; assisted by Robb Kale, treasurer; Sharon Sabatka, secretary; and Joe Illencik, head marshal.
      H. William ‘Bill’ Lawson
      Lawson is Executive Director of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. Lawson has worked for the Historical Society for 33 years, and served as Executive Director since 1991.
      Lawson is a Mahoning Valley native, and received his primary and secondary education in the Boardman Local Schools. He earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degrees in History from YSU. He has researched, written and lectured extensively on the history of the Mahoning Valley.
      Lawson is a former board member of the Ohio Museums Association, and a past board member and President of the Ohio Local History Alliance. He is a 15-year member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Youngstown, the area’s first service club, and a board member of Youngstown CityScape, a development organization focusing on improvements in the central City.
      Lawson and his wife, Joan, a religious education consultant for the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, live on the Youngstown’s west side and are active members of St. Patrick Church on Oak Hill Ave. Together they enjoy traveling, hunting for antiques and collectibles, and maintaining a vintage camper trailer and paddling on Guilford Lake in Columbiana County. He has two children: Meghan E. Lawson, a licensed massage therapist at Spinal Care Chiropractic Center in Columbiana County, and Brian W. Lawson, an electroencephalography technician at University Hospitals in Cleveland.
      Judge Scott Hunter, Esq.
      Judge Hunter is a lifelong resident of Mahoning County and a graduate of Canfield High School, Youngstown State University, and the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
      Currently a resident of Boardman, He has served as Mayor of the City of Canfield and also served as a member of Canfield City Council and as Council President.
      He began his service as a Mahoning County Area Court Judge with his appointment to the position in July, 1999. He was elected to a full six-year term in the fall of 2000 and reelected in 2006, 2012, and 2018, serving the Area Courts located in Austintown, Boardman, Sebring and Canfield.
      Currently Judge Hunter serves as the Administrative and Presiding Judge for the Area Courts. He presided over the Misdemeanor Drug Court from April 2001 until April 2014, where he worked to expand it into a successful rehabilitative Court alternative.
      For his work with the Drug Court, Judge Hunter received the Excellence in Service Award, Volunteer Category from the Mahoning County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board as well as the Hope Has A Home Award from the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic.
      He has maintained a private law practice for nearly 32 years and has been one of the owners of Hunter-Stevens Land Title Agency, Ltd. for over 22 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Mahoning County Agricultural Society and the Canfield Fair Foundation. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of United Community Financial Corporation and Home Savings Bank. He is involved in numerous community, church and civic activities and is a member of the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Land Title Association. He currently serves as Trustee of the Mahoning County Bar Association Foundation.
      Most importantly, he is married to the former Michelle Marino, and father to three daughters, Ashley, Emily (Christopher) Hammond and Katie, his step-daughter, Jessica, step-son, Austin, and grandfather to Hunter Mary.
      Kurt Hilderbrand
      Kurt is the son of Beverly O’Neill Hilderbrand and Robert Hilderbrand and has lived in the Mahoning Valley his entire life. He is a graduate of Poland Seminary High School and a graduate of The Youngstown State University with a degree in mechanical engineering.
      He is married to Donna Slagle and together they have a son Kent (23) who is also involved as a parade marshal.
      Hilderband is a member of St. James Episcopal Church Boardman where he has served as Eucharistic Minister, Reader and served three terms on the Vestry.
      He has been involved in the Boy Scouts of America since 1985, he is an Eagle scout, and is currently serving as District Committee member for the Whispering Pines District Great Trail Council. He previously served as Scoutmaster of Troop 80 North Lima, Ohio for 15 years, and was on the board of directors for the Greater Western Reserve Council, BSA. As a scouter he has been awarded the Order of the Arrow Vigil member, Silver Beaver Award, District Award of Merit, Wood Badge and Wood Badge Staffer.
      Hilderbrand is employed as mechanical project engineer with Primetals Technologies in Canonsburg, Pa. He has been a Parade Marshal since 2004.
      Parade Committees/Marshals
      Other members of this year’s parade committee are, Tom Butler, Joe Calinger, Pat Chrystal, Marilyn Carroll, Julaine Gilmartin, Mark Smith, John Sheridan, Mary Jane Venitti and Grant Williams.
      Serving as marshals will be Bill Leskovec, Jason Calinger, Anthony Sabatka, Terry Coyle, Brian Kelly, Doug Sherl, Mike Timlin, Lenny Sefcik, Jim Doran, Ray Kelly IV, Tom Eich, Tim Kelly, Anthony Wanio, Rob Pappas, Lee Arent, Rich Perrine, Kent Hildebrand, Kelsey Warmley, Nick Mozingo, Alex Mangie, Rob Tamburro, Dante Lewis, Dennis Murphy, Anthony Magrini, David Manion, Ashley Kale, Michelle Rucci, Bob Hankey, Adam Hankey, Kurt Hildebrand, Buzz Kelty, Larry Kacenga and Larry Harwell.
      The Parade
      The Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Parade is one of the largest parades in the state of Ohio. Each year upwards of 25,000 spectators come out to celebrate this beloved family tradition. More than 120 units march in the parade.