Leadership

Robert Peto — Executive Secretary/Treasurer

Robert Peto has served since 1993 as CEO and Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the Ohio & Vicinity Regional Council of Carpenters, which has 20,000 members. Under his leadership, council employees manage activities throughout the council’s jurisdiction, which covers all of Ohio, four counties in Kentucky and four counties in West Virginia.

Peto’s professional career as a carpenter began more than 30 years ago. He joined the carpenters’ apprenticeship program in 1974 and became a journeyman carpenter in 1978. He was employed by one contractor for more than 20 years before becoming a business agent of the council in 1993.

During his employment as a journeyman carpenter, Peto took an active role in the union. He has more than 20 years of service as officers of Local 1750 and Local 21, one of the largest local unions in the state. Peto began service to Local 1750 as treasurer and later as financial secretary. When the unions merged, Peto continued serving as financial secretary for Local 21.

After Peto became a business agent of the council in 1993, he continued to hold several supervisory positions, most recently as director of organizing. Peto provides leadership to the council through his service to the various boards of the multi-employer benefit plans within the state. These boards manage pension and annuity funds in excess of $3 billion, as well as the health benefits of council members. Peto also serves on the boards of state’s four joint apprenticeship training centers.

He has been recognized by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America for his achievements and was invited to serve on the United Brotherhoods’ Financial Oversight Committee. Peto serves on two additional committees of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America, the National Retail Committee and the Financial Secretaries Committee.

In January 2005, Peto joined the board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority to complete the remaining three-year term of a retiring board member. He serves as a Cuyahoga precinct committee person and is an executive board member of the Northern Ohio Region of the American Red Cross. Additionally, he is an executive board member of the New England Trust bank of Providence, R.I.

Mark Kuzmik — State Director of Organizing

Mark Kuzmik came on staff as an Organizer with the OVRCC in June 2005. He has been a member since 1975. Mark has been a member of both industrial and construction Local’s. He was originally brought on staff in 1992 as an Organizer and has worked for various Council’s serving from Business Representative/Organizer to Director of Organizing for both the Great Lakes Industrial Council and the Florida Regional Council of Carpenters and at several different times during his career he has worked with the International on large industrial campaigns, instructing staff through the CORE program, and evaluating potential staff through the Three Day Evaluation program under the direction of Director of Organizing, Bobby Yeggy and the current Director of Organizing, Rodney Ogle. He also briefly worked for the Federation of Public and Private Employees. He has also held various positions as a member including Trustee, Warden and Recording Secretary of Local 1542 and Trustee of Local 200 and Delegate to the Central Ohio Building Trades. Currently Mark is a Delegate to OVRCC, Warden of the Executive Board and on the Joint Apprenticeship Labor Management Committee.

Mark was promoted to State Director of Organizing for the OVRCC effective January, 2008. He is a cabinet maker by trade and has worked for various shops in Akron and Cleveland serving diverse capacities on the job including steward.