Meet Twenty Under 40! Tonya Rogers, winner of Baker, Dublikar

Editor’s note: Around twenty under 40 years old! is a collaborative effort between ystark! and the cantonal depot. It recognizes young professionals in Stark County. This year’s winners will be presented each weekday leading up to the awards ceremony, which will take place June 25 at the Quarry Golf Club & Venue in Canton.

Tonya Rogers is a partner at the Baker, Dublikar law firm in North Canton.

The 38-year-old, who serves as law director for Lake Township and Louisville, wants to continue working with local government entities.

“I’m a big believer in local government and have really enjoyed working with municipalities, cities and counties on a wide range of issues,” she said.

She also wants to serve on the Stark Library and Stark Park boards.

“Public libraries and public parks are two of my favorite places,” she said. “The ability to access literature and educational events, as well as outdoor space, should not depend on socio-economic status. Libraries and parks have the capacity to truly transform a community. I would really like to be part of such important organizations. “.

Twenty under 40! winners: Meet all the “Twenty Under 40s!” » from Stark County, Ohio 2024. community winners

Who nominated Tonya Rogers for the Twenty Under 40! honor?

Kristen Bates Aylward, Canton City Council President and former township law director, and Maranda Saling, Banner vice president of public affairs, nominated Rogers for the Twenty Under 40! honor.

“It’s amazing what Tonya has done and continues to do in our community,” Bates Aylward said. “She took her legal knowledge and really used it to help people from many backgrounds and in many areas.”

Saling praised Rogers’ passion.

“She’s smart without making anyone feel stupid; confident without making anyone feel small; commanding without making anyone feel commanded,” Saling said. “She is organized and logistically minded. We all get involved for different reasons, and I can say with certainty that Tonya fights for the community that is least powerful, most deserving, and often never, ever thought about. ask yourself and position yourself for recognition. If you ask her to do something, she will do it. She is loyal and stays focused on the prize.

She is a partner at Baker, Dublikar

Became a partner at Baker Dublikar, where she worked as a lawyer and began her career as a lawyer.
Selected as Law Director for Lake Township and the City of Louisville.
Presented cases before the Ohio Supreme Court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals that created new law.
Selected as a member of the Stark County Bar Association Executive Committee.
Recipient of the Ohio Bar Foundation, Community Service Award for lawyers 40 and under.
Chaired the Canton YWCA fundraising committee and governance committee for several years.
Was active in voter registration and education groups for several years and helped register dozens of new voters.

Attended Malone University in Canton

Grant High School in Grant, Michigan.
Malone University with a bachelor’s degree and a double major in history and political science, graduating magnum cum laude.
University of Akron School of Law. She graduated first in her class.

What advice would you give to the younger generation to advance their careers or strengthen Stark County?

Work hard at everything you do. There is no job or task that is too small or unimportant.

You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do or where you want to end up, but if you give 100% to everything you do, doors will open for you. And above all, treat everyone with kindness and respect.

What motivates or inspires you to improve the community?

My community is my home. It’s not anyone else’s job to improve it.

If I think there is room for improvement, then it’s up to me to get involved and try to be part of a change that I would like to see.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

Your attitude and how you treat others are just as important as the quality of your work.

Remember to keep things in perspective and don’t let your personal life take a back seat to your professional accomplishments.

What is the most difficult part(s) of your job? How to overcome these obstacles?

Balance and manage customer needs and expectations. I work primarily with local government entities, so problems can often arise unexpectedly and the clients are usually public officials who have tight deadlines and demanding expectations from the public.

Being very intentional in clearly communicating not only legal issues, but also deadlines and expectations was the best way to ensure everyone involved was on the same page and alleviate frustration.

List three to five things people may not know about you.

I was a cross country runner in high school and was recruited by the Malone cross country program. Unfortunately, I was injured my freshman year and didn’t compete after that, but I enjoyed school and just never left Canton after that.
I am a big lover of books. I usually read about a book a week and my favorite genre is science fiction/fantasy
I grew up on a lake and lived just 30 minutes from Lake Michigan. Being on the water is my happy place.

Why do you think Stark County is a great place to live and work?

Geographically, it is conveniently located between Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Columbus, making it easy to access events.

There are lots of things to do, restaurants and shops but it still has a small town feel (and it’s not difficult to find parking!).

The people – there is a lot of passion for our community and I am constantly meeting new and interesting people in my professional and personal life.

What are your three favorite things to do in Stark County when you’re not working?

Lake Sippo, both for hiking and stand-up paddleboarding
Cycling along the towpath
Pick-your-own flower field in Hartville – Home Again Flowers
Agricultural markets