Monroeville, Ohio — Janotta & Herner, a business unit of JHI Group, is excited to welcome Duff Milkie and Rob Bleile to its Board of Directors. Both bring decades of leadership experience, strategic perspective, and a shared belief in building things that last—businesses, communities, and relationships.
Duffield “Duff” Milkie joins the JHI Board after more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive, general counsel, and strategic advisor to boards and leadership teams. His career has focused on corporate governance, enterprise risk management, capital financing, and transactional readiness, complemented by leadership of large-scale development projects and public-private partnerships. He currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legal Officer of Waste Dynamics, LLC, where he oversees governance, compliance, risk management, and transactional readiness for a national waste solutions and site services company.
Duffield “Duff” Milkie
Prior to his current role, Milkie spent more than a decade as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Cedar Fair L.P. (NYSE: FUN). There, he partnered closely with the Board of Directors on governance modernization and supported more than $5 billion in capital financing transactions. His work included guiding complex development projects, public-private partnerships, and strategic acquisitions and divestitures across multiple markets—many of which required deep collaboration with municipalities, universities, and community stakeholders.
Beyond his executive career, Milkie is a respected civic leader, currently serving as Chair of the Greater Sandusky Partnership, Audit Committee Chair for First National Bank of Bellevue, and Director of Sandusky Packaging, among other board roles.
Rob Bleile brings a builder’s mindset and entrepreneurial spirit rooted in hands-on experience. He is President of American Timber and Steel, a family-owned business headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, founded in 1984. At American Timber and Steel, Bleile oversees the design and manufacture of preservative-treated wood fence posts, utility poles, highway guardrail products, large timber components, and custom metal work for agricultural, industrial, civil, recreational, and residential applications. The company operates three plant campuses in Ohio and Texas, employing approximately 140 people committed to delivering high-quality, reliable products.
Rob Bleile
Bleile also serves as Managing Partner and CFO of Research Metrics, a global company supporting market research industries. The company employs over 80 people across three countries, selling its software solutions globally to marketing companies and consumer product corporations that help them understand consumer buying behaviors.
An active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Bleile currently serves on the Executive Committee as Chair of the Maumee Valley Chapter. He is also deeply committed to education and giving back, with long-standing involvement at The University of Toledo, where he serves as a Foundation Trustee, and is a major supporter of the football program. His past board service includes the UT Business Center and the UT Alumni Association. Bleile also strongly believes in supporting the communities his businesses serve, actively contributing to Norwalk and Huron County charities and local educational institutions.
“Duff and Rob are exactly the kind of people you want around the table,” said Zach Jones, CEO of JHI Group. “They bring different backgrounds, but the same mindset of thoughtful leadership, accountability, and respect for the communities we serve.” They will sit alongside current Board Members: Mark Chase, Pat Powers, Glenn Cunningham, Jeff Huntsberger, Ken Schafer; and Board Advisory Members Mel Miller, Jim Shelley, and Kathy Nickoli.
With the addition of Milkie and Bleile, Janotta & Herner continues to strengthen a Board that values experience, perspective, and practical insight, with a clear focus on growth and on strengthening the reputation for which Janotta & Herner is known.
Mark Chase
Board Chairman
JHI Group
Zach Jones
President/C.E.O
JHI Group
About Janotta & Herner
Janotta & Herner is a regional design-build general contractor based in Northern Ohio, specializing in projects across a wide range of industries including industrial, warehousing, commercial, food-grade, healthcare and community projects.
With an in-house team of architects, engineers, and designers, Janotta & Herner provides a fully integrated design-build solution. The company also employs more than 100 skilled tradespeople who self-perform a wide variety of work, including sitework, concrete, masonry, steel fabrication and erection, specialty metal fabrication, carpentry, roofing, and siding.
From concept through completion, Janotta & Herner delivers seamless, quality-driven design-build solutions that bring value and efficiency to every project.