As Taylor Evans steps into his new role as COSE Board Chair in 2026, he’s leading with HEART, putting the health of business owners first, delivering practical education, championing advocacy, building genuine relationships and developing future-ready talent.

It’s not just a vision; it’s a commitment. Evans’ HEART framework is focused on what small businesses need most right now.

The new Board Chair’s journey to this moment has been steady and grounded in service. He joined COSE in the summer of 2018 and within six months was invited onto the Board. By early 2023, he was chairing COSE’s Small Business Caucus, gaining firsthand experience in how the organization operates and how small business needs show up at the table. For the last three years, leaders across COSE have known he would succeed  outgoing Chair Cheryl Perez, a runway that allowed Taylor to listen and prepare. 

That path is consistent with his philosophy: demystify advocacy and keep the door open. 

As Evans puts it, “the door to advocacy, if done correctly, is wide open.” 

He wants every business owner to see that engaging in civic and policy conversations is both accessible and necessary. And, it’s in COSE’s DNA, dating back to the organization’s founding in 1972.

“We need to make sure that our small businesses are not only taken care of, but set up for success, and that their importance is known, felt and believed by all,” says Evans.

It’s also key to COSE, and Evans, that business owners are taken care of, too.

“The health and wellbeing of the owner is equally as important as the health of the business,” he says. “COSE has programs and solutions that help take care of the owner, their employees, and the business so everyone can show up their best and the business can thrive.”

If HEART is the “why,” Evans’ execution is the “how.” He’s aligning committee chairs now, building teams that will shape their work around the HEART priorities and meet consistently to move plans forward.

 Talent will get special attention: small businesses face workforce issues that are different from big enterprises, and COSE will translate regional efforts into practical help at the small-business level.

Evans’ professional biography mirrors those priorities. He is the Founder and President of Rust Belt Recruiting, a manufacturing-focused recruiting firm that exists to strengthen skilled, technical and professional talent pipelines across the Midwest and Great Lakes. He serves on the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s (GCP) Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Government Affairs Council, and contributes to Team NEO’s Talent Development Council.

Nationally, he is joining the National Small Business Association’s (NSBA) Board of Trustees. Outside of the workplace Evans supports community organizations such as One Step Ahead Ohio, where he is also a Board Member. He is a proud Ohio University graduate, where he serves on the Executive Advisory Board of the College of Business, and resides in Bay Village with his wife, Jenna, and their four children.

Education is central to his plan.

“People come to COSE for our programs, to learn, to connect and to grow, and so that education piece focused on innovation and growth is integral to what we deliver,” he says.

Members can expect programming built around the real questions owners face every day, from HR and compliance to sales, talent and tech. He views AI as an accelerator that lets people focus on higher-value work while routine tasks get handled more efficiently. 

Ultimately, COSE is about community, though.

Evans sees the organization as the place to learn, to grow, and belong. 

Says the new Chair: “We want you to come out, get connected to our resources, plug into our community, and let us help you grow.”

Taylor Evans will officially be welcomed as new COSE Board Chair on February 26 at COSE Networking Night. Registration and info here.