A diverse, 16-member panel of key community leaders who will lend their expertise to the team.

The Dayton Daily News has assembled an advisory board of key members in the community to assist the newspaper in tackling some of the region’s biggest problems.

The 16-member board includes a diverse mix of educators, health care executives, members of the law enforcement community, entrepreneurs and other business representatives, military and religious leaders. Each has shown a commitment to making the community stronger.

Their role will not be to dictate coverage, but to assist editors and reporters of a new investigative team created by the newspaper to shine a spotlight on problems the region must overcome for it to thrive. The group will meet once a month, with new members coming on board each year.

The Dayton Daily News Investigates team has identified three initial areas for coverage: how the community changes its image as the center of the drug overdose crisis; how Dayton Public Schools can become more of a positive force for change in the region; and what needs to happen for the local and regional economy and workforce to be more prosperous. The stories will be packaged under the name The Path Forward.

“We want to bring the reach and power of our brands to bear on seeking solutions to some of the big issues facing our region,” Community Impact Editor Ron Rollins said. “But we know we can do that better with help. The members of this new advisory board bring a vast and diverse range of experience and knowledge to the conversation, and we’re really looking forward to working with them.”