Key Points

• Through her leadership and volunteer efforts, Marathon Petroleum attorney Mia Lombardi is helping breathe new life into the Community Gardens of Hancock County, Ohio.

• The gardens provide free opportunities for residents to grow fresh food, learn new skills and connect with their neighbors.
• Lombardi's passion for the project has inspired volunteers, partners and community members to get involved and make a difference.

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For Mia Lombardi, giving back is more than showing up. It is about helping something meaningful take root and thrive.

As Chief Counsel in the Law - HESS&PQ (Health, Environment, Safety, Security and Product Quality) organization at Marathon Petroleum, Lombardi spends her workdays navigating complex issues and supporting operations and product quality.

Outside of work, she pours that same energy into a cause close to her heart by leading the Community Gardens of Hancock County in Findlay, Ohio. Established to help address food insecurity, the Gardens provide free plots where community members can grow fresh produce, connect with neighbors and learn new skills.

Located next to CHOPIN Hall, the area’s primary food bank and the Gardens’ current sponsor, the program had served the community for nearly a decade before a three-year hiatus. Lombardi took on the role of restarting and managing the Gardens in 2025. She now also serves on CHOPIN Hall’s board of directors, helping advance the organization’s broader mission of serving neighbors in need.

“Beyond my love for spending time outdoors and around nature, I truly believe community spaces like these are so important,” Lombardi said. “When I learned more about the Gardens and their mission, it felt like a natural fit.”

“Mia has brought incredible energy and passion to the Gardens. She has helped create a renewed sense of purpose around the program.”

Bringing the Gardens back to life

Lombardi has been a driving force in breathing new life into the Gardens, helping coordinate improvements, recruit volunteers and build momentum around the program.

“Like a lot of volunteer-driven efforts, the program just needed a little TLC,” she said. “It’s an important community resource, and it takes people stepping in to help keep it going.”

In spring 2025, despite less-than-ideal weather, Lombardi worked alongside neighbors and nearly 30 Marathon colleagues during the United Way of Hancock County’s annual Days of Caring. Together, they helped give the Gardens the restart they needed almost overnight.

“I felt so lucky to have that kind of support, especially from so many people at Marathon,” she said. “It meant a lot to me and reminded me what community and teamwork really look like.”

More than 60 Marathon volunteers returned in fall 2025 and spring 2026, building on that progress and further strengthening the program.

“I work with Mia day-to-day supporting environmental efforts at Marathon, so I’ve never doubted the commitment and determination she’d bring to a project like the Community Gardens,” said Jason Tansey, Senior Environmental Engineer at Marathon. “Whether she’s at work or volunteering in the community, her passion for making a difference is contagious, and she’s always finding ways to inspire others to get involved.”

A hands-on effort, rooted in passion

For Lombardi, the Gardens are about more than planting and maintaining beds. They’re also about education and connection, especially for neighbors who may need a little extra support or lack access to fresh food. Some of her most meaningful moments have come from hearing how the program has made a difference in people’s lives.

“With this, you can actually see it happening,” Lombardi said. “You can witness the community coming together, working side by side, and feel that you’re making a real difference, no matter the size.”

Lombardi works closely with Ron Rooker, Executive Director of CHOPIN Hall, who has seen firsthand the impact her leadership has had on both the program and the people it serves.

“Mia has brought incredible energy and passion to the Gardens,” Rooker said. “She has led the team in transforming a simple plot of land into a thriving, vibrant green space. Mia has poured her time, energy and heart into this project, ensuring our neighborhood has a beautiful place to connect with nature and one another. She has created a renewed sense of purpose around the program.”

That impact can be felt by community gardeners like Melody Flick, who says the Gardens are a place where more than just tomatoes, honeydew melons and pumpkins can flourish.

“If it’s been a stressful day, I go out to the garden to watch the bees fly from flower to flower or marvel at sunflowers taller than I am,” Flick said. “It has been a joy to work alongside Mia and everyone who makes this place special. We share crops and gardening advice, but more importantly, we’re building a community that means so much to all of us.”

Looking ahead

Building on that success, Lombardi is excited to keep the momentum going. Today, more than 100 garden beds are available to community members who want to grow their own food and connect with others.

“When you build something like this, it’s not just the gardens that grow,” said Lombardi. “The community around them also grows.”

That sense of connection keeps Lombardi involved. While the Gardens have become one of her most visible volunteer efforts, her commitment to serving others extends well beyond the garden beds. She also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, local cancer patient services, the Hancock Historical Museum, United Way and the Community Foundation.

“Whether it’s hands-on work at the Gardens or helping in other ways, it all reflects the same values I see every day at Marathon,” Lombardi said. “Getting involved locally is how I put those values into action. Knowing our combined efforts are enhancing the lives and places we call home is what keeps me going.”