Directory
Our Mission
Drive economic growth and prosperity for Greater Akron by supporting the success of the business community and acting as a convener of stakeholders on key issues facing the region.
01.
Lead Greater!
From the Chair and the President and CEO
of the Greater Akron Chamber
Marc B.
Merklin
Chair of the Board
of the Greater Akron Chamber
Managing Partner Brouse McDowell
Steve
Millard
President & CEO Greater Akron Chamber
Marc Merklin | Chair
Steve Millard | President & CEO
The year 2018 represented a pivotal time for the Chamber: new leadership, new partnerships, new strategies and new resources. We are excited to share the work we have been doing and where our focus will be to play our part in driving the growth and success of Greater Akron.
Advance Greater Akron was our five-year economic development campaign completed in 2018 and, in conjunction with private and public partners in Medina, Portage and Summit Counties we exceeded our goals for regional investment, job creation and retention.
In just 2018, $783 million was invested in Medina, Portage and Summit Counties. The total investment occupied nearly 4 million square feet of commercial and industrial property and resulted in the creation of 2,926 jobs and retention of 6,173 jobs. Total payroll created was nearly $119 million.
Over the past five years of the Advance Greater Akron initiative, from 2014-2018, a total of more than $3 billion was invested in the Tri-County region—surpassing our goal of 2 billion! Highlights from some of the most significant projects completed are included in this report.
Early in 2018, we began a process of deep engagement with the City of Akron and Summit County focused on aligning our work and partnering more closely on economic development within Greater Akron. Based on a deep dive into the fundamentals of our regional economy with our region’s core city and our largest county, we’ve developed a shared economic development strategy and an approach to collaboration that is unprecedented here and rare for any metropolitan area.
That plan—Elevate Greater Akron—seeks to create a transformative, highly functioning, and collaborative economic development system for the region. It creates a unified focus so that each of those many entities can do what they do best in better coordination with the other partners in the system. Elevate Greater Akron is changing the way we work with our partners; coordinate our efforts; and, leverage the resources we have for the greatest possible impact for the companies and the people that call Greater Akron home.
With new chamber leadership in place in the second half of 2018 and a desire to think about the future of our work, we engaged with more than 300 members and leaders to get their ideas about what’s next for the chamber. Our planning process identified the priorities that were most important for our work and the strategies that could take us forward. We thought it was important to set a strong enough direction for our work to enable us to begin acting on the ideas and opportunities quickly. We also acknowledged that with big changes in our community, emerging partnerships and the newness of the Elevate Greater Akron strategy our direction must evolve over time. As a result, our chamber “Blueprint” was created to outline key competencies in which the chamber needs to excel and core strategies that will focus the work we do for our members and in the region. We believe it’s a strong starting point for our work ahead that is flexible enough to allow us to finish the work as we learn more. As you review those competencies and strategies later in this report, we hope you will agree that we are moving in a direction that will bring direct value to your company and to a region in which your company can thrive.
Our work cannot be successful without your active engagement and support. We will be driving a large number of initiatives and activities for which we will need your active involvement. This work is too significant for our small staff and Board leaders to carry alone. This is your organization and it requires your active participation. As you review the work ahead, we hope you will see an area of our work to which you can best contribute your time and talent and drop us a note at LeadGreater@GreaterAkronChamber.org. We are eager to get you involved in helping us to shape the future of our organization and our region!
Finally, we would be remiss to not express our sincere gratitude to our Board of Directors, Officers, Investors and Members for your enthusiastic support for the work that we do and for the confidence you place in the Chamber. We know that confidence is “earned, not given” and we will do our part to continue to merit your support in everything that we do.
$3 Billion
capital investment in Medina, Portage and Summit Counties.
41,500
jobs retained
10,700
jobs created
$500 Million
annual payroll of jobs created
Working with our economic development partners in Medina, Portage and Summit Counties, the Advance Greater Akron Strategic Plan was implemented from 2014 through 2018. Here are some of the highlights of our work together:
Akron Children’s Hospital invested $84M in a 230K SF addition that will increase the size of the Considine Professional Building to 480K SF.
Amazon moved into a 248K SF regional distribution center in the City of Twinsburg. The online retail giant is an anchor at Cornerstone Business Park, a 165-acre redevelopment of the former Chrysler Stamping Plant.
Arhaus Furniture is an attraction project for the County of Summit. Arhaus chose Boston Heights for its new headquarters and distribution center; the $43M investment brought in more than 400 jobs.
Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) will retain its Summit County operations and corresponding 700 employees to the East End redevelopment. It will also move its world headquarters from Charlotte, NC, to Akron.
The Bowery Project broke ground on a $42M redevelopment that includes the 12-story Landmark Building and five smaller buildings adjacent to the Akron Civic Theatre along South Main Street in downtown Akron. On completion, the Bowery Project will include 40K SF of retail and mixed-use space and 90 market-rate apartments.
BWXT will be investing more than $80M in its offices and manufacturing facility to support its Nuclear Operations Group. BWXT currently employs 700 in the City of Barberton and is planning on hiring an additional 80 employees.
Carlisle Brake & Friction selected its Medina plant for the addition of 150K SQ FT of manufacturing space. Carlisle invested $45M and created 140 new jobs.
DeHoff Development Company and Lemmon Development acquired the former Maplecrest Golf Couse in Brimfield Township, in a $83.6M project. DeHoff will develop the “front 9” as planned retail development with major anchors and the “back 9” as light industrial. The retail part of the project will create 1,000 jobs over the next three years.
DESCH, a German-based manufacturer of industrial drive solutions, invested $3M with the opening of its American offices on Embassy Parkway in the Akron-Fairlawn JEDD; the Greater Akron Chamber first met with DESCH at the Hannover Industrial Trade Show in Germany.
Empire Die Casting of Macedonia was purchased by Detroit-based SRS/Whitehall. With strong ties to General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, SRS/Whitehall invested more than $15M in new M&E which resulted in retention of more than 200 jobs and creation of 25 new jobs.
FirstEnergy Corporation has had a presence in Akron for 100 years. The company signed a lease extension and will remain in Downtown Akron—along with approximately 1,000 employees—through June 2025.
Gervasi Vineyard established the Twisted Olive as a destination restaurant in the City of Green. A $3.5M investment on the 10-acre site of the former Belden Lodge created 50 new jobs.
Involta, a Tier III data-colocation center, constructed a 26K SF expansion to their campus in South Akron. Their total investment in Akron over the past several years was more than $34M.
Kenda Tires, a Taiwanese-based rubber company, opened a 45K SF North American Research and Development facility in the City of Green. Kenda has projected a long-term need for as many as 60 engineers.
Main Street Gourmet invested $5M in a 12K SF expansion of its headquarters and plant in the City of Akron’s Ascot Industrial Park. The investment is projected to create 35 new jobs that will generate an additional $1.25M in annual payroll.
National DCP, a supply chain management company serving the franchisees of Dunkin’ Donuts, opened its 8th national distribution center in the City of Twinsburg. The company invested more than $11M in the 81K SF facility that will employ approximately 50 people.
Natural Essentials worked with the City of Aurora and Jobs Ohio to acquire the former Eaton facility, and it is now in full operation. The company has been an acknowledged leader in hiring people with disabilities.
French-based Soprema built a new 21,600 SQ FT facility at its Wadsworth location to increase manufacturing capacity for commercial roofing products, investing $5.5M in the project. Soprema retained 104 jobs and added 12 new positions.
In the City of Stow, NMG Aerospace purchased new machinery and equipment to expand their manufacturing capacity. The investment was projected to retain more than 200 jobs and create 50 manufacturing jobs.
O’Reilly Auto Parts broke ground for a 400K SF regional distribution center at the site of the former Chrysler Stamping Plant in Twinsburg. The facility is scheduled to open during the second half of 2019, and more than 400 jobs will be created.
Reserve Management Group purchased the former 600K SF MacTac facility. Their investment in excess of $15M is projected to include 450 employees and a payroll of $17M. MacTac will lease space and continue to employ 100 in the City of Stow.
Restaurant Depot invested $5M in a retail center in an underserved neighborhood in South Akron. The Greater Akron Chamber worked closely with both the City of Akron and Development Finance Authority on the project that created 50 jobs.
OEC expanded their headquarters in the Village of Richfield. The $3M, 19K SF addition will allow the company to increase employment to over 300 over the next several years.
PPG invested $15M to double the production of its organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials. The Barberton facility currently employs 160 and looks to add 20 new positions as a direct result of this investment.
Shin-Etsu invested $22M in its Akron Campus. The new 44K SF manufacturing facility is the company’s sixth building at its headquarters. The expansion included the retention of 200 current jobs and creation of 25 new jobs.
Sikich relocated its 100 employees to a new $9M state-of-the-art 35K SF headquarters in the 76-acre White Pond Office Park owned by the City of Akron.
Stark State College constructed a satellite education and workforce training center on 11 acres in the City of Akron. The $11.5M project is projected to employ 50 by 2020.
STEMCO purchased the Veyance North American air spring business from Continental AG. STEMCO subsequently built a new headquarters in the City of Fairlawn on city-owned land. More than 25 jobs were originally retained along with anticipated hiring.
Summa Health plans to invest $350M in facility upgrades over the next decade in Akron and Barberton. The hospital broke ground on a 300K SF six-story patient tower on their main campus on East Market Street and also began improvements to their Barberton Campus.
The Testa Companies opened the first new hotel in Downtown Akron in more than 30 years. The Courtyard by Marriott was a $20M investment that brought 146 rooms—and an upscale vibe!—to the resurgent Northside Neighborhood.
Whole Foods 365 opened at the site of the former West Point Market in the Wallhaven neighborhood in West Akron. West Point Marketplace was a $25M investment that includes 50K SF and an employment level of approximately 140 employees.
2018 Scorecard
The Chamber has strength in numbers. Our membership represents:
1,533
Members.
$66.2 Billion
Total Revenue.
117,000
Employment.
$2.3 Billion
Total Payroll.
03.
2018 Year in Review
In 2018, The Greater Akron Chamber continued to add to the impact of capital investment, job creation and retention efforts through Advance Greater Akron. 2018 activity included $783 million in capital investments in Medina, Portage and Summit Counties. The total investment was across nearly 4M SF of commercial and industrial property and resulted in the creation of more than 2,900 jobs and the retention of more than 6,100 jobs. Total payroll created was nearly $119 million. Recent specific successes include:
- The retention of 120 Myers Industries headquarter jobs in the City of Akron.
- A headquarters relocation for Babcock & Wilcox from North Carolina and the retention of 700 current Greater Akron jobs which will all be locating to Goodyear’s former East End Headquarters.
- BWX Technologies $80 million investment in its Barberton manufacturing facility to retain 700 workers and the addition of 82 new jobs.
- The start of construction for the Bowery and Akron Civic Theater projects driving development to Akron’s Main Street which will catalyze additional development, housing and amenities in downtown Akron.
- The groundbreaking in late December of the City of Akron’s first new industrial park since the 1960’s in South Akron with twenty developable acres.
Our outreach program for retention and expansion to companies continued with more than 325 company visits to Greater Akron firms. In addition, a recent successful trade show experience at the National Plastics Exposition drove a larger than typical number of leads and new relationships.
Work on a “value proposition” for Greater Akron concluded in 2018 and it will result in new resources for employers to better recruit talent. An employer tool kit will be released in the first half of 2019 to provide these resources to our companies.
The Government Affairs Team hosted a year-long series of events leading up to the Fall elections providing significant opportunities for dialogue with candidates prior to the primary and November elections. The Greater Akron Chamber also took successful positions on three ballot issues and several legislative priorities in 2018 representing our members as part of the advocacy process. The Chamber’s 2019 Policy Priorities were also finalized for use with our elected officials in Columbus and Washington, D.C.
The chamber’s events and programs continue to provide a number of opportunities for members to connect with each other. 2018’s monthly Morning Buzz programs and our 30 for the Future emerging leader recognition event achieved record attendance levels. In addition, another well-attended Excellence in Business Awards event provided a platform to recognize and create visibility for key middle market and emerging companies in our region. The Chamber hosted our annual Economic Outlook event bringing national insight to local trends and produced a series of unique Investor Member events and experiences highlighting key economic development issues and initiatives for the region.
In partnership with SummaCare, the Chamber recently launched a new member health benefit – the Chamber Benefits Arrangement Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA). This new benefit is a solution for small companies from solo-preneurs to those with up to fifty employees that will allow those businesses to achieve more competitive health benefits with better coverage and lower costs than other available small business plans.
In 2018, we also initiated a move of the Chamber’s offices to provide for higher visibility, greater accessibility and a set of amenities and resources to better support our members and the work ahead for the organization. The new office space, at 388 South Main Street, Suite 205, in downtown Akron, will be fully built out and available for members in April 2019.
In 2018, supported by leadership from the GAR Foundation, the Chamber worked in close partnership with Summit County and the City of Akron to develop a collaborative economic development strategy for the region. The resulting work, known as “Elevate Greater Akron” is a commitment by Summit County, the City of Akron and the Chamber to work in an unprecedented and collaborative fashion to drive growth and investment in our region. We rolled this work out in late September and have been sharing it broadly to a very receptive and enthusiastic set of stakeholders. Implementation began in January 2019 and more than thirty different economic development organizations are aligning with that work.
As a result of the Elevate Greater Akron initiative, we have launched new industry specific work looking at the region’s polymers cluster and have engaged a number of companies and industry stakeholders in that dialogue. We are developing a deeper understanding of the opportunities in that industry sector for the region. and are looking at the opportunity to invest more in supporting that collection of companies in 2019.
In addition to developing the Elevate Greater Akron strategy, the Chamber also reviewed its own work and focus. As a result, the Chamber developed its own strategy “Blueprint” for its work in 2019 and beyond. A planning team of Board leaders and other members with a variety of perspectives have been engaged on this work since early November. The plan was outlined at our recent 2019 Annual Meeting and its related initiatives will create early opportunities for our members to Lead Greater to drive growth and investment in our region.
SOCIAL FOLLOWERS
2,636
5,414
2,039
SOCIAL REFERRAL
CLICK LINKS
5,775
Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn
WEBSITE
39,722
Sessions
# of visits from interested businesses, individuals & others looking to gain information & knowledge of our market.
E-COMMUNICATIONS
110
Emails Sent
5,397
Subscribers
37%
Avg. Open Rate
Our Investors Support the Mission of the Chamber
A number of companies elect to enhance their organization's membership by becoming an Investor. These Investors encourage positive growth in our region and are key to our continued success. Investment levels range from $1,000 to $100,000
CHAIR’S CIRCLE
$100,000 (+) Annual Investment
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Huntington Bank/Huntington Foundation
$50,000 (+) Annual Investment
Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Dominion Energy Ohio/Dominion Energy
Northeast Ohio Medical University
$25,000 (+) Annual Investment
CORNERSTONE PARTNER
$10,000 (+) Annual Investment
Albrecht Incorporated/ACME Fresh Markets
ASW Properties, Inc.
AT&T
Bober Markey Fedorovich
Bridgestone Americas Tire
Operations, LLC/Firestone Polymers
Buckingham Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC
Charles Schwab Corporate Services
Charter Communications/Spectrum Reach
Shoemaker Rigging & Transport, LLC
CHAMPION SUPPORTER
$5,000 (+) Annual Investment
ASW Global, LLC / ASW Supply Chain
Christian Healthcare Ministries
Fifth Third Bank Northeastern Ohio
Harwick Standard Distribution Corp.
Metro Regional Transit Authority
SeibertKeck Insurance Agency Inc.
State and Federal Communications, Inc.
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
GOVERNMENT PARTNER
VISION BUILDER
$2,500 (+) Annual Investment
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority
CareWorksComp/CareWorks Absence
CCG Automation, Inc./CCG Energy
Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
VISION BUILDER (Continued).
$2,500 (+) Annual Investment
First Federal—A Division of First Federal of
Great Lakes Honda/Great Lakes Hyundai
GreatWork! Employment Services
Guided Transitions for Supported
Hard Rock Rocksino, Northfield Park
Holiday Inn Akron West/Montrose
IRG Realty Advisors, LLC/ The Residences
at the East End/Goodyear Theater
JACK ThistleDown Racino/ThistleDown
MAPSS-Mayors Association of Portage,
Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems Corp.
Metis Construction Services LLC
Northwestern Mutual-Akron/Canton
WAKR-WONE-WQMX-WNWVS Group, Inc.
SACS Consulting & Investigative
ServiceMaster by DisasterRecon
Supply Me/Melphimic, LP/ McKinley Early
Vadose Environmental Consultants, Inc.
Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company
BUSINESS
$1,000 (+) Annual Investment
ACE Products & Consulting, LLC
Advanced Insurance Designs, Inc.
The Albert M. Highley Co., LLC
Akron Hardware Consultants Inc.
BalancePoint Healthcare Staffing
Bennett Land Title Agency, LLC
BMW of Akron/Volkswagon of Akron
Building Integrated Services LLC
CertaPro Painters of Akron
Canton Chem Image Imaging Technologies
Child Guidance & Family Solutions
CMIT Solutions of Cleveland-South
Corporate Technologies Group, Inc.
Diligent Electronic Security Systems
Emerson, Thomson & Bennett, LLC
Environmental Design Group, LLC
BUSINESS (Continued).
$1,000 (+) Annual Investment
Gervasi Vineyard/The Twisted Olive
Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses/
Herzing University - Akron Campus
Hilscher Clarke Electric Company
Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, Inc.
Incom Integrated Computer Systems, Inc.
Keller Williams Chervenic Realty,
L & J Woodworking LLC/AmCraft Cabinetry
Legacy Strategic Asset Management
Lewis Construction/ServiceMaster
Restoration by Lewis Construction
Lexus of Akron-Canton/Metro Lexus
Lowe’s Home Improvement – Akron/Green
The LeBron James Family Foundation
Market Street Grill & Pub/The Event Center
Mosher Media/Jump Start Video/
Hathaway Home Services, Simon-
Salhany Realty, Jim Coe, Agent
Old Carolina Barbecue & Catering Co.
Palitto Consulting Services Inc./Eyedeal
Graphics/Business Communication
Panera Bread Northeastern Ohio/Panera
Bread Catering Northeastern Ohio/
Partners Environmental Consulting
Peoples Services Inc./Terminal Warehouse
Pleasant Valley Corporation aka White
Pyramid Consulting International
Radius Hospitality/Holiday Inn
Residence Inn by Marriott Akron South
Green/Holiday Inn Express Suites
Robert J. - Events & Catering/Fun Services
The Ruby Group/Sandler Training
Sample Security and Investigations, Inc.
Sherlock Services, Inc.
Black River Computer LLC
Summit County Community Partnership
Summit County Republican Party
Tamarack Consulting Group, LLC
TKM Print Solutions, Inc./TKM Acrylics
TL Worldwide Transportation
For a complete list of our members, click here.
- Grow company revenue, capital investment and jobs in Greater Akron by leading targeted business attraction, retention and expansion efforts for high potential opportunities. Learn More >
- Create advantage for the region’s small and middle market businesses by connecting them to customers, capital, content and ecosystem support resources. Learn More >
- Advance economic opportunity through diversity and inclusion to accelerate the growth and success of Greater Akron’s companies. Learn More >
- Drive employer focused solutions to critical skill gaps by increasing job access and employer engagement with the talent development system. Learn More >
Four Competencies of the Chamber to help us Lead Greater!
- Catalytic Research and Advocacy
Drive ideas and decision-making on action to further Greater Akron’s economic success from the perspective of the business and employer community. Learn More > - Storytelling
Bring visibility to the region’s assets, companies, needs and opportunities with a focus on driving value for the business community, its employers and their workforce. Learn More > - Convener and Facilitator
Bring companies, organizations and key stakeholders together to dialogue and connect around opportunities for mutual economic success in Greater Akron. Learn More > - Distinctive Products, Services and Resources to Support Members
In places where gaps exist and the mutual needs of our members can be supported, the Chamber will invent and/or invest in capacity to fill the need and support their success. Learn More >
In a collaboration between the Greater Akron Chamber, the City of Akron, County of Summit and the GAR Foundation, we are committing to five focused strategies to create an economically dynamic Greater Akron region.
- New BRE: Take a fresh approach to business retention and expansion, focused on increasing the competitiveness of targeted scale-up and middle market firms by delivering high-quality services related to productivity, innovation, workforce development, exports and foreign investment. In addition, ensure that the region’s 40 largest firms receive coordinated, high-level outreach from the city, region, and Chamber.
- Opportunity Akron: Be highly intentional in ensuring Akron’s black population is positioned to engage in, and share in the benefits of, regional growth and prosperity. Begin with targeted digital skills and internship programs and adding staff capacity, then create a comprehensive regional inclusion strategy.
- Spark Akron: Unleash and stoke Akron’s latent innovation and startup potential by realizing the potential of Bounce, providing intensive support for emerging high-tech firms, and reinvigorating connections between firms and research universities.
- Urban Center Refocus: Steer growth to downtown Akron and other job hubs by creating new downtown development capacity and making concerted efforts to prioritize job hubs for marketing and site development.
- Elevate Greater Akron: Establish a unified, forward-looking culture of economic development by aligning organizations around a shared narrative, coordinating service delivery, connecting firms, and investing in research capacity. Constantly search for new opportunities and make strategic investments to realize them, beginning with rigorous examination of possibilities for the polymers/materials cluster and positioning the region as a “mid-tech” center.
To read more about the Elevate Greater Akron economic development strategy, click here.
Why Engage with the Chamber?
Let us work for you.
Joining the Greater Akron Chamber connects you with new opportunities, new people, and new resources. As a member, you'll both contribute to and benefit from the economic vitality of the Greater Akron region. Get connected and watch your business--and your community--thrive. Contact us or go online to become a member today!
Already a Member?
If you’re interested in getting involved, let us know what areas you’d like to be engaged in – email us at
Marc B.
Merklin
Chair of the Board
of the Greater Akron Chamber
Managing Partner Brouse McDowell
Jay A. Gershen DDS. PhD,
Vice Chair, Government Affairs,
President, Northeast Ohio Medical University
Jeffrey A. Murphy
Vice Chair, Finance
Vice President, State Regulation
Dominion Energy
Steven E.
Strah
Vice Chair, Economic Development Council
SVP & CFO FirstEnergy Corp.
Joseph S.
Kanfer
Vice Chair, At-Large
Chair & Venturer GOJO Industries, Inc.
Donzell S. Taylor
Immediate
Post-Chair,
President & CEO Welty Building Company, Ltd.
Para M. Jones, PhD,
Vice Chair, Talent & Workforce
President
Stark State College
Tia M.
Ramlow
Vice Chair, Small Business Council
President GreatWorks! Employment Services
Jerome
Gootee
Vice Chair, At-Large
Ernst & Young, LLP
Joseph S. Kanfer
Vice Chair, At-Large
Chair & Venturer, GOJO Industries, Inc.
Grace Wakulchik
Vice Char, At-Large
President
Akron Children's Hospital
Ernest E. Pouttu
Vice Chair, Chamber Services Council
President & CEO Harwick Standard Distrubtion Corp.
John T. Petures, Jr.
Vice Chair
President & CEO Akron Community Foundation
Steve
Millard
President & CEO Greater Akron Chamber
Greater Akron Chamber Board Members
Steve Abdenour
Senior Vice President, Operations
Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Virginia C. Addicott
President & CEO
FedEx Custom Critical, Inc.
Ken Babby
Owner & CEO
Akron RubberDucks
Samuel L. Belcher
Senior Vice President & President
FirstEnergy Utilities
David A. Bouffard
Vice President
Signet Corporate Affairs, Signet Jewelers
Julie Brandle
President
Metis Construction Services, LLC
Melissa Brake
Marketing & Business Development,
USIlluminations, LLC
Representing Young Professionals of Akron
Nicholas V. Browning
President
Akron Regional, Huntington Bank
Timothy M. Burke
President Eastern Ohio Market,
KeyBank, NA
S. Theresa Carter
President
OMNOVA Solutions Foundation
Steven M. Charles
Vice President
Product Development
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operation
William H. Considine
CEO Emeritus
Akron Children's Hospital
Laura B. Culp
Partner/Tax Services
Sikich, LLP
Cliff T. Deveny, MD
President & CEO
Summa Health
Steven A. Dimengo
Partner
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs LLC
Laura P. Duda
Senior Vice President
Global Communications
Phillip R. Duryea
Market Executive, Akron and East Ohio Region Middle Market Banking
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A./J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC
Robert Filipiak
Executive Director/Treasurer
Cascade Capital Corporation
Paul Fitzhenry
Senior Vice President,
Global Communication
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Nick Gattozzi
Executive Director of Government
& Community Relations
Kent State University
Jay A. Gershen, DDS, PhD
President
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Jerome Gootee
Americas Advisory Leader for Industrial Products,
Automotive and Transportation Sector
Ernst & Young, LLP
John C. Green, PhD
President
The University of Akron
Brian J. Harte, MD
President
Cleveland Clinic Akron General
& Southern Region
Martin Hilovsky
CEO
EnviroScience
John H. Higgins, Jr.
Area Vice President, Operations
Charter Communications
Ella R. Hochstetler
Director, Business Development
& Strategic Partnerships
Dominion Energy
Dan Horrigan
Mayor
City of Akron
David W. James
Superintendent
Akron Public Schools
Para M. Jones, PhD
President
Stark State College
Joseph S. Kanfer
Chairman & Venturer
GOJO Industries, Inc.
J. Michael Kolk
Partner-in-Charge -- Akron Office
Cohen & Company
Darrin Kotecki
President
GPD Group
John K. Krajewski
Managing Partner
Stark & Knoll Co., LPA
Stephen M. Kristan
Director-External Affairs
AT&T
Mark Krohn
Chairman
Focal Point Social Media
Doug Kuczynski
Regional Vice President, Akron
& North Central Region
Medical Mutual
Carolyn Lanier
Chief of Staff and Vice President for Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Kirsten Lino
Vice President,
Akron Business Banking Team Leader
Huntington Bank
Robert Littman
Ohio Managing Partner
BDO, USA
Steven L. Marks
CEO
Main Street Gourmet
Philip H. Maynard
Chairman
ASW Properties, Inc.
Marc B. Merklin
Managing Partner
Brouse McDowell
Jeffrey A. Murphy
Vice President, State Regulation
Dominion Energy
Angela M. Neeley
Acting Executive Director
Metro Regional Transit Authority
Jon Park
CEO & Chairman
Westfield Bank
John T. Petures, Jr.
President & CEO
Akron Community Foundation
Dennis Pijor
President
SummaCare
Lucia M. Pileggi
Private Banking Executive
Eastern Ohio Market, KeyBank, NA
Ernie E. Pouttu
President & CEO
Harwick Standard Distribution Corp.
Tia M. Ramlow
President
GreatWorks! Employment Services
Katie Carver Reed
Programs Coordinator
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
Representing ArtCetera
James L. Ruhlin
President
The Ruhlin Company
David J. Schipper
President & CEO
The Schipper Group
Ilene Shapiro
County Executive
County of Summit
Hillary Stewart
Senior Analyst, Performance Improvement
FirstEnergy Corp.
Representing Torchbearers
Steven E. Strah
SVP & CFO
FirstEnergy Corp.
Donzell S. Taylor
President & CEO
Welty Building Company, Ltd.
Kevin O. Thompson
Regional President
PNC Bank
André Thornton, Sr.
President & CEO
ASW Global
Grace Wakulchik
President & CEO
Akron Children's Hospital
Jeffery A. Walters
Managing Director
CBIZ Mayer Hoffman McCann
Theodore F. Walter
Akron/Canton/Youngstown President
Fifth Third Bank
Beverly J. Warren, EdD, PhD
President
Kent State University
Liz Watson
Chief Marketing Officer
Crum & Forster Pet Insurance
Julie Wesel
CEO
Chemstress Consultant Company
Sadie M. Winlock, DMgt
President & CEO
Akron Urban League
Bradley A. Wright
Partner-in-Charge of Ohio
Roetzel & Andress
05.
2018 Officers &
Board Members
Greater Akron Chamber 2018 Executive Committee