Akron City Council has its hands full before it appoints the next representative of Ward 1 to fill the seat vacated when Nancy Holland resigned on Jan. 5, just days before the start of a new term.
According to public records obtained by Signal Akron, 15 people applied to represent Ward 1. Council President Margo Sommerville said at a town hall meeting last week that a council committee will interview all applicants before it makes a recommendation to the whole council. City Council members have until Feb. 4 to fill the seat.
The council committee screening the candidates – consisting of Sommerville, Jeff Fusco, Phil Lombardo, James Hardy and Jan Davis – begins interviews on Tuesday.
Applicants are invited to interact with constituents during a virtual candidate forum on Zoom Thursday, Jan. 25, from 8 to 9 p.m.
The event is being organized by Ward 1 community organizations that include the Big Love Network, West Hill Neighborhood Organization, Hereford Park Neighborhood Association and Canyon Trail Park Collective. Volunteers from these organizations will serve as facilitators and take questions from attendees.
Ward 1 residents can submit their questions via email, social media and in the chat during the event.
The forum is open to all candidates who submitted an application to City Council. Candidates should contact the forum organizers at Ward1Akron@gmail.com as soon as possible for more details and to express interest in participating.
Information about the applicants
The applicants, in alphabetical order, and their occupations include:
Michael Bradley
Occupation: Retired.
Letter excerpt: “Kindly be advised that I am interested in seeking the vacancy of Akron City Council Ward 1.”
Gregory Butler
Occupation: Director of manufacturing operations at Deluxe Corporation.
Letter excerpt: “If the next Akron City Council Ward 1 Council Person must be compatible with residents and ready to dig in and get acquainted with people and issues in the ward, actively listen to the constituents’ concerns, and negotiate win-win solutions, my background and qualifications in leadership and diverse partnerships warrant a review for the opportunity. I am truly enthusiastic about collaboration and ready to roll up my sleeves and give my personal best to my city.”
Samuel DeShazior
Occupation: Director of business retention and expansion at the City of Akron
Letter excerpt: “As I take this journey, it is my intent to learn from our citizens and share the best of my time and talents with this community. I’ve always known that Akron, Ohio was a special place and through collaboration and progressive work, Ward 1 can be the prototype for other neighborhoods to follow.”
Abigail Drennen
Occupation: Commerce marketing manager for the J.M. Smucker Company
Letter excerpt: “It’s up to us as everyday citizens to get involved and make the places we live places we want to live and for others to want to live in. I would love to have the opportunity to help make Akron a better place for us to all live and thrive through time with City Council, especially in the areas of: Housing as a human right, economic diversity, creative reuse and reimagination of buildings and accessibility and walkability within our Ward, as well as broader across the city. I have been described as a collaborative ‘Let’s find a way to make this work’ team member, so I hope to bring that spirit to [my] time on Council.”
Emily Durway
Occupation: Attorney, adjunct professor at Stark State College and Sinclair Community College
Letter excerpt: “There is so much economic and cultural richness in our community whether you live on Treetop Trail or Crestwood Ave. A new administration, new environmental focused development, and the exciting Akron Cultural plan support the strengthening of the fundamental stability of our community. In this position, I look forward to combining my love of individual advocacy and passion for systemic and policy change.”
Susan Hagey
Occupation: Registered nurse
Letter excerpt: “I love and am completely vested in Highland Square. My husband and I raised our 3 children here and they love the neighborhood as well. Most evenings and weekends you will find me walking the neighborhood supporting local businesses such as Angel Falls, Mustard Seed and Yoga Squared. It is my intention to live in Highland Square for many more years to come. As a longtime, community nurse working with the underprivileged, I have gained valuable experience working with the public. If appointed to Akron City Council, I will continue to support this city and council leadership.”
John Jakob
Occupation: Physician, Summa Health System
Letter excerpt: “My priorities (I think) are aligned with those of my neighbors: 1) optimization of public transport for people from all walks of life 2) renter protections 3) urban development for everyone, independent of real estate interests. My anticipation is that my experience in the healthcare industry (I am currently an adult medical oncologist at Akron City and Barberton) will be helpful in any engagement with Summit County’s largest employers. Finally, I am excited to work with the new mayoral administration.”
Berlin King
Occupation: Quality control technician, GOJO Industries
Letter excerpt: “I am currently employed with Gojo Industries for the past 17 years. Resident of Akron for 22 years. In transparency – I have not run for office before.”
Ryan Kinney
Occupation: Attorney, Ryan Kinney Law Co., LPA
Letter excerpt: “My work in this field requires a significant degree of community work, interpersonal relationship building, and coalition building on every level. My practice requires regular contact and positive working relationships with non-profits, executive government agencies, private corporations, law firms, courts, victims of crime and delinquency, teachers and school administration. Each of these people or entities come to the table with a diverse array of interests from a similarly diverse range of backgrounds.”
Jennifer Maurer
Occupation: Musician
Letter excerpt: “I don’t take this submission lightly. I was cautioned against what I would be getting myself into. I was warned that the demands would be great and constant. Yet I know I can do this job, and do it well. I’ve been training for it in tangential ways my whole life. How do I know this? I went to our Ward 1 meeting this past Wednesday and heard my fellow constituents express qualities they want in their councilperson. The list includes the ability to listen, to communicate, to create partnerships, to find and develop resources, to advocate, and to think outside the box, all while working for and with a very diverse group of people. These are the same exact qualities that I’ve had to develop for the public work I’ve been doing since my return to the Akron area from college in 1993.”
Acacia Reynolds
Occupation: Pharmacy technician
Letter excerpt: “I am committed to fostering open dialogue, inclusivity, and transparency in my decision-making processes. If appointed to the City Council, I will work tirelessly to represent the diverse voices of the citizens of Ward 1 and the city as a whole, collaborating with fellow council members and engaging with residents to ensure our city’s needs are met. I look forward to tackling the historic and systemic biases implicit in our governing bodies to make our city a beacon of inclusiveness.”
Patricia Ritzert
Occupation: Attorney, Mansour Gavin LPA
Letter excerpt: “As a progressive representative for the diverse interests within Ward 1, I will be totally committed to maintaining communication, responding to citizens, and working to improve the operation of City government. As a mother of five, legal practice is only a part of the life experiences I bring to City Council. I also bring the life experiences of my children and husband. Having been raised in Akron, and having raised a family in Akron, I am passionate about making the City safe, making City services of high quality, keeping City personnel (including police) accountable, and always learning about the lives and needs of Akron citizens.”
Bernie Rochford
Occupation: Executive assistant, Oriana House
Letter excerpt: “My work in Ward One has been mostly behind the scenes. I worked closely with Rich Swirsky in his efforts to bring together businesses in Highland Square to address disruptive behaviors in and around the bars and restaurants. Oriana House has an office in Highland Square. I actively participated in the business owners’ group efforts to address security issues in Highland Square… I continued these efforts with Councilman Fusco and Councilwoman Holland, but due to police shortages it proved challenging to find officers able to work. I know Councilwoman Holland kept engaged with the Highland Square businesses and residents to work on solutions that would benefit all. From these previous experiences and the relationships I have formed, I have a real understanding of the needs of the business community and our neighbors.”
Fran Wilson
Occupation: Community organizer; senior public relations account executive, Chatham Strategies
Letter excerpt: “I am applying to the vacant Ward One seat (again) because my neighbors deserve a passionate, informed, and on-the ground city council representative who is already doing the work that our neighborhoods need. Plus, I think it’s about time that Highland Square, Downtown, University campus, West Hill, Merriman Hills and Valley, and Timbertop are represented in council by a renter, a young person, and an openly queer Akronite.”
Jude Yovichin
Occupation: Small business owner; math and standardized test tutor; Doordash driver
Letter excerpt: “I always knew that the proper way to orient political action was towards helping build a better community for your constituents, but I had not realized the absolute potential to do good until I met my neighbors, near and far, in this way. I heard about development conflicts, trees fallen over roads, welfare programs that were inaccessible, crime that was unaddressed, and, despite all the problems, the love that Ward One residents had for their neighborhoods. They want to see the life of the ward, in Akron as a whole preserved. I want that too.”