Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the Summit Education Initiative is made up of civic and business leaders who share the vision of educational excellence for all Summit County students.  Board members serve three year terms which may be renewed. The Board is comprised of a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and ten to fifteen additional members. Several ad-hoc and standing committees assist in the work of the the Board. They meet six times per year.

The Board responsibilities include:

  • Hire, support, and evaluate the Executive Director
  • Establish governing policies
  • Execute fiduciary responsibilities
  • Ensure development and execution of strategic plans
  • Support and assist with fundraising

The current members of the Summit Education Initiative Board of Directors are:

Kirstin Toth, Chair
Senior Vice President
GAR Foundation

Andrew Duff, Vice-Chair
Vice-President
Amer Cunningham Company, L.P.A.

Christopher K. Collins, Treasurer
Finance Director Commercial Tire Systems
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Nicholas Browning, Secretary
President & Cheif Executive Officer, Akron Region
FirstMerit Bank

Tommy Bruno
Executive Director & General Manager
The Summit - WAPS 91.3 FM and WKLT 90.7 FM

William Considine
President & Chief Executive Officer
Akron Children´s Hospital

John Dearborn
President
JumpStart, Inc.

John Farber
Head of School
Old Trail School

Jeff Ferguson
Superintendent
Tallmadge City Schools

Leonard Foster
Director of Human Resources
County of Summit

Ramona Hood
Managing Director
FedEx Truckload Brokerage

David James                                                                                       
Superintendent                                                                                      
Akron Public Schools

David Jennings
Director
Akron-Summit County Library

Russell Pry
Executive
County of Summit

Suzanne Rickards
Retired Owner - Herman Machines

Mike Sherman
Senior Vice President, Provost and Chief Operating Officer
The University of Akron

Joseph Zarconi, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Vice President, Medical Education & Research
Summa Health System

 

SEI is fortunate to have a history of community leaders who have served on the Board of Trustees in the past.  They are as follows:

  • Robert Briggs, GAR Foundation
  • Richard Chenoweth
  • Joseph Clapp
  • James Crutchfield, Akron Beacon Journal
  • Betty Dalton
  • Reverand Ronald Fowler, Arlington Church of God
  • Barbara Hiney
  • Ali Jamshidi, First Energy Corporation
  • William Jasso, Time Warner Cable
  • Brad Lakhia, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
  • Barbara Mathews (deceased)
  • John Ong
  • Theresa Proenza
  • Robert Reffner
  • James Staley, YRC Transportation
  • Robert Tieken, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
  • Linda Urda, Ph.D.
  • Jean Van Ness, GAR Foundation
  • Darren Wells, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
  • John Yasinsky, Ph.D.