Our Board

The Executive Committee is a representative group composed of board officers and committee chairs. This committee is responsible for the management of the organization between meetings of the board of directors.

2026-2027 Committee Members:
Jim Pickard, Chair
Theresa Carter, Vice Chair
Brian Moore, Secretary and Community Investment Co-Chair
Kendra Myers, CPA, Treasurer and Finance Chair
Tracy Dowe, Governance Chair
Mark Bachmann, Community Relations Chair
Laura Culp, Community Investment Co-Chair
Marty Hauser, Immediate Past Chair
John F. Garofalo, Ex Officio

The Community Investment Committee reviews all grant applications for Akron Community Foundation's quarterly grant cycles: Arts & Culture, Civic Affairs, Health & Human Services, and Education. Committee members meet with nonprofit organizations to learn about and evaluate their programs. They also determine funding priorities for the year and make grant decisions in accordance with the community foundation's guiding principles.

2026-2027 Committee Members:
Brian Moore, Co-Chair
Laura Culp, Co-Chair
Mark Bachmann
Dr. Carla Chapman
Steve Dimengo
Marty Hauser
Eric Jones
Jolene Lane
Angie Wells

2026-2027 Ad Hoc Committee Members:
Thom Craig
Steve Hendricks
Brant Lee

The Community Relations Committee is responsible for growing Akron Community Foundation's endowment. Committee members create fundraising strategies and work to expand the community foundation's relationships with current and prospective fundholders. They also track the number of gifts and funds each quarter and set future fundraising goals. In addition, the committee works with staff to advance the community foundation's mission through news, events, advertising and other activities.

2026-2027 Committee Members:
Mark Bachmann, Chair
Tim Able
Steve Dimengo
Marty Hauser
Jesse Hurst
Ron Paydo

2026-2027 Ad Hoc Committee Members:
Susan Poe Flowers
Allison Peltz

The Finance and Investment Committee plays a critical role in protecting and growing Akron Community Foundation's endowment for the good of the community. The committee's main responsibility is to oversee the community foundation's financial operations and ensure its investment portfolio is managed prudently. Other responsibilities include:

• Developing investment policy guidelines with a focus on long-term growth
• Selecting asset classes and establishing an asset allocation policy
• Reviewing management and investment costs that affect the community foundation's portfolio
• Evaluating the community foundation's investment performance by comparing it to portfolios with similar assets and total value
• Selecting investment managers and allocating assets among those managers
• Analyzing the performance of investment managers relative to their respective benchmarks and peer groups
• Replacing any investment managers that are not following the community foundation's policies or achieving its objectives

2026-2027 Committee Members:
Kendra Myers, CPA, Chair
Shefali Mahesh, M.D., MBA
Angelina Milo
Jim Nilsen
Jim Pickard
Ernie Pouttu
J. Bret Treier

The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing all of the community foundation's yearly audit processes, internal control systems, and public financial information. The committee is composed of independent directors that are not associated with any major vendors or customers of the community foundation. In addition to overseeing audit matters, the committee provides an open line of communication between the auditors and the board of directors. Committee members also have the power to conduct investigations into the community foundation's internal financial systems, ensuring that the community foundation operates with the utmost transparency and fiscal integrity.

2026-2027 Committee Members:
Angelina Milo, Chair
Theresa Carter
Kendra Myers, CPA
Jim Pickard
Ernie Pouttu
J. Bret Treier

The Governance Committee is responsible for cultivating new board members. With input from board officers, committee members identify upstanding members of the community whose skills and expertise would be a valuable addition to the board. They also oversee the orientation and training of new board members.

2026-2027 Committee Members:
Tracy Dowe, Chair
Theresa Carter
Marty Hauser
Eric Jones
Angelina Milo
Angie Wells

The Strategic Planning Committee oversees the development and execution of the community foundation's strategic plan. These committee members advance the foundation's mission and vision by ensuring deliberate and thoughtful stewardship in the following focus areas:

• Donors & Stewardship
• Legacy & Families
• Proactive Community Investment
• Leadership & Leverage
• Governance & Accountability
• Infrastructure & Physical Plant

2026-2027 Committee Members:
J. Bret Treier, Chair
Theresa Carter
Jolene Lane
Ron Paydo
Jim Pickard