Managing Member, Zeleznik & Associates
Board member since 2014

Mike Zeleznik has more than 30 years of experience as a CPA and licensed life insurance advisor. His expertise is broad and includes business and estate planning, wealth transfer, business succession planning, business valuation, estate and income taxation, and litigation consulting/expert witness matters. In addition to his professional experience, Mike has also volunteered with the Society of Financial Service Professionals, the Regional Prosperity Initiative, the Tax & Estate Planning Council of Akron and the American Heart Association of Akron’s Heart Ball.

CEO and Managing Partner, Bober Markey Fedorovich
Board member since 2012

Rick Fedorovich is a certified public accountant with more than 30 years of experience in accounting and business advisory services. His professional affiliations include the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and PKF International. Rick is a longtime community volunteer and currently serves on the boards of BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Greater Akron Chamber, Welty Family Foundation, Archbishop Hoban High School, Akron Automobile Club and Akron General Health System. He is also a graduate of Leadership Akron.

Senior Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Information Officer, FirstEnergy
Board member since 2016

Bennett Gaines is the senior vice president of corporate services and chief information officer at FirstEnergy, where he has been employed since 2006. Bennett is responsible for the delivery of information technology services, including the corporate IT strategy and governance process, as well as the communications/data network. He is also responsible for corporate security (both physical and cyber), flight operations and supply chain. Prior to FirstEnergy, Bennett was employed in various IT positions in Kentucky, Dallas and the United Kingdom. He has a bachelor of art degree from Baldwin-Wallace College and a master of arts degree from the University of Phoenix.

President and CEO, Akron Community Foundation
Staff member since 2008

The majority of John’s nearly 40-year professional career has been spent in the nonprofit sector. In primarily senior development roles, he has helped organizations raise nearly $1 billion for the betterment of communities where he and his wife, Cindy, have lived, worked and raised their three children. John has previously worked with the United Way and the Arthritis Foundation, and studied at Penn State and Geneva College, where he earned a degree in communications and journalism.

President, Pickard Commercial Group
Board member since 2017

With over 30 years in the commercial real estate industry, Jim Pickard has an extensive background that includes office and industrial brokerage, construction and facilities management as well as sales support. He has served as councilman for the Village of Silver Lake and as Board Chairman for Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. He is a past chairman of the AABOR commercial industrial committee and has served on the board of directors for United Disability Services, Community Support Services and various other advisory boards. Jim is a graduate of Leadership Akron Class XI. He earned his bachelor’s degree in logistics/operations management from Michigan State University and an associate degree in accounting from Lansing Community College.

Vice President & Senior Financial Planner, KeyBank
Board member since 2017

Derrick Ransom has nearly a decade of experience in the financial services industry with specialization as a registered representative and licensed insurance agent in Northeast Ohio. Derrick is the director of Copley-Fairlawn Youth Football and servces as a board member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve, Info Line and the Fairlawn Community Foundation. Derrick is a seven-year veteran of the NFL, a graduate of Leadership Akron and has been recognized in “Who’s Who in Black Cleveland”. He earned his BA in finance and international business from the University of Cincinnati.

Summit County Executive
Board member since 2015

Ilene Shapiro has more than 25 years of experience in business development and local government. Prior to becoming Summit County executive, she served as president of the Summit County Council, where she led the county’s 11-member policy-making body. An accomplished business leader, Ilene is also the head of Shapiro Consulting Firm, which specializes in sales, marketing, business planning and economic development. Ilene is a distinguished community leader and a champion of women in business and philanthropy: She is past president of the Women’s Network, a founding mother of Akron Community Foundation’s Women’s Endowment Fund, and a Northeast Ohio ATHENA Leadership Award winner, among many other distinctions. Ilene is an alumna of both Leadership America and Leadership Akron.

Partner, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
Board member since 2018

J. Bret Treier is the managing partner of the Akron office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP. A member of the firm’s corporate group, Bret specializes in counseling public and private companies on transactions, securities law compliance and disclosure issues, and board and governance matters. In 2016 and 2017, he was named Akron Corporate Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America. Bret is active in the community, serving on the boards of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, Akron Marathon Charitable Corporation and the Akron Area YMCA Endowment Foundation, among others. He also serves on the advisory council for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Bret received his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he was the editor of the Case Western Reserve Law Review.

Vice President & Senior Financial Planner, KeyBank
Board member since 2017

Derrick Ransom has nearly a decade of experience in the financial services industry with specialization as a registered representative and licensed insurance agent in Northeast Ohio. Derrick is the director of Copley-Fairlawn Youth Football and servces as a board member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve, Info Line and the Fairlawn Community Foundation. Derrick is a seven-year veteran of the NFL, a graduate of Leadership Akron and has been recognized in “Who’s Who in Black Cleveland”. He earned his BA in finance and international business from the University of Cincinnati.

CEO and Managing Partner, Bober Markey Fedorovich
Board member since 2012

Rick Fedorovich is a certified public accountant with more than 30 years of experience in accounting and business advisory services. His professional affiliations include the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and PKF International. Rick is a longtime community volunteer and currently serves on the boards of BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Greater Akron Chamber, Welty Family Foundation, Archbishop Hoban High School, Akron Automobile Club and Akron General Health System. He is also a graduate of Leadership Akron.

Founder and Managing Partner, The Law Office of Mark E. Krohn, Esq., LLC
Board member since 2014

Mark Krohn is an attorney, executive, entrepreneur and leader at The Law Office of Mark E. Krohn, Esq., LLC with more than 15 years of experience representing small- to medium-sized businesses in critical strategic initiatives. In addition to being an accomplished attorney, he serves in a variety of visionary and operational roles for three local companies. Mark is passionate about philanthropy and has been recognized for his leadership and community service. He also serves on the boards of the United Way of Summit County, the Akron Rotary Foundation and the First Tee of Greater Akron. 

Managing Member, Zeleznik & Associates
Board member since 2014

Mike Zeleznik has more than 30 years of experience as a CPA and licensed life insurance advisor. His expertise is broad and includes business and estate planning, wealth transfer, business succession planning, business valuation, estate and income taxation, and litigation consulting/expert witness matters. In addition to his professional experience, Mike has also volunteered with the Society of Financial Service Professionals, the Regional Prosperity Initiative, the Tax & Estate Planning Council of Akron and the American Heart Association of Akron’s Heart Ball.