Joined The Staff
May 2008
Favorite Thing About ACF
We have a wonderful role as our community's champion and generator of permanent philanthropy. It's an amazing concept to give both today and forever, providing hope for current and future generations through a fund at Akron Community Foundation. I'm also a firm believer that people don't give to causes, they give to people, and I'm proud the community foundation is such a catalyst in introducing fundholders and prospective donors to inspiring nonprofit leaders and the incredible work of their organizations in our community.
What He Does
John, who celebrated his 16th anniversary with the foundation in May 2024, has championed the transformation of Akron Community Foundation into a more donor-centric organization. Since 2009, the community foundation has tripled its assets to $305 million, while also nearly tripling the number of charitable funds to more than 900. Donations over the past decade have averaged more than $15 million, while grants and distributions back into the community during this same period have averaged more than $12 million. John leads a 21-person team in their work to identify, activate and support informed and passionate philanthropists who strive to improve the quality of life in our community. For a number of years, John has been named to Cleveland Magazine's Power 100 list of the most influential leaders in Northeast Ohio in addition to being an inaugural member of The Cleveland 500 in 2020 and the Ohio 500 list of leaders, doers, visionaries and idea generators who help shape the city and region.
What He Did Before
The majority of John's 45-year professional career has been spent in the nonprofit sector. In primarily development and senior management roles, he has led and been a member of fundraising teams that have raised more than $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 in senior development positions with United Way organizations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Cleveland, and he most recently was the president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation's Northeastern Ohio Chapter. He studied at Penn State and Geneva College, where he earned a degree in communications and journalism. John and Cindy are proud grandparents of five, and he is a loyal Pittsburgh Steelers fan. (Sorry, Browns fans!)