An effective gauge of a community’s health and well being is the volunteer and civic contributions made by its leaders…those people who serve on boards and commissions, work with community groups, and serve as elected officials. These citizen leaders must be nurtured and provided with tools that enable them to be successful and inspires their commitment to community. Akron’s future depends on a sustainable and renewable source for leadership. This is the role and responsibility of Leadership Akron.

What is Leadership Akron? For lack of a better word, a class. For one day a month, class members join to learn in-depth and hands-on about vital aspects of the greater Akron community. We are a resource from which civic, cultural, philanthropic and other organizations draw their leaders, and from which progressive businesses can identify managers able to utilize regional infrastructures. We are an incubator for community issues awareness, leadership skills and networking.

The program analyzes major areas of community concern, provides opportunities for open dialogue between leaders with diverse perspectives, examines leadership styles, and promotes a network of community trustees committed to the greater good. All programs are planned and delivered by teams of Leadership Akron graduates who each bring their special expertise to the issues being explored.

A class of 34 participants is selected annually. It is composed of an accomplished group of men and women who reflect the diversity of the greater Akron region. Leadership Akron is a highly structured program that follows the schedule of a typical school year. The year begins in August with two tours of the city…an historical tour and a tour of the downtown and neighborhoods of today. In early September, a two-day Retreat is held. From the end of September through May, participants attend monthly, daylong focused programs designed to give them exposure and perspective in a variety of areas. All sessions are designed to be highly interactive, educational and thought provoking. Participants share their unique experiences and learn from one another. For more detailed information about the program, go to The Curriculum.

Throughout the year, the participants are teamed with fellow members in small “study” groups to gain practical experience in working together. In addition, the class works on a Philanthropy Project. Through the generosity of the Burton D. Morgan and GAR Foundations, each class receives grant money to study and practice philanthropy. The participants work together to research needs in the community. The responsibility of each class is to determine how the grant money will be distributed to meet the needs they have identified. This provides practical experience in teamwork, consensus building, research and the hard work of distributing funds wisely while respecting the ideas and wishes of other class members.

Tuition is $2,200. A limited number of partial scholarships are granted to those who qualify for assistance.