New Trustees Appointed to Leadership Akron Board

Four new trustees have been appointed to the Leadership Akron Board of Trustees. New trustees include Cathy Godshall ‘93; Christine Mayer ‘08; Michael McGlinchy ‘05 and Bernett Williams ‘99.

Cathy Godshall ‘93, is a partner with Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs, LLP specializing in Business, Taxation and Employee Benefits, Non-Profit and Foundation Law.  Cathy serves on the Advisory Board of Trustees for the Akron Chapter of the Salvation Army; is a Trustee for the Akron-Canton Airport and teaches for the University of Akron's Masters in Tax program. Cathy brings a tremendous expertise in nonprofit law, and was involved in establishing Leadership Akron as its own nonprofit organization ten years ago. Upon joining Leadership Akron’s board, Godshall said, “I am looking forward to my stint on the Leadership Akron Board! Everything connected with this organization has been educational and fun. Leadership Akron (is) a great way to learn about and connect with the community!”

Christine Mayer ‘08 is a native Akronite and has deep ties to the community. After beginning her career as an attorney with Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs, Christine shifted to a new role at the GAR Foundation in 2001, starting as a program officer. Since that time, she has been named Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel for the Foundation. In addition to a grantmaker’s perspective, Christine will bring a special interest in regional economic development to the Leadership Akron board. She has been heavily involved in the Fund for Our Economic Future, a philanthropic collaboration focused on improving the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio.

Mayer sees Leadership Akron “uniquely positioned to leverage one of Akron’s greatest assets: its strong, collaborative leadership network that extends across all sectors. I look forward to helping Leadership Akron as it grows and innovates to create even deeper community impact.”

Michael McGlinchy ‘05, is the Public Utilities Bureau Manager for the City of Akron. In his 29 year career with the City of Akron, he has held progressively responsible positions leading to Public Utilities Bureau Manager, a position he’s held since 2002.

Mike is a graduate of Leadership Akron and currently sits on the board in an ex officio capacity  as President of the Leadership Akron Alumni Association. McGlinchy is excited to extend his stint on the board, having “witnessed firsthand the strategic, forward-thinking and opportunity-driven focus of the Board. I look forward to working with the Board, its leadership and staff to increase the scope and positive impact of the Leadership Akron program for the Akron community.”

Bernett L. Williams ‘99, is President of Chief Executive Officer of the Akron Urban League. Bernett currently serves as an advisory board member for the Minority Business Accelerator, is an active member of Arlington Church of God, and a Life Member of the NAACP.   She is currently a board member of SummaCare, Inc., a member of the First Merit Bank Advisory Board, an Executive Committee member of the Summit County Social Services Advisory Committee, VP of the National Urban League Association of Executives (Central Region), and a board member for Summa Health System and JumpStart. As one of Akron’s most recognized and respected community leaders, Williams is “very excited about joining the Leadership Akron Board. While it has been over ten years since I actually went through the program it continues to serve as a very important part of my leadership development.  Leadership Akron reminds us that as leaders we must broaden our personal insights and continuously sharpen our awareness of the community landscape.  As a board member I hope to assist in shaping policy that will take our already excellent program to the next level."

In addition to welcoming these new trustees, Leadership Akron is very grateful for the four trustees who have comleted three terms as limited by the bylaws. Jody Bacon ’92, Mary Beth Carroll (Leadership Cleveland ’01), Susan Fassoles ’97, and Rick Fedorovich ’88 brought outstanding leadership to the board. Through their respective tenures, each of them served on the executive committee for a number of years in roles that included Treasurer and Board Chair. The board is thankful for their outstanding service and looks forward to their continued involvement as alumni.