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OUR SPEAKER
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at Noon
ELIZABETH WALTERS
COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Council Member At-Large
Councilwoman Elizabeth (Liz) Walters is serving her second term representing the citizens of Summit County as an At-Large member. She has been active on a wide variety of issues and working in partnership with her colleagues helped to navigate Summit County through the challenges of the last few years. She works hard to ensure a strong Summit County economy, support our communities and families, and innovate for a brighter tomorrow. In 2022, she was unanimously elected by her colleagues from both parties to serve a second term as Council President.
Early in her tenure she led the passage and implementation of Paid Parental Leave for county employees, the only Ohio county to pass such legislation. In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic she led the County effort to secure and distribute funding for small business and important social service nonprofits. Currently, she chairs the Summit County Environmental Sustainability Task Force, co-chairs Summit County’s Special Committee to address racism as a public health crisis and serves on numerous County boards and commissions.
Throughout her career Liz has worked with people and organizations that support working family values, including the Obama-Biden Campaign, Congresswoman Betty Sutton, We Are Ohio, and many community-based nonprofits and community organizing groups. In 2018, she founded Cuyahoga Valley Group, a small, project-focused consulting firm focused on clients working across a wide range of philanthropic, civic engagement, and political issues. In January of 2021, Liz was unanimously elected as the first woman Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party.
She is a lifetime Girl Scout and has been active with the organization as a member, employee, or volunteer since the age of five, earning their illustrious “Women of Distinction Award” in 2020. Liz serves on the Advisory Council for the United Way of Summit County’s Financial Empowerment Centers and is an alumna of the American Council of Young Political Leaders. Liz earned a B.A. in History from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and her MPA from Cleveland State University.
She is a native of Northeast Ohio, a proud member of a large and loud Irish Catholic family who traces its local roots to the economic opportunity Firestone Tire and Rubber. Liz was taught the value of service by her family, and especially her mother, a career-long nurse. She and her rescue dog, Beatrice (Bea), live on the westside of Akron and enjoy walks throughout Summit’s vast array of parks. Liz always appreciates an opportunity to meet and work with voters and looks forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.
As a reminder, our regular weekly meeting for Tuesday April 19 will NOT be held.
In lieu of this meeting, we ask that you sign up to attend the District Conference luncheon on Friday, April 22 at Noon at Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls.
LAST DATE TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE IS APRIL 15TH!
Every Rotarian is welcome and encouraged to attend any of the sessions and dinners that are being hosted. Stay over and enjoy the hospitality suites at the end of each evening too!
Note: Hotel reservations must be booked by April 4th to receive $139 room rate.
The Rotary Scholarship Committee invites fellow Rotarians to our first Celebration of Youth Scholarship Dinner on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Akron’s College of Business at 295 S. Broadway Street.
Fifteen Akron Public School Seniors will each be the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from the Akron Rotary Foundation.
This year, APS had 56 students apply for the scholarships. After reducing that number, fellow Rotarians interviewed the remaining 40 students to select the 15 recipients.
We look forward to seeing many of you at this dinner and hear about the accomplishments of these amazing students.
Pre-registration is required. There will be no registration on the evening of the event.
Last week we announced that Ginny Wojno has been named one of the Summit County Historical Society's Women of the year.
We now have information about tickets for the event.
Ginny and the other recipients will be honored at a special presentation on June 15 at the John Brown House, 514 Diagonal Road, Akron. Heather Pollock of the University of Akron will be the emcee.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Akron’s Chief of Police, Stephen L. Mylett. Chief Mylett was sworn in as Chief of Police of the Akron Police Department on Thursday, August 19, 2021. Chief Mylett has over 30 years of law enforcement experience.
Chief Mylett now commands the department’s 447 officers and supervisors, 43 Reserve officers and 33 civilians that serve Akron’s 198,000 citizens.
Chief Mylett was attracted to the open Chief of Police position as he was looking for a place he and his wife could call “home” and where most of his children would possibly relocate or be closer to them.
He was impressed with Akron in a preliminary visit prior to applying for the Chief of Police position. After hearing Mayor Horrigan and seeing the leadership the Mayor was providing, he was convinced that Akron would be that “home” he and his wife were looking for.
Chief Mylett believes the police force is very united and universally his staff want to be of service to the Akron community. He is in the process of interviewing every staff member within the police department to see what their needs are and their commitment to provide services to the community.
The major desire the officers wanted to accomplish is to get rid of the gun violence.
The city of Akron took 1200 guns off the streets this past year. Chief Mylett says the bad news is that (1) crime is high, (2) drug overdoses are high, (3) there is a shortage of police officers. The good news is that (1) the City of Akron is seeing a decrease in the number of homicides, and (2) the department will be initiating a hiring campaign to attract new police officers. The Chief would like to provide more diversity within the department. Currently 80% of the force is White, 15% is African American. The city of Akron is 50% African American.
Individuals interested in becoming a police officer need to be between 21 and 40 years of age.
Chief Mylett wishes to provide his officers the three pillars of (1) Wellness, (2) Recognition, and (3) Personal Career Development.
His promise to the community is to build bridges and trust in the community.
To learn more about the Akron Police Department, go to www.akronohio.gov. and click the Police Department link.
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