As Dan Horrigan prepares to take office as Akron’s new mayor Jan. 1, his cabinet is now in place. He introduced the new appointments this morning at a press conference at Akron Community Foundation.
Cabinet members include:
- Eve V. Belfance, Director of Law, who has served on the Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals and the Akron Municipal Court, along with serving as a visiting judge on the Ohio Supreme Court;
- Charles A. Brown, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, who is a nearly 30-year veteran of the Akron Police Department, most recently serving as assistant chief of police;
- Christine R. Curry, Assistant to the Mayor/Director of Communications, who is Director of Development in the Department of Development at the University of Akron;
- Steve Fricker, Deputy Director of Finance, who is currently treasurer for the city of Akron;
- Annie Ochsenhirt-McFadden, Assistant to the Mayor/Deputy Chief of Staff, who is the owner of 5Eleven Consulting, LLC, a campaign strategy, management and marketing services firm;
- Jason Segedy, Director of Planning & Urban Development, who is the director of the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS); and
- Marco S. Sommerville, Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Affairs & Senior Advisor to the Mayor, who has 30 years of experience in local politics and as an Akron business owner. Sommerville served on Akron City Council as Council President, and was appointed Director of Planning & Urban Development in 2012.
In addition, John Moore and Diane Miller-Dawson will continue to serve as Director of Public Service and Director of Finance, respectively.
“I am confident that each of these appointees will assist me in carrying out my vision for a transparent, accountable city government that is responsive to the needs of Akron,” said Horrigan, who added that this transition will continue to change shape while he waits for a report from the city’s Blue Ribbon Task Force, expected to be released in February.