AKRON, Ohio — Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, who was officially sworn in Monday, has announced "key appointments" to his cabinet and administration.
The following appointments were revealed Thursday, Jan. 4, with information as provided by Mayor Malik's office:
Director of Economic Development: Suzie Graham Moore
For over twelve years, Suzie Graham Moore has served as President and CEO of Downtown Akron Partnership. With a keen focus on safety, beautification, creative placemaking, planning, and economic development, she has elevated the entire downtown Akron experience. Her strategic initiatives, including the first of its kind consensus-led Downtown Akron Vision and Redevelopment Plan, ignited downtown residential growth, attracted over $180M in private investment, and laid a path for ongoing neighborhood planning to benefit the entire city. Under her leadership, Graham Moore’s innovative small business support programs have successfully attracted, retained, and grown businesses while increasing storefront ownership by people of color.
Before her role at DAP, Graham Moore's dedication to community building spanned over 18 years of public service with the City of Akron. From supervising recreation centers and public pools to developing innovative programming at Lock 3, she laid the groundwork for impactful programming for Akron residents.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Kent State University, a member of Leadership Akron Class 29, and a 2015 Presidio Institute Cross Sector Leadership Fellow, she has had the benefit of learning from both local and national expertise. Her commitment to community is evident in her role as an Akron core team member in the national Reimagining the Civic Commons cohort since 2016 and her service on the Board of Directors of Peg’s Foundation, Advisory Committee of the Reconnecting Our Community Initiative and the Akron Bicentennial Commission.
Graham Moore is honored to have been recognized by the 2012 GAR Glass Half Full Award, the 2017 Margaret Clark Morgan Impact Award for Community Leadership, and the 2019 Akron Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau Chairman’s Award.
Graham Moore, her husband, and two children, proudly call Akron home.
Deputy Director of Economic Development: Sean Vollman
Sean Vollman served as Assistant Director of Law in the City of Akron’s Law Department for over 18 years before joining the Office of Integrated Development in 2021. Prior to joining the City, he worked in private practice at Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs.
As an Assistant Director of Law, Vollman focused on transactional work, particularly real estate, development, construction, finance and contracts. Projects he has been part of include Amazon, Dave’s Supermarket/Middlebury Plaza, Mustard Seed, Whole Foods Plaza, Stark State, the Bowery Project, Industrial Realty Group East End, Hickory Development and several major downtown housing projects. In addition, from 2009, he was tasked to be the lawyer that assisted the City’s Engineering Division with constructing the various projects comprising the City’s Combined Sewer Overflow Program.
Vollman’s family moved to Akron in 1976 and he attended St. Vincent- St. Mary High School. Vollman received his bachelor’s degree in American Government from Georgetown University and received his Juris Doctorate from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Vollman serves on the boards of the Downtown Special Improvement District, the Downtown Real Estate Development Corporation, ConxusNEO has previously served on the Board of Trustees of Mobile Meals and Weathervane Playhouse. In connection with his role with the City of Akron, Vollman also served as the Chairperson of the Urban Neighborhood Development Corporation. He is a current member of Leadership Akron Class 40. Vollman resides in Akron with his wife and two daughters.
Director of Planning: Kyle Julien
Kyle Julien joins the administration after most recently serving as the Managing Director for the Western Reserve Community Fund (WRCF) at the Development Finance Authority. Julien has helped launch WRCF lending programs including the Akron Resiliency Fund, the Minority Contractor Capital Access Program (in collaboration with the Akron Urban League), and the Summit County Affordable Housing Trust Fund. WRCF has deployed nearly $8 million in low-cost and flexible financing to small businesses and nonprofit organizations in greater Akron since 2019. Two-thirds of WRCF borrowers have been minority-owned businesses, and nearly half have been women-owned businesses.
Prior to joining the Development Finance Authority, Julien held the role of Director of Urban Planning at East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation. There he was involved in all aspects of EANDC’s development activities, including concept and site selection, securing financing, and project management. He also oversaw the Community Building and Engagement programs at EANDC and was a member of the core planning team and contributing author for the Middlebury neighborhood plan completed in 2019.
Since 2018, Julien has served on the board of the Greater Ohio Policy Center, a nonpartisan organization that advances policies supporting the revitalization of Ohio’s cities and sustainable growth across the state. In December, he completed a two-year term as the Chair of the board. He has also volunteered for PorchRokr Music and Art Festival and served on the board of the Better Kenmore Community Development Corporation.
Julien attended Hiram College and received a Master of Urban Planning, Design, and Development from Cleveland State University. He and his wife Lori have lived in Highland Square for nearly 20 years and have three adult children.
Great Streets Administrator: LaTonda Mobley
LaTonda Mobley was appointed as the Great Streets Akron Initiative Administrator in 2022. In her current role, she has been instrumental in completing the Façade Grant Program, moving the community connections conversations forward, and participating in the development of the Neighborhood Business Districts. In the upcoming year she aims to delve into analytics-based resource provision and small business sustainability through the current initiative.
Mobley relocated to the City of Akron by way of Columbus, Ohio in 2018. Her work with Downtown Akron Partnership, Akron Pride Festival Steering Committee, and several other local organizations helped her establish her career footing. A few of her major accomplishments include partnering with Community Support Services (CSS) to provide shelter for the unhoused, consulting with Akron Aids Collaborative to bring the Bayard Rustin Resource Center to fruition and piloting the City’s first ambassador program outside of Downtown Akron.
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Appointments as revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 2:
Deborah Matz: Director of Law
Deborah S. Matz currently serves as the Director of the Department of Law and Risk Management for the County of Summit Executive. In that role, she acts as General Counsel to the County Executive and is the Director of the Executive’s Law and Risk Management Department through which she oversees the County’s liability insurance programs as well as all county contracting and related issues and litigation involving all departments and offices of the County. Matz is also responsible for the operation of the Records Center and manages public records and public meeting issues for Executive. She also provides general counsel services to the Summit and Medina Workforce Area Council of Governments as well as the Summit Area Regional Council of Governments which operates the Consolidated Dispatch Center.
Prior to serving with the County Executive, Matz was a Magistrate in the Summit County Domestic Relations Court for ten years. In that role, she heard and decided cases involving divorce, dissolution, post decree modification matters, paternity issues, child support contempt and civil domestic violence.
She began her career with the County as a Judicial Attorney working in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division where she performed legal research, writing, drafting of policies and procedures for jury management, reimbursement by Ohio Public Defender’s Commission of appointed counsel fees and expenses, as well as employment policies and procedures.
Prior to her work for the County, she was an Attorney in private practice focusing primarily on family law issues. Matz holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration with a dual degree in Finance and Real Estate and a Masters of Science Accounting from Kent State University.
Matz is active in the Akron Bar Association including membership on Grievance and Judicial Evaluation Committees and is the secretary of the Law Library Resources Board – which operates the Summit County Law Library. Matz is also a graduate of Class VII of the Summit County Child and Family Leadership Exchange.
Brian Angeloni: Deputy Law Director/Acting Director of Law
Brian Angeloni began his legal career in private practice at a full-service, Akron-based law firm, where he focused primarily on complex financial insolvency matters. During this time, he was an active member of the Akron legal community serving on the Attorney Constituent Group for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Grievance Investigation Subcommittee of the Akron Bar Association and as an Akron Bar Foundation Fellow. Angeloni was awarded the designation “Super Lawyers Rising Star” multiple times while in private practice.
In 2016, Angeloni joined the City of Akron’s Law Department as an Assistant Director of Law. His practice primarily focuses on transactional work, but also includes a wide-array of municipal law issues, including economic development and real estate, inter-governmental relations, public finance, ethics, public records, legislation, land use and zoning, and collections. He has acted as liaison to, and legal counsel for, Akron City Council and numerous other boards and commissions. In 2021, Angeloni was promoted to the role of Senior Counsel for Administration and Development and, as a result, he oversees all of the City’s transactional matters and has a significant role in managing the internal, day-to-day, operations of the City’s Law Department.
Angeloni is a graduate of Mount Union College (now, the University of Mount Union) and The University of Akron School of Law, where he was an associate editor for Akron’s Law Review. Brian is licensed to practice law in Ohio, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Brian and his wife, Stephanie, are grateful to worship and serve at Redemption Chapel in Stow, where they are active members. Brian and Stephanie have three children together.
Michael Defibaugh: Deputy Law Director/Acting Director of Human Resources
Mike Defibaugh began his legal career with the City of Akron Law Department in 2000 as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Criminal Division, where he prosecuted criminal cases on behalf of the City of Akron and the State of Ohio. In 2002, Defibaugh joined the Civil Division as an Assistant Director of Law. His practice primarily focuses on representing the City of Akron in complex civil litigation involving constitutional claims, EMS medical claims, personal injury and employment discrimination claims in state and federal courts. Defibaugh has conducted several jury trials and has handled appeals before the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Ninth District Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Ohio. He also provides day-to-day legal advice to City departments on a wide variety of labor and employment matters, including labor contract interpretations, union grievances, employee disciplines, City policies, leave management, employment laws and serves as Counsel for the Human Resources Commission. Defibaugh currently serves as Senior Counsel for Labor, Employment and Litigation, where he oversees all of the City’s active litigation and labor and employment matters. As Senior Counsel, he also participates in managing the internal operations of the City’s Law Department.
Defibaugh is a graduate of Kent State University and the University of Dayton School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in Ohio, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Defibaugh resides in Akron with his wife, Kerri, and their son. He enjoys sports, spending time with their dogs and watching his son play football.
Lauren Marsh: Assistant to the Chief of Staff
Lauren Marsh is a proud lifelong Akron resident. She attended Firestone High School and the University of Akron, majoring in Political Science and Criminology. Due to her strong track record of promoting productive relationships among the community and elected officials, she was selected to serve as Regional Party Affairs Director for the Ohio Democratic Party. In this role, she was responsible for building and maintaining relationships with county parties, elected officials, activists, and grassroots labor leaders and connecting them to the party's resources. After this position, Marsh was appointed the first African American Clerk of Council for Summit County Council. In 2023, Marsh was elected the President of the Akron Urban League Young Professionals. She’s an active member of Torchbearers (Class of 2019), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Federated Democratic Women of Summit County. In 2023, she was selected as a fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus Institute in Washington, DC, receiving extensive public policy and leadership development training.
Marsh has been active in her community and has received numerous awards and accolades for her involvement in Northeast Ohio. She was recognized in 2020 as an Akron Beacon Journal Unsung Hero for her commitment to volunteerism. Her activism and involvement in politics led to her being awarded the 2022 Russell M. Pry Young Democrat of the Year Award from the Summit County Democratic Party.
She founded the Firestone Dance and Step Team and served as the Head Coach for 15 years at Firestone High School. Marsh enjoys shopping, volunteering in her community, and listening to music. She’s an accomplished pianist and the mother of a busy toddler.
Joseph Natko: Chief of the Akron Fire Department
Chief Natko first began his career with the Akron Fire Department (AFD) in March of 1991 as a firefighter/medic. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1997, Captain in 2005, Provisional District Chief in 2011, District Chief in 2015, Deputy Chief in 2022, and later in 2022 took on the top job of Akron Fire Chief. He holds an Associate’s Degree of Technical Studies from the University of Akron and earned his Ohio Fire Executive certification in 2014. Chief Natko is continuing his education at Stark State College where he is pursuing a degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
During his career, Chief Natko has initiated and managed several programs at AFD including: Electronic Patient Care Reporting Program (EPCR), Opiate Quick Response Team (QRT), Alternate Response Vehicle (non-emergent ambulance), PulsePoint (civilian CPR alerts), REACH (community paramedicine), ET3 (Telehealth), and Health Data Exchange (HDE). He’s also a proud graduate of Leadership Akron Class 35.
Chief Natko is a devoted husband and a father of three children. He and his family attend The Chapel and actively serve there on a regular basis.
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Additionally, Mayor Malik's office revealed the following appointments in a press release last Friday:
Esther Thomas: Director of DEI
An Akron native and lifelong student of justice and equity, Esther L. Thomas joins the City of Akron with 20+ years of public service. She has held positions of Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Magistrate with Summit County Juvenile Court, and Human Resources Director with Community Action Akron Summit. Additionally, Thomas has been the chair of the Akron Civil Rights Commission for 3 years.
While at the Sheriff’s Office, Thomas was the project director for year-round Faith & Blue events, designed to unite community and public safety professionals. She looks forward to working with City of Akron employees in courageous conversations and increasing equity in City government.
Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Amherst College in Amherst MA and her Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
She is an avid theatergoer and was last seen on stage in Weathervane’s 2022 production of The Color Purple. She is a proud auntie and great aunt to a dozen.
Casey Shevlin: Director of Sustainability and Resiliency
As the city's first Director of Sustainability and Resiliency, Casey Shevlin will be responsible for helping coordinate and grow the city's focus on environmental issues. Shevlin most recently served as the senior sustainability analyst in the Corporate Responsibility department at FirstEnergy, where she was responsible for improving the company’s performance on a range of sustainability topics, including climate change. Shevlin has previously worked in a variety of communications, research, and academic positions.
Shevlin serves on the Women’s Network Leadership Institute’s Advisory Council and on the Board of the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
She is originally from New York and received her B.A. in English from Emmanuel College and her M.A. in English from the University of Akron. She lives with her husband Brian and their dog Maverick in the Firestone Park neighborhood of Akron. In her free time, she enjoys hiking in our local and national parks, practicing yoga in Highland Square, and eating her way through the downtown Akron restaurant scene.
Stephanie Marsh: Director of Communications
Stephanie Marsh obtained a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from Kent State University where she studied English and graduated with University Honors in 2012. Before joining the Mayor’s Office communications team in 2019, Marsh was a Senior Customer Content Specialist at PR Newswire/Cision and was the President of Cision’s global LGBTQ+ employee resource group. She was promoted to her current position as Chief Communications Officer in early 2022.
In her current role, Marsh oversees City of Akron professional communications, event coordination and press relations from the Office of the Mayor. She leads citywide marketing strategy as well as ideation and execution of City communications initiatives, community engagement and events. In the last year, she has been responsible for creating and launching the city’s new website, implementing Zencity as the city’s first data-driven engagement platform, maintaining the city’s weekly newsletter, and rebranding citywide communications.
Marsh also serves as one of the LGBTQ+ liaisons to the Mayor’s office, and is a board member and advocacy committee chair at CANAPI (Community AIDS Network and Akron Pride Initiative).
Patricia Porter: Digital Media Assistant
Born and raised in the City of Akron, Patricia Porter obtained a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication magna cum laude and a Diversity Studies Certificate from Ohio University. She graduated in May 2023 and will join the City of Akron Mayor’s Office communications team in January. While in college, Porter worked as the Marketing and Communications Manager at a local arthouse theater from 2019-2023.
In her new role with the Mayor’s Office, Porter will work with other communications team members to create, design and deliver public relations, marketing, and informational materials for the Mayor’s Office. She will assist with written material and all digital collateral as well as aiding in content creation. She will assist with social media management, including community engagement and feedback.