André serves as Chief Diversity Officer at United Way of Summit & Medina, providing executive leadership in fulfilling the overall mission and vision of the organization by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. Since joining United Way of Summit & Medina in 2016, he has been a leader in the Bridges Summit County initiative. André has consistently facilitated large-scale community and organizational workshops across the Greater Akron region, which support individuals, organizations, and communities in understanding and addressing the individual and systemic dynamics of poverty.
In 2019, André assumed the role of Director, Diversity & Inclusion at United Way, leading in the design, creation and building of the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and programming. He brings several years of corporate experience through his time in the supply chain industry at Penske Logistics, along with his nonprofit journey at the Boy Scouts of America. In his tenure with the Boy Scouts, he delivered inclusive after-school Scouting programming for students, membership recruitment and fundraising in the Cleveland metropolitan area. He continues to be a long-term advocate for sustainable community development and social equity across our community.
André earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Management from John Carroll University, Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership from Crown College, and his MBA from Cleveland State University. He is a member of the Torchbearers Akron Alumni Class of 2018, a graduate of Leadership Akron’s Barberton Community Leadership Institute and a 2020 recipient of Greater Akron Chamber’s 30 For the Future award. He is also a licensed Bridges Out of Poverty workshop facilitator and certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory.